04/23/2001 03:55 PM Senate RES

          HJR 19-DIGITAL ORTHOIMAGERY AND ELEVATION DATA                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON announced HJR 19 to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. JUDY JORDAN,  staff to Representative Scalzi,  sponsor, said HJR
 encourages  Congress to provide funding to digitally  map much of                                                            
Alaska.  This  new mapping  technique  has  numerous  benefits.  Ms.                                                            
Jordan  explained  that orthoimagery  and  digital  mapping  combine                                                            
image  characteristics  of  aerial photography  with  the  geometric                                                            
qualities of the map. Such  maps would greatly enhance the processes                                                            
used by decision  makers that pertain  to the state's land  transfer                                                            
programs, resource  assessment, exploration  and development,  rural                                                            
airport  access,   fire  suppression  and  community   economic  and                                                            
infrastructure  development. Today, she said, decision  makers often                                                            
rely on  inaccurate and outdated  maps. Some  maps were produced  as                                                            
much as 40 - 50 years ago.  Federally funded orthoimagery mapping is                                                            
already being  made available to other  states and, to date,  Alaska                                                            
has been left  out of that effort. It is her understanding  that the                                                            
U.S. Geological  Survey has included a $6 million  initiative in its                                                            
FY02 budget  for Alaska. Other Department  of Interior agencies  may                                                            
supplement that  request. Obtaining this type of mapping  for Alaska                                                            
is  very  expensive  and  is currently  projected  to  cost  in  the                                                            
neighborhood of more than $100 million.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
She  said that  digital  orthoimagery  is  the  goal of  the  Alaska                                                            
Geographic Data Committee.  They have collected over 50 endorsements                                                            
from corporate, state,  Native and federal entities within the state                                                            
for the geological survey initiative.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR  moved to pass HJR 19 from committee  with individual                                                            
recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.