SAN
DIEGO, Calif. —July 11, 2018 — Esri, the global leader in spatial analytics,
presented Texas A&M Forest Servicewith
Esri's Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award on July 11 at the annual Esri
User Conference. Selected from over 300,000 eligible candidates, Texas A&M
Forest Servicereceived the award for
its innovative application of mapping, data analytics, and thought leadership
in the field of Urban Forestry.
The SAG Awards are meant to show appreciation for
organizations that are using GIS to solve some of the world's toughest
challenges. Through The Science of Where—the technology of GIS combined with
the science of geography—the users honored with these awards are demonstrating the
most groundbreaking and transformative possibilities of GIS software.
"Esri User Conference is a great forum for our
users to come together and share the amazing ways they are implementing GIS
technology," said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. "The organizations
recognized here are creating maps and using spatial analytics to make a
difference in the world. We are honored to present these awards."
The Urban Forest Strike Team performs assessments on
storm-damaged trees to identify those that pose a risk to people and property
on publically managed land after a storm or natural disaster. Texas A&M
Forest Service deployed a strike team to coastal communities following the
landfall of Category 4 Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
During fieldwork, the strike team recorded
storm-damaged trees using Collector for ArcGIS. Offline data collection was
performed in areas without cell service and the team developed a dynamic
dashboard for real-time data tracking.
Putting the collected data on tree loss into action,
Texas A&M Forest Service is now coordinating with the Arbor Day Foundation
and other organizations to begin tree adoptions and plantings for communities
in the hurricane’s path. The recovery effort will consist of thousands of trees
over 3 to 5 years.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Urban Forest Strike
Team was one of over 180 organizations in areas such as commercial industry,
defense, transportation, nonprofit work, telecommunications and government to
receive a SAG Award. Esri staff annually nominate hundreds of candidates from
around the world for consideration and Dangermond selects the finalists.
For more information on how the Texas A&M Forest
Service Urban Forest Strike Team is changing the world through The Science of
Where, visithttp://ow.ly/SBQP30kUA9F.
Texas
A&M Forest Service UFST Development Team
Paul
Johnson - Urban & Community Forestry Program Leader
Gretchen
Riley - Urban & Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator
Shruthi
Srinivasan - Geospatial Analyst
Mickey
Merritt, Mike Sills, Matt Weaver, Brad Hamel, Monica Singhania, Courtney
Blevins, Mark Kroeze, Bill Green - Staff Foresters
John
Warner - District Forester
Dudley
Hartel - Science Delivery/Technology Coordinator, US Forest Service
###
About Texas A&M Forest Service Urban Forest Strike
Team
Urban Forest
Strike Team is a team of trained personnel deployed to perform rapid tree risk
assessments to identify storm-damaged trees that pose a risk to people and
property on publically managed land, and to document trees that meet FEMA
debris management criteria (FEMA Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide)
for Public Assistance reimbursement.
UFST Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02g5ufAWi3Q
About Esri
Esri, the global market leader in
geographic information system (GIS) software, offers the most powerful mapping
and spatial analytics technology available. Since 1969, Esri has helped
customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business
results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations
including the world's largest cities, most national governments,
75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and
universities. Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital
transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and location analytics to inform
the most authoritative maps in the world. Visit us at esri.com.
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Contact
Texas
A&M Forest Service Communications newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu
979-450-1160