Using Remote Sensing in State and Local Government Information for Management and Decision Making (2003) / Chapter Skim
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3. Getting Started in Remote Sensing: Common Barriers and Bottlenecks
3. Getting Started in Remote Sensing: Common Barriers and Bottlenecks
Pages 38-49
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From page 38... ...
Chapter 4 looks at how the federal government and the private sector facilitated the use of remote sensing data by state and local governments. The workshop presentations emphasized that when public sector officials introduce remote sensing data and applications into existing or changing government operations, they must deal not only with significant technical issues but also with significant nontechnical issues.
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From page 39... ...
In addition to data, however, there are other costs faced by state and local governments in developing an internal remote sensing capability, and these associated costs can add up to considerably more than the cost of the imagery. In the first report of this steering committee, Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications, there was discussion of the many expenditures that must be assumed by a public entity intending to use remote sensing for the first time, and a recommendation that NASA should study the short- and long-term costs and benefits of developing remote sensing applications (see Appendix A)
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From page 40... ...
Remote sensing advocates in state and local government face problems in obtaining appropriate budgetary support for purchasing data. The Baltimore and Boulder County speakers at the workshop reported that they encountered uncertainty as to whether remote sensing data purchases should be considered a one-time capital expense or a routine operating cost.
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From page 41... ...
Though this one-time approach is encouraged by commercial licensing practices, one consequence is that public agencies do not then frame their data purchases in the broader context of multiple uses of the data. A number of state and local governments, including Richland County, South Carolina, have reduced the costs of adopting remote sensing by building on the management capacity already in place for GIS and related geospatial data.
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From page 42... ...
Because technological advances enable remote sensing satellites to identify objects smaller than a meter, the technology now permits detailed observation of personal movements, objects stored and used on private land, and even in some cases corporate production runs and inventories. This ability to observe has raised issues related to the right to privacy and protection from unreasonable searches.
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From page 43... ...
Moreover, the benefits themselves are usually not well understood. The internal advocate provides information to public sector managers and decision makers on what remote sensing can do and takes the initial steps to obtain data and the capacity to develop remote sensing applications.4 Organizational Location of Remote Sensing Expertise Another institutional issue that must be addressed is where to place remote sensing expertise organizationally within the government.
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From page 44... ...
fin its first report, the steering committee stated as follows: Because the utility of remote sensing data is in its information content, and the ultimate users Of remote sensing applications are likely to be nontechnical decision makers who influence budget decisions, it is very important that the end users understand the potential, the advantages, and the limitations of remote sensing data. see space Studies Board and Ocean Studies Board, National Research Council, Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001, p.
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From page 45... ...
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) officials reported that some state and local governments did not participate in a remote sensing grants program directed specifically at the nonfederal public sector because they lacked sufficient remote sensing staff.6 In addition, the Baltimore and Portland Metro case studies illustrate the need for technically trained government workers who can manage remote sensing contracts that are outsourced to third parties.
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From page 46... ...
This can complicate the use of remote sensing applications across federal and nonfederal agencies. 7Space Studies Board and Ocean Studies Board, National Research Council, Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001, p.
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From page 47... ...
LICENSING AND DATA MANAGEMENT The licensing of remote sensing data and related issues of data access and continuity are critical for the economic and even the legal viability of using remote sensing data in state and local government. A number of participants in
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From page 48... ...
Data Continuity Finally, data continuity is a critical issue for state and local governments. If a nonfederal public entity invests scarce resources in the purchase and use of remote sensing data, managers want the assurance that they will be able to obtain comparable data in the future.
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From page 49... ...
The decisions about these issues are made by federal agencies, private firms, and even international remote sensing data providers and are often based on long-term economic, policy, and strategic criteria rather than short-term needs for continuity in data for specific applications. Yet from the perspective of the current and future development of remote sensing applications and the development of a robust market for remote sensing data in state and local government, unanswered questions about future data availability and uncertainty about access to existing historic or heritage data can be a disincentive to investing in new applications.
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