WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:12.509 Alaska   00:00:12.509 --> 00:00:14.040 David Hayes:  Thanks for coming to the round table today. 00:00:14.040 --> 00:00:22.279 I expected to be with you in person but as it turns out I'm unexpectedly with the Secretary 00:00:22.279 --> 00:00:26.320 in Norway today so I have a good excuse. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:31.910 I very much appreciate all of you coming together for this important topic. 00:00:31.910 --> 00:00:37.670 This is the issue of mapping in Alaska is an important issue that the Department of 00:00:37.670 --> 00:00:44.809 the Interior is happy to co host this round table on along with the state of Alaska, and 00:00:44.809 --> 00:00:48.090 we appreciate the Governor's interest in this. 00:00:48.090 --> 00:00:53.039 His office is participation in this round table and also the interest of the Alaska 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:55.639 delegation. 00:00:55.639 --> 00:01:02.199 I really don't have to explain to this group how important mapping is to the business of 00:01:02.199 --> 00:01:06.550 government and to the business of the private sector. 00:01:06.550 --> 00:01:12.750 I think all of us have come to take good mapping for granted now. 00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:18.570 We have a number of federal agencies around the table here and all of us in our different 00:01:18.570 --> 00:01:23.610 mission areas have found how important solid mapping is. 00:01:23.610 --> 00:01:29.370 Whether we're talking about infrastructure and potential infrastructure development, 00:01:29.370 --> 00:01:36.390 whether we're talking about resources and the availability of resources, the nature 00:01:36.390 --> 00:01:42.270 of resources on our landscape, or whether we're talking about safety issues. 00:01:42.270 --> 00:01:49.390 Basic issues such as aviation safety, navigation related safety et cetera. 00:01:49.390 --> 00:01:58.320 We all take good mapping for granted and what is surprising to many is how poorly mapped 00:01:58.320 --> 00:02:00.870 the state of Alaska is. 00:02:00.870 --> 00:02:05.960 Our 49th state has been left behind when it's come to mapping. 00:02:05.960 --> 00:02:13.250 aTopographically, as I understand it, we are perhaps 20 percent mapped in Alaska with current 00:02:13.250 --> 00:02:14.510 technology. 00:02:14.510 --> 00:02:24.099 A number of agencies, including our USGS, I know Marsha is here representing USGS today, 00:02:24.099 --> 00:02:25.739 have tried to tackle this. 00:02:25.739 --> 00:02:30.099 And the state of Alaska has tried to tackle this. 00:02:30.099 --> 00:02:32.790 Progress is being made. 00:02:32.790 --> 00:02:35.969 Some databases have been recently purchased. 00:02:35.969 --> 00:02:41.379 The USGS has a topographical initiative underway. 00:02:41.379 --> 00:02:50.260 The reality is that at the current rate of activity, we will not be addressing and solving 00:02:50.260 --> 00:02:56.889 this mapping void on an acceptable schedule. 00:02:56.889 --> 00:03:03.290 What we want to do in this roundtable is make sure that all of the affected players have 00:03:03.290 --> 00:03:08.969 an appreciation for where we are, with Alaska, right now on the mapping situation. 00:03:08.969 --> 00:03:12.219 It's not a good place. 00:03:12.219 --> 00:03:18.669 We want to collaborate together across our agencies and our interest groups to figure 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:25.290 out how we can accelerate the effort to bring Alaska mapping up to speed with where it needs 00:03:25.290 --> 00:03:27.310 to be. 00:03:27.310 --> 00:03:32.169 I'm hoping that today's workshop will provide an opportunity to do that. 00:03:32.169 --> 00:03:41.000 First, to share information about the status quo, and secondly, I hope organize as a group, 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:47.639 perhaps with an executive committee with representation from the key departments and agencies and 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:52.010 interests that need good mapping in Alaska. 00:03:52.010 --> 00:03:59.269 And that's virtually every major department in the federal government given the huge stake 00:03:59.269 --> 00:04:05.319 we all have in Alaska, to form an executive committee to find a way forward. 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:07.939 There's no quick way to do this. 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:10.400 There is some expense involved. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:18.600 But if we work together and put our minds together and efforts together and get some 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:22.370 contributions together, we can. 00:04:22.370 --> 00:04:28.010 Working with the state and private industry get there, and get there much more quickly 00:04:28.010 --> 00:04:29.790 than the status quo. 00:04:29.790 --> 00:04:34.780 Thanks again for participating in the round table, and I will look forward to future discussions 00:04:34.780 --> 00:04:37.140 with all of you on this important subject. 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:37.220 p.