The Spatial Information Systems (SIS) program at the UA-M School of Forest Resources, will provide graduates (the drivers) to meet the growing demand for a geo-technology workforce. It is projected that there will be numerous opportunities available for graduates with expertise in the areas of Geographics Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and land surveying.

The program provides students with a choice of two academic opportunities. The Spatial Information Systems (SIS) program leads to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and is a mixture of general education, computer based Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Digital Photogrammetry (DP), and land surveying courses. The student has the option to concentrate in GIS or land surveying. In addition, students may select to pursue a two-year Associate of Science (A.S.) in Land Surveying Technology. The A.S. degree is a mixture of general education and land surveying courses.

The School of Forest Resources got started in computer geo-technologies in 1990, even though the School had been teaching photogrammetry, remote sensing and surveying for more than 30 years, when the faculty decide to start building a Geographic Information System (GIS) laboratory. In 1991 the School received a $100,000 gift from the Roy and Christine Sturgis foundation to purchase some of the GIS hardware and software. In 1994 the University and School made another commitment to geo-technologies by creating a new position in GIS and remote sensing to strength it’s teaching and research in geo-technologies. This is when the Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL) started at the School of Forest Resources at UA-M. In 1996 the School of Forest Resources faculty decided that this technology was so important for the students success that remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and GIS are required courses of all forestry and wildlife majors. Many other forestry schools are now are just starting to do this in their academic programs. We where one of the first in the nation to require geo-technologies in a natural resource program.

The Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL) is involved in research and development in the areas of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing, and Expert Systems. The lab utilizes these technologies to focus on developing applications and research to improve resource management. This is accomplished by integrating high-tech computer facilities with expertise of the faculty and staff to evaluate complex problems and provide solutions for more effective resource management strategies. The SAL houses the Natural State Digital Database (NSDD) (http://sal.uamont.edu) (the car), which provides free GIS and remote Sensing data for the state of Arkansas. The SAL utilizes seven Sun Unix workstations and fourteen Intel workstations to accomplish these tasks. The lab uses ten types of devices for reading and storing data, including two optical drives capable of storing over four gigabytes and CD Publisher to print and write CD ROMs. More than 1,400 gigabytes of hard disk space is available for software and data storage. The SAL has numerous high-quality output devices (color laser printers, Inkjet plotters, Dye-sublimation printer, etc.) which permit the visualization of spatial and tabular information. Spatial data input is accomplished using Altek backlit digitizers and scanners. The lab also incorporates other technologies, such as thirty field GPS units, a GPS Base Station, GER 1500 and GER 2600 Spectroradiometers, and a Kodak DCS420 Digital Multi-Camera System in its research and development efforts. To complement the SAL, three other labs (Authorized ESRI ArcView Learning Centers) consisting of more than 50 Pentium III workstations has been established in the School for undergraduate education, continuing education and technology transfer of spatial analysis techniques and applications related to resource management. The SAL is one of the best equipped academic research GIS laboratories in a natural resource program that was built with non-state grants and donations. It provides an excellent foundation for building the SIS program on to insure it’s success.

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