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Kenerson Group Develops Advanced Solution Using ArcView GIS NEES Balances Environmental and Utility Infrastructure Concerns Using GISThe Kenerson Group of Boston, Massachusetts, a consulting agency specializing in the development of GIS solutions for the utility industry, developed the Vegetation Integrated Information Management Solution (VIIMS) using ArcView GIS. Kenerson used species information provided by the National Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Westborough, Massachusetts. “Maps are excellent tools to visualize information,” says Tom Sullivan, forester for NEES. “VIIMS provides us with valuable data integration, analysis, and visualization. Data can then be transformed into valuable information, which is ideal for decision support.” “Transmission systems occupy sensitive habitat, adjoin or occupy areas owned by private citizens, and can interrupt or displace ecosystems,” says Kerri Kenerson, director, the Kenerson Group. “Information about how a utility maintains its rights-of-way is critical to properly managing the environment in these areas. The VIIMS system was designed to empower utilities with a modern, flexible solution to meet this need.” The system integrates local government, utility asset, and environmental data including local public well information, surface water, and species data from the National Heritage and Endangered Species Program. The system allows users to map environmental data with transmission information, giving utility employees valuable information when operating in the field. Workers can perform routine asset management duties while carefully taking into consideration wildlife habitat. Eventually, the information will be taken into the field on laptop computers, providing a mobile, digital database tool for NEES service crews. “There is a wealth of data integrated through the system, including data on landowners, wildlife, access roads, restricted areas, and much more,” says David Szcebak, GIS manager, the National Heritage and Endangered Species Program. “For instance, using the system, the utility can ensure that herbicides in a certain area may not adversely impact a certain rare plant population. Because all of their environmental and facility asset information is stored in one centralized database, and because this data can be easily transformed into a map, NEES can easily communicate to government agencies that it is meeting all environmental requirements.” “Knowing where infrastructure is, and how it affects the local environment, is crucial to making better decisions for more informed, intelligent approaches for doing work without damaging the environment,” says Kenerson. Another key benefit of the system is the centralization of data previously stored in various manual and digital formats. Information managed by different agencies and departments and maintained in filing cabinets, on various maps, and in the heads of general foreman, arborists, real estate and land managers, is now fully automated and accessible via desktop computing. For more than thirty years, ESRI has been the leading developer of geographic information system (GIS) software with more than 220,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than ninety countries, and more than 900 resellers and developers. ESRI’s goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com. ESRI, ArcView, and the ESRI globe logo are trademarks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., registered in the United States and certain other countries; registration is pending in the European Community. GIS by ESRI is a trademark and www.esri.com and @esri.com are service marks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners. www.esri.com
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