GIS Specialists Ethan Smith and Ben Ogren know where they’re going

Editor’s note: The Mariposa Gazette asked Mariposa County’s GIS specialists Ethan Smith and Ben Ogren about the past, present and future of data mapping.

GAZETTE: Mapping and cartography goes back thousands of years. Maps were especially important to the exploration of California and the Gold Rush. Do you see a connection to that history and what you do today with GIS (Geographic Information System)?

SMITH: Absolutely. In the Gold Rush era maps were critical for mining operations in discovering and documenting ore deposits. It would only do so much good to know that there is gold around, it would do better to know where the gold was exactly. Maps would guide decision making then just as they do now. Similar to land use planning where the County has been using GIS for close to 20 years to map County Land Use to guide development decisions, gold miners used their maps to guide mining operations based on the landscape and geology.

GAZETTE: GIS was first coined in 1963, and today people literally make millions of maps every day using GIS technology. Are you surprised by its rapid development?

SMITH: We are not surprised. In fact, the GIS community has been working to further emphasize and bring awareness to the importance and pervasiveness of spatial analysis and spatial reasoning. Many people don’t realize how often they interact with GIS-based products and it often takes someone to point it out.

GAZETTE: What makes GIS so important in rural areas like Mariposa? In times of wildfire or any disaster, what’s your goal?

SMITH: GIS in rural areas provides a great asset in leveraging and organizing data resources. It allows for a streamlined process in solving problems and has the greatest impact locally when used in disaster response. GIS helps guide the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan by mapping critical infrastructure and evacuation plans, for example. In times of disaster response, GIS works with CAL FIRE, Cal OES, the Sheriff’s Office and the Emergency Operations Center to assist in decision making to protect life and property.

GAZETTE: What drew you to GIS and what do you see in its future?

SMITH: I was drawn to GIS in college from the fact that it was a new (to me) way of looking at data and patterns. Applying data spatially rather than in spreadsheets opened my eyes to greater possibilities. Performing analysis with GIS struck me as a more useful way to help the world around me. If you ask me, it’s much easier in many cases to see the impact of certain things when you are seeing the physical location. As the ‘First Law of Geography’ says, “everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.

OGREN: My interest in GIS began while working as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service conducting spotted owl research in the Plumas National Forest. During that time, I used GIS to map owl territories and nest tree locations. Suitable habitat models were created and overlaid on maps to better predict where to find the rare and elusive spotted owl. From those experiences I grew more interested in GIS technology and chose to go back to school and earn a Master’s Degree in GIS.

I see GIS continuing to grow at a rapid pace as it infiltrates nearly every industry in some capacity. Since the advent of the smartphone, we have seen mobile GIS applications flourish and more of the general public become increasingly aware of GIS technology.