The state and local and land use sessions involved a cross section of the expanding community of government managers who use remotely sensed information to make programmatic decisions. Problems that can be inferred from the presentations and resulting discussion are addressed. Recommendations are also given to facilitate utilization of remote sensing technology

Parrish, C. M., III

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VI. Land Use
State and Local Users
Charles M. Parrish, III
The state and local and land use sessions discussed in
this summary involved a cross section of the expanding
community of government managers who are now using
remotely sensed information to make programmatic
decisions. In this summary, the specific applications
discussed in individual presentations are not itemized;
these are available in Volumes I and II of the
proceedings. Instead, problems and potential solutions
that can be inferred from the presentations and resulting
discussion are addressed.
The objective of the state and local interactive session
was to compare approaches to remote-sensing
applications for state and local resource management
problems. With the possible exception of some
international papers, this objective applied equally to the
land use session; however, the land use session differed
because of less time for discussion and consisted
p r i m a r i l y of several presentations emphasizing
techniques.
Mr. Charles Mathews has personally requested
emphasis on problems that NASA should be addressing.
In responding to that request, I have included other
Federal agencies and, wherever possible, have suggested
directions for future program development.
Many papers throughout the symposium related to
state and local applications. Those included in the two
sessions summarized herein were selected to provide
material for stimulating interaction and thereby for
emphasizing as many of the generic issues as possible.
Hopefully, the audience of state and local managers
furthered their appreciation of the status and direction
of remote sensing as a useful tool for problem solving.
Many current applications of remotely sensed data to
management problems exist, and some have been used
for years. However, the papers presented dealt with
some of the more complex approaches, simply because
people believed discussion of such approaches was
appropriate. Among the general categories of major
applicat ions discussed were wildlife habitat
determination; crop production estimation; impounded
water surveying; urban development monitoring;
corridor location (transportation, communication,
energy); flood area definition (fig. VI-1); urban planning;
agricultural potential determination; surface water
runof f estimation; water quality determination;
strip-mine rehabilitation monitoring; coastal zone
baseline information surveying; significant natural
resource area definition; and forest management
planning.
Interest in the use of satellite-acquired data was
greatest among users concerned with large areas. In
general, the strongest interest was shown by users from
the larger states, which often encompass large tracts of
relatively inaccessible land.
The use of imagery still is more common than the use
of digital data. However, interest in the use of digital
d a t a a n d o f c o m p u t e r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
information-extraction techniques is increasing rapidly.
In general, aerial photography is widely used as a
source of information, but it provides only a part of all
information desirable for decisionmaking. Even though
much remotely sensed data is being acquired,
uncoordinated acquisition by various projects at various
levels and scales sometimes precludes the use of these
data for comprehensive statewide inventory. Yet there is
considerable interest in the initiation of statewide
information systems.
The most striking characteristic of the international
presentations was that most projects use the
satellite-acquired data in an operational context because
these are often the only data available. However, in some
cases, satellite data coverage is still less than adequate.
For the urban orientation, there were not enough
participants to obtain a representative cross section of
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Atlanta, Georgia.
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•K
CATAHOULA PARISH
LAND USE MAP
Figure Vl-1.— An example of satellite data used to map
flooded areas in a county. The dark areas, interpreted
from Landsat imagery, were overlaid on an existing
land use map.
urban users who apply remotely sensed data. The
statements and conclusions made in this section are
based on what was heard.
Urban planning has been identified as a major area of
application of remotely sensed data. As in past years,
low-altitude aircraft photography currently is the
predominant source of remote-sensing data used in the
planning process. However, many planning groups still
use conventional ground data-gathering methods. Much
of the photography collected is in the range of scales
from 1:2000 to 1:24 000 and provides adequate detailed
information (Levels HI and IV) for most urban planning
functions.
During the past 5 years, some urban planners have
had access to NASA high-altitude aircraft photography
at scales from 1:100 000 to 1:125 000. Most evaluations
of these data indicate that the detail is insufficient and
that the scale is too small for many planning purposes,
particularly those dealing with urban cores and adjacent
areas; however, the data do have potential in planning
for those areas near and beyond the urban fringe (fig.
VI-2). Although Landsat data cannot provide the
detailed information and mapping required for most
urban planning purposes, the imagery is potentially
useful in applications of digital processing techniques to
monitor suburban expansion and to provide change
detection throughout the urban/suburban area.
As planning becomes large scale (beyond the urban
fringe), it may be wise to compare the advantages of
obtaining a land cover inventory from a satellite source
such as Landsat to obtaining it by the traditional
technique of aerial photointerpretation or field survey.
The advantages are measured not only in dollars saved,
but, more important, in time saved. (Three examples of
this consideration were given within the session.)
The author drew a few general conclusions from the
proceedings. First, a tremendous gap exists between the
technical development and the managerial application of
remotely sensed information. However, a number of
people were surprised at the extent to which remote
sensing is being actively applied by state and local
government agencies. There is apparently a rather rapid
expansion in its use across the country. Some
recommendations are made in the following paragraphs.
1. The NASA and other Federal agencies, as well as
state agencies, are becoming more conscious of the user
and his needs. Although this progress is healthy,
educational programs should receive an even higher
priority. Formal education programs, developed and
sponsored by Federal agencies and made available to
state and local governments, are extremely important.
2. Documented procedures directing the user from
the first step to the final product are essential. Without a
formal approach, a new technique will appear
excessively risky to most users. All successful
applications research should culminate in a formal
procedure.
3. Symposia, conferences, and briefings are necessary
to make the manager aware of the state of the art, but
these meetings must have jdirect followup assistance in
technology transfer. The concept of cooperative
remote-sensing centers was discussed, but no consensus
on their function was apparent.
4. Research projects as funded, together with their
primary objectives, should emphasize the involvement of
students who one day will be in operational programs
trying to resolve resource management problems.
5. The simple technique should not be neglected.
Often, a sophisticated approach is used when a proven
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OF TI
Figure VI-2.— Trends and residential growth in outlying subdivisions are visible in this small-scale photograph.
simpler method may be equally effective. More complex
approaches should be applied only as they are proved
and as management problems require their application.
6. As much for education as for improving solutions,
the intended user should participate in the design of data
acquisition and handling systems. If the user works on
system development and understands system operation,
he will be able to use the system better.
Second, the user must be confident that the
operational system will have guaranteed continuity of
service. Many are using Landsat data routinely now, but
because the system is not classified as operational, any
large commitments to training, technology, and
equipment would be very risky. If one concentrates on
the established capabilities of Landsat and evaluates
those in relation to specific problems, he will recognize
that Landsat should be an operational system.
Third, the fact that no single system will ever be a
panacea must be recognized. A collection of tools
specific to the particular problems dealt with by
managers is needed. Such combinations as spacecraft and
aircraft, digital and optical will be necessary for a long
time.
Fourth, data must be made available to users at a high
resolution, with a quick turnaround, at a low cost, and
in a rectified form. There was much interest in greater
resolution and more rapid data delivery, but it was
recognized that a tradeoff exists between the two, with
cost the ultimate limiting factor. Rectified data
referenced to the ground and to a nominal scene with
sufficient accuracy and available in volume from the
EROS Data Center would greatly increase the usefulness
and affordability of the information. Rectification is the
main requirement to geographically reference
information extracted from remotely sensed data to
other physical and socioeconomic information.
It must be remembered that in any remote-sensing
technique the data need only have accuracy or precision
to the degree required by its application. Such
information often becomes acceptable when it is of a
quality equal to or better than information assembled by
existing operational ground surveys.
37
Fifth, cooperative programs should be developed. If
states share the cost, the data probably will be worth
collecting. The states will also have more involvement in
the manner of collection and the type of format chosen.
Sixth, more personal communication is needed
among data users and between data suppliers and users.
A consensus approach to management should be
developed. During the state and local session, there was
only minimal attendance and involvement from local
governments . S ta te governments were better
represented. However, most of the time, the person who
actually makes the final decisions is probably in local
government.
Seventh, users must be encouraged to help develop
future programs. To this end, a structured effort by the
Federal government is needed. This conference has gone
a long way, and other efforts have been made in recent
months and years. These efforts must be continued. Of
course, participants in the session did recognize that
state and local governments, the ultimate users, share the
responsibility of defining their own needs and expressing
them to the Federal government and thereby aiding in
the development of programs. Although the sessions
identified many of the basic problems that need to be
resolved in developing future programs, nothing should
prevent users from going ahead and applying the data
that now exist to management needs. Existing data can
go far toward solving problems today. At the same time,
users should work together in a structured, focused, and
intensive manner to define the needs of future programs.
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Land use, state and local users

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