General DNR News

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Honored by the Smithsonian Institution. Satellite technology aids in restoring Louisiana's shores

Washington, D.C. (March 6, 1998)---Louisiana Department of Natural Resources' Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System (SONRIS)/2000 will become part of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation at the National Museum of American History on Monday morning, April 6th at 9:30 a.m. on the National Mall, when the 1998 Information Technology Innovation Collection is formally presented to the Institution.

"Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is using information technology to make great strides toward remarkable social achievement in environment," said Dr. David Allison, Chairman of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information Technology and Society. Nominated by Mr. Casey Powell, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc., the Department's work is part of a collection that includes over 442 of the year's most innovative applications of technology from 40 states and 19 countries.

At the DNR, satellite feeds of data from 700 coastal sensing stations measure progress on 190 coastal restoration projects reducing the current rate of land loss, which is about 25-30 square miles per year.

Each year, the Computerworld Smithsonian Chairmen's Committee nominates individuals who use information technology to improve society for inclusion in the Smithsonian's National IT Innovation Collection. Founded in 1989, the Computerworld Smithsonian Program searches for and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership as they strive to use information technology in innovative ways across ten categories: Business and Related Services; Education and Academia; Environment, Energy and Agriculture; Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Government and Non-Profit Organizations; Manufacturing; Media, Arts and Entertainment; Medicine; Science; and Transportation.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. According to Dan Morrow, Executive Director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program, "the materials submitted on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will enrich the Smithsonian's growing permanent collection on the Information Age, and help the Institution build an accurate historic record of the truly outstanding achievements being made in these remarkable times."

Case Studies from the 1998 Collection will be made available to the public June 8th, on the Innovation Network web site: at http://innovate.si.edu, where the entire ten year collection is available to citizens, scholars and researchers worldwide. The Innovation Network web site also offers visitors an opportunity to record their impressions of the information technology revolution in the national record.

For further information please contact: Mark Bailey or Simone Ross Computerworld Smithsonian Awards 617.478.2704

or

Rizwan Ahmed, Information Services Louisiana Department of Natural Resources 504-342-1972