Students help map city
GPS system being used to plot South End

Allegany College of Maryland Forestry students Dustin Kennedy, right, and Carl McDonald use a Pro-XR global positioning system receiver to mark a decorative cherry tree and utilities on Mary Street in Cumberland. (Photo Credit: John A. Bone/Times-News)

Maria D. Martirano
Times-News Staffwriter

CUMBERLAND — Dustin Kennedy’s years of roaming Green Ridge State Forest and his interest in old cemeteries provided him the ideal opportunity to use some skills he picked up as an Allegany College of Maryland student.

Using John Mash’s “The Land of the Living,” where a section focuses on the cemeteries there, the Hagerstown resident used global positioning system, or GPS, equipment to map public cemeteries in the forest. That information then was transformed into a global information system, or GIS, mapping program that was given to the Department of Natural Resources.

Now, he’s taking that experience and is helping plot a section of the city’s South End as part of an 11-student group participating in the college’s summer forestry program.

The GIS system utilizes computer hardware and software to capture, store and analyze geographical data. The county first undertook the project and has mapped its industrial parks. Mapping of the city’s Constitution Park and Frostburg has been performed and work currently is ongoing in LaVale.

The students started mapping from Virginia Avenue to Offutt Street and Candoc Lane to Roberts Street on Thursday.

“If the city gets all that, we’ll be ecstatic,” Ron Thrasher, the city’s natural resources specialist, said adding the intent is to eventually map the entire city.

He said several city departments met to decide what they wanted mapped. Each department, he said, has “tidbits” of information but with this system, the departments can check an area before they leave the building to work and will know what obstacles they could face.

“This is just better, more accurate information to maintain and improve the infrastructure,” Nate Emory, assistant city engineer, said.

Steve Resh, forestry program coordinator, said students will spend two to three days mapping and cataloging items the city requested to provide a “comprehensive idea” of what it has. Those things include everything from street signs and trees to gas and water lines.

“All you have to do is simply stand next to the object they want mapped and while the receiver is marking the spot, students enter the information,” he said.

Using a tree as an example, he said students will enter what species it is, the diameter, health of it and even whether it’s pushing up the sidewalk.

John Jastrzembski, a forestry teacher, said this technology is the same the military uses for its smart bombs.

He also calculated the city is receiving about $3,000 in free work from the college through this project.

Funding for the GPS equipment came through a National Science Foundation grant and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Jastrzembski also said ACM is one of only 19 North American colleges to offer a forest technology degree.

Kennedy’s partner, Carl McDonald of Philadelphia, said it’s an “interesting project” that requires a bit of work because students are walking and looking all around trying to find everything they need to catalog. Last year, he mapped all the paths at Constitution Park.

“I think it’s good for the city because it shows they’re really concerned about it,” he said.

The information eventually will be put on the Allconet system where it will be accessible to everyone through the Internet. The plan is to eventually have information available for the entire county. Information also can be updated at any time.