WYOMING — Today, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department was awarded the 2021 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award by Esri, a leader in GIS technology.
The GIS section honored by this award is responsible for the map data that biologists and policy-makers use to inform decisions for fish, wildlife and habitat management.
It determines hunt area boundaries, Game and Fish property data, big game seasonal ranges or where invasive species like cheatgrass are growing.
“It’s authoritative data,” said Kirk Nordyke, geospatial technology supervisor. ‘That means, Game and Fish is who collects the data and manages it –including providing it to others for decision-making.”
In 2017, Game and Fish prioritized upgrades for their GIS database, as it is a crucial element of the work they do. Through this GIS section, fish and wildlife biologists are able to have easy access to all data, from anywhere in the state.
In their effort to become more up to date, the GIS section worked to move their data from internal storage to a more modern, cloud-based solution.
“The department’s GIS section took on a robust challenge to modernize geospatial technology access. The SAG award is a true recognition of the collaboration between many [individuals] within Game and Fish to manage Wyoming’s wildlife with the best available data and science,” said Eric Wiltanger, Chief of Services who oversees IT operations.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the work, and we know this change will make a world of difference for our end-users, who are our colleagues, as well as wildlife, fish and the public,” Nordyke said.
This is the second time the Game and Fish’s GIS section has won a SAG award; in 2016 they were recognized for the Wyoming Hunt Planner, known today as the premier planning and map tool for anyone embarking on a Wyoming hunt.
