Computer Technologies Instructor Pete Kennedy attended the NC GIS conference in Raleigh this February where he presented “Using GIS to Prioritize Trail Maintenance in Pisgah National Forest.” This project is an ongoing collaboration between Pete, GIS students, Chair Brenda McFarland, the United States Forest Service and local volunteer groups around Asheville. The abstract of his presentation is below:
In recent years, USFS funds and resources to manage trails have dwindled while use continues to explode. Local trail advocacy groups such as Pisgah Area Psorba, the Back Country Horsemen of Pisgah and the Pisgah Conservancy have stepped in with heroic volunteer efforts to keep our trails managed and maintained for sustainable use. A-B Tech GIS students and faculty are actively working to help trail advocacy groups prioritize trail maintenance using GIS to identify trails most like in need trail maintenance. The first phase of this work centers around identifying trails with the steepest pitch/slope that are likely unsustainable and comparing the trail system to the USFS trail design parameters.
Pete also entered a map in the conference poster competition titled “The French Broad Region.”