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Project Goal
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology, has significantly enhanced the efficiency of data collection by establishing a DEQ UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) program that leverages Esri’s suite of UAS software solutions. In addition, Esri’s mobile data collection applications have been deployed across the department.Business Problem Solved
The DEQ Division of Marine Fisheries faced a pressing need to improve estuarine habitat mapping. Historically, three-person teams on boats used GPS units and drew boundaries by hand on paper maps. These were later scanned and manually digitized by a GIS analysis, a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly process.
To modernize the workflow, the team adopted ArcGIS Collector (now Field Maps) with Bad Elf GPS units. While this improved efficiency, it still fell short of program needs. This led to the creation of the drone program, which dramatically accelerated mapping and reduced costs.
Its success in estuarine habitat mapping spurred rapid expansion across DEQ. Today, the department has 45 certified drone pilots and 36 drones equipped with thermal, RGB, LiDAR, and multispectral sensors, supporting environmental monitoring and assessment across all DEQ divisions.
Technology Implemented
SiteScan for ArcGIS
ArcGIS Flight
Drone2Map
ArcGIS Online
Field Maps
Survey123
Story Maps
ArcGIS Pro
Development Team Biography
Michael T. Griffin, 10+ years with NC DEQ / NC DIT, focusing on GIS and drone operations. UAS program coordinator with ~25 years' pilot experience. Holds degrees in Engineering and Geography.
Michael Ware, CIO for NC DEQ, 23 years in IT and a 24-year U.S. Air Force vet. Leads 70 IT staff supporting 1,600+ employees. Holds an MBA, BS in MIS, and completed the CGCIO program.
Dustin Walters, GIS Technician/UAV Specialist, started at NCDMF in 2015 using drones for habitat mapping. Joined NC DIT in 2023 supporting DEQ-wide UAS work.
Elizabeth Mason, Geospatial Analyst, modernizes Shellfish and Water Quality databases. With a Duke MS, she uses UAS and GIS for decision tools.
Michael Graven, GIS Analyst with NC DIT, manages finfish GIS data and modernized key programs. Served 20+ years in the military.
Stephanie McInerny, IT Section Chief at NCDMF, leads software and GIS teams. Holds an MS in Marine Biology.
Contributors: Lee Hill, Summer Justice, Dean Grantham, Klaus Albertin, Toby Vin