IMPACT OF INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY ON 
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 
Frank Hegyi 
Hegyi GeoTechnologies International Inc. 
1031, Vancouver Street 
Victoria, B.C. V8V 4T6 
Canada 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 3 
ABSTRACT 
During the past 15 years, most resource management agencies have built up extensive data bases, 
consisting of spatial information in terms of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Image Analysis 
Systems (IAS). However, these data bases are generally located at headquarters and regional and regional 
centers and their availability in the field is limited. 
With the advent of the application information super highway and wireless data transmission, resource 
management and environmental monitoring techniques are changing drastically. For example, resource 
maps, aerial photographs, satellite imagery and statistical summaries of timber inventory, which are have 
been used in the field mostly in hard copy form, are now down loaded to laptop and hand held computer in 
digital format. Updates of such information can routinely be made between the field and central offices 
through wireless data transmission using existing radio communication infra structures, cellular phone 
systems and satellite based information superhighway. 
In this paper the author presents a futuristic view of resource management and environmental monitoring 
practices through a case study of a joint venture project between Hegyi Geo Technologies International Inc. 
and the B.C. Ministry of Forests. In particular, the case study involves the development of a mobile office 
through wireless data transmission, utilizing both the Ministry's radio communication infrastructure and 
the rapidly evolving satellite based information superhighway. 
034