PRESS RELEASE Conservation Technology Support Program (CTSP) For Immediate Release -- October 6, 1999 Contact: Amy Karon, CTSP: 415-979-0343 x306 Charles Convis, ESRI: 909-793-2853 x2488 Forrest Whitt, Hewlett Packard: 208-396-4018 CTSP Announces Availability of Computer Mapping Technology Grants for Non-profits ==================================== ANNOUNCEMENT VERSION: Conservation and environmental non-profit organizations seeking to use computer mapping technology can apply now for Conservation Technology Support Program (CTSP) grants of computers, software and training. Approximately 50 grant packages are available, using computers and printers donated by Hewlett Packard Company, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) and Clark Labs. Interested groups should review the application guidelines at http://www.ctsp.org. Applications are due January 7, 2000 and decisions will be made by mid-April 2000. To be considered, an organization must be U.S.-based and have tax exempt status. International groups with U.S. sponsors may be eligible and should refer to the CTSP guidelines on the web site. All groups, be sure to check the news update link on the CTSP home page to get the latest information on software additions to the grant packages. =================================== FULL PRESS RELEASE: Conservation, sustainable development, and environmental justice non-profit organizations seeking to use computer mapping technology can apply now for grants of computer equipment and specialized software. The Conservation Technology Support Program (CTSP) announced the release of guidelines for its 2000 Geographic Information Systems Grants, which will be awarded in April 2000 to approximately 50 groups. Applications are due January 7, 2000. To receive the guidelines and application, interested conservation groups should visit the CTSP web site at http://www.ctsp.org. To be considered, an organization must be U.S.-based and have tax exempt status. Some international groups with U.S. sponsors may also be eligible and should refer to the CTSP guidelines. All groups, be sure to check the news update link on the CTSP home page to get the latest information on software additions to the grant packages. The CTSP program is sponsored by Hewlett Packard Company (HP), Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI). HP contributes computers, printers and other equipment, while ESRI and Clark Labs together contribute mapping software, data and training. CTSP is one of the few technology granting programs in the U.S. to offer extensive training and support along with equipment and software. "CTSP has been extremely effective," said HP's Forrest Whitt, "because it recognizes that non-profits doing computer mapping need training, support and connection to a community as much as they need technology tools." The CTSP is focused on helping groups use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a rapidly growing technology that can better show the location of issues in relation to information about those issues. For example, using GIS, a conservation group could identify the habitat of endangered species and analyze the impact of public land use policies to determine the best course of balancing conservation and development. "GIS is an essential tool for any group working to protect species or places", said Charles Convis, the head of ESRI's Conservation Program. "Providing this tool to non-profits helps level the playing field and leads to better public decisions." Established in 1995, CTSP has awarded nearly $6 million in grants to about 260 conservation organizations throughout the United States. "We're looking for groups that can make a real difference with GIS," said Larry Orman, the CTSP coordinator. "It doesn't matter if they're large or small groups -- they just have to be committed to conservation goals and willing to use the technology we're offering". CTSP is managed by a board of directors consisting of representatives from: The Technology Project (Helena, MT), ESRI (Redlands, CA), GreenInfo Network (San Francisco, CA), Interrain Pacific (Portland, OR), Pacific Biodiversity Institute (Winthrop, WA), The Rockefeller Technology Project (New York, NY), Sierra Biodiversity Institute (North San Juan, CA), and The Wilderness Society, Northwest Office (Seattle, WA). CTSP SUCCESS STORIES: Examples of groups receiving recent CTSP grants include: Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition -- This alliance of 15 organizations uses conservation biology to protect wooded lands in the Southern Appalachians, focusing especially on identifying the last wild areas and developing protection strategies for them. People for Puget Sound With over 2,100 miles of shoreline, the State of Washington's Puget Sound has remarkable natural resources. People for Puget Sound is using GIS to coordinate citizen efforts to protect and steward shoreline areas. Northern California/Forest protection cluster -- Four conservation groups were given multiple CTSP grants to enhance their work to save old-growth areas of Northwest California (groups included the North Coast Environmental Center, Institute for Sustainable Forestry, the Environmental Protection Information Center, and the Salmon River Restoration Trust and the Trees Foundation). New York Public Interest Research Group -- NYPIRG has created the Community Mapping Assistance Project (CMAP), which supports a wide range of groups in the New York area on projects ranging from analysis of voting patterns to patterns of lead and other pollution. Dine' Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment -- Dine' CARE is an advocacy organization working within the Navajo Nation to provide technical assistance to local communities that are opposing economic development projects not planned locally and which have negative impacts on local communities. Sitka Conservation Society The Sitka Conservation Society works to protect the natural environment of the Tongass Forest and surrounding waters of Southeast Alaska. The recipient of two CTSP grants, SCS also serves as a center of GIS activity in southeast Alaska and has produced maps for numerous other local and regional organizations Bastrop County Environmental Council -- Based in Texas, this small, all-volunteer group has made impressive use of GIS in promoting lifestyle and policy decisions that foster sustainable regional development and protect Bastrop County's natural resources. The Nature Conservancy/Great Lakes Program Since 1992, the Great Lakes Program has compiled and analyzed detailed natural heritage data in order to select and prioritize key sites that, as a whole, can sustain the biodiversity of the Great Lakes region over the long term. Peregrine Fund Harpy Project Focusing on the most powerful eagle in the world, this international organization is creating local systems to protect Harpy Eagles in Venezuela and Panama. END END END *********************************** Amy Karon, Program Manager GreenInfo Network 201 Mission St, 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 tel (415) 979-0343 x306 fax (415) 979-0371 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]