Legislative and Executive Branches at all levels of government in Virginia and citizens at large have a strong interest in proper management of our resources and the environment.

The 1978 General Assembly, recognizing that effective decisions leading to a desirable balance between economic growth, environmental quality, and the maintenance of adequate resources for future generations are based on readily available and adequate information, created a Joint Subcommittee through House Joint Resolution No. 175 to study the development of a Virginia Resource Information System and to:

1. Investigate systems for effective data sharing by State agencies, regional authorities and other states.

2. Determine effective applications of new technology in obtaining and evaluating natural resource and environmental information.

3. Determine the areas of and conditions necessary to foster coordinated efforts between State agencies, research and education institutions and others in developing and applying resource information.

4. Initiate and monitor demonstration projects using remote sensing technology transfer between federal and State agencies.

5. Recommend legislation required to implement a coordinated resource information system in the Commonwealth.

Based upon preliminary studies on the concept of a comprehensive resource information system, the 1979 General Assembly, through House Joint Resolution No. 225, authorized funds for an Executive Branch Task Force to conduct detailed feasibility studies and to provide other assistance needed by the Joint Subcommittee for the development of this report, its conclusions, recommendations, justifications and support information.

Detailed studies have been completed with the assistance of eighteen executive branch agencies, ten local government agencies, thirteen planning district commission staffs, five universities and colleges and three federal agencies. Although detailed studies have also been conducted in several other states, findings and conclusions in this report are based entirely on resource information needs suggested by State agencies, local government representatives, and planning districts in Virginia.