New public policy initiatives such as "smart growth" and "sustainable development" will benefit a great deal from geologic map information. Unfortunately, geologic maps will not be used to their full extent until they are in computer format that is easily stored, retrieved, and manipulated. There is good news for public policy makers, because in the not-too-distant future, digital geologic map data for Kentucky will be available to anyone with a PC and the proper software to manipulate the data. For the past several years, the Kentucky Geological Survey has been converting into digital format the 1:24,000-scale paper maps from the U.S. Geological Survey–Kentucky Geological Survey program.

The Kentucky Geological Survey is using a vector digitizing process to capture geologic features, such as faults, contacts, outcrops, and formations, from the paper maps. The data sets for the 7.5-minute quadrangles contain separate computer files (or layers) for geologic features. If all the layers for a particular quadrangle are displayed together, the result is similar to the original published geologic quadrangle map. The user can also pick and choose which layers to display, or even combine data from several different quadrangles.

Only recently have PC’s become capable of handling geologic mapping. Previously, powerful computers with sophisticated software (and by extension, sophisticated users) were required. Now off-the-shelf PC’s and software can do the job. Our digital data can be loaded into a program such as ArcView or AutoCAD Map, then can be displayed on a screen, pasted into a report, plotted on paper, and manipulated or combined with other data as the user desires.

Over the next 2 to 3 years, data for all 707 of Kentucky’s 7.5-minute geologic quadrangle maps will be released. This is a new and exciting product for KGS. A recent survey of 2000 professional geologists indicated that 80 percent of them place a high value on digitized geologic maps. This will be the beginning of a successful use of new technology to serve the public, and allow more geologic input into the public planning of development and growth.