Harvard’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation announced sixteen finalists for their 2009 Innovations in American Government Awards on May 18, 2009. The sixteen finalists—whittled from a pool of more than 600 applicants—have provided innovations to city, county, state, or federal government.
The state of Idaho was recognized as one of the finalists for its “Mapping Evapotranspiration from Satellites” program. Using Landsat data, the Idaho Department of Water Resources has been able to produce detailed evapotranspiration maps, which inform decisions on local and regional water-demand issues.
Winners of the awards will be announced in the fall.
Further Information:
+ Idaho Department of Water Resources’ Ash Presentation [youtube—external link]
+ Precious Resources: Water & Landsat’s Thermal Band

International Relations: Landsat on the Agenda
Strengthened cooperation between the United States and the Philippines to include bilateral cooperation on the Landsat Program, according to White House fact sheet.