As natural resource managers - biologists, botanists, ecologists, environmental regulators, hydrologists, planners, miners, petroleum engineers, foresters, and farmers - you rely on the analytical power of GIS for help in making critical decisions as you manage the earth's resources. There is no simple answer to our environmental and natural resource concerns, but whether you are restoring habitats, planting crops, drilling for oil, or monitoring endangered species there is increasing optimism that the application of GIS tools will help us become a more sustainable planet.