Western Maryland Regional GIS Center

Western Maryland Regional GIS Center The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center provides solutions to private, local, State, and Federal sectors of the community.

The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center at Frostburg State University provides GIS analysis, online mapping, drone services including orthophotography, thermal and multispectral imaging, and ground-penetrating radar for research and community partners. The Western Maryland Regional Geographic Information System Center (WMRGISC) at Frostburg Sate University (FSU) is a grant funded Geographic Infor

mation System (GIS) office located in Dunkle Hall on the campus of Frostburg State University. The original purpose of the WMRGISC was to serve as a means to generate revenue and provide experiential education for students interested in GIS as a career choice. The WMRGISC uses its mapping capabilities, historical research expertise, industry software resources, and analytical abilities to serve its customers and increase regional engagement.

06/05/2026

WV native creates online state school closure tracker; 70% of closures impacted elementary schools

"A team at the University of Michigan has created an online tool to track school closures and consolidations in West Virginia as the state is grappling with population decline and widespread school financial issues.

The project was led by Roane County native Christina Weiland, who is currently professor of education and social policy at the University of Michigan.

Since 2011, 139 public schools have closed in West Virginia, and 62% of counties have closed at least one school. Many of the closures impacted elementary schools, and Weiland noted it has created long bus rides for little children across the state.

She created the tracker with the help of her students after finding it difficult to keep up with the number of school closures and where they were happening.

The public data “hadn’t been kind of presented in a way where people could see what was going on in their county, what was happening over time, where was this hitting and what were those patterns,” Weiland explained."

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/e3xz839h
Visit the School Closure Tracker: https://tinyurl.com/3c7ank5s

“So, what do you do at the GIS Center?” 🤔Today, we’re highlighting our student intern, Katy Logsdon, who just finished u...
05/11/2026

“So, what do you do at the GIS Center?” 🤔

Today, we’re highlighting our student intern, Katy Logsdon, who just finished up her last day with us before she graduates next week! Local to the Greater Cumberland Area, Katy is an FSU senior graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Earth Science with minors in Geography and Chemistry. She has been interning at the GIS Center since January 2025, and in that time, she’s been working in collaboration with the Potomac Riverkeepers Network to research pollutants and other threats to local watersheds. But I’ll let her tell you a bit more about what she says when asked what she does at the GIS Center:

“From the start of my internship, I have been asked this question too many times to count.
Ironically, I had a hard time answering this question until my time was over.

This is my complicated answer – I am a student, researcher, data analyst, teacher, equipment manager, drone pilot, environmentalist, historian, artist, graphic designer, communicator, ArcGIS fanatic, teammate, and friend. The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center works behind the scenes of our community doing great work in the most fascinating ways. From studying old, archived maps to generating state-of-the-art drone imagery, the GIS center is comprised of an impressive array of talents and skills. It has been such a privilege to learn from the experts in the office and out in the field. My time has come to an end at the GIS Center, but what I have learned will stay with me for a lifetime.

Oh, and my simple answer – I make maps." 🗺️📍

Pictured is a small collection of the many maps Katy made during her time with us, along with field work, conferences, and more. Much like geography itself, working at the GIS Center is an interdisciplinary pursuit!

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Katy, and we wish her the best as she does on to complete her teaching degree! Congratulations and good luck! 🥳🎓

1919 Right-Of-Way and Track Map, Western Maryland Railway Company, Office of Valuation Engineer.Make sure to check out t...
05/04/2026

1919 Right-Of-Way and Track Map, Western Maryland Railway Company, Office of Valuation Engineer.

Make sure to check out the full-size map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pCDnu3cCiHMmHatLP-BfYJfXRSrCpkoi/view?usp=sharing

Ever wonder how railroads documented everything they owned a century ago?

This map is part of a series of early 1900s “valuation maps” created under the direction of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Railroads were required to inventory their entire system—tracks, bridges, buildings, and even land ownership—down to incredible detail.

What you’re looking at covers the Ridgeley, WV and Cumberland, MD area, showing not just the rail lines, but also property boundaries, structures, sidings, and connections that supported the region’s industrial past.

Many of these lines were originally operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, one of the oldest railroads in the United States. While the map itself may not mention modern names, much of this infrastructure eventually became part of what is now CSX Transportation.

These maps are incredibly valuable today for:
• Locating long-abandoned rail lines and spurs
• Understanding historic land ownership and right-of-way
• Reconstructing industrial features like coal operations and rail yards
• Comparing with modern aerial imagery and LiDAR to see what still remains

It’s a fascinating snapshot of how dense and complex the rail network once was in this area—especially when you start matching it up with what’s still visible on the landscape today.

Coal ash isn’t going away—it’s changing.As coal-fired power plants retire across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, millions ...
04/28/2026

Coal ash isn’t going away—it’s changing.

As coal-fired power plants retire across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, millions of tons of coal ash remain in place. At the same time, demand for ash as a supplementary cementitious material is still strong—and in many regions, growing. That puts a spotlight on one critical question:

Where is the usable material, and how do we get to it?

We pulled together an ArcGIS Online map showing active and retired coal power plants alongside known coal ash disposal sites across the watershed. It’s a regional view of legacy material that is increasingly being re-evaluated as a resource, not just a liability.

Map 👉https://arcg.is/05bXa40

For industry, this is where things get interesting:

- Legacy ash ponds and landfills are becoming supply sources
- Project feasibility depends on location, volume, and site constraints
- Regulatory, environmental, and engineering decisions all depend on good spatial data

Most of that information exists—but it’s scattered, inconsistent, or not decision-ready.

That’s the gap we work in.

The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center specializes in turning fragmented environmental and infrastructure data into usable intelligence—supporting site screening, resource evaluation, environmental planning, and project development. Whether you're looking at ash harvesting, infrastructure siting, or risk assessment, having the right geospatial picture early can save serious time and money.

If you’re working in energy, environmental consulting, engineering, or materials management—and need a clearer understanding of what’s out there—we should talk.

Looking north towards an old quarry in Corriganville, MD
04/21/2026

Looking north towards an old quarry in Corriganville, MD

Where am I?
04/02/2026

Where am I?

🦴🚁 **Bones and Drones Returns!** 🚁🦴The second “Bones and Drones” event took place this past weekend—and it was a huge su...
03/30/2026

🦴🚁 **Bones and Drones Returns!** 🚁🦴

The second “Bones and Drones” event took place this past weekend—and it was a huge success!

Held on-site directly in front of the world-renowned Cumberland Bone Cave, located just west of Cumberland in Corriganville, MD, the event brought science and technology to life for over 1,400 passengers aboard the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

The Cumberland Bone Cave is one of the most significant fossil sites in the eastern United States, preserving a rich record of Ice Age (Pleistocene) life in the Appalachians. Since its discovery in the early 1900s during railroad construction, the site has been studied by the Smithsonian Institution and other major research groups, yielding fossils from over a hundred species—including extinct mammals like mastodons, giant bears, and saber-toothed cats.

Much of the original cave was destroyed during railroad construction, and today the remaining (sealed) entrance—right along the Great Allegheny Passage on private property—is gated and protected to preserve what’s left of this irreplaceable resource.

Faculty and staff from Frostburg State University’s Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences helped bring that story to life. Instructor Adam Lewis entertained and educated passengers with engaging explanations of the cave’s history and the incredible bones and fossils found there. Even better, the experience was hands-on—visitors, especially kids, had the chance to handle real fossils and get up close with history.

At the same time, Dr. Bill Wetherholt and GIS Center’s Jason Litten brought in the tech—piloting a drone over the surrounding landscape and streaming live video to a screen for passengers to watch. The real-time aerial views of the hillside gave a whole new perspective on the terrain connected to the Bone Cave.

Following its debut in spring 2024, this second installment of Bones and Drones continues to showcase how combining history, science, and cutting-edge technology can create unforgettable experiences for the community.

Thanks to everyone who joined us!

Mapping Western Maryland’s Railroad HistoryDid you know that Western Maryland was once covered by a dense network of rai...
03/13/2026

Mapping Western Maryland’s Railroad History

Did you know that Western Maryland was once covered by a dense network of railroads? Many of those lines have disappeared from the landscape, but their routes, tunnels, and grades still shape the region today.

The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center at Frostburg State University has created an interactive GIS map showing active railroads, abandoned rail lines, and historic tunnels across Allegany and Garrett Counties.

By combining historic maps, aerial imagery, and modern geospatial technology, we’re helping document and visualize the transportation networks that helped build Western Maryland. Projects like this highlight how GIS can be used to support historical research, heritage tourism, land-use planning, and regional storytelling.

Explore the map and see where these railroads once ran:
https://frostburgmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=66169b12a5b24606b0fbcb8a6c8451dd

Map Info Page
https://arcg.is/0zGfa4

The Western Maryland Regional GIS Center works with local, state, and nonprofit partners to provide mapping, spatial analysis, and historical GIS research across the region.

Address

101 Braddock Road
Frostburg, MD
21532

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30am
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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