WASHINGTON  -  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today sent a letter asking the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to either consolidate five Midwest regional centers in Rolla or to not combine them at all.  Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent signed the letter as well.

 

“This facility is important to the economy in Rolla, it provides more than 200 good jobs, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep it here,” Emerson said.  “Not only are the employees wonderful and talented, but the mapping center has a solid track record of working well with the University of Missouri, other educational institutions in the state, Fort Leonard Wood and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis.  By cooperating with so many other Missouri groups, the Rolla center has become a valuable part of the academic and scientific communities in our state.”

 

The Mid-Continent Mapping Center (MCMC) in Rolla is one of five USGS facilities identified for possible consolidation in a National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC).

 

“A central location in the country, the low overhead and the affordable cost of living for
employees all make Rolla an attractive option for a large Operations Center.  The most
compelling reason to locate a National Geospatial Technical Operations Center in Rolla, however, is the quality of the employees.  The mapping center at the MCMC employs a staff whose commitment and professionalism are unmatched,” Emerson wrote in the letter.

 

In closing her letter, Emerson invited Dr. Charles Groat to visit the Rolla center. 

 

“I would like for Dr. Groat to see firsthand the fine job USGS does here, as well as the
importance of the center to the community,” she said.