Geospatial Will Change under Project 2025

Be Prepared for a Shift in Funding

The election of the Trump/Vance ticket signifies a fundamental shift in the United States government, opening the door to different opportunities. Implementing Project 2025, the blueprint for a new America will require geospatial technology and expertise.

Project 2025 contains many details, so you should familiarize yourself with them as you evaluate your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT analysis). Dedicate time to understanding these opportunities, ensuring clarity about your work's impact on humanity.

I am passionate about Geospatial because I believe it can make a better world for everyone, but it is also used to make it better for a few.

This blog is intended to get you to think and research.

Preparation is key.

Opportunities to support the new world order.

From a high-level point of view, the new regime will focus on extraction, including natural, human, and financial resources.

• Natural resource extraction — Oil, mining, forestry, fisheries, hunting, agriculture, energy, rare earth minerals, and plants—all these valuable resources originate from specific locations. The initial task is to locate and extract these resources, followed by the challenge of transporting them to market, a process that also involves geospatial considerations. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Earth Observation (EO) tools are vital in this endeavor. Additionally, valuable resources must be guarded, and identifying target markets is crucial.

• Human resources — Getting cheap or free labor will be a priority. California already voted to allow slavery, focused on free prison labor. Project 2025 and the Trump team have prioritized the establishment of detention camps, with plans and locations already being mapped out. Geospatial technology will play a crucial role in this expanding industry. These sites are envisioned as mini-cities requiring essential infrastructure like water, power, and convenient access to work areas. Transportation systems, such as railroads, must be readily available. Additionally, camp personnel, including guards, laundry staff, cooks, doctors, and morticians, will need to travel to these locations efficiently.

• Valuable Properties — The new regime will open up pristine natural federal lands (and state lands in many States) to developers. Developing parcels and infrastructure plans necessitates the expertise of geospatial specialists.

• Security—Project 2025's new blueprint for America calls for enhanced police and federal law enforcement. Geospatial resources are required to identify communities for deportation, as well as resisters, vulnerable communities, and political opponents.

• Federal Resources—Federally owned or protected resources, such as antiquities, monuments, and tourist spots, are at risk of being sold or destroyed. Identifying these areas will necessitate geospatial analysis.

For those looking to mitigate Project 2025, the work is similar but designed to slow it down or to document it.

• Humans—Identifying at-risk communities and developing strategies to safeguard them is akin to the efforts of the Underground Railroad. Organizations that can pinpoint and nurture areas where threatened cultures can live and thrive, such as small communities, farms, or districts, play a vital role in this mission.

• Natural Resources —Identify endangered areas and take action to document, remove threats, and protect natural habitats, animals, plants, and ecosystems.

• Valuable Properties—Seek resources to purchase newly available land for conservation, employing a model like the Nature Conservancy.

These preliminary ideas are intended to guide the geospatial community in adapting to the new landscape in the USA. Know what you are willing to support and start looking for those opportunities that best fit your values and skills.

What are your thoughts about the new geospatial, GIS, location intelligence, and EO opportunities in 2025 and beyond?