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Central to the Keystone Mapping Project (KMP) are two- and three-dimensional maps of the proposed Keystone XL route, rendered in Google Maps and Google Earth, respectively.

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KMP 2D Google Maps

The KMP 2D Google Maps will render directly in the web page with no additional action required. All mapping controls are embedded in the map window. These basic maps show general routing data at all magnifications.

More information on Google Maps can be found here.

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KMP 3D Google Earth View

The KMP Google Earth View can be viewed both in the web page or separately with the Google Earth application. In both cases additional (free) software may be required. See below.

Google Earth Browser Plugin

If the KMP Google Earth View cannot load into your browser, you will prompted to install the Google Earth plugin.

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Google Earth Application

As a free-standing application, Google Earth has many advantages over the browser plugin:

  • Maps can be viewed at full screen.
  • To prevent clutter, additional detail is loaded onto the map as it is magnified. So while the initial view only shows the basic route, details such as gas and water wells and the construction zone resolve at appropriate magnifications. Consult the map legend for details.
  • Add-on maps can be overlayed onto the primary KMP map to include additional resources, such as US aquifers and the Voluntary Evacuation Zone (Add-on maps found here).
  • Map detail can be shown/hidden by using the Sidebar and turning on/off data layers and add-on maps.

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Download Google Earth

Google Earth can be downloaded free from here. You will be prompted to install the application.

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Using Google Earth

Once you have installed the Google Earth application, click on the KMP map files (found here) to open directly in Google Earth. If the files do not automatically load into Google Earth (download times will vary depending on the speed of your connection), locate the downloaded KML file on your computer using the File>Open command from the top most menu.

To activate the Sidebar in Google Earth, from the top menu select View>Sidebar.

In-depth instructions for using Google Earth can be found here.

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Need More Information?

If you require more support, please leave a comment outlining the difficulty you are having or how the KMP can be improved.

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