Things You Need to Know for GIS and

Things You Need to Know for GIS and CCP’s GIS Initiatives in the FWS Needs Assessment – The First Step Vegetation Mapping Deliverable Products Defining Roles/Responsibilities Developing Timelines Managing Expectations Things to Think About Where to find More Information Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

GIS Initiatives in the FWS Fulfilling the Promise – 1999 document that addressed wildlife, habitat, people and leadership issues. A GIS Coordination Team was created to focus specifically on GIS data, hardware, software, telecommunications and staffing needs. Report will be available winter 2006 and incorporates major changes in software licensing and new DOI policy direction. The report will: 1. Summarize and prioritize spatial data needs for the NWRS, drawing largely on existing national and regional plans: - Determine status of data availability - Determine resources required and define a process to acquire or develop the data - Develop a criteria for prioritizing data acquisition and establishing priorities 2. Facilitate data standardization and acquisition 3. Develop a plan for managing, distributing, and using spatial data, and for addressing on-going GIS issues in NWRS. 4. Develop and present demonstrations of GIS applications that meet enduser needs Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

GIS Initiatives in the FWS RLGIS (Refuge Lands GIS)/SIM (Spatial Information Management) At the 2004 FWS GIS Coordination Meeting, Regions 1, 2 and 6 GIS staff brainstormed ideas on what was needed to get GIS going in the NWRS. It was agreed that a basic geodatabase should be developed by RO and station staff that would meet most folks needs. The result is RLGIS developed by the SIM Team. Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

GIS Initiatives in the FWS CDWG - The Cadastral Data Working Group (CDWG) is a national technical committee created by the NWRS Realty program to develop and implement land acquisition data and mapping standards for the refuge system. Currently, there are one or more representatives from each region who meet on an annual basis with the Chief Cartographer for the Fish & Wildlife Service. The CDWG first met in 2003 and is now in the final stages of approval for changes to the official map template that will be adopted for NWRS use and will be referenced in the service manual. A draft data model is also being developed and is scheduled to be distributed for review early in 2006. Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

GIS Needs Assessment – The First Step • Data: some basic categories – – – – Boundaries (Refuge, County, State) Cadastral (Quad, PLSS, Benchmarks) Land Use/Land Cover (GAP, NWI, Historic) Management Units (Fire, Grazing, Mowing, Hunting) Public Use Layers (Trails, Viewing Platforms, Restrooms, Parking) Infrastructure (Transportation, Facilities, Recreation, Structures) Utilities (Electric, Water) Hydrology (Streams, Lakes, Ponds) Biological (Wildlife, Vegetation, Monitoring Surveys) Archaeological/Cultural Resources Environmental Quality Geologic (Soils, Dikes) Ownership Terrain/Topography (Elevation, Slope, Aspect, DRG) Imagery (Current/Historical) *Note: Land status data can be obtained from David Hoy, Refuge Information Branch in the Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

GIS Needs Assessment continued. . . • Hardware – Does a station have a computer that can run GIS/Image Processing software? Can that computer read DVDs? – Does a station have a plotter? – Does a station have a portable external hard drive? – What is the status of the station’s internet connection? – What kinds of ftp transfer rates does a station have? • Software – Does a station have the latest version of Arc. GIS? Will a station need ERDAS Imagine? Adobe Acrobat Professional? • Staffing – Does a station have a GIS “go to” person on staff? Will additional training be required? Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Vegetation Mapping: Gold Package Mapping detail, time, resolution, cost Silver Package Bronze Package Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Developing Timelines MUST PLAN AHEAD 18 -20 months! Site Visit Data and Image Acquisition Ortho-Rectification 1 month 12 months Data and Image Processing Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch Field Work Deliverables 18 -20 months Image Classification GIS Data Production CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Defining Roles/Responsibilities • Who collects the data (stored in a database, downloaded, digitized, or created) • Who processes the data • Who makes the maps • Who manages the data during and after the CCP process Site Visit Data and Image Acquisition Ortho-Rectification 1 month Field Work 12 months Data and Image Processing Deliverables 18 -20 months Image Classification GIS Data Production How much time will it take to accomplish the above? Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Deliverable Products • Maps Typically Used for CCPs in both the CCP document and for Meetings: – – – – Regional maps Vicinity maps Ownership Management Vegetation/Landcover Cultural Resources Alternatives • Data – Can be used post-CCP process for planning, operations, maintenance, outreach, etc. • Metadata – VERY IMPORTANT! Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Stuff to think about Projections – all data must be in the same projection to provide meaningful analysis Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Stuff to think about continued. . . Scale – what is the appropriate scale for the data and display? Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Stuff to think about continued. . . • Disclaimers like “For general planning purposes only”. • “Internal Use Only” on maps until ready for prime time • Metadata, metadata (track your process!) Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Where to Find More Information • 2006 FWS GIS Coordination Meeting/Training at NCTC March 7 -9!! • Web sites – Pacific Region Division of Realty and Refuge Information, Refuge Information Branch Intranet Page (https: //pacific-nwrs-gis. fws. gov; Active Directory required) – U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Division of Information Resources and Technology Management; Branch of Data and Systems Services Intranet Page (https: //intranet. fws. gov/region 9/data/gis/; Active Directory required) – U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Geographic Information & Spatial Data Internet Page (http: //www. fws. gov/data/gishome. html) • Staff • Training (free courses at NCTC!) • Documents – Preplanning Guidance Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Managing Expectations • KISS Principle – ‘Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!’ • Utilize standards and templates whenever possible, be consistent. • Be realistic for deadlines and products. • Process improvement? Share it! Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005

Open Floor discussion/ Brainstorming Exercise • What other layers or maps do you think are important? • Do you know of good sources of information? • Questions we need to investigate… Division of Realty and Refuge Information Branch CCP Pre-planning Workshop 12/07/2005