GIS and GPS technologies have become important tools for assessing and updating the environmental status of rangeland allotments on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Natural resource professionals use USGS digital elevation models (DEMs), vegetative information, and watershed overlays to make initial estimates of carrying capacities for permitted domestic livestock based on limiting topography and distance from water. Layers showing critical wildlife and fishery habitats are also available. The GIS maps derived with these data layers help identify areas of overlapping use, assist in establishing key monitoring sites, and make recommendations on acceptable livestock management practices. Field verification is completed primarily with the assistance of GPS. The field data gathered can then be used to correct and refine the GIS database. The ability of GIS and field professionals to work together creates a two-tiered benefit: better information to initiate a needed environmental analysis and a more accurate GIS database to draw from for future needs.
The British Columbia Forest Service is responsible for the management and stewardship of all forest crown land in the province of British Columbia. The collection, maintenance and use of forest, ecological and socio-economic data in spatial and aspatial formats are essential for stewardship of the forest land base. The forested crown lands of British Columbia are inventoried in a spatial database of 7000 + 1:20,000 electronic map files. The map files are maintained in Intergraph Design File format, with related aspatial data, being maintained as flat ASCII files. In June 1995, the Business Design Branch acquired a three user node lock license of ArcInfo. Selected staff underwent training in ArcInfo and were tasked with evaluating the condition of Forest Service data, for translation to ArcInfo. The Forest Service exchanges data with private forest companies, government agencies and stakeholders that for the most part use ArcInfo. Over a period of 5 months, Forest Service spatial data, the translation process, and data structures were evaluated. This paper summarizes the findings of this project and details the recommendations. The benefits derived from this project have been a more detailed understanding of ArcInfo functions and the data model, a better understanding of Forest Service spatial data structure strengths and weaknesses, a clearer direction for the future and the development of a sophisticated AML based IGDS translator.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) implemented the use of GIS in the management of seedling seed-lots to better manage seedlings, and improve customer service. Dynamic Segmentation was critical in linking existing database tables for display in ArcView. Once established, updates to the graphical display were accomplished through the existing Paradox database input. D.L Phipps nursery produces over 12 million seedlings from 35+ species for reforestation of Oregon's forests.