Recent Project Abstracts conducted by Geodata Services
Exploring Woody Biomass Retrofit Opporunities in Michigan Boiler Operations
Geodata Services, Inc. teamed with Emergent Solutions and CTA Architects and Engineers in conducting a comprehensive assessment of all large scale institutions and industries with existing boilers licensed with the state of Montana to assess the potential for conversion to wood waste and pellet fueled boiler systems for systems throughout Michigan. A comprehensive survey was conducted, and geospatial database and analysis developed to assist in the analysis of the existing boiler database in Michigan, tools for identifying potential projects, identifying biomass feedstock sources and processing infrastructure, and summarizing results and payback potential by county. Funded by the USDA Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center and the S Forest Service Economic Action Program.
Fuels for Schools Assessment: Potential for Expanding the Fuels for Schools Concept to other Institutions and Industries in Montana
Geodata Services, Inc. teamed with Emergent Solutions and CTA Architects and Engineers in conducting a comprehensive assessment of all large scale institutions and industries with existing boilers licensed with the state of Montana to assess the potential for conversion to wood waste and pellet fueled boiler systems for systems throughout Montana. A comprehensive survey was conducted, and geospatial database and analysis developed to assist in the demand assessment, and in commercial potential, barriers and opportunities and strategic recommendations for conversion and payback. Project was dunded by the US Forest Service, and the Bitterroot RC&D.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado Community Fire Protection Plans and CommunityViz Firewise Program
Geodata Services, Inc. developed an integrated community planning software model and program revolving around the National Fire Protection Association Firewise structural fire assessment process. We also developed an interactive web mapping program and homeowner calculator, serving as an educational tool for “what if” simulation by homeowners, and as a delivery mechanism for their homes rating in the community Firewise program. Geodata conducted a complete GIS based Firewise assessment of all homes in the Steamboat Fire District (approximately 5,000) and developed and pilot tested field home audit procedures and data collection techniques for implementation by local fire staff.
Montana Forest Stewardship Program
Geodata Services won a statewide contract to implement a statewide assessment of forest stewardship potential for non-industrial forest managers and landowners. A model was developed with statewide coverage for vegetation, wildlife, population characteristics, insect and disease, economic variables and other factors, and a regional assessment, supplemented by a CommunityViz scenario analysis was conducted. The project used CommunityViz scenario software to apply a weighted average mole to a large regional ecosystem analysis. This project was an innovative approach to a White House Initiative for Health Forest Initiatives in the US.
US Fish and Wildlife Service Missouri/Yellowstone/Columbia Headwaters Strategic Planning Process
Geodata supported USFWS staff from Montana and Wyoming in a strategic planning process analyzing listed species, migratory birds, native habitat, landscape factors, adjoining conservation and protected lands and public/private partnerships for 5th code watersheds throughout the two states. Geodata provided in meeting GIS support and analysis, and custom Internet map services for peer review of results. The project used CommunityViz scenario software to apply a weighted average mole to a large regional ecosystem analysis.
Maui County Spatial Growth Model
Geodata Services, Inc. assisted Maui County, Hawaii with facilitating the planning and organization of the CommunityViz database, getting datasets into the CommunityViz database, setting up the CommunityViz analysis and visualization environment, and training the Long Range Planning staff on the use and maintenance of CommunityViz. The project includes over a month of onsite training and consultation in system design and implementation, and includes scenario analysis and extensive 3D visualization and modeling.
Butte-Silver Bow County – Montana Economic Development and Transportation Planning
Geodata provided the Butte-Silver Bow County, Montana with CommunityViz 3D training and data development sessions. The work focused on economic development and downtown revitalization, transportation planning and visualizing changes in arterial road alignment. Additional elements included affordable housing and scenario development of residential build out and reconstruction.
Sonoran Institute Residential Growth Model for the Western US
Geodata developed a growth planning and allocation model joined with a geospatial statistical model using random choice logic, combining macro and micro economic and demographic analysis with fine scale distance to amenities and services measures to develop an adaptable model and GIS methodology for predicting and allocating residential growth in the urban interface communities throughout the Western US. The model output was incorporated with CommunityViz software to prepare what if scenario comparison for model parameters and was piloted initially in Dona, Ana County, New Mexico. It is currently being applied in six Montana counties.
Highway Wildlife Linkage Area Mapping, Montana and Idaho
Since 2004, Geodata has had contracts with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Idaho Transporation Department and the Idaho Fish and Game to develop highway wildlife linkage areas in western Montana and the entire state of Idaho. These project involved comprehensive geospatial modeling of ecosystem level wildlife linkage for large carnivores and big game species, collection of base data on species, vegetation, imagery, and structures and urban infrastructure and developing a comprehensive GIS data set as a basis for collaborative workshops. Geodata analysts suppoted biologists, engineers, planners and NGO partners in a series of 10 workshops with collaborative GIS support and followup to map existing linkage areas for wildlife conservation ecosystem linkage and public safety.
Hunchy, Queensland, Australia Evaluating Rural Economic Opportunity
Geodata Services, advised the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, Spatial Information Services, Pty Ltd, advised in scenario planning and 3D visualization in order to help rural landholders evaluate economic opportunity under the changes brought about by the 2005South East Queensland (SEQ) Regional Plan. The analysis interpreted the new legal framework to yield parcel specific results for agriculture, forestry and residential development suitability. Landholders found the 3D scenes to be an immediately and intuitively understandable way of communicate planning and development ideas.
Hinterland Greenfield Development, Queensland, Australia
Geodata Services, the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center and Spatial Information Services developed demonstration scenarios and an analysis framework for exploring alternatives and incorporating a wide range of public opinion in a politically contentious greenfield development. The analysis framework was based upon a large suite of indicators, land sensitivity, site developability and a sketch tool which allows planners with minimal GIS experience to alter scenarios and determine the impacts of their changes.
Gosford, New South Wales, Australia Urban Re Development
Geodata Services contracted with ESRI Australia to develop and conduct a multi-day training exercise and pilot project in Gosford, working with local government council GIS staff and planners. The project worked with developer contributions models and with commercial and residential development scenarios. The analysis and training included 2D and 3D modeling components.
Teton County, Idaho Community Growth Plan and Build Out
Geodata Services worked with Citizens for Responsible Growth to conduct a full build out for Teton County, the gateway county for access to the western portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Yellowstone and Teton National Park. This area has experienced explosive growth in the past decade and future growth is expected to continue. We conducted what if scenario planning and 3D visualization of a full build out scenario for the county.
Heart of the Rockies Initiative Land Trust Working Group
Geodata has developed custom GIS tools based on Internet mapping software targeted at land trusts professionals and partners who are not trained as GIS specialists. The project was based on a foundation of work developed by a consortium of 22 land trusts that formed the Heart of the Rockies Initiative. This collaborative effort coordinated land protection strategies throughout the region to for high priority private land conservation easements in areas of ecological connectivity and traditional high quality agriculture, forestry and historic values. The consortium prepared a detailed collaborative conservation strategy for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for several national foundations, and is in the process of preparing a similar strategy for the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem. CommunityViz software was used in build out analysis for projecting growth estimates in critical habitats.
Critical Structures/Infrastructure Geodatabase Model for Montana
Under a contract with the Montana Department of Administration in conjunction with the GIS Subcommittee of the Montana Homeland Security Taskforce, Geodata designed a multi-user geodatabase model for critical structures and infrastructure in Montana. Subsequent contracts have been completed for requirements analysis and functional testing of the model. The federated model resulting from this effort forms the foundation for an enterprise applications, administered in ArcInfo SDE. The system will accommodate up to 400 critical structure map layers, combined with collaborative services through Sharepoint enterprise server portal and ESRI portal toolkit to provide services for state and local government agencies and the Department of Emergency Services in Montana.
M.A.P. Habitat™
Under an indefinite delivery contract with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Geodata conducted the GIS support for the M.A.P. Habitat™ North American Elk Habitat Project, an expert system wildlife habitat mapping project completed in 1999. Mr. Wall was project manager for the GIS portion of this cooperative effort, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Region 1 to produce comprehensive information about North American occupied elk habitat. Elk winter and summer range, important habitat features and limiting factors were mapped by over 400 state, federal and tribal wildlife biologists in collaborative meetings on a 1:250,000 scale GIS base map. These GIS layers have been overlaid with over 30 other natural resource layers as a landscape level analysis tool for the partners, including live Internet mapping.
Fish and Wildlife Partners Important Conservation Areas Project
Geodata is currently implementing a project with the Wildlife Management Institute, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Wildlife Program Leader, USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC to establish a National wildlife habitat project registry and map important strategic areas throughout the US for a consortium of 20 national conservation organizations in Fish and Wildlife Conservation Partners. Goals of the project include using mapping technology to identify those areas most important for habitat restoration and protection; identifying focus areas where partners can combine financial, organizational, and political support to achieve on-the-ground habitat work most effectively and efficiently; and identifying additional tools and expertise that can be shared and applied to priority habitat restoration and management. Geodata hosts an Internet mapping site for the collective organizations.
SIMPPLLE Arc Macro Language and Java Programming
SIMulating Processes and Patterns at Landscape scaLEs/Multi-resource Analysis and Geographic Information System) is a knowledge-based system that was been developed to simulate future vegetative changes caused by different processes (including insects and disease), identify a range of conditions of plant communities and processes that can be expected for specific landscapes, and to analyze treatment scenarios for their impact on processes, individual community attributes and vegetation pattern. Knowledge about vegetative change is represented in the form of all possible states that may exist (pathways) but a transition matrix is not utilized. Each plant community is evaluated separately to determine what process may be responsible for vegetative change. The probabilities of processes occurring for each community, such as wildland fire, insects, and disease, are derived from a combination of existing hazard rating systems, observed frequency of occurrence and expert opinion. The RMRS contracted with Geodata to develop several automated procedures using the ArcInfo AML programming language to extend the analysis capability of SIMPPLE and to conduct GIS housekeeping within the ArcInfo environment. Examples include identifying neighboring polygons for timber stands, incorporating wind direction, identifying timber stands adjacent to linear features such as roads and streams. Java programming was also done to convert Arcview Avenue code to Java code to directly call ArcInfo ODE modules.
US Fish and Wildlife Service Missouri/Yellowstone/Columbia Headwaters Strategic Planning Process
Geodata supported USFWS staff from Montana and Wyoming in a strategic planning process analyzing listed species, migratory birds, native habitat, landscape factors, adjoining conservation and protected lands and public/private partnerships for 5th code watersheds throughout the two states. Geodata provided in meeting GIS support and analysis, and custom Internet map services for peer review of results.
GIS Statewide Ownership Data Acquisition
The purpose of the project was to create a statewide ownership GIS map in ArcInfo coverage format for all state trust lands, based on the master list provided by the DNRC lands staff at a scale of 1:100,000. A list of legal descriptions composed of aliquot parts for state owned parcels was provided by DNRC. DNRC’s objectives were to match the legal descriptions against a previously developed public land ownership GIS layer created by the Montana State office of the Bureau of Land Management, funded by several state agencies, with subsequent corrections and updates to the original GIS layer by the Wildlife Spatial Laboratory at the University of Montana. The scope of Geodata’s task was to parse the legal descriptions and construct a process to update and correct the previous public land ownership layer. The scope included multiple challenges, including thousands of incorrectly identified state parcels in the original GIS layer, inconsistencies in the aliquot parts descriptions. To address these issues, Geodata Services, Inc. developed a methodology of using the BLM geographic coordinate database (GCDB) for automated processing of the public land survey system and pure aliquot parts descriptions, and a process to assign legal descriptions to quarter sections and government lots, similar to the methodology subsequently adopted by the Montana Cadastral Project for ownership mapping. The deliverables for this project included two ArcInfo coverages in digital form with full topology (the state was divided into an Eastern and Western coverage), and documentation in Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata format.
Southwest Montana Zone – Fires of 2000
Geodata Services, Inc. provided GIS data services and analysis, web authoring consultation and integration of multi-media materials with GIS maps in a browser enabled electronic delivery format. The project documented the fire season of 2000 for the Southwest Montana Zone, including the Lolo National Forest and portions of the adjoining national forests. Fire perimeters were processed for all fires in the zone, along with weather and satellite data, supporting maps, fire severity GIS layers, and a variety of background material including organizational charts, interviews, photos, timelines, press releases and other supporting material. A computer generated “fly through” using GIS derived simulated over-flights of the GIS data draped on a digital elevation model was also prepared. The product was delivered on CD Rom in a browser enabled mode for viewing on a personal computer.
US Forest Service Base Map Digital Data Acquisition
The purpose of the project was to create a series of GIS maps covering the digital map layers contained in a subset of the US Forest Service cartographic feature files (CFF) for all lands in the northwest and southwest DNRC land offices, at a scale of 1:24,000. The scope of Geodata’s task was to select specific features, creating a subset of all CFF feature files, based on a list of feature codes provided by DNRC. These features include roads, streams, structures, and multiple administrative line classes. These were combined in thematic layers or coverages and merged and edgematched between map tiles to create continuous coverages. All initial processing was done in ESRI format in ArcInfo and Arcview, and subsequently converted to Pamap format for DNRC. The deliverables for this project included several Pamap GIS map layers in digital form with full topology, divided into the two land offices, and documentation in Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata format.
Montana Rural Fire Districts Digital Data Creation and Acquisition
The project purpose was to digitize boundaries of local government fire departments for 24 counties in Montana. The deliverables for this project included GIS map layers in ArcView Shapefile digital format, and documentation in Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata format. The project purpose was to overlay local government fire jurisdictions with US Forest Service lands and commercially viable private forest lands and assess structural fire protection geographic coverage throughout Montana. The digitizing for this project was relatively simple, but the acquisition of local base maps from all counties in Montana was a logistical challenge. Encouraging cooperation, identifying existing digital sources, and project liaison were the primary roles of Geodata in this project in addition to GIS digital data conversion.
Current and Previous Clients of Geodata Services, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationCoordination and GIS support for the "Status of Elk Habitat" project, a comprehensive map of elk habitat throughout North America. This ambitious effort involved supporting hundreds of wildlife biologists in developing a digital map of habitat and limiting factors for elk throughout the country and Canada. Initially conducted in 1998-2000, it was updated in 2007. Geodata has served as primary GIS consultant for RMEF for the last 10 years.
Blackfoot Challenge, Inc.
An eight year program that used GIS to support noxious weed monitoring, management and control. Funded with assistance from the Bureau of Land Management and the Blackfoot Challenge we are assisting ranch and land owners in mapping Weeds in the Lower Blackfoot Valley.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Developing a comprehensive GIS base map for the recreational corridor of the Lower Blackfoot River and training managers in the use of GIS for recreation management and tourism. This innovative GIS project involves data from many agencies, supplemented by high resolution imagery and GPS ground control to assist managers for this popular recreation area near Missoula (recently acquired from Plum Creek, currently under the stewardship of the Nature Conservancy.)
Knight, Masar & Poore, PLLP and Hall and Hall, Inc.Providing GIS base maps and geographic analysis supporting land transactions for ranch properties. An exhaustive set of map layers describing property undergoing a change of ownership, typically involving physical resources and easements, property rights and legal constraints. We have provided this base support for several large ranch transactions in the region. The maps are typically built for the due diligence portion of the transaction, but are also useful in subsequent ranch management and operations.
Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc.Data development including production of digital elevation models and hypsography maps of specific areas in Western Montana and Northern Idaho. We are also analyzing historic elk telemetry data for the Blackfoot/Clearwater Elk herd for Plum Creek wildlife biologists.
Historical Research Associates, Inc.Providing global positioning system (GPS) data collection and analysis of cultural and historic features in the National Parks in the Rocky Mountain Region. This term contract, for a five year period, services all of the GPS needs of the National Park Service in this region relating to cultural and historic inventories.
Montana Department of Natural Resources and ConservationConducted an analysis of the relationship between the historic vegetation on the Flathead National Forest (derived from 1930’s aerial photography) and habitat type groups as defined by DNRC and mapped by the Flathead National Forest. The purpose was to provide the first step in evaluating the use of this methodology to determine the historic range of old growth forest land.
Bitterroot Restoration, Inc.
Prepared a digital map to serve as a baseline for analysis of the effects of the 1996 chlorine spill near Alberton by Montana Rail Link tanker cars.
Brown Bear Resources, Inc.Prepared a digital map of the Selway Bitterroot Ecosystem and potential areas of concern regarding potential reintroduction of grizzly bears in the Selway Bitterroot / River of No Return wilderness ecosystem.
American Public Land Exchange
Developed digital maps and conducted GIS analysis for several conservation easements negotiated and developed by American Public Land exchange. The maps typically include base layers such as elevation, roads, streams and vegetation, supplemented by special layers often including soils, special wildlife or recreation concerns and viewshed maps.
Mountain LinePrepared census maps and growth projection maps of the greater Missoula area for use by Mountain Line for demographic analysis and planning. The intent was to provide maps of census blocks and block groups to compare to ridership statistics for long range planning efforts for public transportation in the Missoula Valley.
City and County of Missoula
Developed a map of the Missoula Irrigation District works and an automated procedure to inexpensively prepare over 2,000 customized maps for individual property owners petitioning out of the irrigation district.
Missoula City Fire DepartmentPrepared a series of analytical maps showing existing population and future projections of number of households for each traffic analysis zone in Montana. The population projections were analyzed in relation to the current response times of all the urban and rural fire stations in the greater Missoula area.
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and ParksCollected global positioning receiver (GPS) ground control points and georeferenced a series of high resolution images and GIS layers collected with Positive Systems ADAR 5500 digital aerial photography for Bull Trout studies and habitat analysis on the Blackfoot River.
Land and Water Consulting, Inc.Prepared several hundred site maps relating to Phase I and II environmental assessments and site examinations. Also prepared numerous base maps for use in conservation easements, hydrologic modeling and environmental assessment.
West Central Environmental ConsultantsDeveloped a comprehensive GIS data base and orthophoto base for the Duncan Refinery in Norman Oklahoma for the purpose of environmental assessment and remediation.
Yellowstone Pipeline Company and Maxim Technologies, Inc.
Assembled all existing public domain data used in the initial assessment and location phases of the on-going process of evaluating the proposed re-route of the Yellowstone Pipeline Company from the Flathead Reservation to alternative routes. Conducted GIS analysis of vegetation and slope characteristics for the initial scoping of YPL for alternative route selection.
Forest Service 615 Project
Developed and implemented natural resource GIS application tests for an in-depth GIS trade study for General Dynamics Corporation and Essential Planning Systems, Ltd.. This trade study compared the technical capabilities of two major GIS software packages (Arc/Info and Pamap) competing for the U.S. Forest Service project 615, a $1.2 billion national GIS and office automation procurement program.
Montana Department of State Lands- Fire Division
Developed a GIS model and program implementation of the Montana State Fire Division Fire Danger Risk Rating System. The first project of its kind in Montana, this program supplements manual efforts to assess fire danger in rural areas. A pilot project was completed for the Whitefish and Big Mountain Area and procedures developed to apply the pilot state wide.
Ravalli County GIS Needs AssessmentConducted a formal needs assessment for GIS development in the Bitterroot Valley. This needs assessment included a written survey and extensive interviews with 20 agencies and recommendations for future development of GIS in Ravalli County.
Ravalli County Cadastral ProjectBuilding on a previous needs assessment, we designed and implemented a pilot project in the northern portion of Ravalli County, focusing on digital cadastral and road mapping and analysis. The pilot was completed and the full process of developing a GIS database for Ravalli County is underway.
Bitterroot Water Forum
Developed a regional GIS map for use in analyzing issues relating to water quality and quantity. The GIS data, composed of over 60 layers provides a backdrop for studies on-going efforts of the Water Forum. Additional pilot projects focus on growth issues and their impact on water resources, and GIS tools for use by involved citizens.
Missoula County Rural Carrying Capacity ProjectConducted a comprehensive land use planning GIS contract for Missoula County in Montana. Designed as a planning tool to assist county planners attempting to guide explosive growth in the county, this GIS system includes 65 data layers. The data layers include multiple wildlife species, riparian zones, viewsheds, demographic data and urban infrastructure. The project involved analysis of remotely sensed data and coordination with many federal, state and local agencies and organizations. We developed and implemented a user-friendly interface and one-week training session so planners inexperienced in GIS could use the system for growth related mitigation queries. Completed two follow-up contracts developing additional data layers.
Pest Management- Landscape Ecology Historical Assessment of Timber StandsContracted with the Advanced Technology Program of the National Forest Pest Management Applications Group of the U.S. Forest Service in Ft. Collins, Colorado to develop a Northern Region historical timber stand assessment map. The project involved developing data layers for timber stands in the 1940's and 1970's to compare to current conditions and assess pest management trends in a landscape ecology context.
Montana Forest Productivity ProjectKen Wall served as a principal investigator for a consortium of faculty and professional staff of the School of Forestry conducting a three year project to (1) develop a system for predicting potential forest productivity at a high level of resolution (1 acre land units) for all private forested land in Montana and (2) to produce maps showing the mosaic of productivity classes along with the public land survey system, forest and non-forest boundaries, cartographic features such as roads, rivers and streams and public/private land ownership boundaries. The work is the first of its kind in the US and entails the integration of biogeophysical models, geographic information systems, analysis of satellite imagery, and forest growth and yield and landscape models. The resulting system and maps will be used by the Montana Department of Revenue as the basis or the forest productivity tax system to be implemented June 1, 1994.
Ecodata Climate Modeling
Other recent consulting services included modeling and mapping climate regions comprising portions of hydrologic watersheds to guide Region 1, U.S. Forest Service ecodata sampling for the 1993 field season on seven national forests in Montana. This work was subcontracted through Numerical Terradynamics, Inc. for the Northern Region ecologist.
Montana Statewide Digital Line Graph Coverage at 1:100,000 ScaleCoordinated a project to convert 8,160 digital quadrangle maps for the state of Montana for transportation, hydrography, powerlines and railroads from U.S. Geological Survey raw digital files (DLG) to Arc/Info and Pamap GIS. This project was conducted for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resource Information System at the Montana State Library.
Montana Regional Soils Analysis
Conducted an analysis of STATSGO soils maps from the Soil Conservation Service to derive soil water holding capacities for all lands in Montana. Project involved data conversion from SCS digital files to ARC/INFO and PAMAP GIS software, mapping, analysis and classification of soil parameters and georeferencing the results which will be overlaid with surface elevation values. Extensive database manipulation of relational database attributes was needed to derive average water holding capacity for the entire soil profile.
Montana County Map Book, 1:62,500 SeriesCooperated with the Montana Department of Transportation in conducting a digital conversion of 263 county maps at 1 in./mile scale of all the counties in Montana from Intergraph to Arc/Info. This project involved consulting with Contex Corporation on initial digital conversion of the maps to the Intergraph system and subsequent conversion to Arc/Info. Forty-eight digital map levels containing, roads, hydrography, administrative and political boundaries and cultural and physical features were converted.
Lubrecht Experimental Forest and Bandy Experimental Ranch
Developed a comprehensive GIS database involving 48 levels of spatial and non-spatial data, including current conditions and historical research uses. This extensive GIS system is used in the daily management of these two University of Montana research facilities.
Transportation Planning
Contracted with Bell-Walker, Associates to develop baseline data on 1990 census blocks overlaid on Missoula County traffic analysis zones to assist in transportation planning modeling for the study of traffic options on heavily used arterial intersections.