conservation innovation - tools and trends in gis

Conservation Innovation:Tools and Trends in GISKathryn Wesson, Geospatial Analyst

Margaret Markham, Geospatial Analyst

Chesapeake Conservancy

Agenda

Our organization

Land cover dataset

Applications and tools

Connect

Conserve RestoreInnovatio

n

Our Primary Driver

Conservation and Access along the John Smith Trail

Big Data• Novel datasets• Higher resolution

information

Enabling Partners• Data access• Interactive web-based

tools

Land Cover Prioritizing Conservation

Land Cover Prioritizing Conservation

CBP Land Cover ClassificationBarren

Impervious Roads

Impervious Surfaces

Low Vegetation

Shrubland

Structures

Tree Canopy

Tree Canopy over Impervious Roads

Tree Canopy over Impervious Surfaces

Tree Canopy over Structures

Water

Wetlands

Remote Sensing Data

2013 NAIP

Remote Sensing Data

2013 NAIP

Leaf-off imagery

Remote Sensing Data

2013 NAIP

Leaf-off imagery

LiDAR

Remote Sensing Data

2013 NAIP

Leaf-off imagery

LiDAR

Methods

Four-stage process:1) Divide image into

segments of like pixels

2) Create rules to group segments into classes

3) Manually correct misclassified segments

Methods

Four-stage process:1) Divide image into

segments of like pixels

2) Create rules to group segments into classes

3) Manually correct misclassified segments

4) Integrate county planning data

Non-profit• Conservation Toolbox, watershed delineation toolCounty• Prince George’s County Stormwater BMP Prioritization

Toolbox• York County Stormwater Consortium BMP Reporting ToolCity• Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst

Land Cover Classification Applications: Web-based tools to identify, evaluate, and

track projects

Non-profit Partners

Conservation Toolbox

• Web-based application- Non-GIS users

• Parcel identification and assessment- Conservation and restoration criteria

• Product generation- Summary reports- Spreadsheets

Ian Plant

Conservation Toolbox

Conservation Toolbox

Conservation Toolbox

Watershed Delineation Tool

County Partners

Prince George’s Stormwater BMP Prioritization Tool

- PG County sought to retrofit 20% of urban impervious through their MS4 as outlined in their WIP

- How does this tool solve this problem? - HUC size- Land type- Zoning- Stream data

• Benefits- Web-based application- Non-GIS users- BMP site identification through dynamic queries- Product generation (ie. Spreadsheets)

Stormwater BMP Prioritization Tool

Stormwater BMP Prioritization Tool

• Problem? - Planning commission needed a better way to prioritize BMP proposals- BayFAST needs land cover data

• Goal? - Streamline and track conservation efforts more accurately and effectively

• Result?- Uniform process of estimations and proposal submission- Saves money and time by cutting out need for consultant

York County Stormwater Consortium BMP Reporting Tool

York County Stormwater Consortium BMP Reporting Tool

65 Acres Treated95% agricultural, 2% Barren, 2% Low Vegetation, 1% Tree

CanopyEstimated Load Reductions: 20 lbs N, 8 lbs P, and 1500 lbs

sediment Estimated Cost: $150,000

Calculating the Potential Benefitsof Individual Projects

City Partners

Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst

• Problem?- Estimated that there are 17,000 vacant lots in

Baltimore; how do you prioritize for green space suitability

• Goal?- “Transform vacant lots from liabilities to assets

that provide social and environmental benefits”- 40% tree canopy cover by 2037, currently around

~28%• Results?

- Green Pattern Book, outlines development options and site suitability criteria

Benefits of Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst

• Vacant lot prioritization– Proximity to amenities– Acreage– Land cover type

• Desktop-based application– Basic ArcGIS knowledge

Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst

Urban agriculture Less than 7.5% slope Less than 25% tree

cover Greater than 0.5 acres

Neighborhood park Less than 5% slope Less than 50% tree cover Greater than 0.125 acres

Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst

• Generates “short list” of suitable candidates

Funding and Support• Lincoln Institute of Land Policy • ESRI• Microsoft Research• Hexagon Imagery Company

Pilot Project • Southeast Utah• Nanticoke River, DE and MD

Future Applications: Cloud-Based Land Cover Factory

Questions and Discussion

Kathryn Wesson and Margaret Markham

kwesson@chesapeakeconservancy.orgmmarkham@chesapeakeconservancy.org