Dear Friends:

This is truly an exciting time for Montana's NaturalResource Information System (NRIS). Montanacitizens, whether they are business owners lookingfor an economic advantage to make their companyviable in a tough economy, government employeesattempting to accomplish more with fewerresources, private citizens desiring to participatemore fully in their government, or tourists needingcurrent information on hunting, fishing, or wildfirestatus - all have a real and growing need for accessto government information. Happily, this growing

dependence on government information comes at a time when NRIS is betterprepared than ever to serve such diverse needs.

Simply put, we use smart technologies to make a broad range of vitalgeographic information available to Montana agriculture, businesses, citizens,and visitors. While there is nothing simple about what goes on behind the scenesto make it all happen, access to a wealth of information about Montana hasnever been simpler. Our small but highly dedicated staff has learned to makethe most of the latest tools to serve information to the widest audience, but isalso ready and willing to provide personalized service to those who need it.

In addition, because NRIS provides a centralized repository for governmentinformation accessible to all (including the very agencies that generate the data),the need to build similar programs elsewhere is reduced, resulting in considerablecost savings. Other agencies can concentrate their resources on accomplishingtheir respective mandates and leave the job of information dissemination tothose who know it best - the State Library.

We at NRIS are proud of the working relationships we have developed with themany government agencies that create the information we serve. Without theirwillingness to make their information available through NRIS, the benefits ofone-stop-shopping for information could not be realized. We are committed tocontinually finding innovative ways to provide more information to more peoplein the years ahead.

Jim Hill, Director

Our mission:The Montana Natural ResourceInformation System providescomprehensive access toinformation about Montana'snatural resources to all Montanansthrough the acquisition, storage,retrieval, and dissemination ofthat information in meaningfulform.

Our goals:•Acquire, integrate, maintain, and

document natural resource data andinformation needed for understanding,managing, and utilizing Montana’snatural resources and environment.

•Effectively disseminate naturalresource data and information,ensuring broad accessibility,utilizing current technologies, andmaintaining a strong emphasis oncustomer service.

•Ensure our products, services, andexpertise are broadly known,effectively used, and highlyregarded by those who requirenatural resource information andspatially referenced data.

NRISP.O. Box 201800Helena, MT 59620-1800This publication is available in alternativeformats by calling (406) 444-5357.

Printed on recycled paper –

600 copies of this public document were published at an estimated costof $2.03 per copy, for a total cost of $1,218.00, which includes $1,218.00for printing and $0.00 for distribution.

How is NRIS funded?NRIS receives its funding from a variety of sources.Direct funding for core services — which includemaintaining the NRIS clearinghouse and providinggeneral access — comes from the Resource IndemnityTrust, the General Fund, and state agencies to whichNRIS provides essential services. NRIS then aug-ments this “core service” funding through interagencypartnerships to develop new datasets or data-accesstools that benefit all users.

A portion of NRIS’ direct or “core” funding is used tocontract with The Nature Conservancy to operate thestatutorily mandated Natural Heritage Program. Thissuccessful public-private partnership generates furtherefficiencies, as the Natural Heritage Program leveragesstate funds with federal and private dollars to helpsupport data collection and dissemination projects.

Contact NRISVisit our web site – nris.state.mt.usPhone us for staff assistance – Voice (406) 444-5354

FAX (406) 444-0581Write us – PO Box 201800, Helena, MT 59620-1800Visit us – 1515 East 6th Avenue, Helena, MT 59620

NRIS Funding Sources, FY 2002-2003

InteragencyPartnerships

22%

General Fund10%

State Agencies30%

ResourceIndemnity Trust

38%

http://nris.state.mt.us

One-stop source of naturalresource informationnris.state.mt.us

Established in 1985 by the Montana Legislature, themission of the Montana Natural Resource InformationSystem (NRIS) is to make information on Montana’snatural resources readily accessible to government agencies,business and industry, and private citizens. As a programof the State Library, NRIS provides expertise that helpspeople find, understand, and use natural resource-relatedinformation.

Cost efficient:State and federal agencies generate large quantities ofinformation on Montana’s lands and natural resources, atconsiderable expense to taxpayers. This information isneeded by government and businesses tomanage Montana’s resources and build avibrant economy. Experience has shown thatif existing information can’t be readily located,it will be re-created, or decisions will be madewithout the best available information,resulting in poor decisions, wasted time andmoney, and unnecessary conflicts.

NRIS provides leadership and expertise in theacquisition, storage, support, and distributionof Montana’s geographic data. NRIS has ledthe way in utilizing technology to disseminatedata efficiently and to provide tools for dataaccess, display, and analysis.

Rapid response and retrieval:By maintaining the necessary expertise,technology and information, NRIS can quickly respond toa wide variety of needs, from firefighters during a crisis toenvironmental assessments for road construction andcommercial development.

Recently, NRIS has focused on developing more powerfulInternet tools to provide better access to information. Inaddition, NRIS continues to expand data sharing withfederal, state, and local agencies which create naturalresource data in order to provide a broad range of timelyand valuable data sets to our users.

Recent Accomplishments:

• Statewide coverage of topographic maps andaerial photos.

• On-line tools, such as TopoFinder andThematic Mapper, give users desktop access tomaps and spatial data.

• Statewide soils, water rights, and weedinformation.

NRIS programsAs part of its mandate to provide access to naturalresource and related information, the Natural ResourceInformation System includes two statutorily mandatedprograms, the Natural Heritage Program and the WaterInformation System.

nhp.nris.state.mt.us

The NRIS Natural Heritage Program is the state’sclearinghouse for information on the status and distributionof our native animals and plants, emphasizing species ofconcern and high quality habitats, such as wetlands. The

Natural Heritage Program provides thisinformation for a broad range of uses,including weed management, environmentalreviews, highway construction, facility siting,growth planning, and habitat conservation.In 2001, Heritage Program staff answeredmore than 1000 information requests, and theprogram served many times that number ofusers with its extensive on-line resources.

Knowing where species of concern arelocated helps developers and land managersavoid needless impacts on valuable habitatsand maintain healthy species populations,reducing the likelihood of endangermentlistings. Data collected and centralized by theNatural Heritage Program has also led to the“down-ranking” of many species once

thought to be very rare or considered for listing. Becausethe Natural Heritage Program is linked to a network ofover eighty similar programs in states, provinces, andnations throughout the Western Hemisphere, it can alsobring to Montana the “big picture” on the status ofspecies and habitats.

Recent Accomplishments:

• Statewide land stewardship map – the only up-to-date source for comprehensive mapping ofpublic and conservation lands.

• Statewide bird distribution data – users cansearch for information and enter their ownobservations directly on the web.

• Reports on exemplary habitats and species ofconcern in various areas, such as Powder RiverCounty, and the Upper Yellowstone Watershed.Visit the NHP website for more reports.

• Joint Animal Species of Concern list withMontana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“…We really saw the power of interactiveweb applications during the fire seasonof 2000. That's when NRIS and ourFWP Conservation Education Divisionstaff developed the Fire Page for ourwebsite. In a two-week period inAugust 2000, the Fire Page received63,000 queries…No other state or federalwebsite had this information…”

– Janet Hess-Herbert, GIS CoordinatorMontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

“[Without] current services provided by theNatural Heritage Program…it would take atleast four to five additional days to gatherinformation, sort, and compare species datafor each project… This would have a majorimpact on weed management efforts in thestate… NHP provides a valuable service toMontana citizens, and is vital to thedevelopment of ecologically-based weedmanagement programs.”

– Celestine Lacey Duncan,Weed Management Services

“…When Westech can use informationprovided by NRIS/NHP, the client savestime and money on its project…”

– Patrick Farmer, PresidentWestech Environmental Services, Inc.

“…local planning departments throughout thestate give the NRIS/Heritage Program a BIGPLUS…”

– Randy Gray, MayorCity of Great Falls

“NRIS provides a wealth of accurate andaccessible information that is invaluable toMontana's decision makers and businesscommunity. As we face the challenge ofcreating a vibrant economy comprised oftraditional industry as well as new enterprises,the information NRIS provides can help uschart our course efficiently and with vision.”

– Lt. Governor Karl Ohs,Chair, Governor's Drought AdvisoryCouncil

http://nris.state.mt.ushttp://nhp.nris.state.mt.us

Staff Assisted Requests by User Groups FY 2002

Others1%

Local Gov6%

Education8%

Federal9%

Private33%

Montana State43%

Users of NRIS’ Internet-based services range fromcomputer novices to information technology professionals,and NRIS provides information in ways that can be usedby persons at both ends of the spectrum. For theGeographic Information Systems (GIS) professional,hundreds of geospatial data themes are available fordownload. For the technically savvy computer user, manyof these same themes can be viewed on-line, along withreports summarizing related information. For novicecomputer users, a series of pre-formatted maps are available.

An NRIS user survey was conducted on the NRIS websitethroughout the month of September, 2002, to help NRISimprove its services. We learned:

• Over 63% of respondents were from the privatesector.

• Over 60% of respondents visit the NRIS websiteat least several times per month.

• 80% said NRIS services were valuable or essentialto their business, agency, or personal needs.

Over one-third of respondents use NRIS information forplanning; and another third for resource management.More than half download geographic information system(GIS) data, such as stream and road information, to use intheir own projects and analyses. Over half also use theNRIS TopoFinder, which allows people to viewtopographic maps on-line. The NRIS Water InformationSystem is consulted by over one-third of surveyrespondents.

NRIS responds to thousands of inquiries each month viaits website. Over one-third of the survey respondentsvisit the site each day or several times per week. Duringthe month of November, 2002, NRIS’ web pagesreceived over 51,000 visitors, who used the NRISwebsite for an average of 13 minutes each. Thattranslates to 384 person-hours each day spent on theNRIS site.

Visit nris.state.mt.us to view complete survey results.

Why is NRIS part of theMontana State Library?The Montana State Library houses the NRIS program fortwo reasons: the State Library is a non-regulatory agencythat provides unbiased information, and the State Libraryhas the mission of, and expertise in, providing access toinformation.

The fact that NRIS has been placed in a neutral agencyencourages broad use of the system by all state agenciesas well as Montana businesses and citizens. NRISprovides a broad range of services to agencies to ensurethat users can access NRIS products and services as easilyas they might if NRIS were a program of the user’sagency.

NRIS’ location in the state library also allows NRIS toconcentrate on its mission of disseminating information,freeing the various agencies that utilize NRIS toconcentrate on fulfilling their respective agency mandateswithout having to spend resources to disseminate data toother agencies or the public.

Who uses NRIS, and how?In order to ensure that Montana’s natural resourceinformation is available to the widest possible audience,NRIS provides access to its information holdings in avariety of ways. Most of the information in the NRISclearinghouse is made available via the Internet; however,staff assistance in locating and obtaining information isalso available, and much of the information assimilated byour Natural Heritage Program is available throughpublished reports.

Who Uses NRIS Web Services?

Percent of respondents(Sept. 2002 Web Survey)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Private

MT State/Loc Gov't

Education

Federal

Other

http://nris.state.mt.us

Tota

l Wel

ls

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 20000

Year

Recent Accomplishments:

• Comprehensive drought monitoring web sitefor the state, drought maps, and climate data.

• Interactive web access to Department ofNatural Resources and Conservation waterrights information, including maps and reports.

• Web access to stream and lake data fromMontana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Fishdistribution, stocking information.

• Web access to multi-agency information onlocations of water quality data collection sites.

• Web access to the Bureau of Mines andGeology’s extensive well database, well logs, andwater quality data.

WaterInformationSystem

nris.state.mt.us/wis

The Water Information System (WIS) provides a broadselection of information pertaining to Montana waterresources. Montanans use the WIS in a variety of ways.For example: the WIS supports state officials in writingwater quality plans, managing reservoirs and stream flow,and seeking drought aid; contractors can find well logs forareas where they plan to drill; land owners are able to viewtheir water rights information to ensure that state recordsare up to date; and recreational users can find real-timeflow data for rafting or detailed fisheries and stockinginformation for angling.

The WIS provides information on Montana’s streams,lakes, wetlands, wells, and aquifers. In partnership withstate, federal, and non-profit organizations, the WISprovides users’ access to water rights, water quality,fisheries, water supply, well and well log, and wetlandinformation. This information can be mapped and reportedin a variety of ways, and combined with other data atNRIS to meet the analytic and mapping needs of our usercommunity. The WIS also hosts and maintains the websitefor the Governor’s Drought Monitoring Committee.

CommunicationNRIS utilizes a variety of avenues to reach our partnersand the public:

• Monthly seminars – NRIS sponsors a monthlyseminar series to offer interested individuals anopportunity to discuss advances in technology,improvements in information access and use, andother related topics.

• Workshops and presentations – NRIS staff offerfree workshops and presentations to teach the public,government employees, users groups, and naturalresources professionals how to use its new websiteapplications.

• Conferences and meetings – In an effort tointeract with and outreach to a cross-section ofMontanans, NRIS staff participate in conferencesacross the state. These opportunities have includedmeetings of the Montana Association of Counties,and the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

• User feedback – NRIS is committed to providingquality data services to our users. In order to effectivelyevaluate the types of use and interest in our informationand web applications, NRIS conducts periodic surveys.

• Newsletters – NRIS contributes articles to industrynewsletters and journals to inform Montanaprofessionals about NRIS programs and services.The NRIS Natural Heritage Program produces itsown newsletter, Optimolocus, to keep readers informedabout new activities and projects.

• GIS Day – GIS Day is an annual international eventthat encourages geographic information systems (GIS)users to open their doors to the public. NRIS staffuse GIS Day as a way to demonstrate the importanceof geography in our everyday lives by conductinginteractivepresentationsfor studentsand adults.

Helena fifth grader Nicole Carkeek shows off thetopographical map she created on her hand duringan NRIS presentation on GIS Day.Photo credit: George Lane/Helena Independent Record

Cumulative number of wells along Highway 93 corridor in the Bitterroot Valley.

http://nris.state.mt.us/wis