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Leveraging GIS Technologiesin Chesapeake Conservation and Restoration 

Rachel SoobitskyGeospatial Project ManagerChesapeake ConservancyConservation Innovation Center

Kristin KirkwoodExecutive Director Harford Land Trust

Hali Plourde‐RogersExecutive DirectorVirginia Eastern Shore Land Trust

Jon ChapmanStewardship ManagerMaryland Environmental Trust

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/many_regions_one_chesapeake

Conservancy Mission

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“Getting the right practices, in the right places, at the right scale, and 

making sure they are working”

Previously Available Data

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High‐resolution Data

High‐resolution DataPlanning at the Parcel Scale

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Lidar Flow Path Mapping

Lidar Flow Path Mapping

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Goal: Identify priority locations for BMP implementation

Better data is only useful if it can be 

harnessed to inform better projects

High resolution land coverHigh Resolution Land Cover & Concentrated Flow Paths

Pixel size: 1 meter by 1 meter

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Pixel size: 1 meter by 1 meter

Identified gaps in riparian forest buffer coverage

1.18 acres

1.16 acres

Compare restoration opportunity areas

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59.7 acres

4.27 acres

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Assessing the landscapeCriteria used in prioritization:• Area of restoration opportunity• Area of upland drainage area treated• Land cover/land use in upland

drainage area (runoff treatment potential)• Proximity to 

Exceptional Value/High Quality Streams

• Proximity and upstream of Impaired Streams

DataLand Cover/Use

Flow Path Maps

Prioritization

Web‐based toolsAccess

Products

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Making Data Accessible

conservationinnovationcenter.org

rsoobitsky@chesapeakeconservancy.org

Questions?

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STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLANKristin Kirkwood, Executive Directorwith funding from the Chesapeake Bay Land and Water Initiative, a project of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and the Land Trust Alliance

• Founded in 1991

• Single county geographic focus

• 1 FTE and 2 PTEs

• Annual operating budget approx. $150,000

• Total assets approx. $4M

• Holds conservation easements or other restrictions on over 1,000 acres

• Owns approx. 350 acres in fee‐simple

BACKGROUND

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STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN

OUTCOMES

• Articulate a science‐based conservation vision that incorporates both land and water elements 

• Target and prioritize land conservation projects with greater precision and accountability

• Enhance HLT’s image and credibility with partners, community members, and funders

• Facilitate learning and communication across key stakeholders

ACTIVITIES

• Convene an advisory group of partner orgs. to leverage expertise, time, data and analysis, and GIS capacity 

• Identify mutual and HLT‐specific conservation priorities and associated project selection criteria

• Use best‐available data and methods to analyze the County and target and prioritize regions/properties for HLT conservation

• Train HLT staff and transfer data and tools

GIS COMPONENT

• Framing of analysis questions

• Exploration and preparation of spatial datasets

• Attribution of the Harford County parcel dataset with information about each property’s standing against HLT’s land conservation criteria

• Web viewer with parcel results

• Technical training for HLT’s Executive Director

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GIS ANALYSIS ATTRIBUTES

Top priority: Water, Farms, Wildlife/Biodiversity = 10 weight • Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Line• Agriculture Development Rights• Targeted Ecological Areas• Maryland Marsh Protection Potential 

Index • Farm Lands• Tier 1‐3 Habitat• Green Infrastructure Hubs and 

Corridors• Ecologically Sensitive Areas• Stream NHD 

• Slope• Land cover (Impervious)

Middle Priority: Scenic, Size, and Location = 5 weight • Proximity to Parks, County Historic 

Landmarks, National Register Individual Sites, and Scenic Trails, Maryland Scenic Byways, Historic Districts, etc.

• Cadastral (Size)• Proximity to Protected Land

RESULTS

Direct

• Print maps

• Web viewer

• Excel data

Indirect

• Stronger position with funders

• Targeted outreach

• Can easily say no!

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LESSONS LEARNED

• Employ an iterative process

• Vet result with individuals with strong local knowledge

• Minor changes in attribute weighting/scales did not change results

• Make provisions for updating data and analysis as more information arises to avoid static information

• Local partners were more important for next steps rather than the analysis itself

Questions? kkirkwood@harfordlandtrust.org

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Riparian Buffer Projectwith funding from the Chesapeake Bay Land and Water Initiative, a project

of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and the Land Trust Alliance

Hali Plourde-Rogers

Executive Director, Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust

Summary

Background

Methods and Pilot Project

Lessons Learned

Resources

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BackgroundThe Eastern Shore of Virginia

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MethodsRiparian Buffer Pilot Project

Steps

Science based data to analyze bayside easements

Top 10

Determine what to plant

Identify how to protect the new buffer

Estimate cost

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Lessons learned

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Partners and resources

Partners

Chesapeake Conservancy

Natural Resource Conservation Service

VA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program

VA United Land Trusts

Virginia Outdoors Foundation

Resources

Virginia Coastal Geospatial and Educational Mapping System (Coastal Gems)

The Nature Conservancy, Coastal Resilience Tool

Thank youQuestions?

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SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Tracking Easement Monitoring in aNew Web‐based Mapping Application

Jon ChapmanStewardship Manager

Maryland Environmental Trust

SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Maryland Environmental Trust (MET)

Over 1100 easements to monitor on over 134,000 acres!

Even more landowners than easements

More than half of portfolio co‐held with our Local Land Trust Partners

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SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Paper‐based

Microsoft Access database

Manual entry of report data and photo‐points

MET monitoring process (before)

SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Updated protocol for monitoring

1. Mobile field report form 2. Web application for display and storage

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SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Integration with GIS

SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Report display/products

SummariesReport fields

Photo points

DownloadsSummary report

Zip of photos

Easement map

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SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Locate Integration

• Easement data & contacts management (CRM)

• Reporting tools & dashboards• Due Diligence of CE restrictions• Flag and track items of concern

• Monitoring reports• Easement maps• Photo summary/points• Photo Zipfile

LOCATE

SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Connected

• Monitoring reports• Photo summary• Due Diligence• Flags items of concern

• Easement management database• Reporting tools• Strategic stewardship of priority 

properties and landowners

Connected!

LOCATELocal Land

Trust PartnersVolunteers

Monitoring App

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SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlacesSavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Jon Chapman, Maryland Environmental TrustJon.chapman@maryland.gov

www.dnr.maryland.gov/met

Michael Norton, Chesapeake Conservancymnorton@chesapeakeconservancy.org

www.chesapeakeconservancy.org

Contact Information

SavingtheChesapeake’sGreatRiversandSpecialPlaces

Final Questions?Rachel Soobitsky- rsoobitsky@chesapeakeconservancy.orgGeospatial Project ManagerChesapeake ConservancyConservation Innovation Center

Kristin Kirkwood- kkirkwood@harfordlandtrust.orgExecutive Director Harford Land Trust

Hali Plourde-Rogers- director@veslt.orgExecutive DirectorVirginia Eastern Shore Land Trust

Jon Chapman- jon.chapman@maryland.govStewardship ManagerMaryland Environmental Trust

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/many_regions_one_chesapeake