SVCC Mapping Open House Wednesday, November 9, 7-9pm at the Community Center in Condon

Join us on Wednesday, November 9 from 7:00-9:00pm at the Community Center in Condon for an open house to review the community mapping program.  Ken Wall from Geodata Services, Inc. and staff from the Missoula County Rural Initiatives will join SVCC board members and members of the community to provide details and receive comments on the ongoing mapping efforts for the Upper Swan.  We will review most of the draft maps we are considering for the SVCC Community Profile.

Bring along your portable computer, iPad, iPhone, or other device that can access a Wi-Fi connection, and we will give you some hands on directions to access and use the SVCC Community Web Maps (assuming the Wi-Fi system in the library can handle the load).  The 5th and 6th graders at the Swan Valley School have been experimenting with the map service, and hopefully some of them will be attending to give you some one-on-one instruction.

We will have comment forms available, several large format wall display maps, and some maps to mark up and provide specific comments on.

To get a preview of the community maps see http://www.mapcoop.com/svcc-web-maps/ (check back often, more maps are being added daily).

Comment on Habitat Types and Soils from John Mercer via email

I added two comments [to the mindmap], one the that FS has the data layer for the habitat types and that Alan Brannine – DNRC has clipped it for the valley and aggregated the types as we discussed. Apparently a color scheme hasn’t yet been assigned. I would like to see a scheme that visually represents the temp/moisture gradient that the type follow. There is a chart on page 57 of the profile that show the gradient. The table on page 58 shows the 12 major habitat types Comprising over 90% of the valley. The table is organized on an elevational gradient from hot dry at the bottom to cool moist on the top. I would like to see a color scheme that starts with warm browns, then yellows, then greens, then blues as one moves up the gradient. If you want, I can make a suggested color schemata with types assigned to colors. (Sort of a Habitat Type color wheel). Actually now that I think about it, I would be surprised if something like that doesn’t already exist. But let me know if you want me to create that color schemata. The reamaing types can be clustered — I am not sure what color that should be. Something that is distinguishable, but not part of the color gradient.

The other comment was that I think we should have a soils map. Then I saw that it looks like you have a soils – geology map included.

SVCC ArcGIS.com maps go live

The first community map was posted today.  We will be adding many maps in this section, one for each revised GIS map in the SVCC Community Profile that is proposed.  Look for more in the coming weeks as we begin developing the data lined out by the committee.  The maps will be available for review and comment through the open house scheduled for November 9, 2011 at the Community Center in Condon.

This first example is a base map drawn from state GIS framework layers including public infrastructure, all structures, the cadastral parcels, and roads and bridges from the state transportation layer.  There is also an editable layer for comments and adding your own map elements which can be shared back with your groups or emailed.  Pop-ups are enabled for these layers, simply click on a map item and you will see the database information we have attached.   Click "View Larger Map" below the map for much more mapping capability.

Navigate to the SVCC GIS Maps page:  http://www.mapcoop.com/swan-base-edit/

Swan Valley School Creates ArcGIS Online Web Maps

The 5th-8th graders at the Swan Valley School created some test web maps today in an afternoon lesson and workshop.  Ken Wall presented the GIS mapping project for the SVCC at the request of Angie Williams, the 7-8th grade teacher.  After learning about the process and a description of the maps being considered, the students went hands-on and made some web maps on the ESRI ArcGIS.com web site. 

They made maps of their houses, added trails, campsites, bike trails and overlaid some real-time weather data on wind speeds and weather warnings.  Mrs Williams will be sending permission slips for parents, and hopefully we will see the first community maps in the project supplementing their study of Montana history and other subjects.  Any maps they wish to share will be added to the map gallery.  

GIS Data Committee Conference Call and WebEx Summary Notes 9/12/2011

A total of seven community members on the planning committee attended a conference call and WebEx data session to discuss specifics on modifications to the SVCC Community Profile GIS maps and the broader topic of community maps on September 12, 2011 from 8:30am – 12:30pm.  Listed below are bullet point notes made by Ken Wall.  Please refer to additional information on specific layers to be used in the revised profile and decisios made on which draft maps not to include in the next draft of the profile.  The additional information is contained in the draft SVCC Community master mindmap at

• ·         John Mercer made a comment that for the draft profile they had to consolidate several layers - separate in previous draft due to lack of source data and ability to combine
• ·         Land ownership and discussion of the Montana cadastral and Legacy project.  Need for a map with an overview of public lands and interest in a historical perspective with year built from the cadastral.  Lter in the meeting John Keller described the process he went through to derive year built from the cadastral data.
• ·         Roads and Trails and access discussion
• ·         Wetlands maps should be at subsection level - lose data clarity by aggregating so don't aggregate wetlands to section level
• ·         Aquatic monitoring sites - pull these from report - map was available but too detailed - John and Joan
• ·         Ken went through the CAPS data and overview of how we have used those in the past
• ·         Wildlife – for fisheries interest in bulltrout
• ·         Joan - habitat at the section layer and potentially some habitat at finer layer
• ·         Definately use the CAPS for report - best aggregate data and most suitable for the report
  • o   Some concern in aggreagating the data - most important "trump issue" is wildlife, especially T&E
  • o   Ken will check on linkage and corridor process beign conducted by MDFWP
  • o   Split out the 3 terrestrial layers for report
• ·         Which parcels in big game range would be good to identify but issues with showing data at the parcel level of geography
  • o   Possible to map, but intended for larger scale than parcel level
  • o   Same is true for which parcels in Threatened & Endangered layers
  • o   Ken dicusssed quality of that data at the parcel scale - issues in general with T&E data since it is not systematically collected
  • o   Ken will check with Chris Servheen - grizzly bear movement and Mark Ruby
  • o   Radio tracking data and Kate Kendall data -aggregated to broader geography if necessary.  Future work - likely not available at present.
  • o   Rick Mace - MDFWP
• ·         For profile use mostly section level data - for community maps go beyond this to smaller scale if possible
• ·         Possiblity to indicate that finer scale data does exist - in more generalized way (red, green, yellow thematic cover?)
• ·         Scratched ungulate map from former profile
• ·         American Wildlands regional conservation areas
  • o   Sara and Ken brought up question on what this map shows?
  • o   Consensus to pull American Wildlands map from the profile
  • o   John clarified - this was placeholder to show how Swan fits in the larger landscape and strategic importance
  • o   Re-do a regional map ourselves - where Crown of the Continent is and how Swan fits in.  Sarah and Ken will collaborate on the boundary for this.
• ·         Fire as important role
  • o   Ayers Map - Historical vegetation
  • o   Placeholder map - important to show historic role of fire
  • o   P 55 and 73 - maps go together - historic fire and - perhaps combine
  • o   Hand digitized - paper map source
  • o   Locally loved maps but controversial in their accuracy
  • o   Barrett - Fire history of the Swan - some data available?
  • o   Good maps since 2000 for fire history
  • o   Ken discussed  DNRC Stewardship Working Action Group (SAWG)  fire probability maps

• ·         Land use planning and ownership maps and Montana Legacy Project
• o   Dwayne Forder mentioned the importance of highlighting the 7 TNC parcels in Phase 3 intended as for community based focus - affordable housing, etc. - red sections on TNC map - highlight those on profile map and indicate that those are intended for smaller parcels (concern that they are still only large parcels)
• o   Also include private parcels
• o   Dif shades of green and blue to distinguish Legacy project federal and state lands different than other federal and state lands
• o   Phase 3 - these 7 parcels identified separately

• ·         Habitat Types - needs work - hold as a place holder map for community planning? Further discussion - this should be available in the profile
• ·         ReGAP is recommended best layer, many classes and hard to theme - tis will be a layer in the profile
• ·         Historic resources - homesteads - great way to involve kids and studetns
• ·         Historical trails - Mercer did some of this and was digitized for Jerry Stokes for Flathead - LAC project & BMWC - also Stan Bain
• ·         Consensus to use NHD and Wetlands data and maps
• ·         Discussion on WUI and fire probability - Ken will check with DNRC on the status of this
• ·         Insect and disease - Ken willl post some of the wildfire and insect and diseawsse layers
• ·         Weed mapping
• ·         Nate will check with Jed Little to ses if he has done anything in the swan
• ·         Insect maps from SAWG
• ·         Neighborhood map
  • o   map some of the demographic and economic data to these.
• ·         Administrative boundaries - fire protection, school district, etc.
• ·         Demographic data discussion - Ken will post options and white papers, sample some of the data to query
• ·         Important public infrastructure
• ·         Businesses - need to warn that the digital business mapped do not include all home based businesses (very true in the Swan)
• ·         Road and transportation
  • o   Ken will talk to Joshua at state on transport layer clarification
  • o   Nate - check with county road mapping staff
  • o   Ken will check with Lake county road mapping
  • o   This is a key layer to spend time getting communituy input from this on a road by road feature levelhave a version of this available for the open house for people to mark up.
  • o   Joan will check on Plum Creek digital road layer status