Source: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
DEVELOPING A GEOSPATIAL DATA AND ANALYSIS CENTER FOR CONSERVATION PLANNING IN COLORADO
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0214246
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
COL00667
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2008
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2012
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Laituri, M.
Recipient Organization
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FORT COLLINS,CO 80523
Performing Department
FOREST, RANGELAND, & WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP
Non Technical Summary
A powerful way to generate, understand, and disseminate information about Colorado's natural resources is by using spatial data that are created, managed, and visualized using geospatial technology such as GIS, remote sensing, GPS, and other visualization tools (e.g., Google Earth). Geospatial technology can be used to integrate information across all sectors - energy, water, food, biodiversity, tourism/recreation, and economic sustainability. Although most states in the country have some centralized, coordinated geospatial data/analysis center (typically funded by the state legislature, a directive of the state government, or cooperation with land grant universities), geospatial activities in Colorado have mostly been fragmented, duplicative, and un-coordinated. There are many reasons for this situation - but there is a clear and urgent need to fill the gap to provide better statewide coordination, integration, and standardization of geospatial data for natural resources in Colorado. Some coordinated activities are beginning to emerge, facilitated by the GIS Coordinating Council, such as a statewide data portal. Yet, there remains an important opportunity for Colorado State University to provide a strong, lead role in facilitating, coordinating, and steering the disparate activities into more useful and efficient manner.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
50%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1120399303020%
1230399206020%
1310399206020%
1360399303020%
9030399206010%
9030399303010%
Knowledge Area
112 - Watershed Protection and Management; 903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land; 136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity;

Subject Of Investigation
0399 - Watersheds and river basins, general;

Field Of Science
2060 - Geography; 3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
A geospatial center that provided data, information, and knowledge useful for conservation planning would provide great benefits to Colorado through higher quality data and information (consistent, comprehensive, etc.), more time and resource-efficient planning and analysis because of less duplication of datasets, greater defensibility/accountability of natural resource planning, and serving as a catalyst for stronger collaboration and integration among scientists at Colorado State University. 1) Conduct a needs assessment statewide to identify stakeholders, determine needs, create white paper/plan for a geospatial data center. A key outcome of this activity would be to engage with constituents through an advisory/constituent committee that meets regularly (e.g., quarterly to twice annually). This will ensure that we dialogue with key constituents beyond the scoping workshop and identify key individuals who will provide direction, to ensure we are addressing important needs, to disseminate information back through the committee, and to help us to prioritize the key data sets and tools. 2) Identify two key pilot projects for 2 graduate students that would demonstrate the utility of geospatial products for key Colorado conservation planning activities. These projects will demonstrate the development and packaging of useful geospatial databases, as well as conservation planning tools and analyses that assist decision makers to prioritize and explore the effect or threats to natural resources. A key outcome of this activity would be demonstration projects that utilize geospatial tools and technology for dissemination via web-based technology specifically addressing issues identified in the workshop. 3) Create webpage and services that provide an entry point for the long term project; data development; products from graduate student projects and value-added information as hosted by the CSU Morgan Library. 4) Use this project effort to search for additional resources to support and build a geospatial data center for conservation planning. Specific outputs include: a workshop with key stakeholders to determine information needs; creation of an advisory committee; development of a white paper that will describe needs; 2 pilot projects that will provide the basis of graduate student thesis projects and demonstrate the utility of geospatial data for conservation planning activities in Colorado; a demonstration webpage hosted by CSU Morgan Library that will include the student project and anticipated services; follow-on proposal to ensure sustainability for future development of a geospatial data center.
Project Methods
We will conduct a needs assessment through a questionnaire of a range of constituents across the state (e.g., governmental agencies, NGOs, watershed forums). From this statewide survey, we will identify key clientele and stakeholders to attend a workshop that will further assess geospatial needs for conservation planning, primarily added value data sets and key issues statewide. This workshop will help us to identify and prioritize gaps in critical natural resource datasets and better understand the types of information and delivery mechanisms most useful for our constituents. We will set up an advisory committee to help guide our activities during the period of this proposal. A primary distinction of our approach is to create demonstration projects of readily useable and available data for our constituents. We will add considerable value by extracting and projecting the data into a consistent geo-referenced format, conducting quality control to ensure variables are consistent and reasonable, and following through with additions/corrections to data. A major component of our project will be to develop a pilot study for creating key datasets that will involve compiling, processing, checking, and documenting the key datasets using graduate students working for our center. Rather than being a data clearinghouse per se (see http://water.state.co.us/pubs/gis.asp), the students will create high-priority, important data resources and will add value by compiling them into a standardized form (rather than simply link to existing internet resources). We aim to use two graduate students to develop priority data sets concerning a particular conservation planning issue in Colorado. They will carefully document the procedures and methods to create value added data and to demonstrate how GIS analysis addresses conservation planning. Students will use sound scientific methodology in developing their projects and GIS applications. They will work closely with their advisors in project development and production of outputs. We will coordinate our efforts with broader university initiatives ongoing at the Library. The Libraries will assist in long-term use and maintenance of the data sets and demonstration projects in consultation with other members of the project team and advisory committee. This plan will include: Workflow descriptions, including provision of contextual, technical, and other metadata; Policies, procedures, and guidelines reflecting current standards and best practices; Identification of current and outstanding issues and approaches to resolving same; Testing of workflows and procedures in this project.

Progress 07/01/08 to 06/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: This is the final report for the grant: Developing a Geospatial Data and Analysis Center for Conservation Planning in Colorado. This project established the Geospatial Centroid at Colorado State University, a resource training and data center for the GIS community at CSU. The central ACTIVITY of the Centroid has been the development of geospatial datasets to benefit a variety of constituents: 1) High Tech Trees, supported by the WCNR minigrant and developed in partnership with CSU Facilities, is an online tree inventory of the CSU campus; 2) maintenance of the Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection (CoMAP) database in partnership with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program; 3) a Colorado River Basin-wide database of irrigated lands and governance organizations supported by The Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund; and 4) a comprehensive database of the Cache la Poudre watershed in an interactive website for research and instruction developed in partnership with The Istitute for Learning and Teaching. Another thrust of the Centroid is international activities. This has been further developed through GIS and GPS training in Mongolia, Kenya, and the Yukon. Additionally, the Centroid has assisted on research projects by providing support for geospatial database design, serving of geospatial data, and map and website products. The Centroid has hosted a variety of EVENTS that serve to strengthen linkages across campus and with the GIS user community: brown bag lunches, hands-on workshops; advisory committee meetings. The Centroid provides several SERVICES that include: 1) a help desk for map and GIS production work for students, faculty and the community; 2) listserv and website (http://gis.colostate.edu); 3) consultation on map design and production of map products; and 4) partnership with TILT to develop spatial thinking materials for course redesign courses. Events Services Products PARTICIPANTS: Melinda Laituri (PI/Geospatial Centroid Director) provided direction, guidance and oversight for all Centroid endeavors; Sophia Linn (Assistant Director) managed overall Centroid operations including organizing events, activities, updating website, and overseeing services. The Centroid has supported several interns: Steve Chignall completed a geospatial database of Fraser Experimental Forest, Kira Putennay developed the GIS datalayers for the CLP dataset. The Advisory Committee has continured to meet and include: Joe Berry, Innovative GIS, Martha Coleman, CSU Facilities, Luis Garcia, Civil Engineering, Stephen Leisz, Anthropology, and Diane Noren, RamTech and ESRI License Adminstrator. We work closely with partnered closely with the Library --David Ramsay and Pat Burns; with TILT -- Michale Palmquist. Workshops have provided valuable GIS instruction in areas not covered by the CSU GIS curriculum: Python programming and Web mapping. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience was initially the CSU user community, focusing on developing a "one stop shop" for all information about GIS across campus. We have achieved this goal as well as developing strong outreach to the local GIS community through our website, listserv, workshops, and brown bags. Students, researchers, faculty and local GIS users have all attended and participated in Centroid activities. Our linkages with other CSU entities, such as the Library, TILT, and ISTeC has further broadened the impact of the Centroid and ensures life after this grant is completed. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The Centroid has made an impact in developing and strengthening cooperationa and awareness among GIS users on campus and in the community. The Centroid has developed several partnerships across campus that include TILT, the Information Science and Technology Center (ISTeC) and Morgan Library. The Centroid has developed several geospatial datalayers to be used by Google Liquid Galaxy (GLG)- a projection-based Google Earth situated in the Event Hall and used for class presentations, community meetings, and workshops. The Centroid hosted several meetings showcasing GLG that include The Nature Conservancy, a Cache la Poudre research retreat, several CSU courses, and USDA seminar. As the Centroid has demonstrated its utility to the Library where an account has been established to offer workshops and accept payment for services. Eventually the Centroid will physically move to the Library.

Publications

  • The Centroid Newsletters can be found at: gis.colostate.edu 2012
  • Datasets for an NSF-funded project on community-based organizations and rangelands, 2012: http://centroid1.warnercnr.colostate.edu/mongolia_webapp/
  • Datasets prepared for the Cache la Poudre for both coursework and researchers, 2012: http://trees.warnercnr.colostate.edu/wr304/
  • Dataset of tree inventory of CSU, 2012: http://trees.warnercnr.colostate.edu/server/
  • Dataset of legacy data from LTER site, 2012: http://centroid1.warnercnr.colostate.edu/png_cper


Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The primary OUTPUT for this reporting period is the further development of the Geospatial Centroid, a resource, training and data center for the GIS community at CSU. The Centroid built on several activities, providing services and facilitating communication regrading geospatial technologies. An essential ACTIVITY of the centroid has been the development of geospatial datasets to benefit a variety of constituents in Colorado. Graduate students and research assistants have worked on a variety of projects that include: 1) High-Tech Trees supported by at WCNR minigrant to create an online tree inventory of all trees on the CSU campus; 2) continued work on the Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection (CoMAP) database in partnership with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program; and 3) the development of a Colorado River Basin-wide database of irrigated agriculture and governance organizations supported by The Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund. There are also several international projects that are associated with the Centroid where database development as well as GIS instruction have been included: 1) Mongolian Rangelands Community-Based Ecosystem Management project has the Centroid preparing maps and developing a data entry interface for social and ecological data; 2) Botswana Community Mapping where participatory mapping is used to identify medicinal plants; 3) GIS training activities in Vietnam and Ethiopia, the latter in partnership with the Peace Corps. The Centroid hosted a variety of EVENTS that serve to strengthen linkages across the University campus: brown bag lunches with links at the website: http://gis.colostate.edu; hands-on workshops for GIS in the Social Sciences and Introduction to Python for ArcGIS; Advisory committee meetings to refine Centroid focus. The Advisory Committee draws from representation across the University campus as well as outside GIS experts. The Centroid provides several SERVICES that include: 1) a help desk for map and GIS production work for both students and faculty; 2) listserve and webpage to facilitate information exchange; 3) consulting on map design and production of map products. PARTICIPANTS: Melinda Laituri (PI/Director, Geospatial Centroid), provided guidance and direction for all Centroid endeavors; Sophia Linn (Assistant Director, Geospatial Centroid) managed overall Centroid operations including organizing events, Advisory Committee meetings, cartographic projects, building connections across campus, website updates. Steve Chignal is a student hourly working on the Fraser Experimental Forest database, Ken Bucko is a Centroid intern working on the elk migration data; Kira Putennay is a Centroid intern developing GIS layers for the Liquid Galaxy Google Earth display, and Kris Peterson, an NREL research associate is assisting in setting up the server for webmapping. The Advisor committee includes: Joe Berry, Innovative GIS; Peter Budde, Natural Resource GIS Coordinator, NPS; Martha Coleman, CSU, Facilities; Luis Garcia, CSU, Engineering; Chris Johnson, Colorado Division of Wildlife; Raj Khosla, Soil and Crop Science; Amy Lavender, CO Natural Heritage Program (CNHP); Michael Lefsky, CSU, FRWS; Stephen Leisz, CSU, Anthropology/Geography; Diane Noren, RamTech, ESRI License Administrator; Merlyn Paulson, CSU, Landscape Architecture; Gary Senseman, Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML). TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience includes members of the CSU community interested in spatial technologies as well as off-campus individuals who wish to learn more about CSU's offerings. Through our website and listserv (as well as posting announcements), we publicize our events to students, researchers and faculty. The Centroid seeks not only to cater to those already using GIS, but also to reach out to those who may not yet have realized the benefits to using these technologies. Additional outreach efforts will be conducted in the next phase of the project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
During the reporting period, the Centroid had made an impact in developing and strengthening cooperation among GIS users on campus. We have continued with activities from the past year, such as the brown bags, Advisory meetings, posting of information on the webpage and via the listserve. Further, the Centroid has developed relationships with the Information Science and Technology Center (ISTeC) and the Library to further GIS as a university-wide resource. This interaction has led to interacting with the Library by providing data and research examples to be displayed on the Library's revolutionary Liquid Galaxy - a series of 16 computer monitors stitched together to display Google Earth. GIS and Liquid Galaxy were highlighted at the ISTeC annual Advisory Committee workshop. The Centroid has worked closely to develop a spatial database of elk migration for the USGS and a geodatabase of Fraser Experimental Forest for the USFS.

Publications

  • Publications are of a different nature for this project. The products developed from these database provide the basis for articles written by the researchers. While we have requested acknowledgement in the articles, we have not been co-authors on the papers. 2011
  • We purchased a server this past year where Centroid databases will be published - the first two products will be the TREES inventory of CSU and the CRB-wide map of irrigated agriculture. 2011
  • The Geospatial Centroid published the first newletter that can be viewed at the website: gis.colostate.edu. 2011


Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The primary OUTPUT for this reporting period is the establishment of the Geospatial Centroid, a resource, training and data center for the GIS community at CSU. The Centroid conducted numerous activities, events, services and products this year. One of the essential ACTIVITIES had students developing value-added spatial datasets to benefit constituents in Colorado. During the past year, graduate students worked on four different datasets: (1) wind speeds and snowpack data for high elevation areas in CO; (2) development of a trails database for Larimer County and surrounding areas; (3) a compilation of parcel data for use in conservation development research; and (4) a single geodatabase of multiple thematic layers for the Cache la Poudre watershed. These data are in varying degrees of completion and eventually will be disseminated via web mapping services (under development). The Centroid hosted a variety of EVENTS that served to strengthen connections among GIS users. First, in partnership with ISTeC, the "Innovations in Geographic Information Science Retreat" was held. This campus-wide event drew 13 presenters and over 90 attendees. The Centroid hosted a half-day Web Mapping workshop, which was filled to capacity on the first day of registration. The popularity of this workshop indicates that similar short-term trainings are warranted; something the Centroid will offer in coming months. Centroid affiliates helped organize and presented at the 2nd Annual GIS in Higher Education Summit, continuing to take a leadership role with GIS colleagues across the state. During the summer, the Centroid Advisory Committee met to solidify the establishment of the Geospatial Centroid as an official center on campus. The Centroid Advisory Committee includes representatives from the following departments/entities on campus: Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Soil and Crop Science, Anthropology, Natural Resources, CEMML, CO Natural Heritage Program, and Campus Facilities. Off campus representatives are from the National Park Service, CO Division of Wildlife, and private consultants. Four Brown Bag Lunch presentations were well attended by both on- and off-campus personnel, under the Centroid's coordination efforts. Topics included: the future of geotechnologies; cartography; web mapping techniques, and atlas cartography. Building on past efforts, the Centroid organized events for GIS Day and participated in the GIS in the Rockies Annual Conference, ensuring that CSU was represented in state and national endeavors. The Centroid began its SERVICE offerings as well. These include both "help desk" services as well as map and GIS production work. In the past four months, the Centroid provided help or mapping/GIS services to: students, research associates, Post-Docs, and professors. PRODUCTS of the Centroid include: map products for researchers, web-accessible videos of all Brown Bag Lunch presentations, further development of the Centroid website, which includes announcements of events, a list of all geospatial courses at CSU (and syllabi), links to data, jobs, and contacts. A GIS Directory will be included in the coming months. PARTICIPANTS: Melinda Laituri (PI/Director, Geospatial Centroid), provided guidance and direction for all Centroid endeavors; Sophia Linn (Assistant Director, Geospatial Centroid) managed overall Centroid operations including organizing events, Advisory Committee meetings, cartographic projects, building connections across campus, website updates; Jamie Fuller (Graduate Student, Centroid Assistant) provided assistance with website and events, conducted web-mapping workshop, continued to develop snow-pack and wind dataset; Dylan Harrison-Atlas (Graduate Student, Centroid Assistant) compiled parcel data for Colorado counties, provided "help-desk" assistance and other Centroid support; Molly Thomas (Graduate Student, Centroid Assistant) compiled data for Poudre Watershed and Pingree Park. Other Centroid collaborators include: Greg Newman (Research Associate, NREL) provided invaluable assistance with website development; Michelle Kinseth (Graduate Student), managed COTrails project and website development; Jia Ling (Graduate Student) worked on independent study project with Centroid to install and develop ArcGIS Server capacity. Centroid Advisory Committee includes: Joe Berry, Innovative GIS; Peter Budde, Natural Resource GIS Coordinator, NPS; Martha Coleman, CSU, Facilities; Brenda Faber, Fore Site Consulting, Inc.; Luis Garcia, CSU, Engineering; Chris Johnson, Colorado Division of Wildlife; Jim Graham, CSU-NREL; Mohammed Kalkhan, CSU-Natural Resource Ecology Lab; Raj Khosla, Soil and Crop Science; Amy Lavender, CO Natural Heritage Program (CNHP); Michael Lefsky, CSU, FRWS; Stephen Leisz, CSU, Anthropology/Geography; Diane Noren, RamTech, ESRI License Administrator; Merlyn Paulson, CSU, Landscape Architecture; Gary Senseman, Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML); Dave Theobald, CSU, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. The Centroid has also cooperated with the following on-campus entities: TILT (The Institute for Learning and Teaching), ISTeC (Information Science and Technology), and the CSU Library. Training opportunities included: web-mapping workshop, Brown Bag Lunch presentations, help services by appointment, and presentations both on and off campus. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience includes members of the CSU community interested in spatial technologies as well as off-campus individuals who wish to learn more about CSU's offerings. Through our website and listserv (as well as posting announcements), we publicize our events to students, researchers and faculty. The Centroid seeks not only to cater to those already using GIS, but also to reach out to those who may not yet have realized the benefits to using these technologies. Additional outreach efforts will be conducted in the next phase of the project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
During the current reporting period, the Centroid has made an impact on developing and strengthening cooperation among GIS users on campus. Establishing an Advisory Committee of professors from different disciplines as well as professional GIS users from off campus enabled us all to discuss common issues and work towards greater cooperation and efficiency. From compiling and posting all GIS-related courses at CSU in one location (the Centroid website) to developing and posting a list of valuable data sources for CSU affiliates, the committee has begun to work together in unprecedented ways. Further, periodic "geospatial" gatherings have allowed students, researchers, faculty and others to share their work and/or learn from each other. Within the Centroid office, students and researchers have worked together to grapple with a variety of challenges--from online data delivery mechanisms, to cartographic display, to raster analysis--enabling us to constantly learn from each other and solve problems cooperatively. This extends to those who have come in to the office for assistance as well. Centroid staff have also assisted other researchers with GIS development and map production. Examples include: data compilation and layered-map creation for a Mongolian rangeland research project; data compilation and map creation for the Poudre Watershed for the Conservation Leadership through Learning program; initial GIS work for a Colorado River Basin project on estimating irrigated lands. The impact of these services affects both the developer--in learning new skills--as well as the recipient--in seeing their data processed and displayed in new ways.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Problem Statement: This project was initiated in August 2008. Geospatial information and utilizing geospatial technologies are key to the 21st Century workforce. The aim of this project is to establish a geospatial data center that can meet the needs of researchers and stakeholders through providing access to critical data layers in digital format that are consistent and comprehensive. The process includes bringing stakeholders together to identify key data sets, needs, and dissemination activities. Accomplishments to date: We have moved forward on this project in three areas: Two aspects of the needs assessment has begun. First, key constituents have been identified at the state level, at institutions of higher education, and non-governmental agencies. Additionally, a draft white paper that describes the Geospatial Data and Analysis Center has been written. A graduate student has developed several websites to demonstrate the role of CSU in GIS and specifically in Colorado conservation planning activities. An advisory committee has been established to assist in the development of a website and direction in developing value-added data as well as geospatial services. The graduate student is using this project as the basis for her Master's research project. The research area being examined for a demonstration project is the importance for snowpack as a water resource and implications for conservation planning due to climate change and changing snowpack conditions. We will be partnering with NCAR on this research. Several different types of events contributed to outputs for this project: Brown bag lunch series that highlighted GIS activities at CSU. Researchers, instructors and students on campus as well as off campus industry representatives attended brown bag lunches to share information and insights on their research and teaching. The GIS Higher Education Summit invited representatives from higher education institutions from across Colorado to discuss curriculum, skills sets for the 21st Century workforce and value-added data development for training and education (http://ibis-test.nrel.colostate.edu/gishighered/). ISTech Research Seminar held a panel discussion of CSU GIS researchers to present current research to students and faculty across campus. GIS Day was a mix of poster and panel sessions of CSU GIS research and activities. GIS Alley, a major GIS industry organization, invited the PI to present on CSU GIS activities. The PI was invited to be a member of the state's newly formed GIS Advisory Council that is part of the Office of Information Technology. A central website for all GIS activities at CSU (http://ibis-test.nrel.colostate.edu/WebContent/Centroid/Home.html) was launched to provide all stakeholders with information about GIS at CSU. The PI presented a TILT Seminar to CSU faculty on techniques and pedagogy in teching GIS. PARTICIPANTS: Melinda Laituri, PI, faciliated activities in the activities reported on in the output section of this report. Jamie Fuller, a graduate student created and designed the webpages: Geospatial Centroid @ CSU: http://ibis-test.nrel.colostate.edu/WebContent/Centroid/Education.htm l and GIS Higher Education in Colorado: http://ibis-test.nrel.colostate.edu/gishighered/. An Advisory Committee for the Geospatial Centroid @ CSU has been established that includes Dr. Dave Theobold (Co-PI), Dr. Jim Graham, NREL, Greg Newman, Research Associate, NREL, and Sohpia Linn, Research Associate, WCNR. Collaborators include GIS Alley (http://www.gisalley.com/), Colorado Geospatial Information Advisory Council ( http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellitec=Page&cid=1224067276942&pagenam e=OIT-New%2FOITXLayout), The Information Science & Technology Center, CSU (http://istec.colostate.edu/). TARGET AUDIENCES: Several outreach project have been implemented. Most significantly is the website and center that now houses the Geospatial Centroid @ CSU. The Centroid is located in NR 302. The outputs section describes the workshops, seminars and presentations that have been conducted. These activities have targeted specific audiences. The Summit targeted GIS instructors across the state of Colorado. This was the first time that this group had ever met to discuss workforce related issues. The TILT workshop targeted CSU faculty to address the topic of spatial literacy and how geospatial technologies can be used in the class room. The brown bag lunches are an effort to integrate across the public/private divide. Industry represesntatives are encouraged to attend as well as students and faculty. These venues have provided a means for communication as well as to share knowledge with respect to appliations of GIS. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Only one graduate student was hired the first year of the project due to one of the Co-PIs being on sabbatical. These funds were made available for the following year and another graduate student will start in January 2010. The groundwork has been put into place in terms of identifying the key organizations and individuals who are interested in GIS technology and data across CSU. Statewide contacts have been made as well. The value-added data will be a primary focus of this next year's work -- which was also identified as one of the key outcomes of the project. This next semester will see a focus on this aspect of the project.

Impacts
The activities and results of this project have highlighted CSU's role in facilitating excellence in education, research and outreach with respect to geospatial technologies in Colorado. These activities have raised awareness about GIS and helped to inform both the public and CSU who is doing what with GIS on campus. This has led to research initiatives (CoTrails), support for faculty requests for assistance in creating maps for publications, and a help desk for students using GIS in their research projects. Economic: A preliminary assessment of value added data is being conducted. This information will be critical to understanding statewide conservation planning. Such data dissemination tools include: the Colorado Ownership Management and Protection (CoMAP, http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/comap/contact.html) and Co Trials (.http://ibis-test.nrel.colostate.edu/cwis438/websites/COTrails/Home. phpWebSiteID=14), a database of Larimer County hiking trails that may be expanded statewide. Social: The initial result of this research has been the development of a statewide network to address geospatial activities. Communication between state actors, academics, and NGOs is critical to problem solving and pooling of resources. These activities are described above under outreach activities. Environmental: Graduate student research projects that will be a result of this project are in their incipient stages. However, their topics will focus on key environmental aspects of the state of Colorado. Scientific: The intersection of planning, geospatial analysis, and metrics of landscape change is the basis of this project. Publications that document methodology, process and stakeholder involvement are in their preliminary stages as we document the process of developing a center and highlight key outcomes.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Problem Statement: This project was initiated in August 2008. Geospatial information has become an important currency in understanding conservation planning. The aim of this project is to establish a geospatial data center that can meet the needs of researchers and stakeholders through providing access to critical data layers in digital format that are consistent and comprehensive. The process includes bringing stakeholders together to identify key data sets, needs, and dissemination activities. Accomplishments to date: We have moved forward on this project in three areas: 1.Two aspects of the needs assessment has begun. First, key constituents have been identified at the state level, at institutions of higher education, and non-governmental agencies. A workshop is scheduled for February 26 of stakeholders to be held at CSU. Additionally, a draft white paper that describes the Geospatial Data and Analysis Center has been written. This white paper will be reviewed at the workshop to be held in February. 2.A graduate student has been hired to develop a demonstration project for Colorado conservation planning activities. This student will use this project as the basis for their Master's research project. The research area being examined for a demonstration project is the importance for snowpack as a water resource and implications for conservation planning due to climate change and changing snowpack conditions. 3.An initial website has been established to highlight and identify geospatial researchers and activities at CSU. Additionally, a blog has been initiated to provide a forum for discussion and interaction with regard to geospatial research as related to conservation planning. PARTICIPANTS: A list of key stakeholders from state and local government agencies and from higher education institutions has been developed. Additionally, non-governmental agencies are being identified for inclusion (eg. The Nature Conservancy, watershed forums throughout the state). The State of Colorado has established a Colorado Geospatial Information Advisory Council. This Council will be a key partner in the activity of this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Evaluation of results: 1.Economic: To date, the economic impacts of this project have not been significant. However, as the database is developed statewide, there is the potential to save both time and money in assessing issues related to conservation planning. 2.Social: The initial result of this research has been the development of a statewide network to address geospatial activities. These activities are numerous and redundancy is evident. Communication between state actors, academics, and NGOs is critical to problem solving and pooling of resources. 3.Environmental: Graduate student research projects that will be a result of this project are in their incipient stages. However, their topics will focus on key environmental aspects of the state of Colorado. 4.Scientific: The intersection of planning, geospatial analysis, and metrics of landscape change is the basis of this project. Publications that document methodology, process and stakeholder involvement are in their preliminary stages as we document the process of developing a center and highlight key outcomes.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period