North Wood Nature Preserve GIS Project for the Town of Clifton Park for 2011
Devin Rigolino
Siena College
Loudonville, NY 12211
February 21, 2011
Introduction
The Town of Clifton Park, which owns nearly 2,000 acres of public lands in Saratoga County, is in need of a mapping product for one of its nature preserves to illustrate the important features of the property. These features include parking areas, trail routes, entrance locations and other cultural and natural features that could serve as a note to a visitor.
The town acquired the 80+ acres of the former Round Lake Reservoir, renamed as the North Woods Nature Preserve property by the Town of Clifton Park Town Board, with assistance from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, and Saratoga County Open Space & Farmland Protection Grant program.
With the mapping product available for use by park visitors including hikers, scout troops, cross-country skiers, and other visitors, a better understanding of land features and landmarks can be understood. An enhanced map of the site will help serve the town and the open space committee as an aid for ongoing discussions of property management purposes as well. The map may serve to be highly useful in creating a future additional access point as well.
Objectives
This project will focus on the creation and development of an accurate mapping product that will serve The Town of Clifton Park for a variety of reasons including: use by the town for future site planning as well as an aide for future public visitors. Specific objectives include:
o Produce a mapping product that includes details dealing with topography, vegetation, property lines and boundaries, roadways, waterbodies, trail ways and potential wildlife habitation.
o Produce a descriptive and accurate mapping product to serve as an aid for future site planning
o Produce a mapping product appropriate to serve as an aid for future site public visitors
Methodology
This GIS analysis will involve the use of a handheld GPS device as an aid in marking specific locations of desired features to be included in the mapping product. These GPS data will be used to create a trail data layer. The use of ArcGIS software will also be used in the development of the mapping product.
The final mapping product will include topographic imagery in which ravines located on the site are depicted, waterbodies and streams, current official public entrance ways, on-site trails, kiosks as well as interpretive signs, illustrative graphics to depict vegetative cover, and any other significant natural features that logically fit with the purpose of the mapping project such as any scenic additions that may be discovered.
Data Sources
o ArcGIS base map data layer, obtained from ArcGIS.com
o A vegetation map layer, obtained from Siena GIS digital libraries
o A topographic map layer, obtained from Siena GIS digital libraries
o Otho-images and aerial map images obtained from ArcGIS.com
o Much of the added data will be collected in the field through visitations of the North Woods Nature Preserve
o Tax Parcel Boundaries/ Property line layers, obtained from Siena GIS digital libraries
o Roadway map layer, obtained from Siena GIS digital libraries, as well as ArcGIS.com
Work Plan
Week of February 21-27, 2011
Create project proposal, upload to Blog
Meet with client to discuss specifics of project
Week of February 28- March 6, 2011
Begin work with Base Map layers and Ortho-images
Week of March 7-13, 2011
Add roadway data layers
Week of March 14-20, 2011
Work with additions of topographical and vegetation data layers
Week of March21-27, 2011
Add trailways and property boundaries
Week of March 28-April 3, 2011
Visit North Wood Nature Preserve site and gather GPS data
Correlate acquired GPS data with previous data layers
Week of April 4-10, 2011
Submit 1st draft of mapping product for revision
Week of April 11-17, 2011
Revise any client suggestions
Week of April 18-24, 2011
Final alterations and additions
Week of April 25-May 1, 2011
Submit mapping product
February 2011
Meet with client and deliver project proposal
Work out any discrepancies
March-April 2011
Compile present Data from client, Town of Clifton Park
Obtain necessary additional site information through visitation and acquired GPS data
April-May 2011
Work with ArcGIS Software in mapping product preparation and completion
Analyze results and write final report for Town of Clifton Park
Budget
Not applicable- Service Project
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