Grant Project Summary:
Washington State Department
of Ecology
A Tiered Approach for Analysis of Cumulative Impacts Resulting from Land Use Change and Shoreline Habitat Alteration
July 2004 to May 2005
Project Summary
The overall goal of this project is to test and implement a tiered-scale geographic
information system (GIS) analysis of land use change and shorelines habitat
alteration. This collaborative project is intended to provide coastal planners
with GIS tools
to
help identify
land use alterations at varying scales and recommend geospatially explicit
protection and restoration measures. Major tasks to accomplish this goal are
to integrate impervious surface analysis of remotely sensed imagery at two
scales of resolution, document the methodology, and apply latest research findings
regarding shoreline development and ecological health to assess impacts to
a pilot jurisdiction. Another task is to provide step-by-step instructions
that will aid local shoreline planners in identifying and implementing strategies
to
minimize
the effects of development on shoreline ecosystems. Project partners include
the Washington State Department of Ecology and University of Washington Urban
Ecology Lab.
NOAA Coastal Services Center's Role
The Washington State Department of Ecology and the NOAA Coastal Services Center
entered into a cooperative agreement to test and implement a tiered-scale GIS
analysis of land use change and shoreline habitat alteration. The Center is
providing
Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) data and related pervious/impervious
surface mapping currently being conducted in the Puget Sound region under contract
by Space
Imaging.
The Center
will also develop and deliver a training module to help transfer the results
of this work and importance of the data to other coastal management entities.
Grantee Overview
The Washington
State Department of Ecology, Olympia, is Washington's principal
environmental management agency. The department was created in 1970 under Chapter
43.21A RCW to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington's environment
and to promote the wise management of its air, land, and water for the benefit
of current and
future generations. Its goals are to prevent
pollution, clean
up pollution,
and support
sustainable communities and natural resources.
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