Rhode Island Characterization
Having ready access to pertinent information is an important prerequisite to good decision making.
Coastal resource managers in Rhode Island put this idea to work as they developed a Web site that provides exhaustive information about their state's habitat restoration efforts. The Rhode Island Habitat Restoration Portal, found at www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/, includes habitat descriptions, maps, spatial data, and permitting and funding information.
The site also contains three decision-support tools that help evaluate potential habitat restoration projects, specifically for anadromous fish runs, seagrass, and salt marshes. The tools each use a geographic information system (GIS) and socioeconomic and ecological data to identify and prioritize sites based on user-selected criteria.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center participated in the development of this project, which is a critical component of Rhode Island's restoration planning and project prioritization efforts. To explore ways in which the Center might help your program with a similar effort, please contact Linda Rowe at Linda.Rowe@noaa.gov.
Visualizing Flood Forecasts
Flooding is the most deadly consequence of a hurricane. A new effort by the State of North Carolina and the federal government aims to improve flood forecasting and to increase the use of this information by making it visual. A GIS illustrates flood forecasts and makes the information easier for citizens to understand.
The prototype was well received during Hurricane Isabel, and as a result, NOAA is looking for ways to expand this system nationwide.
This project is a joint effort of North Carolina, the NOAA National Weather Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the NOAA Coastal Services Center. For more information, contact Doug Marcy at Doug.Marcy@noaa.gov.
One Stop for Data
Federal, state, and local governments are easily the biggest producers of data in this country, yet for many people, finding this information can be difficult. The federal government is moving to improve this situation by creating geodata.gov. This Web site will become a one-stop access to maps, data, and other geospatial data services.
While the effort is still in its infancy, the site already contains a wealth of good information and has the potential to become a powerful data access tool. Seventeen categories of data are already in place, and coastal resource managers will find the "oceans and estuaries" category of great interest.
Geodata.gov is part of the federal government's Geospatial One-Stop initiative, one of the 24 electronic-government initiatives under development to enhance government efficiency.
Visit this site or contact the NOAA Coastal Services Center's Dave Stein at Dave.Stein@noaa.gov to find out how you can make your organization's data and Internet mapping applications accessible through this information portal.
