The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has an interest in completing the fine-scale vegetation mapping of the remainder of the Simi Valley-Santa Susana Mountains Ecological Subsection of the Southern California Coast Ecological Section (total Project size approximately 155,519 acres). Aerial Information Systems, Inc. (AIS), under a separate contract with the National Park Service (NPS), had completed a large portion of the subsection as part of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO) vegetation mapping effort. However, USFWS has had limited funding available so the Project was divided into multiple parts based on funding allotments. Phase 1 - previously allocated funding to develop the floristic classification and mapping of 28,900 acres, conducted in 2019, Phase 2 - current allocation of funds to map an additional 48,700 acres, conducted in 2021-23, and “Future Funding” Phases that are required to map the remainder of the area and expand the classification development to include the Northeast Extension Area when funding becomes available. Protocols comply with state and national standards as defined by the Survey of California Vegetation (SCV) and the US National Vegetation Classification (USNVC).The data collection task for Phase 1 was conducted by California Native Plant Society (CNPS). CNPS collected 80 surveys in the data collection process. For Phase 2, AIS in collaboration with USFWS determined the study area for mapping. The study area was divided into three working modules. All pertinent materials and data files were acquired. The base for mapping was the 2020 NAIP natural color and color infrared imagery. The 2018 NAIP imagery (used for Phase 1), as well as Google Earth, was also available for reference. Fire perimeter files, the Phase 1 classification survey data, land access files, road files, and geology were also obtained. For the Phase 1 and 2 mapping, established statewide standard guidelines are used. Statewide standard for minimum mapping unit (MMU) size is 1 acre for upland types and ¼ acre for wetland and riparian types. The Phase 1 and 2 data completed thus far is not considered a “final” product since ground-truth reconnaissance of Phase 1, accuracy assessment (AA), final data processing and the overall Project final report and metadata creation have not been funded. However, users may find the interim data useful for habitat modeling and/or other land management planning purposes. Additional information can be found in the Phase 1 Final Performance Report here: https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SantaSusanaMappingReport_Phase-I_Dec2019.pdf. More information can be found in the 2023 project report, which is bundled with the vegetation map published for BIOS here: https://filelib.wildlife.ca.gov/Public/BDB/GIS/BIOS/Public_Datasets/3100_3199/ds3131.zip

U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a goal to develop fine-scale vegetation maps for all the public lands it manages in California. To help meet this goal BLM contracted Aerial Information Systems, Inc. (AIS) to conduct vegetation classification development, fine-scale vegetation mapping, and accuracy assessment (AA) of approximately 22,061 acres within Colusa and Lake counties of California, under Contract GS00F170GA-Order No.140L1221F0044. AIS subcontracted the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) to conduct classification development work needed for this project, as well as AA field data collection. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) provided in-kind service to allocate AA sample sites and score the vegetation map using the AA data.The study area, referred to as Walker Ridge or Molok Luyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the Native American Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, is located in the inner North Coast Ranges, east of Clear Lake and west of the town of Williams in the Sacramento Valley. This area has a large serpentinite outcrop that contains a high diversity of plants and plant communities, and is home to dozens of threatened and endangered (T&E) plants and animals. The vegetation classification developed for the project follows Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and National Vegetation Classification Standards (NVCS). The classification is based on new and previous survey information and classification work. The map was produced applying heads-up digitizing techniques using a base of 2020 60-centimeter National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery (true-color and color infrared), in conjunction with ancillary data and imagery sources. Map polygons are assessed for Vegetation Type, Percent Cover, Exotics, Development Disturbance, and other attributes. The minimum mapping unit (MMU) is 1 acre. Exceptions were created for vegetation stands of special significance. In this mapping effort, riparian vegetation and wetland types were mapped to a 1/4-acre MMU. Polygons representing land use were mapped with a 1-acre MMU. There were a total of 42 mapping classes composed of 30 alliances and alliance-level types such as Provisional Alliances, Semi-natural Alliances, and Mapping Units; and 5 Miscellaneous Classes relating to features such as agriculture, water, and urban disturbance; and 7 upper-level hierarchical types, such as Macrogroup and Group. Field reconnaissance and accuracy assessment enhanced map quality. The overall accuracy assessment ratings for the final vegetation map was 89.7 percent overall fuzzy accuracy.More information can be found in the project report, which is bundled with the vegetation map published for BIOS here: https://filelib.wildlife.ca.gov/Public/BDB/GIS/BIOS/Public_Datasets/3100_3199/ds3159.zip