The Geospatial Data Gateway (GDG) provides access to a map library of over 100 high resolution vector and raster layers in the Geospatial Data Warehouse. It is the one stop source for environmental and natural resource data, available anytime, from anywhere. It allows a user to choose an area of interest, browse and select data, customize the format, then download or have it shipped on media. The map layers include data on: Public Land Survey System (PLSS), Census data, demographic statistics, precipitation, temperature, disaster events, conservation easements, elevation, geographic names, geology, government units, hydrography, hydrologic units, land use and land cover, map indexes, ortho imagery, soils, topographic images, and streets and roads. This service is made available through a close partnership between the three Service Center Agencies (SCA): Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Rural Development (RD). Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Geospatial Data Gateway. File Name: Web Page, url: https://gdg.sc.egov.usda.gov This is the main page for the GDG that includes several links to view, download, or order various datasets. Find additional status maps that indicate the location of data available for each map layer in the Geospatial Data Gateway at https://gdg.sc.egov.usda.gov/GDGHome_StatusMaps.aspx

SSURGO consists of spatial data and a comprehensive relational database with tables that describe soil properties, interpretations and productivity values. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, formerly Soil Conservation Service) provides a download of the statewide SSURGO database that includes vector and raster spatial data, database tables and their relationship classes, and a user guide. To access SSURGO, go to the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway. To download the database, on the right side of the page, click on the Direct Data Download link under, I Want To... The Direct Data / NAIP Download page will then open. Click on the Soils Geographic Databases link. Then click on the folder named gSSURGO by State (date in folder name). Scroll through the list and select gSSURGO_NJ.zip. Then click on the Download button on the upper right. A message will open that Your Download is In Progress. You will then be prompted to select a file download location.

SSURGO depicts information about the kinds and distribution of soils on the landscape. The soil map and data used in the SSURGO product were prepared by soil scientists as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey.The dataset was downloaded on 1/26/2021 from the NRCS GeoSpatial Data Gateway (https://gdg.sc.egov.usda.gov/GDGOrder.aspx) and processed by NH GRANIT staff at the UNH Earth Systems Research Center to:1) Project to NH State Plane feet, NAD832) Clip to the NH state boundary3) Attach key soil attributes from the collection of related tables distributed by NRCS (see SSURGO_Metadata_-_Table_Column_Descriptions.pdf for descriptions)4) Add and populate the "acres" fieldThe remainder of this metadata record is as provided with the downloaded source data, with the exception of the addition of several theme keywords and updating the Spatial Reference Information to reflect the processing described above.

The Geospatial Data Gateway (GDG) is the One Stop Source for environmental and natural resources data, at anytime, from anywhere, to anyone.

Link to Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database download (by state or continental U.S.), via USDA-NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway (GDG).

Geospatial Data Layers available to public via Geospatial Gateway

This layer is a clip of the Ohio Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The digital soil survey dataset was developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey, compiling information from digitized maps and remotely-sensed data. This data is available for download through the USDA NRCS GeoSpatial Data Gateway. Included with the geographic data are tables including tabular data on a variety of soil statistics and attributes. For the convenience of its residents, SCGIS joined the tabular hydric data to the soil survey polygon layer clipped to the Stark County boundary in 2015. This data reflects the last major update to the gSSURGO dataset and SCGIS has no intention of updating or adding additional tabular data to this layer in the future. For the complete dataset, including any updates, please visit the USDA NRCS GeoSpatial Data Gateway using the link provided above.

The SSURGO database contains information about soil as collected by the National Cooperative Soil Survey over the course of a century. The information can be displayed in tables or as maps and is available for most areas in the United States and the Territories, Commonwealths, and Island Nations served by the USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). The information was gathered by walking over the land and observing the soil. Many soil samples were analyzed in laboratories. The maps outline areas called map units. The map units describe soils and other components that have unique properties, interpretations, and productivity. The information was collected at scales ranging from 1:12,000 to 1:63,360. More details were gathered at a scale of 1:12,000 than at a scale of 1:63,360. The mapping is intended for natural resource planning and management by landowners, townships, and counties. Some knowledge of soils data and map scale is necessary to avoid misunderstandings. The maps are linked in the database to information about the component soils and their properties for each map unit. Each map unit may contain one to three major components and some minor components. The map units are typically named for the major components. Examples of information available from the database include available water capacity, soil reaction, electrical conductivity, and frequency of flooding; yields for cropland, woodland, rangeland, and pastureland; and limitations affecting recreational development, building site development, and other engineering uses. SSURGO datasets consist of map data, tabular data, and information about how the maps and tables were created. The extent of a SSURGO dataset is a soil survey area, which may consist of a single county, multiple counties, or parts of multiple counties. SSURGO map data can be viewed in the Web Soil Survey or downloaded in ESRI® Shapefile format. The coordinate systems are Geographic. Attribute data can be downloaded in text format that can be imported into a Microsoft® Access® database. A complete SSURGO dataset consists of:

GIS data (as ESRI® Shapefiles) attribute data (dbf files - a multitude of separate tables) database template (MS Access format - this helps with understanding the structure and linkages of the various tables) metadata

Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: SSURGO Metadata - Tables and Columns Report. File Name: SSURGO_Metadata_-_Tables_and_Columns.pdfResource Description: This report contains a complete listing of all columns in each database table. Please see SSURGO Metadata - Table Column Descriptions Report for more detailed descriptions of each column.

Find the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) web site at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/vt/soils/?cid=nrcs142p2_010596#Datamart Title: SSURGO Metadata - Table Column Descriptions Report. File Name: SSURGO_Metadata_-_Table_Column_Descriptions.pdfResource Description: This report contains the descriptions of all columns in each database table. Please see SSURGO Metadata - Tables and Columns Report for a complete listing of all columns in each database table.

Find the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) web site at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/vt/soils/?cid=nrcs142p2_010596#Datamart Title: SSURGO Data Dictionary. File Name: SSURGO 2.3.2 Data Dictionary.csvResource Description: CSV version of the data dictionary

The USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), created a series of geospatial mapping products of the Scotts Creek Watershed in Lake County, California, using National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery from 2018, 2020 and 2022 and Open Street Map (OSM) from 2019. The imagery was downloaded from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Geospatial Data Gateway (https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/) and Geofabrik GmbH - Open Street Map (https://www.geofabrik.de/geofabrik/openstreetmap.html), respectively. The imagery was classified using Random Forest (RF) Modeling to produce land cover maps with three main classifications - bare, vegetation, and shadows. An updated roads and trails map for the Upper Scotts Creek Watershed, including the BLM Recreational Area, was created to estimate road and trail densities in the watershed. Separate metadata records for each product (Land_Cover_Maps_Scotts_Cree ...

This dataset contains 4-band natural color and false color infrared (CIR) imagery from the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP). NAIP acquires digital ortho imagery during the agricultural growing seasons in the continental U.S. A primary goal of the NAIP program is to enable availability of ortho imagery within one year of acquisition.

The source files are 30-centimeter (approx. 1-foot) ground sample distance (GSD) ortho imagery rectified to within +/- 4 meters to reference digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQ's) from the National Digital Ortho Program (NDOP) or from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). The tiling format of NAIP imagery is based on a 3.75' x 3.75' quarter quadrangle with a 300 +/- 30 pixel buffer on all four sides. NAIP imagery is formatted to the UTM coordinate system using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). NAIP imagery may contain as much as 10% cloud cover per tile.

The county mosaic files downloadable from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway (natural color and color infrared) were generated by compressing NAIP imagery that covers the county extent. Two types of compression may be used for NAIP imagery: MrSID and JPEG 2000. The target value for the compression ratio is 40:1 for imagery.

The Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) created this metadata record to describe the entire NAIP 2023 dataset, using information from FPAC-BC-GEO metadata. Each county file available from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway is accompanied by the original FPAC-BC-GEO metadata for that county.

This NYC Reservoirs Watershed Areas (HUC 12) GIS layer was derived from the 12-Digit National Watershed Boundary Database (WBD) at 1:24,000 for EPA Region 2 and Surrounding States. HUC 12 polygons were selected from the source based on interactively comparing these HUC 12s in our GIS with images of the New York City's Water Supply System Map found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/wsmaps_wide.shtml. The 12 digit Hydrologic Units (HUCs) for EPA Region 2 and surrounding states (Northeastern states, parts of the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico and the USVI) are a subset of the National Watershed Boundary Database (WBD), downloaded from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Geospatial Gateway and imported into the EPA Region 2 Oracle/SDE database. This layer reflects 2009 updates to the WBD that included new boundary data for New York and New Jersey.

This data set contains 4-band natural color and false color infrared (CIR) imagery from the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP). NAIP acquires digital ortho imagery during the agricultural growing seasons in the continental U.S. A primary goal of the NAIP program is to enable availability of ortho imagery within one year of acquisition.

The source files are 1 meter ground sample distance (GSD) ortho imagery rectified towithin +/- 4 meters to true ground. The tiling format of NAIP imagery is based on a 3.75' x 3.75' quarter quadrangle with a 300 pixel buffer on all four sides. NAIP imagery is formatted to the UTM coordinate system using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). NAIP imagery may contain as much as 10% cloud cover per tile.

The county mosaic files downloadable from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway (natural color only, does not include CIR Band 4) were generated by compressing NAIP imagery that cover the county extent. MrSID compression was used. Target values for the compression ratio are 15:1.

The Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) has created this metadata record to describe the entire NAIP 2017 dataset, using information from Farm Service Agency metadata. Each natural color county file available from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway is accompanied by the original FSA metadata for that county.

Two seamless soils datasets based on USDA’s SSURGO and STATSGO databases were created for the entire DRB region, and information pertaining to various soil-related factors such as erodibility (k factor), available water - holding capacity, texture, etc. were compiled and summarized for discrete mapping units at these two scales. The SSURGO (Soil Survey Geographic) database is compiled at the detailed county-level survey scale that most soil information users are familiar with, and has two basic components: 1) digital boundaries of the detailed soil mapping units, and 2) tabular information on a wide range of soil parameters associated with each mapping unit. The STATSGO (State Soil Geographic) database summarizes similar soils information at a much more generalized “soil association” scale. Both of these datasets for the DRB area were downloaded from USDA’s “geospatial data” site at http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov. Once downloaded, considerable effort was then expended to first seam together the data from the separate states overlapping the DRB, and then to “populate” both soil databases by linking a number of “attribute tables” to the soils polygons contained within the DRB boundary. In this case, over 325,000 soil polygons were populated with information extracted from about a dozen different attribute tables.

This data is hosted at, and may be downloaded or accessed from PASDA, the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access Geospatial Data Clearinghouse http://www.pasda.psu.edu/uci/DataSummary.aspx?dataset=1506

[Metadata] This dataset (MU) is called the Gridded SSURGO (gSSURGO) Database and is derived from the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.For more information, please see metadata at: https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/gis/data/soils.pdfNote: Downloaded from https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov, 2016For additional tables and more information, visit the following pages:https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx (choose Download Soils Data tab, State = Hawaii - from here, you can download all shapefiles and tabular data for each county).Tables and columns metadata:https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/soils/?cid=nrcs142p2_053631For additional information, please contact the Hawaii Statewide GIS Program at gis@hawaii.gov.

Geospatial Data Layers available to public via Geospatial Gateway

This is a MD iMAP hosted service layer. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. This data layer is a compilation of the MUPOLYGON feature class - muaggatt table and component table of the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database for Maryland. United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service. Under the direction of the Watershed Resources Registry (WRR) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) this data has been altered from its original state. A reclassification of the hydric classification field was performed which classifies all soil map units consisting of less that 40% total hydric soils as not hydric - all soil map units from 41% - 79% as partially hydric and all soil map units 80% and greater as hydric. This reclassification was performed to provide a more refined input for modeling purposes. A full version of this database is available at: http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/. Last Updated: 01/15/2014 Feature Service Layer Link: https://mdgeodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Geoscientific/MD_Geology/MapServer ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) from The National Map (TNM) defines the perimeter of drainage areas formed by the terrain and other landscape characteristics. The drainage areas are nested within each other so that a large drainage area, such as the Upper Mississippi River, is composed of multiple smaller drainage areas, such as the Wisconsin River. Each of these smaller areas can further be subdivided into smaller and smaller drainage areas. The WBD uses six different levels in this hierarchy, with the smallest averaging about 30,000 acres. The WBD is made up of polygons nested into six levels of data respectively defined by Regions, Subregions, Basins, Subbasins, Watersheds, and Subwatersheds. For additional information on the WBD, go to https://nhd.usgs.gov/wbd.html. The USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) service is a companion dataset to the WBD. The NHD is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that encodes information about naturally occurring and constructed bodies of surface water (lakes, ponds, and reservoirs), paths through which water flows (canals, ditches, streams, and rivers), and related entities such as point features (springs, wells, stream gages, and dams). The information encoded about these features includes classification and other characteristics, delineation, geographic name, position and related measures, a "reach code" through which other information can be related to the NHD, and the direction of water flow. The network of reach codes delineating water and transported material flow allows users to trace movement in upstream and downstream directions. In addition to this geographic information, the dataset contains metadata that supports the exchange of future updates and improvements to the data. The NHD is available nationwide in two seamless datasets, one based on 1:24,000-scale maps and referred to as high resolution NHD, and the other based on 1:100,000-scale maps and referred to as medium resolution NHD. Additional selected areas in the United States are available based on larger scales, such as 1:5,000-scale or greater, and referred to as local resolution NHD. For more information on the NHD, go to https://nhd.usgs.gov/index.html. Hydrography data from The National Map supports many applications, such as making maps, geocoding observations, flow modeling, data maintenance, and stewardship. Hydrography data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, structures, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public domain WBD and NHD data in either Esri File or Personal Geodatabase, or Shapefile formats. The Watershed Boundary Dataset is being developed under the leadership of the Subcommittee on Spatial Water Data, which is part of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), along with many other federal agencies and national associations, have representatives on the Subcommittee on Spatial Water Data. As watershed boundary geographic information systems (GIS) coverages are completed, statewide and national data layers will be made available via the Geospatial Data Gateway to everyone, including federal, state, local government agencies, researchers, private companies, utilities, environmental groups, and concerned citizens. The database will assist in planning and describing water use and related land use activities. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/water/watersheds/dataset/?cid=nrcs143_021630 Web site for the Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), including links to:

Review Data Availability (Status Maps) Obtain Data by State, County, or Other Area Obtain Seamless National Data offsite link image
Geospatial Data Tools National Technical and State Coordinators Information about WBD dataset

This dataset contains soil type and soil classification, by area.

This dataset is harvested on a weekly basis from Allegheny County’s GIS data portal. The full metadata record for this dataset can also be found on Allegheny County's GIS portal. You can access the metadata record and other resources on the GIS portal by clicking on the "Explore button (and choosing the "Go to resource" option) to the right of the "ArcGIS Open Dataset" text below.

Category: Environment

Department: Geographic Information Systems Group; Department of Administrative Services

Development Notes: This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely sensed and other information. This data set consists of georeferenced digital map data and computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. A special soil features layer (point and line features) is optional. This layer displays the location of features too small to delineate at the mapping scale, but they are large enough and contrasting enough to significantly influence use and management. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the National Soil Information System relational database, which gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties. The soil map and data used in the SSURGO product were prepared by soil scientists as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey.

Related Documents: Data Dictionary for SOIL_CODE, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/pennsylvania/PA003/0/legends.pdf (the last page includes the soil legend for this dataset)

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been tracking and compiling information on conservation lands in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states for over 20 years. TNC’s Secured Areas (Conserved Lands) Dataset is compiled bi-annually from over sixty state, federal, and private source (See Lineage section of this metadata for full list of sources). The foundation of the dataset is public conservation land information maintained by each state, supplemented by federal land information from PAD-US and private conservation land information compiled by TNC’s state field offices.State-based TNC staff compile the data for their state, assign a TNC GAP status to each polygon, and populate other standard attribute fields. TNC assigned a GAP Status to all polygons to the best of our ability and in some cases altered GAP status found in original sources if further information was available. The completed state datasets were regionally compiled by TNC’s Center for Resilient Conservation Science (CRCS) and quality checked for consistency and discrepancies across the northeast.Definitions of GAP categories are given below and are described in terms of Conservation Management Categories as interpreted by TNC Center for Resilient Conservation Science.Conserved for Nature: GAP 1-2 Lands: Conservation land where the primary intent is the conservation of nature.GAP 1. Permanently Secured for Nature and Natural Processes : An area having permanent protection from conversion of natural land cover and a mandated management plan in operation to maintain a natural state where the area is allowed to “self-adjust” over time. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity and nature protection. Land and water managed through natural processes including disturbances with little or no human intervention.GAP 2. Permanently Secured for Nature with Management : An area having permanent protection from conversion of natural land cover and a mandated management plan in operation to maintain a natural state, but which receives hands-on management. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity and nature protection. Land and water managed with hands-on manipulation of processes, species composition, and disturbance.Conserved for Multiple Uses: GAP 3 Lands: Conservation land where the primary intent is multiple use. :GAP 3. Permanently Secured for Multiple Uses including extraction and recreation. : An area having permanent protection from conversion of natural land cover, but the primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for multiple uses, which may include biodiversity but also recreation and certain extractive uses. Extractive uses may include either a broad, low-intensity type (e.g., logging) or localized intense type (e.g., mining).Conserved for Agriculture: Conservation land where the primary intent is the preservation of farmland.GAP 39. Agricultural Easement: Land in a permanent agricultural easement or easement to maintain grass (e.g., vegetable farm with permanent easement to prevent development).Not Conserved Open SpaceGAP 4. Areas with no known mandate for permanent protection. Temporary easement lands (e.g., CREP 5-year term, similar X-year term agreements) and/or municipal lands (school yards, golf courses, soccer fields, ball fields, town commons) where intention in management and use of the open space is not biodiversity protection. It was beyond our capacity to comprehensively compile these GAP 4 lands, and as such, they are included only where source data made it feasible to easily incorporate them.Data Sources:

Various sources at the National, State, and sub-state level provide input to this dataset. Please see details below.

CONNECTICUT

Overview: This Connecticut Conservation Lands dataset was based on an update of the existing 2018 Secured Lands dataset compiled by TNC which had its roots in 1) the 2005 Protected Open Space Phase 1 dataset which mapped parcels designated as permanently protected open space by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2) a Municipal and Private Open Space data layer from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management DEP which mapped property owned by Connecticut municipalities and private organizations for the purpose of preserving open space including land conservation trust property, town open space, parks, school playgrounds, campgrounds, golf courses, club/association recreational property, and cemeteries, and 3) a DEP Property dataset which included state owned property such as natural area preserves, state forests, state parks, state park scenic reserves, state park trails, wildlife areas, and wildlife sanctuaries. This dataset was augmented in summer 2022 with updated TNC lands, Harvard Forest Wildlands 6/2022 parcels, Northeast Wilderness Trust properties, and a newly available protected open space dataset for eastern Connecticut from efforts of the CT Land Conservation Council/The Last Green Valley Protected Open Space Mapping Project (5/2/2022 Brian Hall, Hunter Brawley, Amy Patterson, Lois Bruinooge).

Last Updated: September 2022

DELWARE

Overview: Secured lands are present in Delaware via their FirstMap online service, under their Preserved Lands Network 2.0 layer. Additionally, Drexel University was able to provide more data on secured lands throughout the Delaware River Basin. A similar process to that descried for Delaware was used to crosswalk between the fields in this dataset and the secured areas schema Sources: FirstMap Delaware, Drexel, The Nature Conservancy, PAD-US 3.0

Last Updated: December 2022

MAINE

Overview: The Maine Conservation Lands Geodatabase is maintained and updated by the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy in cooperation with Justin Schlawin, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry. It includes most of the state, federal, and larger private conservation lands with legal protection in the state of Maine. TNC in Maine is working with both state agencies and land trusts to improve comprehensive updating and the overall content of this dataset. The spatial data is compiled from over 300 different data sources and are from a variety of scales, ranging from 1:100,000 scale to high-accuracy digital surveys.

Last Updated: May 2022

MARYLAND

Overview: The Maryland Conservation Lands dataset is based on a compilation of multiple sources, with most data coming from the imap.maryland.gov, data downloaded Feb 2022. The iMAP data sources included DNR Owned and Conservation Easements, MD Environmental Trust Easements, Protected Federal Lands, Coastal Estuarine Land Conservation Program, Rural Legacy Properties, Private Conservation Lands, Local Protected Lands, MALPF Easements, Transfer Purchased Development, and Forest Conservation Act Easements. Additional sources include NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Wetlands Reserve Easements, military lands from the previous 2018 MD Secured Areas dataset, and updated TNC lands.

Last Updated: June 2022

MASSACHUSETTS

Overview: The Massachusetts Conservation Lands layer is based primarily on the Protected and Recreational Open Space, MassGIS. Link to Data Version April 2022, from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS). This layer contains the boundaries of conservation lands and outdoor recreational facilities in Massachusetts. The associated database contains relevant information about each parcel, including ownership, level of protection, public accessibility, assessor’s map and lot numbers, and related legal interests held on the land, including conservation restrictions. Additional parcels and attributes were added from TNC_Interests Version March 2022, DCR Landscape Designations Version 2012, and Harvard Forest Wildlands June 2022 datasets.

Last Updated: October 2022

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Overview: The New Hampshire Conservation Lands dataset was based primarily on NH GRANIT data as of July 2022. The New Hampshire Geographically Referenced Analysis and Information Transfer System (NH GRANIT) maintains and updates the statewide conservation lands dataset through extensive outreach to federal and state agencies, municipalities, land trusts and private land owners. TNC worked to integrate additional land trust lands compiled by TNC in cooperation with GRANIT but which had not been integrated into the latest GRANIT posted conservation lands dataset, additional properties from the Harvard Forest Wildlands project, and management zones from the US Forest Service land in the White Mountains of New Hampshire using the US Forest Service Management Areas.

Last Updated: September 2022

NEW JERSEY

Overview: The New Jersey Conservation Lands dataset was based primarily on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Green Acres Program state-local-and-nonprofit-open-space layer (version 20220810) which includes Green Acres encumbered and unencumbered protected open space and recreation areas. The Green Acres encumbered lands are owned in fee simple interest by either the state, county, municipality, or a nonprofit agency and have either received funding through the Green Acres State or Local Assistance Program or are listed on a Green Acres approved Recreation and Open Space Inventory (ROSI). The unencumbered open space lands do not fall under Green Acres rules and regulations and therefore have a lesser level of protection. Types of open space property in this data layer include parks, conservation areas, preserves, historic sites, recreational fields, beaches, etc. The data was derived from a variety of mapped sources which vary in scale and level of accuracy. This dataset was augmented with additional Federal conservation land from USGS Protected Areas Database 2.1, TNC lands as of September 2022, and the Farmland Preservation File.

This data set contains 4-band natural color and false color infrared imagery from the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP). NAIP acquires digital ortho imagery during the agricultural growing seasons in the continental U.S. A primary goal of the NAIP program is to enable availability of ortho imagery within one year of acquisition.

The source files are 1 meter ground sample distance (GSD) ortho imagery rectified to a horizontal accuracy of within +/- 6 meters of reference digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQ's) from the National Digital Ortho Program (NDOP) or from NAIP. The tiling format of NAIP imagery is based on a 3.75' x 3.75' quarter quadrangle with a 300 meter buffer on all four sides. NAIP imagery is formatted to the UTM coordinate system using NAD83. NAIP imagery may contain as much as 10% cloud cover per tile.

The natural color county mosaic files downloadable from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway were generated by compressing NAIP imagery that cover the county extent. MrSID compression was used. Target values for the compression ratio are (15:1).

The Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) created this metadata record to describe the entire NAIP 2013 dataset, using information from Farm Service Agency metadata. Each natural color county file available from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway is accompanied by the original FSA metadata for that county.