A Resource for the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)

Posts by Larry Orman

Esri Web Services and PAD-US (15 min. video)

Rich Nauman of Esri presents on how Esri web services have been applied to PAD-US data, creating many options for using PAD-US in web applications and on desktop GIS systems.  This is part of a broader presentation on PAD-US and runs just under 15 minutes.

Here’s the video (opens in new window from Google Drive, .mp4 file) >.

 

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Protected Areas Data Guidance for Web Base Map Developers (and others)

UPDATE:  For the most recent edition of the Base Maps memo, visit the Federal Lands Working Group website and view the PDF document noted in the right column (the memo is regularly updated).

After months of development and review through the Federal Lands Working Group, July 2019 brought the first edition of technical guidance on how to use PAD-US and federal managing agencies’ protected areas data, aimed primarily at those working on web base maps (but also useful for others).

Called How to Use Protected Areas Data in Base Maps – Guidelines for Incorporating Public Park and Related Protected Areas Data for the U.S. into Online Base Maps, the paper explains the nature of protected areas data, how federal agency data is managed, and overall caveats about uses. For PAD-US and for each of eight federal land/water managing agencies (plus the Census Bureau), data sets are described, guidelines noted, and sources and contacts indicated. This information includes the Marine area managing agencies, BOEM and NOAA, as well as all the land managers (BLM, USFS, NPS, FWS, etc.).

The PAD-US team, including USGS staff and GreenInfo Network, developed the guidance draft, bringing into one place much information that was previously only available by finding multiple information sources. Each federal agency then reviewed their summaries and provided the most current contact and data access information.

A number of web map developers, including Esri, Google, as well as recreation map developers, and even the USGS National Map team are putting this information to good use, as the work to incorporate the newly released PAD-US 2.0 into their web products.

Related to the memo is the recently published PAD-US Help system, available at www.protectedlands.net/helplearn more here.

PADUS 2.0 Feature Class Graphic Image of memo cover

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New PAD-US Help System is Online!

As part of the announcement of PAD-US 2.0, a new online help system for PAD-US has gone live on ProtectedLands.net!

This new help system covers a wide range of topics, from a short introduction to PAD-US to extensive details about how the data set works. GreenInfo Network developed the Word Press application for the Help and the initial information presented, while USGS PAD-US staff added to and refined the information.

The new PAD-US Help system will evolve as requests and comments come in and as the data changes.

Image of help system web site

PAD-US Help system home page

 

Image of Help system web page

PAD-US attribute table in Help system.

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