GIS in Action 2019

Engaging Coastal Users to Update the Rocky Shores Management Strategy
Deanna Caracciolo, Oregon Coastal Management Program
Approximately 41% of Oregon’s coastline is composed of rocky habitat. These areas include the dynamic headlands, cliffs, tidepools and offshore islands that make the Oregon coast so memorable. Managing these highly diverse and utilized areas is complex and requires the incorporation of science, local knowledge, and best management practices. The state is currently updating the Rocky Shores Management Strategy (RSMS), which is part of Oregon's broader Territorial Sea Plan (TSP). The RSMS is the guiding framework for how agencies manage rocky shore resources within state jurisdiction (0-3 nautical miles from shore). For this update, multiple GIS tools and methods have been utilized to support community scoping as well as data synthesis and projection. This presentation will outline how staff are applying GIS tools to this update to create a more seamless management strategy.

An Innovative Approach to the Minimization of Environmental Impact to the Streaked Horned Lark
Sean Carroll, US Army Corps of Engineers
Understanding that Army Corps of Engineers activities impact the environment, specifically the placement of dredge materials, which result in the creation of deposition islands, the Army Corps of Engineers have actively adapted mitigation measures to minimize these impacts. One such example is mitigation measures to maintain the habitat of the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata), a subspecies of the wide-ranging horned lark, endemic to the Pacific Northwest, and listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Army Corps of Engineers, in association with the U.S. Geological Survey and Center for Natural Lands Management, have adapted an innovative approach to geospatial habitat suitability analysis utilizing the Google Earth Engine and ESRI ArcGIS Pro. These analyses have guided the Army Corps of Engineers in implementing a shifting-habitat-mosaic management approach to maintaining the streaked horned lark habitats during the planning stages of dredging activities. This approach has wide reaching implications and may serve as the foundation for similar developments to minimize the environmental impact of Army Corps of Engineer activities outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Cannabis Identification and Prioritization System (CIPS) - Using GIS To Identify Cannabis Grows And Prioritize Water Quality Concerns In Northern California
Solomon Pulapkura, VESTRA Resources, Inc.
Over the last several years, the trend in California has been for marijuana growers to move their operations from the High Sierra forests to lower elevation foothill and valley locations to take advantage of better climatic, soil, and overall growing conditions. This has resulted in significant, additional environmental and water resource related concerns over Northern California watersheds, due to potentially increased pollution in the local, regional, and state water supplies through increased soil erosion, and nutrient and pesticide laden runoff.
Given the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) jurisdiction over waste discharges, the development of efficient tools that accurately and efficiently identify and characterize grow sites was desired. This resulted in the development of the Cannabis Identification and Prioritization System (CIPS). CIPS enables SWRCB and other stakeholders to identify priority water quality concerns by ranking those watersheds where marijuana grows pose the highest threats to water quality.
The goals for the CIPS solution include - a) Accurately identify marijuana grow locations and characteristics, b) Utilize the Water Boards’ ArcGIS platform, c) Develop user interfaces that enable the Water Boards and other agency end-users to access CIPS, assess conditions, and establish priorities for mitigation, and d) Scalable, both in terms of the geographic extent, and number of end-users accessing the system.