Announcing: Montana GIS Restoration Project Database Link

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has just completed its Phase II development of a GIS database that will allow Montanans to view restoration projects that are impacting the state and local areas. To access the State Restoration GIS database visit http://www.restoration.mt.gov and select Projects Map

This database can help economic developers measure the economic impact of the restoration projects that are impacting the economic base in their geographic areas as well as identify rural and urban projects that conserve and or restore the natural resources. For example, in the Bear Paw Certified Regional Development Region, more than $12 million has been spent over the last eight years. A county search of Valley reveals 29 active and completed projects such as a Treasure State Endowment drinking water project in Nashua. Yellowstone County has a restoration economy equaling more than $12 million.

Presently, the database has more than 1600 state funded and managed projects that were collected from 8 natural resource agencies and 22 different programs. Collection efforts are still ongoing to mine data from the field offices of those agencies.

Some examples of how data requests can be configured include: by geographic areas (like county, legislative, or watershed); by specific categories (air, land, water, energy, and infrastructure); by specific purposes (brownfields, wildlife, water treatment, invasive weeds); by agency, or by general summaries that calculate the total economic impact restoration activities.

The database is designed and programmed to produce detailed information on a statewide basis, as well as a geographic area, that will help planning efforts. Currently, the database does not reflect Montana projects funded or managed by watershed groups, conservation districts, federal agencies or non-profit organizations. The goal for the database is to capture these datasets. This undertaking will require the cooperation of many partners and funding to add new data and maintain its currency and accuracy. This would result in Montana having all of its restoration data located in a centralized repository and available for state and regional planning efforts.

Linda Brander

State Restoration Coordinator

P.O. Box 201601

Helena, MT 59620-1601

406-444-0520

http://www.restoration.mt.gov