| Issue Area |
Spatial Climate Products for Resource Assessment and Conservation Planning |
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|
| What is the Challenge? |
- Creating and distributing spatial climate products (maps and data layers)
of all major climate elements and derived variables needed to support NRCS
field activities.
|
| |
- Training Field Office personnel in an understanding of these products,
and how to use them in their daily operations.
|
| |
- Involving Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists who are knowledgeable
of these climate layers, and how they can be used for geospatial applications.
|
| |
- Interfacing these spatial climate layers with computer models used
for NRCS planning and assessment activities, including wind and water erosion,
and cropping strategies.
|
| |
|
| What Are We Doing? |
- Partnering with Oregon State University (OSU) and the National Climatic
Data Center (NCDC) in support of PRISM spatial climate layer production
and associated research.
|
| |
- Coordinating dissemination of climate layers and maps with the NRCS
National Cartography and Geospatial Center, via hardcopy maps, CD-ROMs,
and the Internet.
|
| |
- Conducting training for NRCS Climate Liaisons, GIS specialists and
others who will be using this information, and training others in its use.
|
| |
- Developing PRISM climate layer training materials.
|
| |
- Facilitating and conducting thorough reviews of these layers, in conjunction
with national, state and regional climate experts.
|
| |
|
| Status |
- Release of the first of several CD-ROMs in June 1998, featuring all
monthly and annual precipitation layers for all 50 states, along with full
documentation.
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| |
- Training of Climate Data Liaisons in the PRISM concept and use of the
data facilitated through teleconferences in April and August 1998.
|
| |
- A fact sheet and a one page promotional summary have been completed
that describes the PRISM Climate Mapping Project.
|
| |
- Monthly meetings with PRISM developers and production crew at OSU,
discussing current and future production, and applied research for mapping
new elements.
|
| |
- Marketing PRISM climate products through education of hundreds of users
and potential users at several meetings and conferences in 1998, including
the Soil and Water Conservation Society meeting in San Diego in July, and
the International Geospatial Information Conference in Orlando in June.
|
| |
|
| What's Left? |
- Training for production and interpretation of local level (county,
watershed, etc.) climate layers.
|
| |
- Identification of long-term funding source to support development of
agency-critical geospatial climate products.
|
| |
- Completion of documentation, training materials and professional papers.
|
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- Completion of all precipitation and temperature layers by summer 1998.
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