Online public land maps with geolocation

[Joseph]

Most states have detailed information showing the boundaries of various kinds of public land at the federal, state and local level. Government agencies also have all kinds of map information that is useful for all kinds of outdoor activities from 4-wheeling to horse riding to hiking to boating to fishing and everything in between.

I have started a project to locate that data where it is hosted on Geographical Information System (GIS) servers and produce online maps so everyone has a super easy way to see and use that data. The types of GIS data that these online maps will display include:

1. Boundaries of public land
2. Recreation features such as picnic areas, campgrounds, boat launches, trailheads, etc
3. Fishing and hunting information
4. Habitats
5. Public safety including wildland fires and earthquakes

So far I have completed online maps for several states, including California. The type of data that is available varies by state. I have also completed several national level online maps.

Below is the homepage link for this project. Please take a moment to read through the text before you start playing with the map links. Also, if you want to get the most out of these maps, be sure to read the “Tips”.

Public land map homepage:
http://www.propertylinemaps.com/p/public_land_map.html

Edit: Opps! I forgot to tell you something. The map legends are really important to help you understand the story the map is telling. To see the map legends, click the button in the upper left corner that says "About this map".

All of these online maps are displayed by Gmap4 which is an enhanced Google map viewer that I developed. Using the same software to display all of this GIS data from coast-to-coast means you see a consistent interface based on the familiar Google maps and you also get the same broad feature set for every map.

For those that are GIS savvy (or would like to be) you can peek under the hood and see how the magic works by visiting my GIS page (written at a newbie level):
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_gis-viewer.html

Wait... there’s more... or soon will be.

Each GIS feature you see on these maps have more information (called “attributes”) stored on the GIS server. Currently Gmap4 does not let you click a GIS symbol and see the attribute data. I plan to add that feature this winter.

Think of this as my Christmas present to you. Enjoy!

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy

[BruteForce]

It would be great to see where public land intersects private land.. especially here in Utah where it can be nebulous.

[Joseph]

I will certainly be producing map links for Utah.

Next one though is Wisconsin and then likely Oregon.

[jman]

Joseph, is there a way to zoom in closer than what is defined on the maps?

[Joseph]

Joseph, is there a way to zoom in closer than what is defined on the maps?

Max zoom level is outside of my control.

Any basemap has a max zoom that is defined by whoever made the basemap.

Same with the GIS overlays. Whoever makes a GIS overlay layer defines the max and min zoom levels at which that layer displays.

[jman]

Max zoom level is outside of my control.

Any basemap has a max zoom that is defined by whoever made the basemap.

Same with the GIS overlays. Whoever makes a GIS overlay layer defines the max and min zoom levels at which that layer displays.

I see. I guess that makes sense.

Thanks for info. I'm trying to get my brother to use Gmap4 on his website, but that was a hurdle with the zoom. I'll have to keep persuading him. ;)

[Joseph]

A few months ago I started this thread to make people aware of a project I was undertaking as a public service to make recreation related GIS (Geographical Information System) data easily available. GIS data has two parts. One part displays symbols, lines and areas (i.e. polygons) on a map. The other part can display information (called “attributes” in GIS-speak) about each GIS thing you see on the map. Sometimes the attribute data includes a link to even more information. This can be extremely useful to people that play outdoors.

In my first post in this thread I promised to add the ability to display the GIS attribute data. Good news - that work is now done. Also the homepage for this project now has Gmap4 links that display GIS recreation data for 14 states (including Utah) and more national level maps have been added. The next two states that I will process will likely be Missouri and Indiana.

To see a good example of GIS attribute data:
1. Go to the homepage I made for this GIS mapping project:
http://www.propertylinemaps.com/p/public_land_map.html
2. Scroll down to the map links and open the "USA Weather Map". This map shows all the current weather watches and warnings. This data is hosted on a GIS server operated by NOAA.
3. Click any colored area and soon a popup will appear.

That popup shows all the GIS attribute data for the thing that you clicked. Note that one of the attributes is a link. If you follow that link then you will see the details for that weather watch or warning.

Gmap4 does not attempt to process the attribute data. Instead, it simply displays the attribute data 'as is'. If some of that data is coded or looks like gibberish, don’t blame me.

After a map opens, you can click "about this map" in the upper left corner to:
1. See the map legends
2. Learn how to turn other GIS layers on/off
3. Get other tips for using the map

You can make an interesting map by looking at the GIS layer showing weather watches and warnings and then also turning on the layer that displays the weather radar.

If you are GIS savvy, here is a greatly expanded list of GIS servers by state:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_gis_more_help.html#source_state

Anyone that is willing to follow a few simple instructions can make their own custom Gmap4 map links to display the GIS data they wish to see.

For more information about Gmap4, please see:

Gmap4 homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

Gmap4 default map: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy