Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>This dataset consists of 2-dimensional roof outlines ("roofprints") for all buildings larger than 150 square feet, as interpreted by a contractor (Rolta) for the whole area of the Commonwealth using DigitalGlobe ortho images obtained in 2011 and 2012, supplemented with LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data collected from 2002 to 2011 for the eastern half of the state. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The roofprints as delivered were enhanced by MassGIS using Normalized Digital Surface Models (NDSMs) derived from the same LiDAR data. Other layers were used, including the Level 3 Parcels, to aid in review, especially where LiDAR data were not available. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN>In ArcSDE the layer is named STRUCTURES_POLY.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>DEP Approved Wellhead Protection Areas (Zone II). As stated in 310 CMR 22.02, a Zone II is: "That area of an aquifer which contributes water to a well under the most severe pumping and recharge conditions that can be realistically anticipated (180 days of pumping at safe yield, with no recharge from precipitation). It is bounded by the groundwater divides which result from pumping the well and by the contact of the aquifer with less permeable materials such as till or bedrock. In some cases, streams or lakes may act as recharge boundaries. In all cases, Zone IIs shall extend up gradient to its point of intersection with prevailing hydrogeologic boundaries (a groundwater flow divide, a contact with till or bedorck , or a recharge boundary)." This dataset is a dissolved version of ZONE2_POLY.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>This statewide dataset contains a combination of land cover mapping from 2016 aerial imagery and land use derived from standardized assessor parcel information for Massachusetts. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Each location in this layer is associated with a land cover class value as well as a parcel use code</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Although both land cover and land use information are included, each of these aspects can be accessed independently, or in interesting and useful combinations with one another. For instance, a user can simply display impervious surfaces (land cover), or commercial parcels (land use). In combination, it is possible to display and measure the portions of the commercial parcels that are covered by impervious surfaces or the portions of residential parcels used as developed open space.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>This layer is the result of a cooperative project between MassGIS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Coastal Management (OCM). Funding was provided by the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>MassGIS stores the data as a single statewide polygon feature class named </SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">LANDCOVER_LANDUSE_POLY</SPAN><SPAN>in the spatial reference of NAD_1983_Contiguous_USA_Albers (EPSG: 5070).</SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">Data development</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The following sections describe the development and features of the two components, land cover and land use, as well as the final combined dataset.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Land cover</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The thematic land cover dataset was created in raster format by NOAA's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). C-CAP has produced numerous standardized land cover products which are included in the National Land Cover Database. These products are used in numerous ways to assess urban growth, inventory wetlands, coastal intertidal areas, and adjacent uplands, and delineate wildlife habitat to monitor changes in these areas. This information helps in the understanding of the landscape's response to natural and human-caused changes. OCM worked in close coordination with MassGIS to produce the land cover. OCM delivered the data to MassGIS in an Albers projection.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>2016 NAIP imagery This 2016 land cover information was initially developed as a 1-meter, 6-category draft raster derived from 2016 USDA National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial multispectral imagery. Classes were impervious, bare, grass, shrub, tree, and water. Additional reference data were used to create this 19-class version, including: 2016 WorldView multispectral satellite imagery, lidar-based terrain elevation data, 2016-era 2D structures data, and other ancillary data such as MassDOT Roads, MassDEP Wetlands, etc. The wetlands in the final land cover product are exclusively from the C-CAP program and will differ from the MassDEP Wetlands data.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The land cover information in this product is consistent with C-CAP’s High-Resolution Land Cover Classification Scheme (PDF). Also see General information about C-CAP High-Resolution Land Cover.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Land use</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The land use component of the data layer is represented by the Property Type Classification Code associated with each parcel in MassGIS' Standardized "Level 3" Parcels layer. These "use codes" come from the Mass. Department of Revenue Division of Local Services (DLS), along with custom use codes some municipalities include in their parcel data.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>For this project, MassGIS created a parcel layer using data deliverables as close as possible to the time of the 2016 NAIP imagery used for the land cover. Since parcel data complying with Level 3 of the MassGIS standard was not available from every municipality for the year 2016, some information was selected from a different year to use data as close to 2016 as possible, with the following rules:</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>If Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 data was available, it was used. Otherwise, data was used from other years in the following order: 2017 (+1), 2015 (-1), 2018 (+2), 2014 (-2), 2013 (-3), 2012 (-4), 2011 (-5). Fiscal year values were retained in the final product to help indicate relative reliability of the USECODE.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>MassGIS merged these parcel data into one feature class and dissolved them based on these fields: </SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:1 1 1 20;"><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">USE_CODE</SPAN><SPAN>: Use code from DOR DLS, along with custom use codes some municipalities include in their parcel data.</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:1 1 1 20;"><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">FY</SPAN><SPAN>: Fiscal year </SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:1 1 1 20;"><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">POLY_TYPE</SPAN><SPAN>: Parcel type (FEE, TAX, ROW, WATER, PRIV_ROW, RAIL_ROW)</SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:1 1 1 20;"><SPAN /><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">TOWN_ID</SPAN><SPAN>: Town ID (1-351) </SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:1 1 1 20;"><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">GEN_CODE</SPAN><SPAN>: Generalized use code chosen by MassGIS for this project to simplify the 1,600+ USE_CODEs for map display. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Combined Land Cover – Land Use Data</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>For efficient processing and distribution, MassGIS split up the statewide land cover raster into 291 smaller, regularly sized and spaced tiles, each 10km by 10km (10,000 x 10,000 pixels).</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The Create Fishnet tool produced a polygon index that precisely fit the tiles. The tiles were identified with a TILENAME value based on row and column position. For example, TILENAME “R07C17” identifies the tile in row 7, column 17. The index is named </SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">LANDCOVER_USE_INDEX_POLY</SPAN><SPAN>. Aside from TILENAME, the other field is SHP_LINK, which stores a link to download a zipped land cover-land use shapefile for each tile.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Each land cover image was converted to a polygon shapefile using a Raster to Shapefile model in ERDAS IMAGINE. This method preserves the thematic attributes and simplifies the polygons very slightly.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>MassGIS carried out the following steps in ArcGIS 10.6.1: </SPAN></P><UL><LI><P><SPAN>Reprojected the land use polygons from Massachusetts State Plane to the same Albers projection of the land cover.</SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>Used the Identity tool to geometrically combine the land cover polygons with the dissolved parcel data to produce a land cover-land use feature class for each tile.</SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>Checked and repaired the geometry of the Identity output.</SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>Converted all multipart polygons to single-part polygons in the Identity output.</SPAN></P></LI></UL><P><SPAN>The Identity created numerous very small polygons because the two components (land cover and land use) were not spatially correlated. To preserve the input data, MassGIS decided not to eliminate polygons or perform any other cartographic refinement at this point. Users can easily perform these operations if desired.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>As part of final QA, MassGIS modified the attributes of a small number of polygons with erroneous land cover or generalized land use codes, including a few right-of-way polygons in Boston that did not have the correct USEGENCODE of 55.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: The land cover dataset was created in raster format by the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Service, Office for Coastal Management (OCM). C-CAP has produced numerous standardized land cover products which are included in the National Land Cover Database. Parcel data are developed at the municipal level and compiled and standardized by MassGIS. Funding was provided by the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) data incorporates all Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) databases published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and any Letters of Map Revision (LOMRs) that have been issued against those databases since their publication date. It is updated on a monthly basis. The FIRM Database is the digital, geospatial version of the flood hazard information shown on the published paper FIRMs. The FIRM Database depicts flood risk information and supporting data used to develop the risk data. The primary risk classifications used are the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood event, and areas of minimal flood risk. The FIRM Database is derived from Flood Insurance Studies (FISs), previously published FIRMs, flood hazard analyses performed in support of the FISs and FIRMs, and new mapping data, where available. The FISs and FIRMs are published by FEMA. The NFHL is available as State or US Territory data sets. Each State or Territory data set consists of all FIRM Databases and corresponding LOMRs available on the publication date of the data set. The specification for the horizontal control of FIRM Databases is consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:12,000. This file is georeferenced to the Earth's surface using the Coordinate System North American Datum of 1983, State Plane Meters.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019.
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The protected and recreational open space datalayer contains the boundaries of conservation lands and outdoor recreational facilities in Massachusetts. The associated database contains relevant information about each parcel, including ownership, level of protection, public accessibility, assessor’s map and lot numbers, and related legal interests held on the land, including conservation restrictions. Conservation and outdoor recreational facilities owned by federal, state, county, municipal, and nonprofit enterprises are included in this datalayer. Not all lands in this layer are protected in perpetuity, though nearly all have at least some level of protection.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">Although the initial data collection effort for this data layer has been completed, open space changes continually and this data layer is therefore considered to be under development. Additionally, due to the collaborative nature of this data collection effort, the accuracy and completeness of open space data varies across the state’s municipalities. Attributes, while comprehensive in scope, may be incomplete for many parcels.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The OpenSpace layer includes two feature classes:</SPAN></P><UL><LI><P><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">OPENSPACE_POLY </SPAN><SPAN>- polygons of recreational and conservation lands as described above</SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">OPENSPACE_ARC </SPAN><SPAN>- attributed lines that represent boundaries of the polygons</SPAN></P></LI></UL><P><SPAN>These feature classes are stored in an ArcSDE feature dataset named </SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">OPENSPACE </SPAN><SPAN>that includes ArcGIS geodatabase topology. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;">OPENSPACE_POLY </SPAN><SPAN>- The following types of land are included in this datalayer:</SPAN></P><UL><LI><P><SPAN>conservation land- habitat protection with minimal recreation, such as walking trails </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>recreation land- outdoor facilities such as town parks, commons, playing fields, school fields, golf courses, bike paths, scout camps, and fish and game clubs. These may be privately or publicly owned facilities. </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>town forests </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>parkways - green buffers along roads, if they are a recognized conservation resource </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>agricultural land- land protected under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) and administered by the state Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR, formerly the Dept. of Food and Agriculture (DFA)) </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>aquifer protection land - not zoning overlay districts </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>watershed protection land - not zoning overlay districts </SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>cemeteries - if a recognized conservation or recreation resource</SPAN></P></LI><LI><P><SPAN>forest land -- if designated as a Forest Legacy Area</SPAN></P></LI></UL></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: MassGIS, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN><SPAN>The Priority Habitats of Rare Species datalayer contains polygons representing the geographic extent of Habitat of state-listed rare species in Massachusetts based on observations documented within the last 25 years in the database of the </SPAN></SPAN><A href="http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/natural-heritage/"><SPAN>Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program</SPAN></A><SPAN>(NHESP). Priority Habitat polygons are the filing trigger for project proponents, municipalities, and all others for determining whether or not a proposed project or activity must be reviewed by the NHESP for compliance with the (MESA) and its implementing regulations. Areas delineated as Priority Habitats can include wetlands, uplands, and marine habitats. The Priority Habitats presented here are part of the 14th Edition of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage Atlas, and are effective beginning </SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;"><SPAN>August 1, 2017</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>If your project or activity falls within Priority Habitat and does not meet a MESA filing exemption (321 CMR 10.14), then you must file directly with the NHESP pursuant to MESA. For more information, please see www.mass.gov/dfw/nhesp/regulatory-review.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>The Priority Habitats of Rare Species datalayer is stored in ArcSDE as </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;"><SPAN>PRIHAB_POLY</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Priority Habitats were digitized by NHESP scientists from documented observations of state-listed rare species and are based on such factors as reported species movements and known habitat requirements. The polygons were heads-up digitized in ArcGIS 10x and referenced to </SPAN></SPAN><A href="http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/it-serv-and-support/application-serv/office-of-geographic-information-massgis/datalayers/colororthos2005.html"><SPAN><SPAN>MassGIS 2013/14 Color Orthos</SPAN></SPAN></A></P><P><SPAN>Occurrence records are continually being added, updated, deleted or otherwise modified in the NHESP database. These changes are incorporated into revisions to the Priority Habitats of Rare Species datalayer every four years.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Questions about the creation of this datalayer and its use should be directed to NHESP at 508-389-6360 or natural.heritage@state.ma.us.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, MassGIS
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><P><SPAN>Critical Natural Landscape complements Core Habitat and includes large natural Landscape Blocks that provide habitat for wide-ranging native species, support intact ecological processes, maintain connectivity among habitats, and enhance ecological resilience; and includes buffering uplands around coastal, wetland, and aquatic Core Habitats to ensure their long-term integrity.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: The BioMap2 data layers were produced by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Massachusetts Program of The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>Core Habitat is critical to the long-term persistence of rare species and other Species of Conservation Concern, as well as a wide diversity of natural communities and intact ecosystems across the Commonwealth.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: The BioMap2 data layers were produced by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Massachusetts Program of The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>An ACEC nomination is usually prepared by citizens and communities and involves extensive public input and discussion. Public outreach and community meetings help inform citizens about the nomination review process, and identify local and regional goals for resource management of the area. A nomination describes the area’s natural and cultural resources and its ecological relationships; discusses potential benefits of and reasons for designation; identifies goals and objectives for stewardship; describes the process of public outreach and education prior to submitting the nomination; and proposes a potential ACEC boundary to the Secretary for public review. For more details click this link: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/acec-program-overview</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>For extensive detail of each ACEC, browse to https://www.mass.gov/lists/acec-designations and click on the individually named list of ACECs.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) administers the ACEC Program on behalf of the Secretary of Environmental Affairs.