Progress 08/01/08 to 06/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The goal of RGIS-Great Lakes for FY2008 was to develop and disseminate spatial information technologies to assist Wisconsin's transition to a "bioeconomy." Several information resources were developed, along with specific geospatial analyses to support bioenergy policy. Biofuels Facility Siting Website: The "Sites and Sources" website provides information such as feedstock sources, infrastructure, and environmental constraints. This portion was done in collaboration with the Center for Community Economic Development, University of Wisconsin-Extension (see http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/bioeconomy/). The Biofuels Exchange Website: This is a "craigslist" type mechanism for exchange of biomass materials. It provides tools to link producers and users, along with spatial query support (radius searches and transportation routes). Both regular producers (e.g., wood processing mills) and occasional producers (e.g., loggers involved in non-commercial tree-thinning operations) are accommodated (see http://biomap.wisc.edu/Biofuels_dev/index.phpID=Biomass). To provide a long-term home for these sites, we arranged for the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative and the Energy Center of Wisconsin to take the site and manage it in the future. Marginal Land Analysis: We conducted a statewide analysis of marginal land capable of producing bioenergy crops. Open land (not forested, not developed, not currently in agricultural production) was identified through satellite image processing. This was combined with information about soils, topography, and wetlands to determine where bioenergy crops such as switchgrass or short-rotation woody species (e.g., hybrid willows) could be grown. We have also analyzed the converse - land currently in annual row crop production that is highly erodible and, from an environmental perspective, would be better off in a permanent cover such as a dedicated bioenergy crop. Aggregation Facility Siting: We provided technical assistance to the University of Wisconsin-Madison power plant operators in locating a site or sites outside of Madison for aggregating and processing biofuels. They are converting UW-Madison heat and steam boilers to operate on biofuels within two years, and need sites outside of Madison to manage large volumes of material. Several spatial criteria including site conditions, rail access, and potential fuel sources were used to identify and recommend suitable sites. Standards and Guidelines for Safe and Sustainable Production of Biofuels on Marginal Land: While the use of marginal land for bioenergy crops obviates "food vs. fuels" arguments, these lands are environmentally sensitive and, in many cases, generating other ecosystem benefits. We are leading a group of scientists and public agency staff in an effort to create standards and guidelines to mitigate negative consequences of bringing these lands into production, including fostering research where specific quantitative information is not available to provide numeric values or thresholds. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Steve Ventura, Tom McClintock, Amy Seeboth, Asli Gocmen, Math Heinzel, Cassandra Garcia, Matt Kures, Joe Wolter; Partner Organizations: Center for Community Economic Development, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Department of Soil Science, six rural towns in Vernon County WI, Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection; Training: Land Information and Computer Graphics facility provides about 12 short courses (1 - 3 days) in geographic information systems annually. TARGET AUDIENCES: The web resources were developed for communities, energy entrepreneurs, and regulators. The site has not been live long enough to know how these information resources are being used. The marginal lands analysis has been used by state executive and legislative agencies in state energy policy development. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Facilities Planning and Management used the aggregation and processing site analysis in the design of a model for power plant fuel logistics. Five of the six rural towns that participated in the GIS planning exercises successfully developed a comprehensive land use plan. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Bioenergy - Both the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection have keen interest in the standards and guidelines for safe and sustainable bioenergy crop production. We have developed a Memorandum of Understanding with these agencies that will continue the guidelines development effort and disseminate the standards to the broader community potentially affected by them. The analyses of statewide marginal lands will be a key component in developing statewide bioenergy information policy; In particular, the Governor's Office of Energy Independence and State Legislature staff have requesting information and map products from these analyses. The maps provide a basis for people to know potential areas for bioenergy crop production from farm to county scales, while county and statewide statistics provide entrepreneurs a basis for decision-making. Land Use Plannng - The development of comprehensive land use is an (unfunded) state mandate which would have cost each town in the Kickapoo Valley upwards of $50,000 to hire a consultant. Instead, we were able to guide the towns through the process, resulting in much better public participation, more detailed plans, and better community support. Local Government Support - We have continued our training program with a short course program of about forty courses per year. These are mostly oriented around GIS software training in a broad range of applications. We continue to maintain several Web resources, including those mentioned above, the Community Planning Resource website to support comprehensive land use planning in Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Buffers Initiative website dedicated to information used in the development of state agricultural nonpoint source pollution policy. We continue to provide significant direct technical assistance to county and tribal governments, and disseminate RGIS-related information at state and national meetings such as the Wisconsin Land Information Association, ESRI Users Group, and URISA.
Publications
- Gocmen, Z.A., and S.J. Ventura (2010). Challenges to GIS Use in Planning: The Case of Public Planning Agencies in Wisconsin. Journal of the American Planning Association. 76(2):172-183.
- Gocman, Z. A., S.J. Ventura and A. Seeboth. 2010. Geospatial Data Issues in Wisconsin Public Planning Agencies. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Publication G3872-03
- Gocman, Z. A., S.J. Ventura and A. Seeboth. 2009. GIS Training: A Guide for Wisconsin Public Planning Agencies. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Publication G3872-02
- Arrington, K.E. and S.J. Ventura. (2010). Modeling and Mapping Soil Infiltration Rates in Dane County, WI. ESRI Southeast Regional User Group Conference Proceedings, 2010. April 26-28, 2010, Charlotte NC.
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Progress 08/01/08 to 07/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The overall goal of RGIS-Great Lakes for the FY2008 project was to develop and disseminate spatial information technologies to assist Wisconsin's transition to a "bioeconomy." A bioeconomy is based on renewable feedstocks as raw material. To ensure sustainability of bioeconomy activities that involve and affect rural communities and resources, several information resources were developed. Biofuels Facility Siting Website: This started as an effort to create a website to assist communities, entrepreneurs, regulators and other stakeholders in the location and evaluation of potential sites for biofuels production facilities. The "Sites and Sources" website provides information such as feedstock sources, infrastructure, and environmental constraints. This portion was done in collaboration with the Center for Community Economic Development, University of Wisconsin-Extension (see http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/bioeconomy/). The Biofuels Exchange Website: This is a "craigslist" type mechanism for exchange of biomass materials. It provides tools to link producers and users, along with spatial query support (radius searches and transportation routes). Both regular producers (e.g., wood processing mills) and occasional producers (e.g., loggers involved in non-commercial tree-thinning operations) are accommodated (see http://biomap.wisc.edu/Biofuels_dev/index.phpID=Biomass). Marginal Land Analysis: We conducted a statewide analysis of marginal land capable of producing bioenergy crops. Open land (not forested, not developed, not currently in agricultural production) was identified through satellite image processing. This was combined with information about soils, topography, and wetlands to determine where bioenergy crops such as switchgrass or short-rotation woody species (e.g., hybrid willows) could be grown. Aggregation Facility Siting: We are providing technical assistance to the University of Wisconsin-Madison power plant operators in locating a site or sites outside of Madison for aggregating and processing biofuels. They will be converting UW-Madison heat and steam boilers to operate on biofuels within two years, and need sites outside of Madison to manage large volumes of material. Several spatial criteria including site conditions, rail access, and potential fuel sources were used to identify and recommend suitable sites. Standards and Guidelines for Safe and Sustainable Production of Biofuels on Marginal Land: While the use of marginal land for bioenergy crops obviates "food vs. fuels" arguments, these lands are environmentally sensitive and, in many cases, generating other ecosystem benefits. We are leading a group of scientists and public agency staff in an effort to create standards and guidelines to mitigate negative consequences of bringing these lands into production, including fostering research where specific quantitative information is not available to provide numeric values or thresholds. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Tom McClintock (Senior Outreach Specialist, LICGF) - training coordinator and instructor; Math Heinzel (Senior Information Processing Technician, LICGF) - software development and maintenance; Dan Capacio (Program Assistant II, LICGF) - FACETS program management and coordination; Nancy Wiegand (Senior Scientist, LICGF) - semantic interoperability research; Cassandra Garcia (Graduate Assistant, LICGF) - bioenergy website data acquisition and integration; Maggie Grabow (Graduate Assistant, SAGE) - FACETS operations and arrangements; Kyle Minks (Student Hourly, LICGF) - marginal lands analysis ground-truthing; Bevin Moeller (Student Hourly, LICGF) - power plant facility siting characterization; Joseph Wolter (Programmer, Soil Science) - biomass commodity exchange site development and coding; Jim Beaudoin (Programmer, APL) - bioenergy sites and sources interactive web mapping development. Collaborators: Wisconsin Focus on Energy, Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Department of Administration, Valley Stewardship Network, Vernon County Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Town of Union, Town of Stark, Town of Forest, Town of Clinton, Town of Whitestown, Town of Webster, Village of LaFarge. TARGET AUDIENCES: The National Consortium for Rural Geospatial Innovations in America (RGIS) was created to help bring the benefits of geographic information systems and related spatial information technologies to rural and tribal America. Eight sites across the United States conduct projects and technology transfer activities in their regions to support a common mission. The entire group has several collective activities such as a website, technical bulletin series, software evaluation, and Train-the-Trainer workshops. Each site contributes unique expertise and the experience from regional activities to the collective accomplishments of the organization. The overall mission of RGIS is: To eliminate the digital divide facing rural America by promoting the transfer of geospatial technologies to under-served rural areas by: 1) providing geospatial tools, technologies, and training to empower local governments, organizations, and citizens to understand and participate in decisions that affect their environment, economy, and quality of life; 2) educating and training a cadre of people to apply geospatial technologies to rural issues; 3) supporting the development of appropriate local land information systems as well as linkage to and cooperation with regional, state, and national land information systems. The activities of the RGIS sites include technical assistance in GIS implementation; pilot project demonstrations; data automation and database development; consultation and advice for local and tribal governments; software evaluation and development; model development; software and GIS application training; satellite telecasts; educational video production; public conferences and other professional presentations; technical and lay audience publications; and provision of information and technical resources through the RGIS website. The RGIS website is maintained by RGIS-CPSU. The website now has almost 200 downloadable information resources, including bulletins, reports, education modules and RGIS documentation such as annual reports. The printed bulletin series will be available while stocks remain, and thereafter bulletins will be available in .pdf electronic format only. We believe that RGIS has been effective in its goal of assisting agencies and organizations deal with land-related issues in rural America through implementation and use of advanced geospatial information technologies. As a result, we have helped improve the quality of life, environmental health, and economic competitiveness of rural communities. Today, local units of government are building key components of the information-technology infrastructure. RGIS helps disseminate innovative solutions from region to region and bridges local efforts with those of state and national agencies, such as the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. RGIS helps citizens in rural areas implement and apply geospatial technologies to the many land use, resource protection, and economic development decisions involved in creating sustainable rural communities. RGIS is bringing the benefits of the information age to rural America, where land is fundamental to resource-dependent economies and ways of life. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Bioenergy - Both the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection have keen interest in the standards and guidelines for safe and sustainable bioenergy crop production. We are currently negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding to finish this development effort and disseminate the standards to the broader community potentially affected by them. The analysis of statewide marginal lands will be a key component of this process, letting people know affected areas from farm to county scales. The "craigslist" biofuel exchange site is currently entering beta testing; we have had numerous indications that people are awaiting its official release so they can begin using it. We have also had, and will respond to, a request from entrepreneurs to include a section for posting of products and services related to bioenergy and biofuels. Land Use Plannng - The development of comprehensive land use is an (unfunded) state mandate which would have cost each town in the Kickapoo Valley upwards of $50,000 to hire a consultant. Instead, we were able to guide the towns through the process, resulting in much better public participation, more detailed plans, and better community support. Local Government Support - We have continued our training program with a short course program of about forty courses per year. These are mostly oriented around GIS software training in a broad range of applications. We continue to maintain several Web resources, including those mentioned above, the Community Planning Resource website to support comprehensive land use planning in Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Buffers Initiative website dedicated to information used in the development of state agricultural nonpoint source pollution policy. We continue to provide significant direct technical assistance to county and tribal governments, and disseminate RGIS-related information at state and national meetings such as the Wisconsin Land Information Association, ESRI Users Group, and URISA.
Publications
- Chi, G., and S.J. Ventura 2010, "A Spatio-temporal Examination of Population Change: Demographics, Livability, Accessibility, Desirability, and Developability." Population and Environment. in review.
- Gocmen, Z.A., and S.J. Ventura 2010. "Challenges to GIS Use in Planning: The Case of Public Planning Agencies in Wisconsin." Journal of the American Planning Association. in press.
- Niemann, B.J., S.J. Ventura, D. D. Moyer, R.E. Chenoweth. 2009. Planning Analyst. about 400 pages, ESRI Press, Redlands CA.
- Gocman, Z. A., S.J. Ventura and A. Seeboth. 2008. "GIS Use in Wisconsin's Public Planning Agencies." University of Wisconsin-Extension, Publication G3872
- Grabow, M., J. Sledge, S. Spak, A. Mednick, T. Holloway, B. Stone, S. Ventura, and J. Patz 2009. "Co-Benefits to Health and the Environment of Bicycling in Cities." Center for Biodiversity and Conservation's Fourteenth Annual Spring Symposium, April 2-3, New York, NY.
- Jesse, E., editor, 2009. "Status of Wisconsin Agriculture, 2009." Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin Extension, 49 pages (RGIS pages: 38-39, 46-47).
- Moltz, H.L., D.J. Ockerman, V.L. Lopes, W. Rast, and SJ. Ventura, 2010. "A Hydrologic Modeling Approach for Assessing Sediment Management in the Santa Fe Watershed." Journal of the American Water Resources Association. in review
- Moltz, H.L., V.L. Lopes, W. Rast, S.J. Ventura 2009. "A Hydrologic-Economic Analysis of Best Management Practices for Sediment Control in the Santa Fe Watershed, New Mexico. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. in press.
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