Quarterly Update | April 2017 EnviroAtlas Update Bulletin Keep up with the latest in EnviroAtlas news IN THIS UPDATE • National Data Additions | Conservation Reserve Program, Recreation Demand, Impaired Waters • New Communities | Minneapolis / St. Paul & Cleveland • Eco-Health Relationship Browser Update • NEW Interactive Map | Coming Soon | Sign up to beta-test! New Data Available EnviroAtlas has multiple new data sets available, including national data on impaired waters and two new EnviroAtlas communities, » Search and sort a full list of EnviroAtlas data layers. Conservation Reserve Program Data EnviroAtlas now includes a data layer showing approximate acres of land within each sub- watershed (12-digit HUC) enrolled in the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The CRP is a land conservation program that provides financial incentives to farmers to not use sensitive lands for agricultural production and instead plant beneficial species. ¦ >1000 ------- Recreation Demand The four national recreation demand layers are based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation (2011) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Visitor Use Monitoring survey. These layers are available for the contiguous U.S. and summarized by subwatershed (12-digit-HUC). • Big game hunting recreation demand • Bird watching recreation demand • Freshwater fishing recreation demand • Migratory bird hunting recreation demand (pictured) Used together or independently, these maps can help identify the estimated demand for recreational activity to inform decisions about land conservation for hunting, fishing, or bird watching. EPA Impaired Waters Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify water bodies that do not support state designated clean water uses, such as fishing, irrigation, industrial uses, or drinking water supply, due to pollution or other impairments. Several maps available in EnviroAtlas show a range of different impairment types, summarized by 12-digit-HUC. Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream Stream length length length length length length length length length length mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa mpa red by mercury (km) red by metals other than mercury (km) red by nuisance species (km) red by nutrients (km) red by organic enrichment or oxygen depletion (km) red by pathogens (km) red by pesticides (km) red by pH, acidity, or caustic conditions (km) red by sediment or turbidity (km) red for temperature (km) The Clean Water Act calls for states to develop plans for restoring their impaired waterbodies. Information about the extent and causes of impairments could guide projects for improving water quality or inform decisions about how best to use water resources. » Explore these new data layers in our Interactive Map. New Community Areas In addition to over 300 data layers available at the national extent for the contiguous U.S, EnviroAtlas now has a total of 18 communities in the Interactive Map. Each community has roughly 100 fine-scale metrics calculated for the area, plus a 1-meter resolution land cover product. The latest community additions are Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota and Cleveland, Ohio. ------- Minneapolis / Saint Paul, MN The Minneapolis / St. Paul community area includes the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area and portions of Andover, Ham Lake, and Ramsey counties. Image: Percent of busy roadway bordered by < 25 percent tree buffer, by census block group. Blue indicates a higher percentage of busy roadways that have low tree buffer. Populations in these block groups may have greater exposure to near-road air pollution. Percent of busy roadway Bordered by < 25 percent tree buffer [J 0.0-47.2 ¦ 47 3-62.6 | 62.7-748 | 74.9-86.8 ¦ 86.9-1000 » Read the Minneapolis / St. Paul community summary fact sheet Cleveland, OH The Cleveland, Ohio community area encompasses all or most of almost 90 municipalities. Image: Percent green space within 1/4 square kilometer. This data layer can be used to identify neighborhoods that have a high level of green space overall and underserved neighborhoods that may benefit from green space enhancement. » Read the Cleveland community summary fact sheet Eco-Health Relationship Browser Update The Eco-Health Relationship Browser is an easy-to-use relational browser that illustrates scientific evidence for linkages between human health and ecosystem services. We have updated the content in the Browser, which now has evidence from the literature through 2014. The update to include relevant literature published in 2015 and 2016 is already underway. ------- Bibliography Eco-Health Relationship Browser: Public Health Linkages to Ecosystem Services Topics: Air Quality Click a topic bubble or choose a topic from the dropdown list above. Hover over linkages (+) to view the relationship between elements. Details Description: Air Quality As industry, urbanization, and use of motor vehicles have increased, so too has the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere- Forests and other green spaces can reduce the atmospheric concentrations of many of these pollutants, including those regulated under the U.S. Clean Air Act: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Due to their significant negative health effects, their natural removal, dilution, or displacement can protect public health. In heavily populated areas, even small air-quality improvements from tree cover are estimated to significantly reduce incidence and severity of respiratory and related illnesses, as well as reduce health-care costs and days missed from work and school. Vegetation can also increase air pollution through the production of pollen, fungal spores, and volatile organic compounds, which contribute to ozone formation. Image: Air Quality and its linkages to a range of health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, low birth weight, and cognitive function. Coming Soon New Interactive Mapping Application The EnviroAtlas Team is working on a new mapping application that will replace the current Interactive Map. Release of the new mapping application is tentatively scheduled for early summer. Features to look forward to in the new EnviroAtlas Interactive Map include the following: • Improved performance and speed • Easier to use • Compatibility with mobile devices • Save Session option will let users save their maps and return to them later • Greater analysis capability and tools The new mapping application will still be under development following its release. We need your feedback to improve its usefulness and functionality. Contact us to become an official beta tester. **NOTE: EnviroAtlas web sea'ices will be removed and replaced as we migrate to the new mapping application. Check https://www.epa.aov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-web-services for the latest details. ------- |