GIS Applications in Outdoor Recreation Planning Sergio Capozzi SORP President

GIS Applications In Outdoor Recreation Planning Sergio Capozzi SORP President

Brenda Adams-Weyant SORP Association Manager

www.RecPro.org Providing National Leadership and Services for Advancing the Outdoor Recreation Profession Our Speakers

Charlynne T. Smith, GISP North Carolina State University Research Associate Ph.D. Candidate

Chelsey Walden-Schreiner, M.S. North Carolina State University Research Associate

Darin Dinsmore, MLA, RPP, MCIP, OALA, APA, ASLA Crowdbrite CEO, Urban Planner & Landscape Architect Webinar Outline

• Part 1: • Overview of GIS in Recreation Planning • New Developments in Participatory GIS and Volunteered Geographic Information • Application Examples • Participant Poll – ask the audience • Part 2: • Assessing Needs and Tools • Specialized Application Examples • Q&A • Part 3: • Crowdbrite Examples • Q&A • Part 4: • Discussion and Wrap-Up • Final Questions Recreation Resource Planning

Recreation resource planning is the application of analytical tools to a systematic and deliberate process of decision making about the future management of recreation resources and recreation opportunities. Recreation planning is a rational systematic decision-making process, and as such it is a fundamental tool that deters our human tendencies to make decisions based on predisposition, bias, inadequate analysis, group-think, insular perspective, resistance to change, and excessive self- confidence. It results in decisions that are more effective, efficient, fair, reasoned, and defensible. Principles

• Recreation Resource Publics: Recreation resource planning must try to engage and hear from all the diverse publics who value the recreation resource. The easily recognizable publics are often labeled visitors, local business, land owners and communities, but there may also be equally important publics who vicariously value the resource, ...

• Collaboration: The meaningful engagement and exchange with the public is essential throughout the planning process. Collaboration results in a clearer definition of public values, more creative alternatives, more reasoned and reasonable decisions, and a constituency that becomes better informed and committed to the plan and its implementation. Principles

• Science-Informed Planning: It is both a legal requirement and professional imperative to duly consider the best available science and expertise in the planning process and the plan’s implementation.

• Comprehensive and Integrated: Recreation planning should consider other significant natural and cultural resources, uses, demands, and values in an integrated and comprehensive fashion. Functional planning, whereby one resource is planned for in a vacuum from other resources, is not appropriate and contrary to comprehensive and integrated planning. Recreation Planning

• Requires data to inform • Knowledgeable participants in the process • The mix of data for the decision-making process is broad and may be viewed or analyzed through any number of methods • Methods of data collection varies: tabular, comments, maps, in person, online, anonymous… • Today’s Discussion – Understanding available options and selecting what is appropriate to meet your needs.

Best Practices in Outdoor Recreation Planning

Smith, C., Walden-Schreiner, C., & Leung, Y.-F. (forthcoming). Participatory GIS in recreation resource planning. In: Baas, J., & Burns, R. (eds.), Best Practices in Recreation Resource Planning: A Resource Guide for Planners. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) • Participatory planning & management • public involvement • stakeholder input • Public PGIS • Focus on marginalized groups • Group Spatial Decision Support System

PGIS in Africa for resource management http://www.idrc.ca Web 2.0: changing how we engage

• Beyond one-way communication • not only retrieve but contribute • Delivery via web browser • simple user interface • software • storage Trends: Cultural, Organizational

• Web 2.0 & Neogeography • Prevalence of user-generated content, location-based services, cloud computing • Users as Contributors • mapping is ubiquitous: mobile phones, web sites, vehicles • Changing Technologies • Mapping of the qualitative environment • Give voice to the unspoken • Role of Cartographer: map creator to facilitator Citizens as Sensors

• Mapping – cartography, geography – typically been the role of the government, professionally trained • Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) • Using the Web to create, assemble, and disseminate geographic information provided voluntarily by individuals • Citizen Science • Data collection and visualization methods surrounding public input Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)

• Research article: Elwood and Goodchild presented an inventory of VGI to illustrate trends. Results represent – Paradigmatic shift in how geographic data is: • created • shared (consumed) • And by whom • Technical and social processes through which VGI is produced – Methods for using data in research – Emerging social and political concerns VGI Examples Using Existing Resources Google Map – The Basics I Bike Fresno • Non-profit tech company that specializes in developing free and open source software for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping. • “Build tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories.” • “Disruptive organization that is willing to take risks in the pursuit of changing the traditional way that information flows.”

22 GIS and related mapping tools in support of public participation in recreation planning process

Planning Purpose Method Examples of Tools Process Output Inform / Educate Web-based Online maps: (data, results, Paper-based . Interactive maps with maps) Mobile applications user input (location based) Static maps: showing results, • Products of plans (e.g. PDF image) Input (data Supplement data Web-based, paper- Passive: GPS tracking collection) / representative based, mobile of park visitors input Trained: recorded behavior from observing visitor activity

Crowdsource: reporting conditions, sharing ideas, describing values From SORP: Recreation Resource Planning Webinar Participant Poll

1. Have you used these or similar tools to gather data? 2. If yes, how useful was the data gathered? 3. What barriers prohibit your agency from to using these tools or gathering useful data? 4. How does your agency use technology to connect with and engage visitors? 5. How do you attempt outreach to difficult to reach populations? 6. Has your agency ever used a community based planning process? Technology Assessment

• Decision to adopt a method, process, particular technology • Disregarding the capacity to implement technology, such as participatory tools, can lead to • inappropriate design of tools (usability) • tools that are costly to develop and maintain • tools that may not be used appropriately in meeting goals • Understand Capacity through Assessment • Hard technologies – (infrastructure, hardware, software platforms) • Soft technologies – (humans – staff & user skills, abilities and experiences) Assessment: Define Your Purpose

• What do you want to accomplish? • Define Agency needs • Define Customer (audience) needs Assessment: Define the Audience

• Recognizing the Target Audience • Understanding Capacity to Accept and Use the Technology • Purpose of the tool • Meeting needs of audience User Capacity

Customer View Agency View

• I can point and click • We push out hardcopy maps

• I can enter information • We provide interactive relevant to me and get interface, but only offer customized response locational type information

• I am a registered user • We have an interface for two (collaborator) to provide way information flow and a important information to backend system of data the agency collection Level of Engagement

Customer View Agency View • I retrieve information • I disseminate information • (one way: agency to via web map (Inform) customer) • I provide information • I retrieve information about customers, how they use • (one way: customer to agency) our facilities

• We discuss information • I seek information and respond to what they • (two-way: My input is heard and acted upon) provide through discussion / feedback loops Capacity for Implementation: Outline Resources / Needs

• If you build it will they come? • User Capacity (target audience / customer) • Agency Capacity (for implementation and maintenance) • Consider SWOT analysis in this assessment • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats Spectrum of Engagement and Capacity Charlynne T. Smith, 2013

No Capacity Desktop Web‐Mapping / InteractiveApplications (examples) GIS Proprietary: Customized Map: OVNHT Crowd Mapping: data Map Collaborator:

High ArcMap collection uploads & discussion feedback Capacity

Google Map: routing Post Photos, Add Comments Medium

Free: Google Map: featured Park Scan: user input ArcExplorer locations with feedback Implementation Low

One‐Way One‐Way Two‐Way Capacity Indicators: includes hard Communication: Retrieve Communication: Communication: Share technology characteristics (software Information Provide Information and Discuss platform), and “soft” technology of human Information characteristics (staff/user skill & experience) Level of User Interaction

Engagement The diagonal arrow across the spectrum represents complexity for implementation. As capacity increases with the level of engagement, higher levels of developer skill, cost to maintain and support are required. Two-Way Communication

San Francisco Park Scan Two-Way Information Exchange Full Engagement

http://www.mapsportal.org/mapcollab_anza/ Full Engagement

trail edits photo upload Full Engagement

data upload Full Engagement Specialized Applications

• Designed to collect user input • Reporting conditions • Providing feedback • Created for a specific event, over a period of time Participation Prism Use Existing Resources

Advanced PGIS

• Landscape Values and PGIS Institute (www.landscapevalues.org) • Parks Victoria (Australia) collected data in a 2009 study • Visitor experiences • Perceived environmental impacts in national parks and historic areas for the Greater Alpine Region • Online tool for participants to place markers to identify experiences

Brown and Weber, 2011

Wyoming Social Mapping (pgis) THE SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN WYOMING- Important Places, Development, and Natural Resource Management

Pocewicz, A., R. Schnitzer, M. Nielsen‐Pincus (2010) The social geography of southern Wyoming: important places, development, and natural resource management, The Nature Conservancy, Lander, WY, 16pp. Available at www.nature.org/wyoscience Field Mapping of Visitor Use in Yosemite Valley Meadows

• Over 4 million recreation visits recorded in 2011 – majority located in Yosemite Valley • Concentration of visitors subjects the natural resources to intense use pressures • A visitor use mapping study was implemented in 2011 in three meadows of Yosemite Valley to examine visitor use patterns

Summary & Discussion

• Volunteered Geographic Information • What information is “out there” that can inform our planning efforts? • How valid is that data? • How do you use it?

• Participatory applications • Existing tools, resources we can use to gather data • Specialized tools designed for engagement • Utilizing trained volunteers and scientific methods of monitoring to collect data to inform our planning Considerations

• PGIS data (especially crowdsourced data) represent only one type of public input in the planning process

• Collection can be efficient and data seem widely representative

• Sole reliance of crowdsourced data may risk ignoring important public voices not being heard through these methods.

• Consider limitation due to unequal access to the technology and social media Questions?

Type questions in the QUESTION pane of the Control Panel. New GIS Tools SMART • Strategic • Meaningful • Actionable • Responsive • Timely (Together) • Improve Team Collaboration • Enhance Agency Coordination • Streamlined Project Delivery Participatory Mapping

Ongoing online and event outreach

 Open house  Workshop  Online Workshop  “go to them” Engage

 Build on your work to-date including valuable GIS mapping and meeting results

 Easily replicate your open house and workshop process online

 Extend your reach in underserved communities + provide more convenient access

 Capture + organize all ideas during the workshop

 Prioritize actions in real time and discuss important next steps expand Your Reach  Online Open House for 4-6 weeks after initial workshop

 New Participants and Workshop attendees can add ideas at their

convenience  Build on your meetings with additional opportunities for

feedback Participatory GIS Overview

A “high touch + high tech” method that helps build trusting relationships

A hands-on approach to engaging underserved populations through targeted outreach and “go-to-them” strategies

 Reduce number of meetings  Improve productivity  Demonstrate action  Celebrate success Crowdbrite System CB Touch Interactive Maps

• Fast, responsive, mobile first • Embed & connect social media • Embed in social media • Attach multimedia • Attach polls • Provide a new generation of visitor intelligence (Track every view, hover, click, share) • Go where people are Facebook, Twitter, Youtube www.parkplanapp.net www.connectlemongrove.com

7 local problem solving fun + interactive Gaming & Tradeoff Decisions Regional Trails & Bikeways Capital Improvement Program Agency + Partner Workshop work in teams Solve Problems • Work in teams on-site and off-site • Quickly organize and capture all ideas • Prioritize ideas, add sketches and drawings • Go mobile, participate from anywhere • Multiple reporting options • Continue the conversation online

ReviewReview ++ Comment LikeLike youryour FavoriteFavorite

Post your ideas! crowdsourced Sustainability Maps meaningful information BIG DATA

Comparative analysis • Synthesize data •Compare results across neighborhoods, and teams mind the San Francisco Demographic GAP Dynamic Process • Ongoing online and event outreach • Open houses • Workshops • Online workshops • “go to them” strategies

Who lives here? Wyoming State Parks - rural communities Participation Choices Wyoming State Parks - Overview Participation Choices

• 19 State Parks, Trails & Historic Sites • How might we improve them + where? • Reduced the number of meetings to 6 combined with 60 day online campaign • State Director made a video that welcomed online participation, used Facebook & Email

Start Posting Ideas on Maps! Wyoming State Parks - Lessons

• Use Real time functionality for focus groups and stakeholders – 10 -15 at a time • Create Interactive webinars – start with presentation then real time brainstorming on maps • Always have real time curation (map Captain) • Now use CB Touch draft plan check in • Get the kids involved! USFS – Francis Marion Recreation Preferences Give a voice to Stakeholders and the public

Favorite Places

Goals Create an interactive map to understand user preferred places.

Objectives 1)

Legend

0 Weetee state forest On the Forest

0 A particular place would be any trails we can go as a family. Camping on the Santee River is an annual event Off the Forest for us.

Unsure

WK On Forest

0 MacConnell's landing Santee river WK Off Forest 0 Quimby Boatlanding

1 1 0 Pitch landing Whole forest Red cockaded woodpecker and longleaf pine. 0 0 Wambaw Creek wilderness McConnells Landing

0 0 Somerset Point Duarte Creek

0 1 1 Where ever there are turkeys Open savannahs Canoe and kayak trail with overnight camping, southeast coast saltwater paddling trail

0 1 Hampton State Park The Carolina Bay areas!

0 Santee Delta Wildlife Management 0 Area 0 Morgan Creek bog 1 2 0 Heritage and historic sites Hellhole area for dog hunting Open longleaf stands with diverse Sandy forest road trails 3 plant community within understory There are old cycle trails here that would be nice to re-open

0 Ackerman road nice place to hunt 0 quail ( dont burn both sides at once) 2 Highway 402 from hwy 52 to 41 Boggy head rifle range 1 0 0 MFN bike trail anywhere, ground trail Boating, fishing, crabbing MTn biking for family riding in fmnf

Wambaw Cycle Trail 0 0 Still landing Any location in the forest with carnivorous plants

1 0 0 0 Deer hunting More campsites for OHV, horse and 0 HugerLanding Wambaw creek canoe bike location for new mountain biking trails - terrain dependant - SOMEWHERE trail OUT IN THE WILDERNESS...... 1 Santee Coastal Preserve

1 Mepkin Monastary 1 Wambaw swamp hunting the wildlife openings 0 0 Red cockaded woodpeper More access to open roads.

0 2 Ponds at tidwin Tibwin is one of my favorite places, great birding 0

0 0 St. James Santee Chapel Strawberry Chapel Hwy 42 at santee exp. station 0 carnivorous plants

0 0 Shooting with kids Upland habitat with a burn within 2-3 years for quail hunting 0 four corners stead creek and halfway creek roads

1 0 Florida bay and other deprssional Wad boo Creek leading to cooper wetlands 0 river 0 Bonneau ferry WMA Awendaw Savannah on FR 225 North of Hwy 17 0 0 Road bike road around fmnf Long leaf pine forests, particularly young dry site near wither bee and bethera 0 East branch of the Cooper River 1 0 swamp fox passage Buckhall 0 0 Connect locations, people with nature, Wambaw landing all over charleston county, from ace basin to yawkey 0

Twin ponds rifle range 0 0 0 0 All Carolina Bays The dirt dash half mararthon Dog swamp 0 Cape Romain National Wanamaker north, bike trail, mountain WIldlife Refuge biking

4 0 0 Nicholson pond Back boat ramp east of Gillard Lake off pitch road. Swamp area Awendaw Passage of the Palmetto Trail

1 Wetlands! Swamps, Carolina bays, 0 3 and marshes especially! Protect and enhance wilderness . Truly unique and special in many ways I'on Swamp Trail

0 0 Hellhole swamp festival and run 0 Sewee shell ring Bulls bay and muddy bay fishing

0 Thompson Hill playground (rural 0 communities need/want traditional recreation services) Tux bury horse trail 0

Sewee visitor and 0 0 environmental education Watahan is one of my favorite places Lambada landing center trails on the forest

1 0 0 Bulls island Bulls island, boat ride, and views, 0 history Cat island is areally cool place to ride Fairlawn plantation bikes

0 0 Current mt. Pleasant to forest via Is my childhood memories of my roads and trails families land on off Walleye road. I would do my homework there and watch nature. This began my love of treees, and everything to do with the forest.

0 0 My favorite place is my childhood memories of my family's land off Uwharrie NFC is my favorite because Walleye Rd. I would do homework of full size OHV use so I can take my there and watch nature. whole family camping in a jeep. Not ATV's or dirt bikes.

0 0 Bushy park Seewee outpost, awesome shrimp salad sandwiches and restrooms

0 Capers island

0 0 Isle of Palms beach Isle of Palms County Park U.S. Forest Service, Southern Region: Francis Marion National Forest Plan Revision

• Engagement: Francis Marion Recreation Assessment and Community Engagement Tool • Assessment of public capacity for online/social media engagement verses traditional public meetings • Development of a custom online, visual engagement platform • Facilitation of Community Engagement Workshop On-site – Recreation Focus Visual Planning System

Identify Community Values Ideas + Priorities on maps Action Plans

• Communicate information • Interactive Plans Maps • Make Important • Project History, Existing • Your GIS Layers Decisions Conditions • Capture Ideas • Prioritize Investment • Capture Needs + Values • Feedback on Alternatives • Plan Resources

• Customized USFS Vision and Values Canvas, Online Interactive Maps, Action Planning Tool • Reporting and decision analysis and support What's Special?

Goals

Develop an understanding of what is special about the forest.

Objectives

Legend

Special

Other

2 3 1 1 0 WK Special GET AWAY FROM IT SEE A DIVERSITY OF See Long leaf pine EXPERIENCE CERTAIN ALL BIRDS & WILDLIFE ecosystems LEARN ABOUT MY TYPES OF HERITAGE RECREATION Stack ideas

0 cypress swamps and salamanders 0 0 0 pitcher plants! dolphins on the ICW taken from Buck thin basel area of longleaf pin with Hall native warm season grasses

0 get peace and quiet, appreciate the natural scenery. Take our family camping for them to experience the wild and how to do without electricity and running water 0 ride bicycles deep into the forest to be clear of noise, pollution, and traffic and to immerse myself in nature. 0 0 0 have OHV access at a very 1 Gullard Lake Area reasonable cost, enjoy nature, see enjoy the low country wildlife, easy access for children 0 0 Bald eagle in flight or nesting 1 0 0 A vast stand of longleaf pine with a realistically, a red cockaded a large cockaded woodpecker in full 0 Highway 402 at Forest service grass understory and numerous nest 0 woodpecker. unrealistically the ivory flight To let loose and have fun with friends building within the oak tress trees a public resource with so much billed WP or Bachman's warbler right my dirtbike potential, especially one that is over 1/4 million acres

1 0 0 3 0 see four distinct ecosystems all in one View and study quality longleaf pine 0 Only place I can do to photograph 0 area along the palmetto trail and cypress bay commuities as well landowner in the francis marion forest different species of flowers relax and enjoy nature and the as rare species. who appreciates that we can teach surroundings our children to live without electricity 0 0 1 and running water (we love to camp 0 0 wildlife and kids to grand parents: scenes: FMNF 1990-FMNF 2013 Flatwoods salamander together and fish, and just love the Families using the forest to relax with Longleaf Pine ecosystem animals, birds, fox, plants, pines, peace and quiet!) a picnic. Teaching their children to honeydews. Families. Autumn appreciate and save our forests. The interaction old fishing holes (being able to fish them again) Being able to share use of ATC's on trails

1 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 a kids face riding a dirt bike at the Trees and wildlife Red cockaded woodpecker; More bike trails and beautiful People enjoying the forest prothonotary warbler swampland wambaw cycle trail

1 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 Old-growth bald cypress A large buck easing through the Similar to what we have now but less the view from buck hall campground swamp, The larger alligator in pristine area of The rare plants live in the wetlands swamp litter on the roads

0 2

0 0 0 I place to get away from city life The wildlife The landscape in general

0 0 0 0

0 connectivity to the other surrounding towns and cities so that the forest could do so by biking or walking instead of by car

0 US Forest Service - Francis Marion The online platform created a legal public record of the results including a searchable database, summary report and visual report of the team based meeting results.

Favorite Places

Goals

Create an interactive map to understand user preferred places.

Objectives

Legend

0 Weetee state forest On the Forest

0 A particular place would be any trails we can go as a family. Camping on the Santee River is an annual event Off the Forest for us.

Unsure

WK On Forest

0 MacConnell's landing Santee river WK Off Forest 0 Quimby Boatlanding

1 1 0 Pitch landing Whole forest Red cockaded woodpecker and longleaf pine.

0 0 Wambaw Creek wilderness McConnells Landing

0 0 Somerset Point Duarte Creek

0 1 1 Where ever there are turkeys Open savannahs Canoe and kayak trail with overnight camping, southeast coast saltwater paddling trail

0 1 Hampton State Park The Carolina Bay areas!

Wambaw Cycle Trail 0 0 Still landing Any location in the forest with carnivorous plants

0 0 0 Deer hunting More campsites for OHV, horse and 0 HugerLanding Wambaw creek canoe bike location for new mountain biking trails - terrain dependant - SOMEWHERE trail OUT IN THE WILDERNESS...... 1 Santee Coastal Preserve