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What's New @ MassGIS
Winter 2009-2010

What's New at MassGIS

Featured Items:

  • Now Available -- The Much-anticipated 2005 Land Use Data Layer - 6/5/09
    The 2005 Land Use data layer is a Massachusetts statewide, seamless digital dataset of land cover / land use, created using semi-automated methods, and interpreted from 0.5-meter resolution digital ortho imagery captured in April 2005. The classification scheme, comprising 33 land use codes, is based on the coding schema used for previous Massachusetts land use datasets, with modifications. Data may be downloaded as a statewide shapefile as well as by county-based tiles.

  • 2008 USGS Color Ortho Images Now Available - 2/26/2009
    • New 30cm and 15cm resolution ortho images from spring 2008 may be downloaded or ordered. See the 2008 USGS Color Ortho Images datalayer page for full details and samples.
     
  • USGS 2009 Ortho Imagery Planned for Worcester and Springfield Areas - 11/18/2008
    • In spring 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its 133 Cities Urban Area mapping program, has contracted for true-color imagery covering areas around the Cities of Worcester and Springfield. Massachusetts is seeking participation from municipal, state agency, and private sector partners on this project. The contractor will acquire digital images and use the imagery to produce ortho images with a pixel size (or ground surface distance) of 0.3 meters (~one foot). The horizontal accuracy specification is expected to be 0.6m RMSE. These images are expected to be publicly available late in calendar 2009; MassGIS will display and distribute this imagery via its web site. More ...
     
  • Massachusetts Conservation Mapping Assistance Partnership Program (MACMAPP) - 6/8/2006
    • Discounted software and training for conservation nonprofit organizations and municipal conservation commissions.
     
  • OLIVER - The MassGIS Online Data Viewer - Version 2.4 Released - 6/8/2005
    With this application you can:
    • Display and query nearly all of MassGIS' data
    • Download up-to-date shapefiles from our database, with legend files
    • Print maps, choosing from hundreds of themes
    ... All right over the Web! Give it a try!
     

  • OpenSpace Updated - 12/29/2009
     The open space staff continues to append and enhance the Protected Open Space & Recreation database with the large amount of data that has been received in the past year from municipalities, regional planning agencies, land trusts, and other state agencies. Since the last publication, work has been performed in nearly 100 municipalities affecting more than 6,100 acres. Municipalities realizing the largest changes include Andover, Carver, Harwich, Northborough, and Princeton. A new shapefile and personal geodatabase have been placed on our ftp site, representing data updated as of 12/18/09.
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  • C21E and AUL Point Layers Updated - 12/28/2009
    • MassDEP has updated the Tier Classified Oil and/or Hazardous Material Sites (MGL c. 21E) and Oil and/or Hazardous Material Sites with Activity and Use Limitations (AUL) layers. For the C21E layer, 121 sites were added and 229 were removed. For the AUL layer, 57 sites were added and three were removed.
     
  • Lighthouses Layer Updated - 12/11/2009
    • This layer now includes skeleton tower-type lights indentified by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) which appear on NOAA charts. In addition, several edits were made to the lighthouses originally included in this dataset.
     
  • DEP BWP Major Facilities Layer Updated - 12/8/2009
    • This update brought the total number of features to 1,717 and included updated classification information presented in the "major" fields: AIR, GWD, HWR, LQG_MA, LQG_RCRA, LQTU, TSDF, SWD. Currently 62% of Large Quantity Generators of MA Regulated Waste (LQG_MA) and 100% of all of the other "major" categories have been located.
     
  • Public Utilities Table Updated - 12/7/2009
    • Lakeville, Middleborough and Russell had the ELEC (electricity) field set to 'Municipal'.
     
  • Ice Rinks Layer Updated - 11/30/09, 10/22/2009
    • In October a few points had their positions and/or attributes modified and the Butler rink in Hyannis was added. In addition, the LEGIS, FACIL_STAT, and LABEL fields were added. In November the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in North Adams (RINK_ID 257) was rededicated and its point attributes were modified.
     
  • New Interior Forest Layer - 11/23/2009
    • The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife interior forest GIS dataset identifies extensively forested portions of the Massachusetts landscape where forest cover is relatively un-fragmented by human development. Other natural features such as wetlands and open water are included in this dataset as non-fragmenting features.
     
  • Geographic Place Names Layers Updated - 10/30/2009
    • All three annotation feature classes (hydrography, hypsography, place name labels) have been reviewed and updated by MassDEP GIS Group. MassGIS is distributing them inside a personal geodatabase. Shapefiles representing the location, orientation and curvature of the annotation have been re-created and are available for those who cannot work with geodatabase annotation.
     
  • EOT-OTP Roads Updated - 10/16/2009
    • The Yearend 2008 release is now available for the EOT-OTP Roads datalayer. Also updated is the Major Roads layer.
     
  • Designated Shellfish Growing Areas Layer updated - 10/15/2009
    • The Mass. Department of Fish and Game has updated the DSGA layer, recoding several polygons and modifying the attribute table. Also, the line layer (DSAG_ARC) has been dropped.
     
  • Town boundary layers updated - 9/23/2009
    • The Towns, Towns from Survey Points and Boundaries polygon layers had their TYPE values changed to 'TC' (town with city form of government) for Braintree, Palmer, Randolph and Winthrop, based on information from the Massachusetts' Secretary of State's office.
     
  • NHESP Certified Vernal Pools Layer Updated - 8/31/2009
    • The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) has updated the Certified Vernal Pools layer. The update is effective beginning August 27, 2009.
     
  • Surficial Geology (1:24,000) Layer Updated - 8/28/2009
    • Data for "Area D" are now available. This area comprises nine quads and includes parts of Worcester, and extends south to Douglas and Uxbridge, and east to Wrentham and part of Attleboro. This data layer is part of a comprehensive study by the U.S. Geological Survey to produce a statewide digital map of the surficial geology at a 1:24,000-scale. This compilation of surficial geologic materials defines the areas of exposed bedrock, and the boundaries between glacial till, glacial stratified deposits, and overlying early-postglacial and postglacial deposits. All layers but the early-postglacial were updated in Area D.

  • Hospitals Layer now Acute Care Hospitals - 8/20/2009
    This point datalayer shows the location of 82 acute care hospitals in Massachusetts. Acute care hospitals are those licensed under MGL Chapter 111, section 51 and which contain a majority of medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetric, and maternity beds, as defined by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The features in this layer are based on database information provided to MassGIS from the DPH, Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). This August 2009 update limits the features to include only acute care hospitals (and removes other "specialty hospitals"); it replaces the layer formerly known as "Hospitals and Emergency Room Facilities." The layer now includes attributes for trauma center and teaching hospital status.

  • DCR Pools Updated - 8/11/2009
    An attribute edit was made to the Olsen Pool in Boston. This point datalayer contains the location of 45 pools in Massachusetts that are owned and/or operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Pool types include swimming, wading, diving and spray deck. The layer was developed by the DCR GIS Program and is based on DCR State and Urban Park pool listings as of July 31, 2009.

  • Updates to DEP Public Water Supply Layers - 7/16/2009
    The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the following layers:
  • Assessors' Parcels Data Updated - 6/26/2009
    • Level II parcels for Auburn have been replaced with a new submission from the town representing its FY 2010 data. Level 0 data have been added for Amesbury, Millbury, Southborough and Watertown. Additionally, Level 0 parcels have been updated with newer data for Ashland, Bourne, Dennis, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet and Yarmouth.
     
  • Ground Water Discharge Permits Layer Updated - 5/26/2009
    • MassDEP has updated the Ground Water Discharge Permits layer. All discharge locations in MassDEP Northeast Region were revised.
     
  • Office of Fishing and Boating Access Sites Layer Updated - 5/12/2009
    • This point layer, formerly known as Public Access Board Sites, was updated (some fields added to the attribute table) by GIS staff at the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game (DFG).
     
  • Schools Layer Updated - 4/23/2009
    • This dataset, with points representing pre-kindergarten through secondary schools, has been updated based on MA Dept. of Education database listings as of February 2009. Along with the addition of new schools and the removal of closed facilities, MassGIS undertook an extensive review and adjusted the placement of many points based on 2005 and 2008 color ortho imagery.
     
  • Updates to DEP Public Water Supply Layers - 4/23/2009
    The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the following layers:

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