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What's new @ MassGIS

The latest updates, news and events

News

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Data updates

  • Protected and Recreational Open Space
    August 4, 2020 - Energy and Environmental Affairs GIS staff have updated the Protected and Recreational OpenSpace layers (arcs and polygons), available from MassGIS. Since the last publication to the web, staff at EEA and its associated agencies performed edits that improved the boundaries and/or attributes to over 400 polygons of recreational areas and open spaces in 79 municipalities.

    New shapefile and file geodatabase downloads represent data updated as of 6/24/2020.

    The d    etails:
    • Updates involve adding or improving the boundaries of many types of recreational areas and protected open spaces. Twelve school athletic fields, 259 conservation areas, 9 cemeteries, 30 water supply lands, 8 parks, and 78 conservation restrictions, resulting in a net gain of more than 4,600 acres in the database.
    • The Department of Conservation and Recreation - Parks performed edits in 38 municipalities for fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017, adding over 1,400 acres.
    • The Department of Fish and Game performed edits in 8 towns, adding more than 194 acres.
    • A town-wide update was completed for the Town of West Newbury.
    • Completed additional digitizing for EEA-sponsored programs:
      • 2 projects from EEA grants.
      • 1 acquisition that involved the Conservation Land Tax Credit.
  • MHC Historic Inventory
    July 29, 2020 - For many years, the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s Historic Inventory of historic places (points) and historic districts (polygons) has been available for viewing and download on our website. Until now, because the data changes very frequently, the data download functioned as a “clip and ship”; when a user made the request for the data, a query was run upon the MHC’s online MACRIS Maps mapping application to create the file for the user. Now, MassGIS will be hosting static files that will be periodically updated.
  • Standardized Assessors’ Parcel Mapping
    June 30, 2020 - 38 municipalities: Agawam, Arlington, Belmont, Bernardston, Chesterfield, Eastham, Framingham, Georgetown, Grafton, Hardwick, Hinsdale, Holden, Lanesborough, Lee, Littleton, Manchester, Monson, Norfolk, North Adams, Oakham, Phillipston, Provincetown, Rowe, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sterling, Stockbridge, Sunderland, Swansea, Wakefield, Walpole, Ware, Warwick, West Brookfield, West Springfield, Westwood, Worcester, and Worthington.
  • Community Boundaries (Towns) from Survey Points
    June 16, 2020 - Three updates:
    • Modified the Chelsea-Everett boundary by up to about 125 feet near Beacham Street, based on Standardized Parcels and plans submitted by the cities.
    • Modified the Lynnfield-Wakefield boundary to match a stream channel as seen on a scanned plan submitted by Wakefield.
    • Changed TYPE to 'C' for Greenfield and 'TC' for North Attleborough.
  • MassDEP data layers
    April 7, 2020 - The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the Chapter 21e Sites and AUL Sites data, available from MassGIS. Data are current as of 4/1/2020.
  • USGS Color Ortho Imagery (2019)
    February 18, 2020 - These spring 2019 images are the highest resolution orthos ever made available for public use and distribution by MassGIS for the entire commonwealth. Web service and JPEG 2000 tiles may be used in a wide variety of software and apps.
    • MBTA Rapid Transit
      January 7, 2020 - Edits to some Silver Line routes and stops based on current imagery.
    • Hydrography data
      December 19, 2019 - MassGIS, working with MassDEP GIS Group, has renamed a small number of water bodies in the 25k Hydro, 100K Hydro, and Major Ponds data layers.
    • MassDEP data layers
      December 9, 2019 - The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the Public Water Supplies, wellhead (Zone II, Zone I, IWPA) protection areas and MassDEP Ground Water Discharge Permits data, available from MassGIS. Data are current as of 11/25/2019.
    • Places of Worship
      November 20, 2019 - New point data layer showing the locations of more than 2,000 churches, mosques and synagogues in Massachusetts.
    • Community Preservation Act (CPA) Towns
      November 12, 2019 - Update to include Lowell's adoption of the CPA.
      • Community Health Centers
        October 31, 2019 - Update to this point layer based on data from MA DPH as of spring 2018.
      • Two new DFS District Layers
        October 7, 2019 - State Fire Districts and State HazMat Districts, from the Dept. of Fire Services.
      • MA DFW Coldwater Fisheries Resources
        September 9, 2019 - One feature was added to the layer by the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, following a more extensive update in June.
        • Building Structures (2-D)
          August 28, 2019 - Comprehensive statewide refresh to a baseline of 2016, plus data for Boston from the city.
        • Inland Water Bathymetry (1:10,000)
          August 12, 2019 - Additional features were added to the layer by the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
          • MassDOT Highway Districts
            June 21, 2019 - New layer includes the six current districts.
          • MassDEP Water Quality Monitoring Stations
            June 20, 2019 - The latest update from MassDEP Division of Watershed Management, Watershed Planning Program to fulfill Federal Clean Water Act requirements.
          • DCR Mass Parks Regions
            June 17, 2019 - New layer representing the administrative and management units for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Mass Parks Division.
          • Schools (Pre-K through High School)
            June 6, 2019 - Statewide update based on Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education school profiles database as of March 27, 2019.
          • Public School Districts
            June 6, 2019 - The districts are now split into two layers: (1) municipal and regional public school districts, and (2) charter, collaborative, superintendency union and vocational districts.
          • 2016 Land Cover/Land Use
            May 22, 2019 - 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.
          • Long Term Care Residences
            May 7, 2019 - Update of the point data layer containing the locations of licensed nursing homes, rest homes and assisted living residences in Massachusetts.
          • EOHHS Regions
            March 14, 2019 - 2010 population values were added for each of the six regions.
          • Non-Potential Drinking Water Source Areas
            February 7, 2019 - MassDEP has made updates to this layer.
          • RMV Locations
            February 5, 2019 - MassGIS updated this layer to reflect recent changes to the locations of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) service centers and AAA branch offices that provide many RMV services.
          • Wards and Precincts
            January 29, 2019 - New polygon data layer representing all municipal wards and precincts in Massachusetts.
          • Courthouses
            January 18, 2019 - New point data layer shows the location of all courthouses in Massachusetts.
          • Massachusetts Legislative Districts and Administrative Boundaries
            January 9, 2019 - MassGIS has updated the polygon attribute tables of the following legislative and administrative boundary data layers following the swearing in of newly elected officials from the November 2018 elections:
          • Prisons
            January 4, 2019 - MassGIS has updated this statewide layer.
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