Visitor Center- Your Forest -Geographic Information Systems


What is GIS?

How to use IPNF GIS data

Spatial Data

Tabular Data

Downloading Data

Alternative Media

On-Line Themes

What is Meta Data?

Other GIS data sources
 Please read the disclaimer. GIS Disclaimer

The Forest Service uses the most current and complete data available. GIS data and product accuracy may vary. They may be: developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, incomplete while being created or revised, etc. Using GIS products for purposes other than those for which they were created, may yield inaccurate or misleading results. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace GIS products without notification.

For more information about our GIS products contact our Forest GIS Coordinator at (208) 765-7279 or our Forest Database Coordinator at (208) 765-7407.


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Geographic Information Systems
Available Data Sets

-Available GIS Themes by Category
  • RECREATION
    • -Recreation Image Meta
      Data      		 Spatial
      Data      		 Updated Tabular
      Data
      Recreation Sites Yes Yes Zip (7k) 06/17/04 N/A
      North Zone snowmobile trails Yes Yes Zip (330k) 06/17/04 N/A
      Central Zone snowmobile trails Yes Yes Zip (305k) 06/17/04 N/A
      South Zone snowmobile trails Yes Yes Zip (120k) 06/17/04 N/A
    •  
  • WATER
    • -Water Image Meta
      Data      		 Spatial
      Data      		 Updated Tabular
      Data
      4th Code Hydrologic Units Yes Yes Zip (170k) 08/10/04 N/A
      5th Code Hydrologic Units Yes Yes Zip (278k) 06/17/04 N/A
      6th Code Hydrologic Units Yes Yes Zip (475k) 06/17/04 N/A
      Water features
      (from National Hydrography Dataset)      		 Yes No USGS NHD web page N/A N/A
      Precipitation Yes html
      xml      		 Zip (200k) 06/17/04 N/A
    •  
-What is Geographic Information Systems(GIS)?
Welcome to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest GIS Data Dictionary. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events. It combines the power of a database with the visualization capabilities offered by maps. GIS provides the power to solve complicated problems, experiment with scenarios and present ideas. For more information contact our Forest GIS Cooordinator at (208) 765-7279.

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-How To Use GIS Data
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests uses ESRI's GIS software (ArcInfo, Arcview), and stores all corporate GIS data in ESRI's proprietary format (ArcInfo coverages or Arcview shapefiles). The datasets available online are stored as gzip compressed Arc Export files or zip compressed ArcView shapefiles to conserve space and facilitate download. To use them, you must uncompress them using gzip, winzip, or other compression software that recognizes these file types, then import them into ArcInfo coverages. In addition to their commercial software, ESRI offers ArcExplorer software free for importing and viewing coverages and shape files. You can download the software from their web site -- www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/index.html

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-Spatial Data
Spatial Data is provided in Arc/Info export format or ArcView shapefile format. These files can be used in Arc/Info, ArcView, or ArcExplorer GIS software packages. ArcExplorer is a free spatial data viewer that can read Arc/Info data sets. There is a free import utility that will import Arc/Info export files available from www.esri.com. Many other GIS and graphics software packages have a utility to import these files.

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-Tabular Data
Tabular Data is generally provided in dBase IV format. These files can be imported into Arc/Info, ArcView, or ArcExplorer GIS software packages and joined to their associated gis coverages. An additional file containing documentation may be included with the tabular data.

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-Downloading and Extracting Spatial and Tabular Data
To download a GIS theme or its' tabular data, just click on the desired link in the individual file listings. Many of these files are large, so please note the file size before downloading. You should also note the data format. The format determines how the data has been compressed for distribution. Arc export data files have been compressed with GNU gzip utility. ArcView shapefiles and tabular data files have been compressed in the .zip format. PC zip utilities such as WinZip (shareware) or 7-Zip (freeware) will uncompress both gzip and zip formats. For UNIX systems, use the gzip utility for uncompressing gzipped files and Unzip for unpacking zipped files. The gzip utility is available for many UNIX systems at the GZIP Home Page. Visit Info-ZIP for links to the Unzip utility for UNIX. Both gzip and Unzip are freeware.

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-Data Available on Alternative Media
Contact the IPNF GIS Coordinator at (208) 765-7279 for possible alternative media sources for GIS data.

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-About the On-Line Themes
Unless otherwise noted, all datasets are single, forestwide coverages. This data represents the best data currently available at the forest. It is not necessarily complete or accurate. The Forest Service does not guarantee the accuracy or currency of any of this data. As the forest's database is updated or requests for data change, this list will be updated.

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-Meta Data
Metadata is data about data. The data sets are organized by theme that are shown in the table of contents frame. For example, if you are interested in a data set that has to do with water, just click on the water link in the table of contents. Then click on the metadata link to view the data dictionary. Each data dictionary will explain geographic information about the data set, how the data set was built, and other associated information. It will also describe the database tables that are associated with the data set.


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Last updated: 09/17/09

Idaho Panhandle National Forests / USDA Forest Service