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MassGIS has republished many of its metadata (data download) pages on a new web platform on the new Mass.gov. Pages still in their “classic” state will be transitioned to the new platform by mid-January. The new platform is the primary repository for all data (spreadsheets, statistics, databases, and the like) collected and disseminated by any agency using Mass.gov. Consolidating all types of data in this way provides a single searchable location for Commonwealth data.
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MassGIS continues assisting communities with their transition to maintaining standardized parcel mapping. Director Neil MacGaffey has been speaking to county assessing associations about this effort. His presentation provides context for the transition by reviewing some tax mapping history, reviewing the parcel standard, providing information about how MassGIS’ mapped municipal boundaries, shows the status of the transition, and reviews the advantages of the standardization, both generally and for municipalities. His presentation also provides guidance for communities working with their map maintenance providers to maintain standardization. His guidance is an augmented version of the typical, current process and includes the following steps:
Step 1 – Instruct your map maintenance provider that you want your parcel mapping maintained in compliance with Level 3 of the MassGIS Parcel Standard.
Step 2 – When you are ready for map updates, send your map maintenance provider the following:
a) Deeds/plans for the changes
b) Current “MassGIS extract” from your CAMA system
Step 3 – Your map maintenance provider should do the following:
a) Complete map updates, including creating LOC_IDS for new/changed parcels
b) Update the CAMA extract you provided with new LOC_IDs they created, load the extract to the a database table complying with the standard, and send the extract and updated parcels to MassGIS
c) Send you updated maps and a LOC_ID change list
Step 4 - You update LOC_IDs in your CAMA system.
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MassGIS is working with CAMA vendors to develop a tool to automate LOC_ID updates. We are also developing a new, easy-to-use service to facilitate delivering updated parcel mapping files. Finally, approximately 15 communities have taken advantage of the final round of funding for enhancements to their standardized mapping. These enhancements ensure that standardized mapping provides the content communities currently have. MassGIS will seek bids for that work this month.
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Coast Guide Online is an interactive map developed by CZM for use on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops. It includes more than 1,800 sites open to the public along the Massachusetts coast that are owned by government and nonprofit organizations—from long, sandy beaches and rocky shores to small rights-of-way and public landings.
For more than 3 years, staff used the Standardized Parcel data and information from regional experts to map and photo document sites, creating the only known parcel based coastal access map in the United States. User submissions are happily accepted to fill in any gaps that may exist in the site records.
Future enhancements will include: adding coastal trails, some additional non-profit sites, and designated fishing piers.
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Licensed Google imagery, now being used by close to 200 State and Local government entities, was recently refreshed with 2017 imagery for a majority of Massachusetts. An area approximately that of Hampden and Worcester Counties was flown in September. Most of the eastern third of the state, including the Cape and Islands was flown in mid-April. However, Southeastern Massachusetts and the northern tip of Essex County were not updated. (See the status map below.)
As with previous deliveries, some small areas were omitted from the refresh, and the coverage for those areas is whatever imagery was most recently acquired. While we realize that licensing constraints mean that this imagery is not available to all who rely on data from MassGIS, this is the best option we’re able to offer in the place of funding for imagery that the state would own, thus making it available to all. Note that anyone can view the Google imagery here.
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MassDEP has updated the Wetlands data layers and introduced a new layer.
The current data are now called MassDEP Wetlands (2005).These statewide layers, based on photointerpretation of 2005 aerial photography, enhance and replace the original MassDEP wetlands layers, formerly known as DEP Wetlands (1:12,000). Details of the changes are described in the link above.
The MassGIS Basemap tile cache as seen in Oliver and ArcGIS Online maps will be updated soon to reflect these changes.
The older data are now named MassDEP Wetlands Original (1:12,000). These “original” data layers are being maintained for reference purposes only.
A new layer, MassDEP Wetlands (2005) Human Altered Areas, contains wetland areas that were changed due to human activity. This layer stores the former classification of the wetland.
Please see the above links for metadata and links to view and download the data.
All data are in the Physical Resources > Hydrography Water Features > DEP Wetlands folder in Oliver.
The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the following layers, now available from MassGIS:
Data are up-to-date through October 17, 2017.
Please see the above links for metadata and data access.
(Note: Please update any bookmarks you may have to these web pages as their URLs have changed)
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 descriptive geography to almost 4,900 polygons in 140 municipalities.
- Updates involve improving the boundaries of recreational areas and protected open spaces. Conservation Areas, Cemeteries, Golf Courses, Recreational and/or Historic Parkland, and Conservation Restrictions were added (or deleted if determined to be erroneously digitized). The work resulted in a net gain of over 2,700 acres.
- Major updates were performed on almost 50 projects that involved Land and Water Conservation Funds affecting almost 250 acres.
- Town-wide updates were performed in Chelmsford, Marlborough, and Norwood.
- Several EEA land acquisition projects completed for FY2018 are starting to be added to the Protected and Recreational Open Space database. The projects included watershed preservation restrictions, conservation restrictions, and fee-simple acquisitions.
- The Department of Agricultural Resources added or otherwise improved the boundaries of 20 agricultural preservation restrictions affecting 514 acres.
- The Department of Fish and Game performed edits in 10 towns that increased the overall acreage in the database by almost 260 acres.
- The Department of Conservation and Recreation – Water Supply Division enhanced the descriptive geography of 1,127 polygons to include FY funding of older projects in 37 towns.
- Additional digitizing was completed for EEA-sponsored programs.
- One LAND grant was added for 60 acres
- Four acquisitions that involved the Conservation Land Tax Credit program affected 53 acres in 4 municipalities
- Other minor ad hoc adjustments to database attributes and boundaries were performed in 88 municipalities.
New shapefile and personal geodatabase data have been placed on our ftp site, representing data updated as of 12/14/2017.
The updates will soon be reflected in the MassGIS Topographic Basemap that appears in OLIVER and is available in ArcGIS Online.
See http://www.mass.gov/itd/osp for metadata and links to the free data download. (Note: the new full URL is https://docs.digital.mass.gov/dataset/massgis-data-protected-and-recreational-openspace).
Data also may be viewed and downloaded in OLIVER in the Conservation/Recreation category.
MassGIS is continuing to incorporate updates into its standardized parcels database. Level 3 Assessor Parcel Data have been updated for the following 18 cities and towns:
Fiscal Year 2017:Freetown, Gill, Scituate, West Tisbury and Weymouth; Fiscal Year 2018: Acushnet, Brimfield, Clinton, Colrain, Douglas, Middlefield, Oakham, Phillipston, Plainfield, Savoy, Springfield, and Topsfield. Sandisfield provided an FY2019 update.
For full metadata and links to the free data download, please visit:
http://www.mass.gov/massit/l3parcels (note: the new full URL is https://docs.digital.mass.gov/dataset/massgis-data-standardized-assessors-parcels).
View and query parcels statewide in the Massachusetts Interactive Property Map.
The cached tiled web service that appears in Oliver and is available in ArcGIS Online includes these latest updates.
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We have no announcements this month but would like to wish all of our readers happy holidays.
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