A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system capable of capturing, displaying, querying, and analyzing geographically referenced (geospatial) information (i.e., information identified according to location). Practitioners also define a GIS as including the procedures, operating personnel, and spatial data that go into the system (USGS 2006). The power of a GIS comes from its ability to relate different types of information in a spatial context, enabling users to reach a conclusion about this relationship.

The USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) is a long-time user of GIS technology. The agency uses GIS to plan and manage forest resources and has made substantial investments in geospatial data and the GIS equipment and technology needed to display, query, and analyze those data. Increasingly, GIS is being used in conjunction with the Internet. The Forest Service has conducted work in several areas to enhance the display of geospatial data and the ability to query and analyze it via the Internet rather than the traditional desktop GIS. The next technological progression in information management is geo-spatial inventory and monitoring data entry via the Web. Initially, this may be done by Forest Service employees via the Forest Service Intranet (FSWeb), but it could be expanded to provide data entry opportunity by other government agencies and the public as well.

The ability to enter, display, query, and analyze geospatial data via the Internet will be referred to in this report as Web Geographic Information System(s) or WebGIS. While there have been individual efforts within the Forest Service to evaluate various aspects of WebGIS, there has been no agency-wide assessment of these related but disconnected efforts. Similarly, the Forest Service vision of where the agency can or should go with this technology and the barriers to getting there have yet to be formally described and shared across the agency. This report is a first step in developing a corporate approach to WebGIS. It assesses how WebGIS is currently being used, how Forest Service staff believe it could be used, and the barriers to implementing WebGIS to its fullest capacity within the agency.

Objectives
The objective of this report is to develop a preliminary assessment of the use of WebGIS within the National Forest Service for the San Dimas Technology & Development Center (SDTDC), Inventory & Monitoring Program. Specific objectives of the assessment are to:

identify the potential use and application of WebGIS, including use by other agencies and the public; and

identify the barriers to expanded use of WebGIS, including technical and institutional barriers.

The findings of this report will be used as the basis for a TechTip or similar outlet, and may be used as the basis for future proposals to address the barriers to implementing WebGIS.

Methodology
For this assessment, Tetra Tech reviewed current literature; developed a questionnaire to gather information from within the Forest Service and other agencies; conducted interviews with key personnel in the Forest Service and other organizations; and compiled, summarized and analyzed the results of the literature reviews and questionnaire responses.

Tetra Tech reviewed relevant literature provided by Reynaud Farve of SDTDC and searched for other relevant literature to enhance the breadth of viewpoints on the subject. (See bibliography, p.27.) The literature was reviewed and summarized into the three general categories of this report: current status and use, potential use and application, and barriers to expanded use of WebGIS in the Forest Service.

Tetra Tech’s questionnaire (Appendix A) addressed the key elements of this report. The questionnaire was reviewed by staff from the SDTDC and from the Geospatial Service and Technology Center (GSTC) for accuracy and relevancy before being distributed to 31 key individuals, mostly within the Forest Service (26), but also within the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The initial list of key individuals was comprised of GIS Regional Coordinators, but grew during the interview process as key individuals suggested other people to include. The questionnaire was sent to the majority of key individuals on November 23, 2005, with others that were recommended along the way being contacted at later dates. Follow-up emails were sent on December 30, 2005, and January 24, 2006.

Of the 31 individuals polled, 9 responded to the questionnaire. Although the number of responses to the questionnaire was low, the responses were well articulated, thoughtful and thorough. All but one respondent chose to be interviewed over the phone rather than submit a response. The similarity of responses suggests that the majority of unique responses may have been identified.

In addition to compiling and summarizing the responses provided by key individuals from the agencies listed above, Tetra Tech’s own experience developing WebGIS for various federal, state and local governments, and private industry as well as literature that was reviewed and analyzed was used to supplement and verify the responses provided by the questionnaire. Results are provided below.

Results
Our understanding of the current status and potential of WebGIS in the Forest Service and barriers to its implementation are summarized in the sections that follow. Although the identities of the individuals interviewed are listed in the Appendix B, individual opinions and statements in this report, for the most part, remain anonymous. Results are summarized in Section E, Summary.