The Resource Lands Assessment (RLA) is a project aimed addressing the Chesapeake 2000 Commitment to identify those forests, farms and wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that have the highest value for habitat, water quality, economy and culture; and to evaluate those lands based on their vulnerability to development. The RLA uses GIS models to assess the landscape within the Bay watershed, and to demonstrate the utility of these models for land protection planning at multiple spatial scales. The RLA Technical Team developed GIS-based landscape models for (1) assessing the landscape for habitat value, (2) ranking the economic value of forest lands, (3) measuring the relative benefits to water quality from forest and wetland conservation, (4) identifying areas of historical and cultural resource significance, (5) identifying prime/productive farmland, and (6) estimating the vulnerability of these lands to development. Each model utilizes a unique set of data and decision rules to rank areas for protection. This presentation will focus on the use of RLA tools and data to prioritize land conservation efforts, including how the information can be used by local governments. Included will be examples of RLA applications throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
John Wolf is currently the GIS Team Leader with the National Park Service - Chesapeake Bay Program Office in Annapolis, Maryland where he plans, coordinates, develops and applies geographic information management and analysis to address Chesapeake Bay restoration issues. Prior to his current position he was Chief of Landscape Assessment within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Chesapeake and Coastal Watershed Service for eight years. His primary tasks involved statewide and watershed level ecosystem-based natural resource planning, including the development and application of analytical tools for targeting resource conservation and restoration activities. Mr. Wolf has extensive experience presenting projects involving the application of GIS for land conservation and ecosystem restoration problem solving.