How to do an Inventory
Inventories & Assessments : How to do an Inventory
You need several pieces of core information to conduct a NRI:
- Base map (political boundaries and roads)
- aerial photos
- topography
- soils
- water features (lakes, wetlands, and watercourses)
- floodplains
- natural areas/open space
- other community specific information (gravel resources, failing septic systems, etc.)
Most of this core information is available statewide for free or at low cost. Much is already on the internet.
What is generally missing is detailed information about natural areas and open space. The rest of this section will
focus on collecting and organizing those details for your inventory. Call your local Department of Natural Resources,
County, Soil and Water Conservation District, and Natural Resources Conservation District offices to find out what
information is already available.
Keep in mind the NRI is an important step in the Natural Resource Based Planning process and will be used as the
basis for many of your community's decisions. Because it is such a critical component in the planning process, take
some time to think about what approach you want to take. Three possible NRI approaches are: Hand-drawn, GIS-based, and Combination Hand-drawn GIS-based.
If you use a GIS-Based approach, your NRI will be easily updated, modifiable, sharable, comparable, and contain powerful analysis
features. Although many GIS data are available for free, keep in mind that creating new and detailed information requires a
higher level of expertise and equipment. Hand drawn mapping and GIS are only as good as the data used. Great care must be
taken to ensure the information generated will be useful and accurate.
Steps to assembling a NRI - A NRI should be done in the broader context of the natural resource-based planning process
outlined below:
THE KEY STEPS IN NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED PLANNING ARE:
- Identify community issues and goals
- Conduct a natural resource inventory
- Identify and gather existing information
- Determine NRI Approach (Hand-drawn or GIS-based)
- Gather new information and record it
- Review mapping with community
- Refine mapping if necessary
- Conduct an assessment of your NRI
- Develop a plan
- Implement the plan
- Monitor your community's progress
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What is GIS?
A Geographic Information System, better known as a GIS, is a powerful computer-based mapping program that allows for the creation, manipulation, and analysis
of a wide variety of information. With a GIS you can overlay soils, topography, and natural resource information to identify
and prioritize natural resource protection and management. The GIS also allows you to easily create and update maps to communicate this information to a
diverse audience.
Click to Expand
Maps in a GIS can be overlapped and linked to a database.
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For example, if maintaining water quality is a primary goal, your inventory would focus on features such as:
- water features (streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands, known aquifer areas)
- watershed boundaries
- available water quality monitoring data
- land cover in the watershed (especially in areas adjacent to water features)
- water conveyance systems (ditches and storm sewers)
- areas of vegetation critical to protecting water quality
Alternatively if your community is concerned with loss of trees that contribute to the character of city streets, a street tree inventory may be in order.
You may collect data relating to:
- Information on individual trees (location, species, health condition, growth characteristics, diameter, etc.)
- Areas with significant tree loss
- Locations of remaining woodland habitats
- Information on extent and severity of disease and insect problems.
If your community identifies a broad range of natural-resource related goals, you will need to collect a wide variety of NR information. In general, your
community will benefit from investing in an inventory that is as comprehensive as possible.
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