i-MapNJ

Landscape Project Critical Wildlife Habitat

The Landscape Project data layers were created under the direction of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The goal of the project is to identify and protect habitats critical to New Jersey's endangered and threatened species within healthy, functioning ecosystems. The Landscape Project data layers were derived from land use/land cover data produced by the Rutgers University Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA). Habitat patches of grassland, forest, wetland forest, emergent wetlands and beach dune were identified within this land cover data set. The presence of wildlife was used as an indicator of a habitat's value, creating five rankings based on a species conservation status. Those rankings are: 5--federally endangered and threatened, 4--state endangered, 3--state threatened, 2--special concern and finally 1--suitable habitat without a recent sighting. The Natural Heritage Program's Biological Conservation Database (BCD) GIS coverage supplied the species data.

It is intended that the users of this application will be able to identify a specific property or location in the state and then identify any critical wildlife habitat that may exist on or near the property in question. Once this determination is made, users can contact the Landscape Project office and the Land Use Regulation Program (LURP) for additional directions on how to proceed.

Instructions for Use

Outlined below are the procedures to be followed while using the application.

A. Using address matching functionality

  1. With the map extent set to the entire state, select the link "Find an individual location" at the right side of the page.
  2. A window will popup, select to find an individual location by "Address".
  3. On the next screen, type in the requested address information and select the"Next Criteria" button.
  4. On the next screen select the "View Map" button.
  5. A window will appear titled "i-MapNJ - Address Match Candidates" with a table "Locate Results" and list of the sites returned from the address search criteria. The list of candidates are numbered, with the cursor select the number # of address of the best search candidate. (If this window does not appear go to Section B below)
  6. A new map extent will appear with the selected property at the center of the map window. You will note that the aerial photography, which is scale dependent, is now available for review. (Scale dependence - In order to reduce map clutter some data layers are not available for review until the user has reached a pre-selected map scale).
  7. At the left side of the page the user will note two tabs: "Data Layers" and "Legend". Select "Data Layers"; note that the list of data layers available to be added to the map view has increased.
  8. Select the grassland, forest, wetland forest, emergent wetlands or beach dune landscape project layer by checking the box at the far left next to the layer of interest . At the top of the list select the "refresh map" button, and the map will redraw to include any critical wildlife habitat of the type selected in the area of interest. It is suggested that each landscape layer be added separately to the map.
  9. If the user is interested in the details about the critical wildlife habitat select the radio button to the right of check box of the layer of interest to make it active. Note only one radio button can be turned on at a time. Select the "identify" tool from the toolbar located above the map. Move the cursor over the critical wildlife habitat layer in the view window that was made active, left click and a popup window will appear containing information relevant to the layer queried. (Refer to the "data description" button noted above and the link to "full metadata" for an explanation of the data elements presented).
  10. If the scale of the map extent is not satisfactory, the user can zoom in further by selecting the "zoom" tool from the toolbar located above the map. To use this tool, move the cursor to the map view, press the left mouse button while pulling the cursor down and to the right over the area to be zoomed to; note the red box bracketing the area of interest. Upon release of the mouse button the map will automatically zoom to the area that was bracketed by the red box.
  11. 11. If any of the landscape project data layers intersect the property in question, users should contact the Endangered and Nongame Species Program, or the Land Use Regulation Program for further information. In some cases where wetland areas are found on the property, as well as critical wildlife habitats, additional determinations of wetland resource value will need to be made. The two offices listed above can direct users as to how those determinations are made.

B. If the address matching functionality fails

  1. Under the "Data Layers" tab on the left side of the screen, turn on the County and Municipality data layers by checking the box at the far left next to each layer. Click the "refresh map" button for these changes to take effect.
  2. With the map extent set to the entire state, select the "zoom" tool from the tool bar located at the top of the page. To use this tool, move the cursor to the map view, press the left mouse button while pulling the cursor down and to the right over the area to be zoomed to, note the red box bracketing the area of interest. Upon release of the mouse button the map will automatically zoom to the area that was bracketed by the red box. At this stage the user should zoom to their county of interest.
  3. Locate the municipality of interest and zoom to that area using the same technique as noted above.
  4. Turn on the roads data layer under the "Data Layers" tab. The user will note there are two road layers, the "Roads (Tiger)" when turned on also automatically label roads in the map view. Occasionally, dependent on the scale or the density of roads in the map extent, the labels will clutter the map; the user may adjust the map extent to reduce the label clutter effect. Use the labeled roads layer and aerial photography to locate the area of interest.
  5. If the aerial photography causes confusion during this process it can be turned off. Look at the bottom of the "Data Layers" find "Quarter Quads Digital Imagery 1995-97", check "off" the box, and click the "refresh map" button.
  6. When the area of interest is located follow steps 6 through 11 above.

Data limitations

  1. These maps provide information regarding the location of areas identified to date by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as habitat for endangered or threatened wildlife species.
  2. DEP may identify additional endangered or threatened species habitat at any time if there is sufficient evidence that an area qualifies as threatened or endangered species habitat.
  3. DEP may determine that an area shown on the maps as threatened or endangered wildlife habitat is not suitable for use as habitat. In that case, the area will no longer be classified as endangered or threatened species habitat.
  4. The maps will be updated periodically to reflect additional areas identified as threatened or endangered wildlife habitat, and to remove areas determined to be no longer suitable habitat for endangered or threatened wildlife.
  5. These maps show only areas identified as suitable habitat for threatened or endangered animal species, not threatened or endangered plant species. The DEP's method for identifying threatened or endangered plant species habitat can be found in the Departement's Freshwater Wetlands Technical Manual, available from the Department's Office of Maps and Publications at (609) 777-1038.
  6. Any wetlands boundaries shown on these maps are approximate and are for guidance only. Therefore, these maps are not an accurate indication of whether DEP will classify an area as exceptional resource value wetland under the DEP's freshwater wetlands rules. To obtain a determination of whether or where wetlands are located on a property and the resource value classification of a wetland, contact the DEP and apply for a letter of interpretation under the freshwater wetlands rules, N.J.A.C. 7:7A-3.

Any questions concerning "Landscape Project Mapping" should be addressed to Peter Winkler: peter.winkler@dep.state.nj.us