Revision of LandTrustGIS.org Web Site

Client: GreenInfo Network

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There are over 1,500 land trusts in the United States, and many of them use GIS to fulfill their missions of protecting lands for farming, forestry, habitat and other environmental purposes. GreenInfo has worked with many such groups, on mapping, analysis and web projects. In 2006, we developed and published LandTrustGIS.org, with grant support from the Packard Foundation, as a resource for land trusts seeking to know their technology choices and best GIS practices. In order to provide a more modern and up to date resource, we redesigned the website in late 2016, returning it to public access.

While larger land trusts may have dedicated GIS staff and resources to understand geospatial technology choices, many hundreds of others wrestle with how to make good decisions about what mapping technologies to acquire and use. They also try to learn about best practices for many different uses of GIS - maps, data, analysis, strategic conservation planning, education, fundraising, etc. The original LandTrustGIS.org was developed with a significant grant from the Packard Foundation and had extensive information about these practices and choices, but by 2014 had not been invested in for updates and was taken offline by GreenInfo.

During 2016 we started an internal initiative to develop a more modern, responsive (works on phones/tablets) site, with content more appropriate to current technology. The site launched in October 2016, just before the Land Trust Alliance Rally, the annual event where GreenInfo has presented a GIS overview panel for many years running. The new site has a focus on best GIS practices for land trusts of difference capacity levels, features an initial set of example land trust cases, and has resource links.

Web site visitors can also download the GreenInfo factsheet on Land Trust GIS Best Practices (PDF).

The web site was developed using custom programming, with Skeleton CSS as the responsive CSS framework. Additional libraries included Parallax.js for displaying header images, Lightbox for the overlay images, and expandable navigation from CodyHouse.

Focus: Conservation, Environment

Services: Interactive Solutions, GIS Services, Training and Support, Website Design

Tags: land trust, Land Trust Alliance

Project Years: 2016