GIS Support of Participatory Efforts

Abstract

The Regulatory Division, Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) used Geographic Information System (GIS) software and data in a project to improve reviews of permit applications. The Corps assembled citizens, landowners, non-governmental organizations, agencies, and other stakeholders to participate in the discussion of concerns. The project encompassed a very large geographic area and explored a wide variety of issues. The use of GIS was different for each step in the process. In the initial steps of scoping the project and familiarizing the participants with the study area, GIS was used to display data. The identification of the data that would be useful to the participants and the determination of the number of maps to display influences the efficiency of the group. After the group listed issues and defined evaluation factors, GIS software was used to analyze and report the results of applying the evaluation factors to several predictions of what permit applications will be received. Finally, GIS was used to distribute the information, primarily through a set of draft maps identifying locations where a Permit decision may particularly influence a natural resource issue. Concurrent with this project is a larger on-going effort that allows a reviewer to enter the location of a newly received application and receive a text report. This demonstrates how the use of GIS needs to be tailored to the different stages of the participatory process.