by Marc Hoshovsky 
California Department of Fish and Game

During the spring of 2000, the CBC Science Coordinating Committee (SCC) identified key statewide databases that might be useful for the California Continuing Investment Strategy Program (CCRISP) effort. This project has two purposes: (1) to provide background to inform CCRISP about what is possible with existing data and to identify the major data needs, and (2) to help other efforts understand the major data needs for California natural resource planning.

The SCC report determined that many statewide databases are potentially useful for CCRISP, but they have some limitations. Most of them are too coarse to be used at the local project-level, which usually requires data at a relatively fine scale. Other limitations, which only apply to some data sets, are:

• incomplete or inadequate comprehensive data sets;

• too little assessment of accuracy;

• difficulty in integrating nonspatial data with other data sets;

• less than statewide coverage; and

• lack of time-series information for assessing trends.

Each database needs to be evaluated and described in more detail as CCRISP objectives become more refined.

The SCC has developed new, or leveraged existing, interagency teams to focus on specific data themes. The purpose of these teams is twofold—to improve statewide data sets through cooperative actions and cost-sharing and to improve access to existing data sets, working with CERES Environmental Information Catalog. Participants include mostly federal and state agencies along with the University of California.

The purposes, as well as recent activities, of each team are listed below:

1. Sensitive Species–focuses on improving the quality, capability, and accessibility of the Natural Diversity Data Base, as well as to improve the linkages between NDDB and other existing sensitive species databases.

2. Vegetation–focuses on improving the quality of existing vegetation data and provide standards that allow better integration of current and future mapping efforts. The team is developing common mapping standards, integrating data sets, and working on a joint mapping project on the southern California coast.

3. Watershed Delineation–the existing Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee is currently improving data on watershed boundaries to meet national standards while simultaneously meeting state needs.

4. Rivers and Waterbodies–developing more detailed (1:24,000 scale) and updated mapping of rivers and water bodies, as part of the National Hydrographic Dataset.

5. Land Ownership–CALFED is leading a phased project to update public land ownership data, focusing first in the Central Valley and then incorporating upper watersheds within the CALFED area. A broader statewide effort is needed by an agency with more appropriate responsibility for this type of data.

6. Terrestrial Wildlife–the existing California Interagency Wildlife Task Group is improving the California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System and provides a valuable forum for coordinating wildlife inventory methodologies among a wide variety of agencies.

7. Remote Imagery–working to make the acquisition of satellite imagery and air photography more affordable for natural resource agencies and to address concerns about proprietary data so that data can be easily shared among agencies.

8. Fire Ecology–the existing California Association of Fire Ecologists focuses on improving understanding about the ecological effects of fire on natural habitats. The team has developed a fire ecology textbook, updated California portions of the national Fire Effects Information System, and provided fire ecology information via a website and monthly electronic newsletter.

For more information on the Science Coordinating Committee, please contact Marc Hoshovsky, California Department of Fish and Game at mhoshovs@dfg.ca.gov or (916) 322-2446.