Coastal Services Center

Land Cover

Land cover maps document how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, impervious surfaces, agriculture, and other features. The data is derived from remotely sensed imagery, and is the most efficient means of analyzing land cover data for a large region. By comparing land cover maps over a period of time, users can not only observe changes but also document land use trends. This information is useful when gauging current conditions, evaluating past management choices, and crafting policies that direct future land use decisions.

Data and Maps

The NOAA Coastal Services Center produces land cover for the nation’s coastal areas through its Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). Several dates of coastal land cover change information is available, with updates planned every five years. Visit the following website to see what information is available for your area.
www.csc.noaa.gov/landcover/

Tools and Services

Training. The Center helps coastal resource managers effectively use remotely sensed land cover data to address coastal issues.
www.csc.noaa.gov/training/

Courses include a two-day Remote Sensing for Spatial Analysts training that teaches basic remote sensing skills. The hands-on course stresses the benefits, limitations, and use of the data in a geographic information system (GIS) format.

Tools. Center develops software tools to help coastal resource managers more effectively use remotely sensed land cover data. These tools include:

• Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT)
• Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool (N-SPECT)
• Habitat Priority Planner

Technical Support and Sponsorships. The Center helps data providers understand the needs of the coastal resource management community and helps inform state and local programs about industry capabilities and available technology. The Center also partners with state and local agencies to ensure that quality products are produced in a timely manor, with as little duplication of effort and as cost effectively as possible. This is often done through sharing the cost of data development or by providing access to the Center’s Coastal Geospatial Services Contract (CGSC) vehicle.

Using the Data. Visit the following website to see highlights of some of our partnerships and examples of how programs are using land cover maps to address coastal issues.
www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/lca/apps.html