Contribute Data ›› Event (Polygon) Data

LANDFIRE would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed data.

The Events geodatabase is used to inform updates to existing vegetation and fuel layers. Event polygons reflect landscape change from:

• recent natural disturbance
• land management activities

The priority for the current data call is Event data from 2011. If you would like to submit more recent or older Event data, LANDFIRE will archive the data for evaluation and potential use in future mapping updates or comprehensive remaps. Refer to Disturbance Data Processing to learn how LANDFIRE evaluates and processes Event polygon data.

To submit your data, please follow steps 1-5.

1) Inventory your data.

Types of Event data needed for LANDFIRE updating.

Category	Theme (polygon)
Fire	Wildfires
	Wildland Fire Use
	Prescribed Fires
Other Disturbances	Insects and Disease
	Weather Damage
Other Treatments	Harvest/Thinning
	Seeding/Planting
	Other Mechanical
	Chemical
Other Information	Exotic Plant Infestations




2) Ensure that all data layers have a defined spatial coordinate system.




Ensure that all data layers have a defined spatial coordinate system

While there are several ways to check data's spatial reference in ArcCatalog, a common method is to double-click on the layer in the Catalog Tree (or right-click on the layer and choose Properties) and click on the XY Coordinate System tab in the Properties dialog box. A typical spatial reference might be Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), a UTM Zone Number, and a Horizontal Datum of NAD83 or NAD27. If the spatial reference is not defined, it will display as Unknown. (Alternatively, you can use Windows Explorer to confirm that the coordinate system is defined for a shapefile by finding its projection file, which will have a ".prj" file extension.)

If the spatial coordinate system is Unknown (as is the case when no .prj file is included in your shapefile), one must be assigned using the Select or Import buttons on the XY Coordinate System tab dialog box. You can also use the Define Projection tool in ArcToolbox. Contact helpdesk@landfire.gov if you have additional questions about assigning the correct coordinate system. A representative of the LANDFIRE team will respond with further guidance.



3) Attribute your data.



Attribute your data
Each data layer should contain the requested attributes to support the LANDFIRE update process. Ensuring that your polygons are as consistently and completely attributed as possible will maximize their utility for LANDFIRE updates. Existing field names in your attribute table(s) need not match those requested for LANDFIRE. The content, however, should match as closely as possible.

At a minimum, event type and year of occurrence must be provided for each polygon record to be used in LANDFIRE updates.



4) Review the data layers.

Review the data layers

Please confirm that all records are as complete as possible and that any duplicate records or polygons have been removed.



5) Data transfer.

Data Transfer

We will accept data in various formats, including ESRI shapefiles, geodatabases, and ArcInfo coverages. Supporting information, including definitions of the fields and any codes in the data tables, should accompany the data to ensure that they can be interpreted correctly.

Once you have gathered your data, please send it to Brenda Lundberg, the LANDFIRE Data Administrator. You may email datasets smaller than 10MB to Brenda Lundberg at blundberg@usgs.gov. If the files are too large to send via email or if you need to send some hard-copy information, you can mail to:

Attn: Brenda Lundberg,
LANDFIRE RM G-70
US Forest Service
Region One Regional Office
PO Box 7669
Missoula, MT 59807


If mailing data please include your name, telephone number, and email so that we have a point of contact for the contributed data. Alternatively, you can ftp large electronic data files. Please contact Brenda Lundberg at (406) 329-3405 or blundberg@usgs.gov for more information.

For data submission, questions, or you are aware of other data sources, contact:

Brenda Lundberg
LANDFIRE Reference Data Administrator
blundberg@usgs.gov
406-329-3405