Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used as a management tool for the properties that fall under the auspices of the conservation commission. A GIS may be used to map and document unique features of the properties, such as locations of buildings or clusters of vegetation, using aerial photography that may be available of the area.
A GPS unit could be used to collect data about the location of trails on the property, then in turn uploaded into a GIS. The GPS data, in turn, could be used to help plan future trail construction on the site. The unit could be used to take a photographic inventory of the property by associating digital photographs with GPS locations within a GIS.
A GIS may also be used to assist with gathering information about a given area, helping a commission to make informed decisions about what potential acquisitions to pursue based on the location of its current holdings, zoning information, ownership information, land use, and ecological information that might be available for the area.
Finally, GIS may be used to produce easy-to-understand printed maps that have the potential to help decision making at public forums.
