May 5, 2004

County Natural Resources Inventory available

Tompkins County has published its 2001 Natural Resources Inventory on its web site. The Inventory includes:

  • water bodies
  • watersheds
  • aquifers
  • wetlands
  • flood hazard areas
  • slopes and topography
  • soils
  • bedrock geology
  • surface geology
  • unique natural areas
  • state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas
  • Tompkins County reforestry lands
  • important bird areas
  • natural heritage sites
  • critical environmental areas, national natural landmarks, and New York State recreational rivers
  • Finger Lakes Land Trust and Nature Conservancy preserves, conservation easements, and Cornell natural areas
  • aerial photographs
  • digital orthographic quarter quadrangles
  • land use and land cover

Most of the sections have maps, though the last three only really have samples. I figured out, for instance, that the forest across the street from me is part of the Cornell Monkey Run Natural Area. There's an amazing amount of information here.

The county is even offering classes in using the inventory. Sessions are at TC3's space on the Ithaca Commons, room 105. Classes are Tuesday, May 11th, at 7pm, Wednesday, May 19th, at 10am, and Thursday, June 3rd, at 2 pm.

Posted by simon at May 5, 2004 8:12 PM in Tompkins County
Note on photos