The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a suite of software tools used to capture, gather, create, store, manage, analyze, share, and display geographic data. GIS allows us to integrate disparate sources of data into an integrated map and helps our Tribes view how these various phenomena relate to each other at different scales.
When spatial data is analyzed, patterns and trends emerge and important natural resource data can be mapped allowing for complex problems to be more easily visualized and integrated into ongoing management and recovery actions. For the Tribes, the robust tools of GIS help us to analyze data for a variety of projects, such as monitoring of restoration projects, using it for predictive modeling, analyzing large areas using remotely acquired data from satellites and other sources, and assisting in the understanding of complex ecosystems and helping to manage our precious resources in an effective and efficient manner.
The PNPTC GIS program is part of the Treaty Council Habitat Protection Program, which uses spatial analysis by assisting our Tribes in the organization and analysis of critical natural resource data. Our staff directly assists our tribal biologists and resource managers by analyzing a variety of data sources such as land use, habitat, wildlife, fish, shellfish, water and a variety of other natural resources data, which helps apply real-time data and science to support sound management decisions.
Additionally, we are also an integrated GIS arm of the Salmon and Steelhead Inventory and Assessment Program (SSHIAP) that works in conjunction with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission’s (NWIFC), specifically providing assistance for Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca region. View more information on the SSHIAP program.