FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Hill
(HELENA)---The
Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS), in cooperation with the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces the availability of detailed NRCS soil survey data on a
web site developed by the two groups.
The new
website, at /nrcs/soils,
provides comprehensive
links to data
and data tools for people interested in using the NRCS Soil Survey Geographic
and National Soil Information System data.
Visitors to
the website can download mapping, data interpretation and reporting tools to
utilize this detailed information.
“While this information has been gathered for decades, it was formerly
not very accessible to the public. Now, by visiting this website, private
landowners can easily access maps and reports to help them manage their lands,”
said Jim Hill, NRIS Director.
Historically,
soil survey publications were printed documents with limited distribution due
to costs associated with preparation and publication. More recently, due to
coordinated national efforts, the NRCS has made significant progress in
developing electronic data organization and access methods to encourage more
widespread use of this valuable information. Soil maps can be used to determine
the suitability and potential of soils in a given location for specific uses
and can also be used to plan the management needed for those uses.
The
Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) was established seventeen
years ago by the Legislature. NRIS, a
division of the State Library, acts as a clearinghouse for natural resource
information.
For
more information about the soil survey website, contact Hill at (406) 444-5355,
or Catherine Maynard, NRCS Resource Analyst at (406) 444-4546.
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