PlanIT Geo, which offers urban forestry software and consulting services, has unveiled a new data pack that combines tree canopy, equity and inventory data.
The Land Cover and Tree Equity (LCTE) Data Pack combines GIS reference layers of federally-designated disadvantaged communities with land cover statistics (e.g., amount of existing tree cover, impervious surface area). The information is all accessible and visualized within TreePlotter’s mapping interface to inform planting and maintenance priorities and streamline grant reporting requirements.
As the funding windfall from the Inflation Reduction Act flows into communities through urban forestry grants, it’s created a unique requirement. To earn the perk of “no match” requirements, grant awardees must demonstrate that 100% of their project benefits go to disadvantaged communities. PlanIT Geo developed the LCTE Data Pack, an add-on to TreePlotter Inventory to help grant recipients and future applicants better track their impact.
With LCTE data, communities can view all CEJST disadvantaged areas within their community and filter them by existing canopy cover. Through an exclusive partnership with EarthDefine, this data is available nationally, off-the-shelf down to the census block level, allowing users to bring a whole new level of precision when planning tree planting projects.
The land cover data is updated continuously over time, so users get frequent updates to monitor gains or losses in tree canopy, allowing for more agility in urban forestry efforts. The new data pack also improves the clarity and quality of reports, as urban foresters can pull up exact numbers on what they're doing in each neighborhood, why they made those decisions and the expected beneficial impacts.
“We’ve seen time and again that a data-backed narrative of urban forest efforts goes a long way to gaining buy-in from government leadership. The LCTE Data Pack is our latest tool for helping communities tell their urban forest story to meet grant requirements and inspire greater support," says Ian Hanou, PlanIT Geo founder and CEO.
