Manier, D.J, and O'Donnell, M.S., 2018, Compilation and Assessment of Resource Values and Hazards to Inform Transportation and Associated Land-use Planning: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F8W.
We developed a conceptual framework to describe different categories of information, and how these different types of information could be connected to accurately, but simply, inform transportation and related land-use planning (see larger work citation for more details). With this conceptual model, we identified several primary information categories namely, Social Resources, Cultural Resources, Natural Resources, and Natural Hazards which interface with (existing or proposed) transportation networks via spatial “overlap” and similar influences incurred via co-location and/or proximity.These areas, where transportation infrastructure interacts with natural systems, are areas with potential effects of natural conditions that may present hazards or maintenance requirements for roadways, users and transportation networks. Awareness of these potentials can allow planners and developers to develop mitigation and/or avoidance into planning. Importantly, these data are interpretive data products compiled as an index, which will allow users to recognize concentrations of resource hazards. The potential hazard from one or more sources was compiled into simple categories for easy interpretation. Consultation of contributing data and additional information sources is recommended for full consideration of hazard potential. The data included with this report are based on estimated, and modeled, distributions of earth features, and as such they do not provide precise locations of natural hazards. As such, the indices we developed may be used to provide a general perspective on the relative distribution of historic and climatic events, but because inventories and spatial data are likely incomplete, and conditions change with time, users must assume these data comprise a sample of the history of these events along with expert interpretation (but not absolute knowledge). Extreme caution, and/or redundancy should be used when interpreting estimates of natural hazards when planning transportation routes, maintenance and safety because distributions of hazard potentials (individually and in compilation) are estimated and spatial precision is not defined. Potentially hazardous, and potentially low-hazard, areas should all receive appropriate local-level inventory and assessment. The data included with this report are based on estimated and modeled spatial information, with varying map scales and resolutions, and differences in appropriate and/or intended uses. These data cannot be used to infer specific locations or events, but they are useful for identifying regional patterns in the distributions of natural hazards by providing spatial context, historic and descriptive characteristics. USERS OF THESE DATA PRODUCTS SHOULD CAREFULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATION OF THE DATA PRODUCT AND RELEVANT DATA INPUTS (SOURCE DATA) BEFORE USING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THERIN.
