DNR State Parks Plant Community Mapping

When the MNDNR issued an RFP in late 2014 for ecological fieldwork, native plant community classification, and GIS mapping services for four state parks and one state recreation area, CCES and Houston Engineering Inc. decided to partner and submit a response together. Combining HEI’s extensive GIS and database development experience with CCES’s plant community mapping and botanical relevé sampling expertise made for a winning combination and the team was selected by the MNDNR to complete the work.

Work on this project begin in the winter of 2015 with the completion of a desktop analysis of each site to be evaluated in 2015. At the start of the 2015 field season, CCES will begin the process of ground truthing and classifying cover types within each of the state owned properties. CCES will also compete standardized relevé sampling within each land cover type identified and mapped. Field data will be delivered to Houston Engineering, Inc for desktop mapping purposes and database development. A final product will be delivered to the MNDNR at the end of 2015. Check back here for updates as this project moves forward. This is one of several projects in which CCES has teamed with Houston Engineering, Inc.