KENTON ROWE
FWP AT WORK
MAP MAKER
LYDIA BAILEY
At its most basic level, GIS (Geographic Information System) is a computer system that captures and displays information in map form. The maps we create in the GIS Unit of FWP’s Data Services Bureau allow us to deliver information in an easy-to-understand format to assist department field staff as well as hunters, anglers, and other recreationists. For instance, we might map locations of a grizzly moving through ranchlands, or various spawning tributaries that bull trout use. Or we can create a map of domestic sheep ranches and overlay that with a map layer of bighorn sheep locations so biologists can determine where wild sheep may be at greatest risk of contracting disease. I was introduced to the power of GIS as a student at the University of Vermont in the 1980s while getting my
wildlife biology degree. When I moved to Montana, I wanted to work for FWP because the department’s mission aligns with my personal values. Luckily, a position opened requiring GIS skills that I happened to have. That was in 1992, and I’ve been with FWP ever since. What I like most about working with GIS is that it’s both a science and an art. The science is the geography, biology, and technology that go into the data and maps. The art comes from using color, space, type, and other graphic elements to best emphasize the information a particular map is meant to convey, like the movements of elk throughout the year, or the relationship between sage-grouse breeding leks and oil and gas development sites. With GIS, I’m a scientist and an artist at the same time, which I find very rewarding.
MONTANA OUTDOORS
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