New Capitol State Forest map gets a tip of the hat from ThurstonTalk

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently updated its Capitol State Forest map. Thurston Talk got their hands on a copy of the new map and wrote an article for their website.

The author points out that many trails and roads in the forest have changed over recent years, bringing about the need for updates to the Capitol State Forest map. DNR used the update as an opportunity to improve on the older version of the map.

While the new map has increased the accuracy of the listed trails, it also added a few new features. One of these new features mentioned in the article is the Fun Guide. The Fun Guide is a large section of the map dedicated to pointing out several popular features of Capitol State Forest. With points of interest such as best mountain biking loop, most peaceful walk, best drive and best camping, users are guaranteed to find something new whether they’re newcomers or regular visitors to Capitol State Forest.

The author of the article was able to provide an interesting perspective on the map and its new features. Check out the article on Thurston Talk, and for more information on the new Capitol State Forest map check out these related links:

Top 5 reasons to download the new Capitol State Forest map onto your smartphone
New Capitol State Forest map is hot off the presses!

Follow DNR on:

Top 5 reasons to download the new Capitol State Forest map onto your smartphone

The new Capitol State Forest Map is now geo-referenced, making it ideal to download onto your smartphone. Photo: Diana Lofflin, DNR.

Are you ready to take your outdoor recreation adventure into the digital world?

The new 2013 Capitol State Forest map has been developed to easily download onto your smartphone or tablet.  

The smartphone is becoming an outdoor recreationist’s most trusted side-kick. With a built-in GPS unit, camera, compass and technology to track your trip, the smartphone is becoming another handy tool to have in the woods.

Here are 5 reasons to try it out today:

1. Stay safe. Capitol State Forest is over 100,000 acres with trails and roads intersecting across the landscape. When you download the map to your phone, you have up-to-date trail and road names at your fingertips.
2. No cell service? No problem! If you download the map into an app service (explained below) the map will still work even if you are out of cell range using your phone’s GPS chip.
   *Bonus Tip: Save battery power and turn your cell on airplane mode.
3. Photo-capture your favorite spot.  With your geo-referenced Capitol Forest Map, you can take a picture of your favorite lunch spot, write a note, and tag its location on your phone to show it off to your buddies next time you are out.
4. Are we there yet?! With accurate longitude and latitude programed into the map, you will know exactly where you are and how far the next stop is on your trail adventure.
   *Bonus Tip:  Some apps even offer a measuring tool as part of their options.
5. FREE map! Can’t beat free and convenient, right?!

Ready to give it a try? Follow the easy steps below to get started.

New Zealand quake’s impacts linger long afterwards; Construction on unstable soils amplified hazards

IN LIEU OF A LOO: For two long years now—since the devastating earthquake in September 2010—many residents of Christchurch, N.Z., have had to dispose of their waste in curbside bins for regular pick up because repairing sewer lines in unstable soils would be too costly. Photo by John D. Schelling, EMD

In August, John Schelling, Washington State Emergency Management Division’s earthquake program manager, visited Christchurch, New Zealand as part of a U.S. Geological Survey research project. Buildings and people in Christchurch experienced some of the strongest vertical motions ever recorded from the September 4, 2010, earthquake and its many aftershocks.

Schelling’s posting today on the Emergency Management Division’s blog describes the lessons we can–and should–learn about earthquake preparation and damage prevention. Large sections of the city crumbled because they were built on land susceptible to ground liquefaction. He notes that entire neighborhoods, even fairly new ones, in Christchurch have been abandoned because the instability of the land now makes it cost prohibitive to continue providing them with water, wastewater and electricity (see John’s photo with this article).

Mapping areas here in Washington that are susceptible to soil liquefaction and other hazards can help planners, builders and citizens better understand our potential risks from earthquakes. Geologists from DNR’s Geology and Earth Resources Division use modern geotechnical and geophysical methods, as well as historical records, to identify and assess geologic hazards. Most geologic mapping done by companies and universities is for a specific purpose and covers small areas. Our job as the state survey is to produce maps that cover whole areas of the state at various scales.

DNR’s geologists also hold workshops to show cities and counties how to use these maps for land-use and emergency-management planning. In response to the Growth Management Act’s mandate to use the ‘best available science’, our geologists meet with local governments and citizens in at-risk communities to educate them about geologic hazards and ensure that these hazards are considered in growth management and disaster planning.

DNR’s earthquake mapping and risk assessment are valuable tools here in Washington State where there is a 10 percent to 14 percent chance of a subduction zone earthquake and a 20 percent chance of a quake like the one that hit Christchurch in our lifetimes.

See DNR’s county maps of earthquake hazards.

Follow DNR on:

Earthquake-caused soil liquefaction risks in Washington State

This map of downtown Olympia shows areas of susceptibility to ground liquefaction (red areas are at highest risk; orange is low-to-moderate riskSmall blue icons show where liquefaction (blue squares), structural damage (triangles), lateral ground spreading (stars) ground cracking (lightning bolts), landslides (circles) or toppled chimneys occurred in the 2001 earthquake. Map: DNR

A July 16 in-depth report heard on the Seattle-based NPR affiliate KPLU-FM and nationally examines the efforts of Washington and other Northwest states to map soil liquefaction susceptibility. Soil liquefaction is a potentially dangerous outcome of strong earthquakes. It occurs when water-saturated sand, silt, or (sometimes) gravels are shaken so violently in an earthquake that the soil loses strength and water is pushed toward the surface. The ground can become like quicksand, causing highways and sidewalks to buckle, and buildings to shift or even collapse.

Download DNR’s liquefaction susceptibility maps for any county in Washington State. Or view mapped liquefaction susceptibility and other geologic risk areas on the Washington State Geologic Information Portal.

How we developed the maps
Following the Nisqually earthquake of 2001 near Olympia, DNR was awarded a grant by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Washington Emergency Management Division to develop earthquake hazard maps for every county in the state. Local and state government agencies, school districts and anyone else can use these maps to update their hazard mitigation plans. Local governments also use these maps to delineate geologically hazardous areas under the Growth Management Act. 

Here’s a blog about the mapping effort.

Follow DNR on:

DNR’s interactive web portal offers Washington tsunami evacuation maps

Tsunami inundation areas of Washington State. Source: DNR

With the one-year anniversary of the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan approaching, a visit to the Washington State Geologic Information Portal can provide interesting — and useful — information about our risks in Washington State.

Our detailed and multi-layered base map of the state’s geologic features has been sliced and diced a few different ways by the experts in our Geology and Earth Resources Division. For example, the tsunami layer features the base map with an overlay of  tsunami hazard zones, evacuation routes, and assembly areas. Use the address locator tool to find evacuation routes and assembly areas near your home, school or workplace.

Using our interactive maps, you can create, save, and print custom maps, find more information about map features, and download map data for use in a geographic information system (GIS). In addition to a variety of geoscience layers that can be turned on and off, each interactive map has many base layers to choose from, so you can customize your map in any number of ways.

Please note that because of the huge volume of geologic data in these interactive maps, the data loading and identification operations may not be instantaneous (compared,  say, finding the nearest coffee bar on a google map).

Here’s a 2-page fact sheet explaining how to get the most out of the Washington State Geologic Information Portal.

Follow DNR on:

Goldmark alarmed by the health of forests; testifies before legislative committee

 

Red shaded areas areas show where the mountain pine beetle is killing trees in Washington forests. Source: US Forest Service.

Today, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark testified before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and confirmed that insect and disease damage is projected to worsen in Washington’s forests if actions are not taken immediately.

Projections show significantly high tree-kill is likely to occur across 2.8 million acres of forests in eastern Washington over the next 15 years. That’s roughly one-third of the entire forest landscape in the state.

In the past several years, the state has seen a major deterioration of forest conditions and widespread damage to trees throughout eastern Washington. The number of acres damaged by forest insects and diseases in Washington over the past decade is 150 percent greater than it was in the 1990s, and 200 percent greater than in the 1980s.

Goldmark is calling for a group of science and forestry experts to advise him on the severity of the threats, areas of the landscape where corrective actions would be best prioritized, and what kind of actions would be most effective.

See today’s testimony from Commissioner Goldmark and State Forester Aaron Everett on TVW website.

Applying for technical committee
Private, nongovernmental, academic, and public-sector scientists and specialists are all eligible to submit letters of interest. Letters of interest and curriculum vitae are due no later than December 19, 2011. Committee members also will be compensated for their time and travel expenses.

Check out the ‘call for letters’ and become a part of the solution for forest health issues. Learn more about Washington’s forest health plight on the DNR Forest Health webpage.

For questions or additional information, please contact Karen Ripley, Forest Health Program Manager, 360-902-1691, or karen.ripley@dnr.wa.gov.

Follow DNR on:

DNR releases new maps; active faults, other features shown in King & Snohomish counties

The newly released Monroe Quadrangle Map shows the Cherry Valley fault and other features in King and Snohomish counties. Map: Division of Geology and Earth Resources/DNR.

A new map released today by DNR shows the Cherry Valley fault and other potentially active faults of the southern Whidbey Island fault zone in eastern King and southwestern Snohomish counties, an increasingly populated region just east of Seattle. The map also locates the active Cherry Creek fault zone, a subsidiary structure that produced the magnitude 5.2 Duvall earthquake on May 2, 1996.

The geologic map of the Monroe quadrangle is available only online. It is the latest of several 7.5-minute quadrangle maps in a multi-year effort by DNR to document the rock and soil types and many faults, folds, and geomorphic features across Washington State. Partial funding is provided from the USGS National Cooperative Geological Mapping Grant Program. 

DNR’s Geology and Earth Resources Division is working with university, federal, and local researchers to better understand the connection between the Rattlesnake Mountain fault zone in the North Bend area and the southern Whidbey Island fault zone. Knowing the geology of an area can help local governments and residents avoid geologic hazards, locate water and other earth resources, and plan intelligently for the future.

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources, a division of DNR, is Washington State’s geological survey, established in 1890.

This mapping project is a continuation of earlier work to trace earthquake faults in western Washington. All of DNR’s Division of Geology publications are now accessible online – see our Publications List.  See a list of online geologic maps of Washington from all sources.

Find out more geology and earth science information. 

Follow DNR on:

Going hunting on DNR-managed lands? New map helps you find out where you’ll need a Discover Pass

 

DNR's new hunting map provides latitude and longitude information. Click on map to download larger version.

Many of you who like to hunt on state lands have been asking for a better map showing just where on DNR-managed lands you’ll need a Discover Pass.

We’re happy to announce that we just posted a new and improved interactive map on our website that should help you out. For those of you with GPS devices, this map provides you with latitude and longitude coordinates, letting you more closely pinpoint where you’ll need a Discover Pass.

To use the interactive feature, you need a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat Professional (not free) or an app for your smart phone or mobile device that reads PDF maps (some are free).

To get the latitude and longitude information, save the map to your computer or your smart phone first and then open the file with Acrobat or an app. More detailed directions are on our website or go directly to the map.  

Another feature of the map includes an overlay of the game management units (GMUs) managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Of the more than 3 million acres of DNR-managed state trust lands available for hunting, 1.2 million acres of scattered parcels and undesignated blocks of land can be accessed without a Discover Pass. 

When you purchase your hunting license or permit from WDFW, you receive a vehicle access pass that allows you to park and hunt on WDFW-managed lands, so a Discover Pass is not required. Hunting is not allowed on lands managed by our other partner, Washington State Parks. 

About the Discover Pass
The Discover Pass is your ticket to nearly 7 million acres of state recreation lands managed by DNR, Washington State Parks, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. An annual pass costs $30 and a one-day pass costs $10. (Transaction fees may apply, depending on where you purchase the pass.) Learn more about the Discover Pass at www.discoverpass.wa.gov.

Follow DNR on:

Online map shows a year’s worth of illegal dumping sites on Washington State trust lands and forests

Nice forest. Too bad about the trash somebody dumped there. Photo: DNR.

Actually, our headline is not quite accurate. Our new google map — Illegal Dumping Sites on Washington State Trust Land — only shows the nearly 200 locations we were able to investigate in 2010.

DNR’s Law Enforcement Service says that for every known dumping site, there may be two or three more that haven’t been found, were cleaned up by eager volunteers (thanks!), too difficult to reach at this time, or our 8 officers (who cover more than 2 million acres of forestland) haven’t investigated yet.

Cleaning up those sites costs DNR around $200,000 a year — an average of $1,000 per site. Many sites cost less to clean up but costs can spiral upwards when there are suspected hazardous chemicals, the trash is at the bottom of a ravine, or the car is dumped in a creek requiring an environmental clean up.

View the map of illegal dumping in 2010.  See the ugly photos of trashed forests on our Flickr page.

We hope alert citizens out there will call 911 when suspicious activities are spotted on public or private lands.

Follow DNR on:

DNR maps earthquake hazards in every county of Washington State

Areas of greatest susceptibility to ground liquefaction in central Olympia are shown in red, low-to-moderate risk in orange. Click on map to see icons marking where liquefaction, structural damage, lateral ground spreading and cracking, landslides or toppled chimneys occurred in the 2001 earthquake. Map: DNR.

Ground liquefaction can be a major cause of damage, injuries and deaths in earthquakes. It occurs when water-saturated sands, silts, or (sometimes) gravels are shaken so violently that the sediment loses strength. Ground cracking or lateral spreads (landslides on very shallow slopes) are common above liquefied layers. Photos from the deadly Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand show evidence of liquefaction.

Mapping areas susceptible to liquefaction can help planners and builders to better understand the potential risks of an earthquake. Following the Nisqually earthquake of 2001 near Olympia, DNR was awarded a grant by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Washington Emergency Management Division to develop earthquake hazard maps for every county in the state.

Sand ‘blows’ emerged from liquefaction-caused ground cracks on Center Road near the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge after the Nisqually earthquake of 2001. A marker pen on the ground between the two cracks is 5.3 inches long. Photo: Pat Pringle/DNR.

The earthquake hazard maps (completed in 2004) show liquefaction susceptibility and areas where soils amplify ground shaking. The maps are available for state and local governments to update hazard mitigation plans and delineate geologically hazardous areas under the Growth Management Act.  These large image files can be viewed or downloaded from DNR’s Division of Geology and Earth Resources.