1. Maura Olivos
Salt Lake Community College
GEOG 2900 – A. Dastrup
August 26, 2011
A Proposal for GIS Independent Study
Abstract
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is rapidly being utilized as a technology standard for
management planning and project collaboration within private sectors like the ski industry and
more specifically, Alta Ski Area (ASA) of Utah. This management direction is fueled by the ski
industry’s close relationship with the public sector, in particular the U.S. Forest Service (who
has integrated GIS in their infrastructure), for “60 percent of all U.S. alpine ski areas reside on
National Forests”1. ASA is responsible for 1800 acres of federal land, about 80% of the ski area,
and the protection of vital natural resources within these lands. Recognizing the practical and
sustainable usage of GIS for utilities and land management, ASA has begun its integration
through the compilation and conversion of relevant data. To aid in this endeavor this
independent study proposes to update data relevant to land management and conduct a
projection analysis for land in need of greater restoration abiding to ASA’s desire to increase its
sustainable efforts through a decrease of its environmental impact. The Forest Service and
qualified local ecologists will provide additional support through the provision of edits and
verification of designated boundaries ascertained by the data analysis. Furthermore, the final
products will be utilized by ASA, and looks to meet applicable standards for additional use by
state and federal agencies. This project will help guide both the Forest Service and the ski
industry in maintaining, restoring and managing sensitive alpine environments and national
forests for continued sustainable commerce of our national lands.
Project Description
Alta Ski Area and the Alta Environmental Center (AEC) have recently embarked on developing a
GIS program within its operations. The purpose of including GIS for Alta is to have a
standardized, long-term, sustainable program and method to organize and support the
infrastructure and land management efforts of Alta’s private and special use-permitted public
lands. Currently, Alta is in the process of creating a database, transferring and organizing
current data, and gathering appropriate data for the program.
As the AEC’s Sustainability Coordinator and Ecologist, I am helping oversee the transferring and
gathering of land management plans. However, very little old data exists electronically and
much of the information is in the form of hand drawn maps. Two maps of quintessential
1
“Ski Areas Give Back to Local National Forests.” www.nationalforests.org. National Forest Foundation, Web.
February 9, 2011.

2. management usage are included in the 1997 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Alta
Ski Area Master Development Plan Update (Final EIS)2: 1) “Vegetation Management Plan” and
2) “Vegetation Types”. The Forest Service has no plans to recreate these management maps
until ASA’s next Master Plan update in ten years. Therefore, it is proposed for this study to
georeference the current maps, update the “Vegetation Types” map through a raster analysis,
and apply a projection analysis on disturbed areas of vegetation for restoration purposes.
The original maps were hand drawn based upon observational data and state in the Final EIS
“all land lines and building locations are approximate.” ASA has surpassed this approximation
of data and requires an updated electronic mode to view the information on the maps. The
“Vegetation Management Plan” originally created from Long and Roberts Forest Management
Plan for the Alta Ski Area3 in 1994 includes boundaries for 11 management zones, with 3
management types for ski use and may not require much more than a georeference. Reference
points from the original map will be taken from known mountain peaks and possibly lift
locations.
The “Vegetation Types” map will also be georeferenced, but in addition to the “approximate”
locations of the map the Final EIS states, “several plant communities may occur within the plant
community mapping units…Because of the small acreages of these inclusions they cannot be
mapped at the scale used for this report.” Therefore, an analysis may be made to get a more
accurate portrayal of the vegetation types within ASA. The georeferencing of the original map
will not be used to re-determine the plant community type identified for Alta, but will be used
as a comparison and guide for the analysis. Instead, a raster aerial image will be used in
conjunction with field data of know vegetation types to identify the 15 plant community types
pre-determined by the Final EIS.
The 15 plant community types include: 1) Conifer/Tall Forb, 2) Conifer/Rock, 3) Kurmholz, 4)
Aspen/Tall Forb, 5) Tall Forb, 6) Short Forb, 7) Alpine Forb, 8) Snowberry/Tall Forb, 9)
Willow/Tall Forb, 10) Plainleaf Willow/Water Sedge, 11) Misc. Wetlands, 12) Rock & Talus, 13)
Glacial Polish Rock, 14) Seeded Grass, and 15) Developed Base Area.
Once the vegetation types are determined on the new map, then an additional analysis will be
applied to create appropriate vegetation type recommendations for highly disturbed sites
within the ski area. These “highly disturbed sites” include plant community types “Seeded
Grass” and “Developed Base Area,” which account for 210 acres as of 1997 (Final EIS). It is
believed that the first analysis will identify additional disturbed acreage due to projects post
1997.
2
USDA Forest Service, Salt Lake Ranger District. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Alta Ski Area Master
Development Plan Update, Volume I. Salt Lake City: USDA Forest Service, April 1997. Print.
3
Long, James N. and Roberts, Scott D. Forest Management Plan for the Alta Ski Area. Logan: Utah State University,
June 1994. Print.

3. The ski area has dedicated itself to sustainability and with the guidance of AEC it looks to
“protect and improve the well-being of Alta’s environment, ski industry and community.” This
mission acts as a guide to identify sustainable projects, one of which is increasing the natural
habitat and vegetation of areas disturbed by ASA through restoration. This final analysis will
help ASA by acting as an additional guide for restoration efforts.
Methodology
Data Acquisition: To begin the project some of the data will be provided within the
georeferencing of the old maps. Basic raster and vector data will be uploaded from the
Forest Service Geodata Clearinghouse and will include topographic features like elevation,
contours, and vegetation. If need be, a more recent raster image of the area will be
downloaded through Google Earth or the U.S. Geologic Survey website. Control data for
vegetation types will be provided through fieldwork gathered in Alta using a Trimble GPS.
Ecological Endorsement: Initial confirmation of vegetation types will be compared to its
georeferenced counterpart map. Primary support will come from ecologists and
Recreational Managers from the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to
provide edits and reviews of the boundaries (polygons) verifying the location and logic of
the vegetation designations.
Schedule & Deliverables
The end of SLCC’s 2011 Fall Term will complete the project. All data will be done under a UTM
projection system and NAD 83 Utah Zone 12 North coordinate system. Final physical products
of this project will include:
1. An update of ASA’s “Vegetation Management Plan” management boundaries in the
form of a physical map and shape file, including appropriate attributes and metadata.
2. An update of ASA’s “Vegetation Types” boundaries in the form of a physical map and
shape file, including appropriate attributes and metadata.
3. A recommendation of designation of vegetation type for disturbed ground within ASA to
guide restoration efforts of appropriate areas, provided in the format of an additional
shape file and a physical map.
4. Poster and paper describing the findings and potential applications of this project.