Louisiana ESI: PARISH (Parish Management Area Polygons)

This data set contains boundaries for parishes in coastal Louisiana. Vector polygons in this data set represent parish management areas. Location-specific type and source information are stored in relational data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer.This data set comprises a portion of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for Louisiana. ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. See also the data layers SOCECON (Socioeconomic Resource Points) and MGT (Management Area Polygons), part of the larger Louisiana ESI database, for additional human-use information.

The ESI data were collected, mapped, and digitized to provide environmental data for oil spill planning and response. The Clean Water Act with amendments by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires response plans for immediate and effective protection of sensitive resources.

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Prepared by Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington; Minerals Management Service (MMS), New Orleans, Louisiana; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Lafayette, Louisiana; The Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO), Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR), Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Resource Description - ESI Atlas for Louisiana

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. NOAA warrants the delivery of this product in computer-readable format, and will offer a replacement copy of the product when the product is determined unreadable by computer-input peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition.

Contact NOAA for distribution options (see Distributor). ESI data are processed into multiple formats to make them useful to a wider community of GIS/mapping users. Distribution formats include ARC export, MOSS and Shape files, and MARPLOT map folders. An ArcView ESI project and ESI_Viewer product are also included on the distribution CDs for ease of use of the ESI data. The database files are distributed both in the NOAA standard relational database format (see NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 115) and in a simplified desktop flat file format. This metadata document includes information on both of these database formats.;

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DO NOT USE MAPS FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES.Besides the above warning, there are no use constraints on these data. Note that the ESI database should not be used to the exclusion of other pertinent data or information held by state or federal agencies or other organizations. Likewise, information contained in the database cannot be used in place of consultations with environmental, natural resource, and cultural resource agencies, or in place of field surveys. Recognize that the information contained in the ESI database represents known concentration areas or occurrences of natural, cultural, and human-use resources, but does not necessarily represent the full distribution or range of each species or resource. This is particularly important to recognize when considering potential impacts to protected resources, such as endangered species, wetlands, etc. Acknowledgment of the originators, publishers, contributors, and sources listed would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO(r) (version 8.3) and SQL SERVER(r) (version 7.0). The hardware configuration is PC's with Windows Operating System (NT4.0/2000).The Spatial_Data_Organization_Information section refers only to the source files in the ARC export format. The following files are included in that data set: birds.e00, esi.e00, fish.e00, habitats.e00, hydro.e00, index.e00, invert.e00, lg_index.e00, mgt.e00, parish.e00, nests.e00, reptiles.e00, roads.e00, sm_index.e00, socecon.e00, t_mammal.e00. Associated relational and desktop data tables provided in Arc export and text format are bio_lut, biores, biofile, breed, breed_dt, seasonal, soc_dat, soc_lut, sources, species, and status.

A multi-stage error checking process is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. The process includes a standardized data entry methodology, hardcopy data review by in-house and external resource experts, a final Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) process, and multiple automated logical consistency checks. Quantitative data (such as densities, counts, abundances, or concentrations) provided by resource experts for inclusion in the data set may vary widely in attribute accuracy, depending upon the methodology used to collect and compile such data. For a more detailed evaluation of source data attribute accuracy, contact the sources listed in the Lineage section.

The spatial components of the PARISH data set were developed from pre-existing digital sources and reflect the positional accuracy of these original data. See the Lineage and Process_Description sections for more information on the original data source and how the data were integrated or manipulated to create the final data set.

These data represent digital boundaries for parish management areas. Refer to the data layers SOCECON (Socioeconomic Resource Points) and MGT (Management Area Polygons) for additional human-use information. These data do not necessarily represent all parish areas in Louisiana.

A multi-stage error checking process, described in the above Attribute_Accuracy_Report, is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. This process includes multiple automated logical consistency checks that test the files for missing or duplicate data, rules for proper coding, GIS topological consistencies (such as dangles, unnecessary nodes, etc.), and SQL SERVER(r) to ARC/INFO(r) consistencies. The GIS manager makes a final review, where the data are written to CD-ROM and the metadata are written. After the data are delivered to NOAA, they are again subjected to a number of quality and consistency checks.