Map Interests

bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,659
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Pines; Bamber area
I love looking at maps and aerials. I can while away hours surveying the land. It's super-interesting to me. I created this thread to share some things I find. If you have things to contribute, go for it.

I pore over maps and aerials looking for new exploring places. I like looking for interesting locations for plants, and that usually means water. Sometimes you have to use more than one map. Here below is the same location in Lacey Township near a deer strip. The first photo is the 2015 aerial shot, and the second is the 2007 shot. I would have missed the small wet spots if not for the 2007 photo. In the 2015, I might dismiss them as tree shadows.

2-23-18 A.JPG
2-23-18 B.JPG
 
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manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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I often look for vernal ponds and I found the absolute best aerials for that were the original early 90's black and whites.they were taken in late winter,no foliage and high water.Any water shows up black.Thats open water though,your probably looking more for bogs and meadows.The 2007 aerial is very good for finding islands and so are the 2012 infrared,the old black and whites are good for islands as well.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,659
4,837
Pines; Bamber area
manumuskin said:
I often look for vernal ponds and I found the absolute best aerials for that were the original early 90's black and whites.
Click to expand...

The big fire in Manchester and Lacey in 1995 really screwed me over. The 1995 aerial seems as if was taken the next day! I can't see detail with all that charcoal! The 2007 is much better, but things do change. 2007 must have been a wet year.

2-23-18 c.JPG
 
Boyd

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
bobpbx said:
I can't see detail with all that charcoal! The 2007 is much better
Click to expand...

IIRC, the 1995 aerials were published at 1 meter per pixel. The 2007 aerials are 1 foot per pixel. That is a substantial difference in resolution.

I've been working with the NAIP (National Agriculture Imagery Program) aerials for the past few weeks, they were all shot during the growing season so you won't find many secrets in the woods. But everything looks very green and inviting and they are updated almost every year. I think there are archives going back to 1980 but I haven't explored those yet. These are what I used for the "Big Burn" map, and I published a map of Long Island from the NAIP imagery. I have all their NJ 2017 imagery, will hopefully get around to putting something together for the Pines soon.
 
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1Jerseydevil

1Jerseydevil

Explorer
Feb 14, 2009
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I guess it depends on the area and what your looking for. I look for old roads and trails. I also like the old black & white. After a fire is great for me. In particular I like '63, '95, '07, '08. Any chance of incorporating '08 into the NJPB map data base? I'm disliking Historic aerials and the water marks although I do realize it is a "for profit" endeavor.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,659
4,837
Pines; Bamber area
manumuskin said:
Is that the fire that wiped out Cooks Branch cedars?
Click to expand...

Yes, the ones far upstream where we were. Not so much down by Webb's MIll Road. But the worst cedar devastation I have ever seen was when that fire swept across a swath of the Chamberlin. The fire must have been funneled there by wind. They burned those mothers right down to the ground level. Never seen anything comparable. I try to imagine what it must have been like to watch that from 100 yards away; the sound and the fury. Egads!

upload_2018-3-1_6-53-57.png
 
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bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,659
4,837
Pines; Bamber area
1Jerseydevil said:
I look for old roads and trails.
Click to expand...

In my experience, the older roads are a vanishing breed. In my travels I see many, many roads that nature is taking over. Those packs of roving ATV's and monster trucks are, for the most part, sticking to the tried and true main roads (and adjacent ponds if they find 'em) instead of creating new ones. Just the other day I was looking at the beaver dam downstream from Webb's Mill, and along come two ATV's. They passed me and came upon that bigger puddle there on the dam road (below). I heard them stop and mull it over. They decided it was not worth the chance and turned around.

upload_2018-3-1_7-25-15.png
 
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Boyd

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Boyd

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Yes, sandy and other bright areas are overexposed. But it's agricultural imagery so apparently they are exposing for the farmers' fields.I just stumbled on that viewer, which is really intended for people to comment on issues with the imagery. Have not noticed many "blurry" areas in the full resolution versions. The web version may not always load the highest resolution layer. And it has a maximum resolution of one meter per pixel, so it just isn't as sharp as the one foot NJ imagery.
 
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Boyd

Boyd

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If you want to know more about the imagery, you can download the full resolution versions here, going back to 2003 : https://nrcs.app.box.com/v/naip/folder/17936490251

You will need software capable of opening MrSID files to view the original imagery (I think there are some free ones but have never looked into it). But you can read the metadata in a text editor, it will be in the file that has the .txt extension.

There are folders for each state in each year (not all states were updated every year). For each state, filenames are organized by county codes - here are the NJ codes. So, for example, the file ortho_1-1_1n_s_nj005_2017_1.sid is Burlington County 2017 imagery. the file ortho_1-1_1n_s_nj005_2017_1.sid.txt contains the metadata for the 2017 Burlington County imagery.

nj_fips.png
 
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Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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bobpbx said:
Yes, the ones far upstream where we were. Not so much down by Webb's MIll Road. But the worst cedar devastation I have ever seen was when that fire swept across a swath of the Chamberlin. The fire must have been funneled there by wind. They burned those mothers right down to the ground level. Never seen anything comparable. I try to imagine what it must have been like to watch that from 100 yards away; the sound and the fury. Egads!

View attachment 10371
Click to expand...

That is a nasty place. I have been in there. There are stones in there I still need to find.
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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GermanG

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,143
479
Little Egg Harbor
Teegate said:
Hains has been doing some serious logging next to his blueberry field. Taking out quite a bit of cedar. I would assume he is going to expand them??

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.7521743131614&lng=-74.50781721275331&z=16&type=hybrid&gpx=
Click to expand...

Haines has been implementing a forest management plan put together by a consulting forester. If you look at the uplands south of those fields you can also see where there has been major thinning as well. By having a combination of thinned, clearcut and undisturbed forest, a diversity of habitat results, benefiting a diversity of wildlife and plant species. The intent is to mimic the effect on the landscape that uncontrolled forest fire once created. Allowing those types of fire with today's pattern of human development is no longer possible The cleared area is to the west of the blueberry fields, which also affords them protection from wildfire. The thinned area slows down or stops fire also. Having a logger do the work results in minimal or no costs to the landowner. Subsequent prescribed burning maintains everything. Not everyone agrees with this, since different groups and individuals have different ideas on how to manage the land, but that will always be the case. The plan did had to be approved by the Pinelands Commission, and was also nominated by NJ Audubon for an environmental award.
 
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46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
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Coastal NJ
GermanG said:
The plan did had to be approved by the Pinelands Commission, and was also nominated by NJ Audubon for an environmental award.
Click to expand...

And it is the first project for Bobwhite restoration that has had some success that I am aware of in NJ.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,659
4,837
Pines; Bamber area
GermanG said:
Haines has been implementing a forest management plan put together by a consulting forester.
Click to expand...

I hope the plan includes that cedar growing back. Atlantic White Cedar wetlands are considered important ecosystems, as you already know. Their decline attracts a lot of study and attention. To me, it would be tragic to allow conversion into blueberry fields or cranberry bogs.
 
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