GeoWorld

realized interactive maps would be invaluable to boaters exploring more than 5,000 miles of North Carolina waters and using the 200-plus free, 24-hour public boating-access areas. The Engineering and Lands Management Division of the Wildlife Commission maintains a geodatabase of all boating access areas where the Wildlife Commission is involved. Although many sites are owned by the Commission, some are owned and maintained by towns, counties or other entities, with the Commission assisting through a partnership role. An older version of the Boating Access Area Map was maintained by annually updating the data. In 2013, this map was recreated to display data directly from a SQL Server database. This allows for real-time updates of information associated with boating-access areas. When staff add new sites to the database, the sites will be added to the map automatically. The new Boating Access Area Map has a similar look and feel to the Fishing Areas and Game Lands Maps for consistency, and it allows users to search by county, body of water or address (see Figure 3). Boaters also can restrict their search to areas that have restrooms and/or universal access. In addition, they can identify areas where canoe launches are available. After a site is selected, users can learn more about the facilities available, the number and type of parking spots, address and geographic coordinates, and any relevant warnings about site conditions. Making it Mobile Popularity of smartphones has made mobility synonymous with utility. The Wildlife Commission therefore provides a mobile version of its Web site that allows the public to access information as well as purchase many types of hunting and fishing licenses. Users can access the mobile site using the same Web address as the main site (ncwildlife.org). The mobile site provides a "Maps" tab with links to six interactive maps that can be used to find resources near the user's location (see Figure 4). By default, each map will zoom to the coordinates provided by the user's mobile phone. Each interactive map was developed using the Google v3 API, providing simple zoom, pan and identify functionality. In addition to mobile versions of the Game Lands and Boating Access Area Maps, the site provides a wildlife service agent locator; a map of fish attractors in reservoirs; the locations of shooting ranges; and a dedicated map depicting the boundaries of inland, joint and coastal waters. Figure 4. The Wildlife Commission's mobile Web site provides links to six interactive maps that can be used for quick reference. What's Next? Now that the basic architecture is in place, the Wildlife Commission is adding functionality to the maps. Commission biologists currently are uploading pictures and fishing reports into the Fishing Access Area database that soon will be made available through the Fishing Areas Map. There are also plans to develop a mobile version of the Fishing Areas Map. The Game Lands Map is slated for enhanced search capability for species and seasons in 2014. There's also a desire to provide seamless integration among the maps so it's easier to switch views to get more information about available resources. These enhancements will make it easier for residents and non-residents to find the wildlife recreation activity they're looking for in North Carolina. Kimberly Sparks is an application developer at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; e-mail: kim.sparks@ncwildlife.org. S E P T E M B E R 2 O 1 3 / W W W . G E O P L A C E . C O M 29

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