Description: A hexagon grid was generated to be compatible with and provide enhanced functionality to the West-wide Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT) initiated by the Western Governors Association in 2013, now owned and managed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). The CHAT grid consisted of 1 sq. mile hexagons covering 16 western states, and ranked how “important” an area was on a scale of 1-6 that was determined by each state’s fish and wildlife agency. In this original effort and subsequent applications, it became apparent how useful and important having a uniform mapping unit that crosses boundaries/regions could be. It represented the combined importance of an area based on inputs from different data sources and scales, and allowed for seamless rankings to inform decisions across large regions. Recognizing the opportunity to create a new framework that would be compatible with the CHAT hexagons and provide additional functionality and extent, researchers the University of Kansas developed the Nested Hexagon Framework (NHF) that:Extended the spatial extent to cover most of continental North America (including the coastal economic exclusivity zone, EEZ). Incorporated a numbering structure that related 1 sq. mile hexagons to 7 sq. mile Cogs to 49 sq. mile wheels. The hexagon framework uses a hierarchical numbering system so that each 1 mi2hexagon is nested in a 7 mi2cog, which is nested in a 49 mi2wheel, which is grouped by a 5x5 degree tile. Data can be entered at the hexagon, cog, or wheel level depending on the spatial sensitivity or precision of the dataset.Provided a standardized attribute schema to facilitate the integration of datasets regardless of the data source, geometry, scale, or project boundaries. Allowed for the sharing of information without revealing the raw spatial data or precise spatial locations so that users can quickly get a summary of the features and conditions present in a given hexagon/cog/wheel. Information in the Nested Hexagon Framework can be related to the CHAT to provide information beyond the ranking, and this information can useful when incorporated by the states as they conduct reviews or updates to their CHAT rankings.
Copyright Text: Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Kansas Biological Survey at the University of Kansas Higuchi Hall 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence, KS 66047-3759 kars.ku.edu