Bookmarks

EnviroAtlas: EPA’s Web-Based Decision Support Tool for Ecosystem and Community Planning

avatar
Author:Caleb Turner
Caleb Turner
post-picture

On May 7, 2014, in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially released EnviroAtlas, a powerful web-based interactive mapping application designed to support informed environmental and community planning decisions across the United States.

A Comprehensive Ecosystem Intelligence Platform

EnviroAtlas integrates more than 300 geospatial data layers from multiple federal, state, academic, and nonprofit sources. Contributors include the United States Geological Survey, the United States Forest Service, and numerous universities and partner organizations.

The platform allows users to visualize relationships between:

  • Ecosystem services
  • Public helth indicators
  • Land cover and land use patterns
  • Air and water quality
  • Demographic and socioeconomic data
  • By centralizing these datasets, EnviroAtlas provides a spatial decision-support environment for evaluating trade-offs in development, conservation, and infrastructure planning.

Supporting Smarter Planning and Policy

EnviroAtlas is designed for:

  • Federal, state, and local government agencies
  • Urban and regional planners
  • Environmental professionals
  • Researchers and educators
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • Community stakeholders

Typical use cases include evaluating the environmental impact of:

  • New road construction
  • Urban park development
  • Wetland preservation
  • Residential and commercial expansion

The platform helps decision-makers assess how changes to landscapes may affect ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, air filtration, water purification, habitat availability, and recreational access.

Ecosystem Services and Community Well-Being

EnviroAtlas emphasizes the connection between natural systems and human well-being. It enables users to explore how ecosystems provide:

  • Clean air and water
  • Storm protection (e.g., hurricanes and floods)
  • Food production support
  • Raw materials for clothing, shelter, and pharmaceuticals
  • Habitat for wildlife

Users can generate customized maps showing environmental conditions within specific communities, compare regions, and analyze ecosystem service benefits at multiple spatial scales.

Accessibility and Technical Design

EnviroAtlas is:

  • Fully web-based
  • Accessible through a standard internet browser
  • Free to use
  • Not dependent on specialized GIS software
  • At launch, it was not optimized for mobile devices, though a mobile-friendly version was planned.
  • A Strategic Tool for Sustainable Development

EnviroAtlas represents a significant advancement in spatial decision-support technology for ecosystem-based planning. By combining environmental, demographic, and economic data into a unified analytical framework, the EPA positioned the platform as a practical tool for balancing development needs with environmental stewardship.

Through tools like EnviroAtlas, policymakers and communities gain improved capacity to build resilient, prosperous regions while conserving essential natural resources for future generations.

Read more

post-picture
Hexagon Emerges as a Geospatial AI Front-runner
post-picture
Heritage Geospatial Symposium in York by Riegl UK
post-picture
Best GIS Masters Programs in The World: Geographic Information Science Guide
post-picture
Best Drones For GIS Mapping: Uav Power For Geographic Information Systems
post-picture
Echodyne Expands Radar Production at a New Manufacturing Facility
post-picture
Emesent Gx1 Slam Rtk Scanner Sets a New Standard
post-picture
Topcon Cr-s1 Handheld Scanning System Joins The Capture Reality Portfolio
post-picture
Synspective Sar Partnership With Airbus Defence And Space
post-picture
Hybrid Airborne Mapping With Imaging And Lidar
post-picture
Simactive Backs Phase One Ixm-fs130 For Aerial Mapping
post-picture
Space-comm Expo Europe 2026: Global Leaders Meet in London
post-picture
Synspective Sar Data Joins Airbus Via Strix Constellation
post-picture
Airborne Mapping With Leica Multimapper
post-picture
Open Maps For Europe 2 Advances Harmonized Geospatial Data Across Europe
post-picture
Employee Career Milestones at Ardent as Growth Continues