Environmental Technical Studies - Ventura Hillsides Conservancy

Rincon analyzed the conservation value of an approximately 66,000 acre Area of Interest (IA) surrounding the City of San Buenaventura for the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy. The goal of the study was to assist the VHC in determining which parcels within the IA represent priorities for future purchase and conservation. High priority acquisition parcels, as defined by the VHC, include those with high biological, visual, and recreational function. To measure these values Rincon performed biological, cultural, historical, hydrological, and geological technical analyses, as well as a development potential analysis. The results of these analyses were turned over to the graphics department geographical and spatial analysis. Using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, the results of these technical studies were modeled to score each individual parcel within the IA according to its resource value. The final output of the model was a ranked list of parcels within the IA, detailing those parcels with the highest resource value and conservation potential. The visual aspect of this report was particularly important because of the need to explain complex analyses to a wide audience who might not be able to fully understand the technical data.