VALUES MAPPING FOR PLANNING IN REGIONAL ECOSYSTEMS (VAMPIRE) (Invited Presentation)

The U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management partnered to develop an online public participatory GIS (PPGIS) tool that can be used by federal agencies to collect data on the public’s uses of and values for public lands and waters. This tool is called the Values Mapping for Planning in Regional Ecosystems (VaMPIRE) application. VaMPIRE can be used anywhere in the U.S. and is designed to collect human ecology data to inform planning and decision-making. In addition to the mapping component, VaMPIRE asks participants how their use of the landscape may change based on a possible change in the landscape (e.g., increased recreational facility development). This presentation will provide results from the first pilot test of the VaMPIRE application in Mojave Trails National Monument in California. All data were collected online by sending the link to the VaMPIRE application to available email lists. Results show locations within the monument that are considered to have high use and value by the public. Additionally, results indicate which types of uses and values are most popular within the monument. Although this presentation focuses on results from Mojave Trails, we demonstrate the potential to use this application in other locations. The presentation will close with a discussion of how PPGIS and specifically the VAMPIRE tool can be used to identify public value for geoheritage sites and promote the importance of geoconservation through increased knowledge and public interest.