This map layer consists of National Wilderness Preservation System areas of 640 acres or more, in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The map layer was created by extracting these wilderness areas from the National Atlas map layer: Federal Lands of the United States. This is a replacement for the February, 2004, map layer.
These data are intended for geographic display and analysis at the national level, and for large regional areas. The data should be displayed and analyzed at scales appropriate for 1:2,000,000-scale data. No responsibility is assumed by the National Atlas of the United States in the use of these data. For use with the GEOSTAC database, this data set has been compiled in order to simplify pesticide risk assessment and to provide a common data set for interested parties.
ground condition
None. Acknowledgment of the National Atlas of the United States of America would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
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National Atlas of the United States of America <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
Using ESRI's Arc/INFO GIS software, the map layer was checked for label errors, dangling nodes, and intersections. Polygon topology was built using the BUILD command.
This map layer includes National Wilderness Preservation System areas for all 50 of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Included are features of 640 acres (one square mile) or more. Generally, features under this size are not shown.
Spatial and attribute information
Wilderness areas were extracted from the National Atlas Federal Lands of the United States map layer. Attributes for feature type, feature name, agency ownership, URL, State, and State FIPS codes were retained. Adjacent wilderness areas having the same feature type and name, agency ownership, and URL were merged. State attributes of the merged wilderness areas were then updated. Label points were created for polygons having no label points; they were then assigned a Non-Wilderness value.
Data set project to NAD 83 and Albers Equal Area
Data set converted to geodatabase feature class file format.
Data aggregated using the ArcMap geoprocessing tool, DISSOLVE, on all non-ArcMap assigned fields, in order reduce duplicate data.
Dataset copied.
The two-digit State code for the State in which the wilderness area is located. Where the wilderness area falls in more than one State, the codes are separated by dashes: 30-56.
National Atlas of the United States
The area is not a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
The representation of the entity in the data.
National Atlas of the United States
2-dimensional element
ESRI GIS software
Internal feature number.
ESRI
Length of feature in internal units.
ESRI
An indication of the primary feature type.
National Atlas of the United States
An area which is completely surrounded by a wilderness but which is not part of the wilderness. These areas may be private or Federal lands.
National Atlas of the United States
An area established by the Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577) which created the National Wilderness Preservation System. This act defines wilderness as "...an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions..."
Public Law 88-577 (16 U.S. C. 1131-1136) 88th Congress, Second Session September 3, 1964. This act may be cited as the "Wilderness Act."
An indication of the secondary feature type.
National Atlas of the United States
A body of water that is part of a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
There is no secondary feature type.
National Atlas of the United States
A code for the owning or administering agency.
National Atlas of the United States
The area is not a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
The wilderness area is owned or administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
National Atlas of the United States
The wilderness area is owned or administered by the Forest Service.
National Atlas of the United States
The wilderness area is owned or administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
National Atlas of the United States
The wilderness area is owned or administered by the National Park Service.
National Atlas of the United States
The URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is the address of a page on the World Wide Web. The address, which provides the basis for establishing an electronic link from a client to the physical location of the page on an Internet server, consists of a server name, file path, and the page's file name. A URL in this map layer is usually the address of a Federal agency website. For example, <http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Unimak> is the address of a page that describes the Unimak Wilderness.
National Atlas of the United States
The area is not a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
The name of the wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
The area is not a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
The two-character State code for the State in which the wilderness area is located. Where the wilderness area falls in more than one State, the codes are separated by dashes: MT-WY.
National Atlas of the United States
The area is not a wilderness area.
National Atlas of the United States
Area of feature in internal units squared.
ESRI
1500 Research Parkway, Suite B223
None
Data can be downloaded from www.geostac.org with a registered user ID and password provided by the Spatial Sciences Laboratory.
Not Applicable
897 B Harrison St SE
MS 561