Beginning with an overview of the landscape at the time of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery (1805-1806), the website examines change in terms of landcover, wildlife, population, and historical cartography.
Users of the site can explore each of these themes through an easy-to-use application designed to allow for comparisons between historical and modern conditions. Explanatory essays detail each geographical theme and provide an overview of the various national refuges observed by Lewis and Clark.
GCS was responsible for the GIS data development for all layers being displayed in the USFWS web application.
The website uses a combination of various technologies to meet the requirements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A custom Flash application provides the map controls and presentation schema. A modified Microsoft .NET connector allows the Flash viewer to call ArcIMS and ArcSDE services for the geospatial data. This unique combination of Flash, .NET, and ArcIMS provides for efficient load times and a next-generation implementation of Internet mapping services.
GCS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unveiled this website in time for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration observance in Washington and Oregon (2005-2006). The website was also included in the Geospatial One Stop website and ESRI’s Lewis and Clark Bicentennial geography portal.
