Who is doing it?
Why do it?
What will be done?
What will the products include?
What will the inventory provide?
When will it be done?

 
NEOEDEN FAQ

What is NEO-EDEN?

NEO-EDEN is a project to create and maintain a data exchange network for northeast Ohio, focusing on environmental and geospatial information. The project will collect, process, and make available on the Internet a broad range of environmental and land-use data in the fourteen-county northeast Ohio region, assemble environmentally-related geospatial data that spans the region, and assist in providing local training on content and applications of these data, Internet access to them, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) endorsed Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Who is doing it?

Four universities in northeast Ohio - Cleveland State University (CSU), Kent State University (KSU), the University of Akron (UA), and Youngstown State University (YSU) have received a grant from the Urban University Program (UUP).

Why do it?

Effective management of environmental resources requires current and accurate information which can be used to recognize changes in ecosystems and to link these trends with their likely causes. High quality information is necessary to identify and respond to these trends. Today, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being used to ensure that rational and ecologically sound decisions are made concerning resource development, impact mitigation, environmental monitoring and other environmental management issues. GIS can evaluate land and resource use alternatives while considering potential environmental and cultural resource impacts, economic implications, and potential use conflicts. The ability to combine diverse information, as geospatial data "themes," and examine a broad range of alternatives is just a few of the potential applications and benefits of having a GIS.

The information required for more informed decision making is often difficult to retrieve because it is fragmented on different systems and databases managed by several public, nonprofit, and private agencies. The creation of a comprehensive GIS-based environmental data base can often consume a large portion of the time and money allocated for a particular environmental management project. This problem is further complicated by users who often collect and enter data that are being maintained by other local, regional, state, or federal agencies. This practice can be avoided by finding prepared data that is current, available, easily interpreted and cost effective.

High quality, accurate digital geospatial data either does not exist or is difficult to locate for environmental factors and many geographic areas of northeast Ohio. When the data do exist, they are often poorly documented as to their content, coverage, producer, accuracy, or sources.

Thus, this project will provide enhanced access, for the universities and for the local, regional, and wider communities, to geospatial data relevant to policy analysis and development and in decision support concerning environmental and land use development issues. It will also support university research and instruction in these and related issue areas.