Communication Towers

Important! The data displayed in IFTDSS are intended for strategic use only. Always verify the accuracy of the data with the creators of the data and local knowledge.

Overview

This data layer merges communication sites from the NPS, BLM and USFS, and eight HIFLD Open Data layers. The dataset includes points from the conterminous US, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Data Input

Data comes from the following sources and layers:

HIFLD

Source: https://hifldgeoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/search?groupIds=65847c150c8449649bd33a74a0e1050b

  • Antenna Structure Registration

  • Broadband Radio Service

  • Cellular Towers

  • Land Mobile - Commercial

  • Land Mobile – Private

  • Land Mobile - Broadcast

  • Microwave Service

  • Paging Transmission

BLM

Source: BLM National Operations Center

  • Communications Building

NPS

Source: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9acab3e9a58f4667853b77ab75a265bd

  • CommSite

USFS

Source (Internal Only): https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcn/rest/services/EDW/EDW_RadioCommunications_01/MapServer

  • Radio Repeater Site

  • Radio Base Site

  • Radio Secondary Base Site

  • Radio Aviation Site

  • Radio Link Site

Data Processing

Attributes were stripped from this data layer. Only fields indicating the tower type, the Tower ID#, the necessary FID, and the shape field were included. Data points that were outside of the WFDSS Geographic Area Boundary not included in dataset. The Tower ID field was created from a combination of the UniqSysID and LocNum for the HILFD data, CN for USFS data, FMSS_ID for the NPS data, and FAMS ID for the BLM data. The final dataset was re-projected using the "GCS" coordinate system, and the datum "North American Datum 83".

Data Information

Information on sources, extent, and projection.
Sources HIFLD, BLM, NPA, USFS
Extent National (Clipped to the US Census Tiger Boundaries)
Projection/Datum GCS, NAD 83

GIS Team Contacts for Communication Towers

The Communication Towers data comes to IFTDSS from the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) Data Team. Their contact information is displayed below.

The WFDSS application is "data rich". It requires data which is spatially oriented and graphically displays information to support wildland fire and other natural resource decisions. Due to the type and number of interagency spatial data sets required in April 2009 an interagency GIS Team was formed to provide data support for WFDSS. This Team is responsible for acquiring, consolidating, and validating their agency spatial and tabular data. In addition this team developed and maintained communications among local, regional, and national agency personnel to improve the collection process and provide explicit guidance on data needs. The members of the WFDSS GIS Team are:

WFDSS Data Team contacts.

WFMRD&A

Amanda Rumsey

Data Scientist

208.830.0160

send email

WFMRD&A

Jonah Vaughan

GIS Specialist

406.531.4702

send email

WFMRD&A

Susan McClendon

GIS Specialist

208.258.4244

send email

BLM - AFS

Jennifer L. Jenkins

GIS Specialist

907.356.5587

send email

BLM - NIFC

Julie Osterkamp

Natural Resource Specialist

801.520.8702

send email

BIA - NIFC

Joseph Kafka

Fire Management Specialist

208.387.5572

send email

NPS - NIFC

Skip Edel

Fire - GIS Program Lead

303.969.2947

send email

USFS - NIFC

Cole Belongie

Data Coordinator

208.488.5246

send email

USFWS - NIFC

Andrew Bailey

National Fire Planner

208.387.5345

send email

Terms of Use: Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Interagency Fire Center, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, shall be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (i.e. GIF or JPG format files) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Neither the U.S. Government, the Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Interagency Fire Center, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make any warranty, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any data described and/or contained herein. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on other systems for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data.