U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP)
20220810
Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)
vector and tabular digital data
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas/
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-overview
USGS Gap Analysis Project
20220810
Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)
geodatabase
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas/
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas/
This is series-level metadata for the USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) data released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). PAD-US is the nation's inventory of protected areas, including public land and voluntarily provided private protected areas. Starting with version 1.4 PAD-US was identified as an A-16 National Geospatial Data Asset in the Cadastre Theme ( https://ngda-cadastre-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/ ). The PAD-US is an ongoing project with several published versions of a spatial database including areas dedicated to the preservation of biological diversity, and other natural (including extraction), recreational, or cultural uses, managed for these purposes through legal or other effective means. The database was originally designed to support biodiversity assessments; however, its scope expanded in recent years to include all open space public and nonprofit lands and waters. Most are public lands owned in fee (the owner of the property has full and irrevocable ownership of the land); however, permanent and long-term easements, leases, agreements, Congressional (e.g. 'Wilderness Area'), Executive (e.g. 'National Monument'), and administrative designations (e.g. 'Area of Critical Environmental Concern') documented in agency management plans are also included. The PAD-US strives to be a complete inventory of U.S. public land and other protected areas, compiling "best available" data provided by managing agencies and organizations. The PAD-US geodatabase maps and describes areas using thirty-six attributes and five separate feature classes representing the U.S. protected areas network: Fee (ownership parcels), Designation, Easement, Marine, Proclamation and Other Planning Boundaries. An additional Combined feature class includes the full PAD-US inventory to support data management, queries, web mapping services, and analyses. The Feature Class (FeatClass) field in the Combined layer allows users to extract data types as needed. A Federal Data Reference file geodatabase lookup table facilitates the extraction of authoritative federal data provided or recommended by managing agencies from the Combined PAD-US inventory.
For more information regarding the PAD-US dataset please visit, https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas/. For more information about data aggregation please review the PAD-US Data Manual available at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/pad-us-data-manual .
A version history of PAD-US updates is summarized below (See https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/pad-us-data-history for more information):
- Current Version - January 2022 (Version 3.0) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B
- Revised - September 2020 (Version 2.1) https://doi.org/10.5066/P92QM3NT
- Revised - September 2018 (Version 2.0) https://doi.org/10.5066/P955KPLE
- Revised - May 2016 (Version 1.4) https://doi.org/10.5066/F7G73BSZ
- Revised - November 2012 (Version 1.3) https://doi.org/10.5066/F79Z92XD
- Revised - April 2011 (Version 1.2 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov)
- Revised - May 2010 (Version 1.1 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov)
- First posted - April 2009 (Version 1.0 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov)
Comparing protected area trends between PAD-US versions is not recommended without consultation with USGS as many changes reflect improvements to agency and organization GIS systems, or conservation and recreation measure classification, rather than actual changes in protected area acquisition on the ground.
The PAD-US geodatabase was originally developed to organize and assess the management status (i.e. apply 'GAP Status Code') of elements of biodiversity protection by identifying species and plant communities not adequately represented in existing conservation lands ( https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project ). In cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), PAD-US also supports global conservation analyses to inform policy decisions ( https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/USA , https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/resources/global-reports ). The dataset is robust and has been expanded in recent years with major additions to support the recreation, natural resource management, wildfire planning, emergency management, transportation, research, and public health communities. New applications of the data are frequently discovered. Multiple attributes and a flexible database structure provide context for data to be used at local, regional, state, national, and international scales. See https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas-resources for more information.
2005
2021
publication date
Annually
-180.0
180.0
71.312
-15.3861
None
Protected Area
Land Manager
GAP Status Code
Land Stewardship
Land Ownership
Gap Analysis
Biodiversity
Conservation
Protection Status
IUCN Category
Federal Lands
Public Lands
Outdoor Recreation
Public Health
Public Open Space
Parks
Governmental Units
State Lands
Private Lands
Local Government Lands
Federal Agencies and Programs
Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of Defense
Army Corps of Engineers
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bureau of Reclamation
Tennessee Valley Authority
Department of Energy
Agricultural Research Service
USGS Thesaurus
Geography
Land Use Change
Land Use and Land Cover
Protected Area
NGDA Portfolio Themes
NGDA
National Geospatial Data Asset
Cadastre Theme
NGDAID27
USGS Metadata Identifier
USGS:8cef209b-b188-4b1a-8b53-eead67d02da5
None
United States
Alabama (AL)
Alaska (AK)
Arizona (AZ)
Arkansas (AR)
California (CA)
Colorado (CO)
Connecticut (CT)
Delaware (DE)
Florida (FL)
Georgia (GA)
Hawaii (HI)
Idaho (ID)
Illinois (IL)
Indiana (IN)
Iowa (IA)
Kansas (KS)
Kentucky (KY)
Louisiana (LA)
Maine (ME)
Maryland (MD)
Massachusetts (MA)
Michigan (MI)
Minnesota (MN)
Mississippi (MS)
Missouri (MO)
Montana (MT)
Nebraska (NE)
Nevada (NV)
New Hampshire (NH)
New Jersey (NJ)
New Mexico (NM)
New York (NY)
North Carolina (NC)
North Dakota (ND)
Ohio (OH)
Oklahoma (OK)
Oregon (OR)
Pennsylvania (PA)
Rhode Island (RI)
South Carolina (SC)
South Dakota (SD)
Tennessee (TN)
Texas (TX)
Utah (UT)
Vermont (VT)
Virginia (VA)
Washington (WA)
West Virginia (WV)
Wisconsin (WI)
Wyoming (WY)
American Samoa (AS)
Mariana Islands (MP)
Guam (GU)
Puerto Rico (PR)
U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (UM)
United States Virgin Islands (VI)
Common geographic areas
United States
None
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
These data are in the public domain.
The U.S. Geological Survey and all contributing data partners shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. All information is created with a specific end use or uses in mind. This is especially true for GIS data, which is expensive to produce and must be directed to meet the immediate program needs. These data were created with the expectation that they would be used for other applications; however, inappropriate uses are listed below. This list is in no way exhaustive but should serve as a guide to assess whether a proposed use can or cannot be supported by these data. For many uses, it is unlikely that PAD-US will provide the only data needed, and for uses with a regulatory outcome, authoritative agency data and field surveys should verify the result.
PAD-US is recommended for users seeking general information about more than one agency or organization's lands. Users should seek authoritative source data directly to answer questions regarding one agency or those requiring more frequent updates (See PAD-US Steward Reports for contacts and agency data download locations: http://www.protectedlands.net/data-stewards/ ). The PAD-US includes the best available representation of federally owned lands (meaning a federal agency or the U.S. holds the title records), developed from authoritative source data in direct collaboration with federal agency data-stewards. Several ownership related data gaps exist and USGS provides no legal warranty. Agencies are always the official and best source of their land data and some update more frequently than PAD-US. The FGDC Federal Lands Working Group recommends the use of PAD-US to describe federally managed lands (i.e. "Manager Name" not "Owner Name"), unless spatial data inventory completeness is over 95% and appropriate scale for display is 1:24,000.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each data user to determine if these data can answer the question being asked. Furthermore, the database is released on condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use.
Inappropriate uses include: Using PAD-US for applications or analyses associated with one agency or a particular unit (agencies are always the best and authoritative source of their land data and many publish updates more frequently than PAD-US). Using data to map small areas, typically requiring mapping resolution at scale finer than 1:24,000, as boundary quality varies by data source (See "State of PAD-US Data") and using aerial photographs or ground surveys in areas where data are incomplete. Combining these data with other data finer than 1:100,000 scale (except for select federal agencies or states identified in "State of PAD-US Data") to produce new hybrid maps or answer queries. Generating specific areal measurements from the data finer than the nearest thousand hectares. Representing boundaries as a legal representation for regulation or acquisition. Establishing definite occurrence or non-occurrence of any feature for an exact geographic area. Determining abundance, health, or condition of any feature. Using the data without acquiring and reviewing the metadata.
U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
PAD-US Team
PAD-US Dataset Manager
mailing and physical
PO Box 25046, MS 302
Denver
Colorado
80225
USA
1-888-275-8747
pad-us@usgs.gov
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)
Environment as of Metadata Creation: Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard; Python 9.3; Esri ArcGIS 10.6 (Build 8321)
USGS Gap Analysis Project
20220810
Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)
vector digital data
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas
As a compilation of many datasets, attribute completeness and accuracy may vary. Federal and state data providers reviewed the translation of their spatial data files into the PAD-US schema and several provide data in the PAD-US format.
Boundary discrepancies (mostly small slivers) between agency datasets and major overlaps associated with fee ownership (mostly between Federal and State lands) have been identified and are shared with data-stewards, who will edit source files as appropriate and resources allow. Users are encouraged to review topology overlap errors associated with the PAD-US Fee Topology Overlap Assessment. See the Fee Topology web services in the PAD-US Viewer, https://maps.usgs.gov/padus/) for reference. The topology assessment identifies all overlaps (minimum distance between feature coordinates to evaluate overlap relationship = 0.05 meter), large (greater than 5 acres) and small (less than 5 acres) overlaps, between Federal lands and between Federal and State agency lands in the Fee feature class.
This dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract and supplemental information section. Estimated completeness of the PAD-US inventory, by Federal agency or State, is available at http://www.protectedlands.net/data-stewards. This information will be updated, with partners, after an assessment of PAD-US following each data release. Qualitative completeness estimates balance acres inventoried and the quality of data/attributes in each inventory, including fee owned parcels, easement interests, and major designations. USGS seeks to increase the completeness, efficiency, and accuracy of PAD-US updates in collaboration with data-stewards. "Completing America's Inventory of Public Parks and Protected Areas: An Action Plan for 2016 - 2020" (November, 2016), and "A Map of the Future", published following the PAD-US Design Project (July, 2009) are available at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-vision .
As a compilation of many datasets, attribute completeness and accuracy may vary. Federal data providers reviewed the translation of their spatial data files into the PAD-US schema. In addition, the PAD-US Team summarized and reviewed the final aggregated database and each feature class for overall attribute accuracy and consistency as described in PAD-US Review Summary Tables.
A formal accuracy assessment of the vertical positional information in the data set is not applicable.
The PAD-US database aggregation involves the compilation of thousands of agency and nonprofit organization source data files from a network of nearly 100 data-stewards, with select updates prioritized annually based on needs, the availability of source data, and resources. The USGS is committed to building capacity in the data-steward network to increase the frequency of updates. Efforts are in progress to support the technical and organizational strategies needed to increase the frequency of updates. Data aggregation and development are an ongoing and evolving process as land management agency and nonprofit organization GIS systems mature and stakeholder feedback improve the process. The PAD-US development team works closely with a large variety of stakeholders including development partners, data sources, and data users to develop and maintain the "Data Manual for PAD-US" Table crosswalks (online resource available at https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/science-analytics-and-synthesis/gap/pad-us-data-manual ) .
20210810
Vector
G-polygon
642931
Albers Conical Equal Area
29.5
45.5
-96.0
23.0
0.0
0.0
coordinate pair
1.0E-4
1.0E-4
meters
North American Datum of 1983
Geodetic Reference System 80
6378137.0
298.257222
U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
mailing and physical
Building 810, Mail Stop 302
Denver
Colorado
80225
USA
1-888-275-8747
sciencebase@usgs.gov
Download or view data from https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas/ . PAD-US was developed using an Esri ArcGIS File Geodatabase format to utilize the expanded capabilities of the File Geodatabase for overall size, attribute name length, attribute aliases, coded domain values and topology analysis tools. Users may download a shapefile (.shp), Keyhole Markup Language (.kmz), and ArcGIS file geodatabase (.gdb) formats at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-download . Various Web Mapping Services ( https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-web-services ) and poster maps ( https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas-resources ) are also available.
Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
These databases, identified as PAD-US, have been approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Although this database has been subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete, the USGS reserves the right to revise the data pursuant to further analysis and review.
The File downloads in a .zip format
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-download
None. No fees are applicable for obtaining this data-set.
20220901
U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
PAD-US Team
PAD-US Dataset Manager
mailing and physical
PO Box 25046, MS 302
Denver
Colorado
80225
USA
1-888-275-8747
pad-us@usgs.gov
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998
local time