National Resources Inventory (NRI)

National Resources Inventory (NRI) National Website
A statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands.

Built Up Land Data (Vermont)

One of the most interesting and controversial aspects of land cover/use change is the growth of urban areas (built-up land).  There are numerous controversial aspects of this growth, one of which involves the extent of built-up land and its rate of change. 

For example, both the total acreage and rate of change estimates of built-up land provided by the National Resources Inventory (NRI) have been considered to be too high by some folks.  With respect to  Vermont, the NRI data estimates that ‘developed land’ (built-up and roads) increased by about 31 percent from 1982-1997, with increases being as much as 50 percent in some counties.

In response to concerns regarding the accuracy of NRI data, and to provide base data for water quality monitoring efforts, a mapping effort in Grand Isle County was conducted to show both the extent of built-up land and its change over time.  The data are based on the mapping of all built-up land, and not on statistical sampling. 

An approximate 15-page report discusses definitions, mapping tools and ancillary materials, mapping methodology, and results.  Prepared results include tabular data on the extent of built-up land and its change for the County and each of its five towns.  Also included is 2003 road data, total developed land in 2003, and a graphic depicting built-up changes from 1941-2003.

A related report discusses and compares the mapped data with the NRI sampling estimates.  The report is under development, and will be made available when complete.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat 

Click Here To Learn More:   Grand Isle County Vermont Built-Up Data (500 kb)

Last Modified: September 12, 2007

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