maps?????

[ryanhuntslots]

Is there a site on the net that you can go to get free maps of b.c.
forestry or otherwise??

[i6s1]

There are a few, but what I usually use is a free program called Google Earth.

www.earth.google.com

[brotherjack]

http://maps.gov.bc.ca/imf50/imf.jsp?site=lrdw_catalog_ext

If you play around in the options there under "Layers", you can get more data than you would ever want to know.

Combine that with Google Earth for satphotos, and you can get a lot of you scouting a new area done before you ever set foot out of the truck (or even old area that has terrain features you were unaware of - the above tools have led me to find several nice draws and water sources in areas I thought I already knew pretty well) .

[Phred]

Try the forestry recreation site web site. It shows all logging roads and rec sites along with actual photos and topos of the area you're interested in. Play with the layers much like the poster said above.
http://srmapps.gov.bc.ca/apps/recst/html/recsites_base_map.htm

[brotherjack]

The rec map website is easier to use, but it doesn't show all the roads cut and maintained by the logging companies (tenure roads). At least I never figured out how to get it to. With the tenure roads option turned on at the LDW site, I get every skid trail and quad track that was ever documented in a given area.

[brotherjack]

Though, both sites have the annoying habbit of being 'broken' in some way shape or form on off-business hours though. I've often wondered if someone doesn't turn off a database server somewhere when they go home at night. :(

Best to do your lookups and printouts during the day.

[Gilmore]

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map

Just found this one a couple weeks ago. I haven't fooled with it much but seems to have some of the more updated government topo maps.

[ryanhuntslots]

thanx alot guys, all info is much appreciated.

[Sitkaspruce]

To get best, most up to date info on roads and cutblocks, is to contact the local Forest Company and ask for their Forest Developement Plan or Forest Stewardship Plan maps. These maps are free and show all the roads and cut blocks and whether they are deactivated, have access control points and all the old and new locations of cutblocks. I use these extensively with google earth to get the best up to date info of an area.

[Jager]

Hey Sitka, who (logging) do you contact in Fort St. James? I may be going on my 1st moose hunt in the area (LEH dependant) and have never been in that part of the province. I just started looking for maps to get a feel of the place.

[Sitkaspruce]

Jager
There is four companies logging here. Let me know where you are interested and I will get the maps for you.(PM me if you want) I work in the MOF and have access to all the maps for the area.

By the way there is NO moose here!!!!:lol:

Cheers

[greenbike1]

The ministry of energy mines and resources has a thing called the map place that I have found to be excellent. You can put damn near anything you want on it, very up to date and you can plot your stuff onto a sattelite or map view. Good way to waste a few hours for sure.

[Wildman]

Here are a few links to some mapping programs. It's hard to say what's best. You need to fool around with all of them to find out which one will meet your spacific needs.
I am first off a Forestry Engineer, I work on the West Coast, Secondly I'm a GIS tech, so I also create maps for a living. I have found it very hard to obtain "free public maps" off of the internet. The best one I have found so far is Online Cadestre. http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/sgb/IMF/ , but also check out these other links.
The best ting that you can do, is probably contact the areas Ministry of Forests, and they will be able to provide you with a map, and also ask them for the local forestry company and contractors contact information and they should be able to send you a map as well.
Good luck,

Vadim

http://www.geographynetwork.com/

http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/bmgs/

http://maps.gov.bc.ca/

http://srmapps.gov.bc.ca/apps/mapview

http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/gis/GISdata.html