The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training uses geographic information system (GIS) tools to advance the planning and implementation of agricultural best management practices within Pennsylvania.
This includes creating and managing custom geospatial tools for the state's Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), which provides financial and technical assistance for conservation projects on agricultural operations in Pennsylvania.
The ACAP Reporting Tool is an online GIS database used to track the progress and completion of projects funded by ACAP. The State Conservation Commission has delegated authority to organizations such as county conservation districts to distribute ACAP funding at the county level. After logging into the ACAP Reporting Tool, these delegated organizations can submit spatial and financial data about funded projects for the SCC's review and documentation.
The ACAP Reporting Tool's mapping functions allow users to enter spatial data, such as parcel boundaries for an ACAP project contract.
In addition, the center created the ACAP Tool Support Website to serve as a repository of GIS information and assistance for ACAP-delegated organizations. This publicly accessible website is designed primarily for users of the ACAP Reporting Tool and provides:
- Answers to frequently asked questions
- Tutorial videos and instructions
- Project reporting checklists, training presentations, GIS resource lists, and other documents
- Links to the official ACAP Reporting Tool as well as a separate Playground version that ACAP staff can use for training with temporary data
- A web map of SCC and CACAT staff locations within Pennsylvania, to help conservation professionals find technical assistance for ACAP
To contact the ACAP GIS team for tech support or training related to the ACAP Reporting Tool or other GIS tools, please email acapGISsupport@psu.edu.
The ACAP Tool Support Website contains resources like tutorial instructions and tech support information for the ACAP Reporting Tool.
