GIS Analysis
Data acquisition, spatial modeling, suitability and impact analysis, and clear reporting for decision-makers.
GIS · Cartography · Spatial Databases
Maps and data for conservation, environment & ecology.
Frontier Spatial helps non-profits, universities, field stations and small governments turn spatial data into clear maps, sound analysis and databases that last, at a cost that fits their budget.
Services
What we do
From a single map to a long-term monitoring database, every project is built to be understood, maintained and reused by the people who depend on it.
Cartography
Award-winning print maps, interactive web maps, and offline, mobile-friendly trail maps.
Examples
Database Management
Relational and spatial databases for environmental and long-term monitoring data, built on PostgreSQL / PostGIS.
Clients include
Forest Ecology
Ecosystem mapping, forest inventories and tree-ring analysis, grounded in formal training in forest and landscape ecology.
Background
- University of Michigan
- Penn State University
- SUNY-ESF Adirondack Ecological Center
Selected work
Recent projects
A sample of maps, applications and analyses. Click any image to enlarge it.
Print map
NYS GIS Association map contest winner
Saranac Lakes Wild Forest invasive species
Documented terrestrial and aquatic invasive plant species across a large Adirondack forest unit.
Web map · Adirondack Council
Slope impacts on Adirondack trails
An interactive map that rates trail segments in and around the High Peaks Wilderness by slope class to identify at-risk, high-slope hiking trails.
Mobile trail map
Adirondack Interpretive Center trail map
An offline-capable, phone-friendly trail map for visitors in the field.
Open the mapWeb map
NY Climate Change Science Clearinghouse
A statewide interactive map of climate, hazard and adaptation data layers for New York.
Spatial analysis
Adirondack Natural Features Index
A composite index of ecosystem rarity, resilience and proximity to megawetlands, heritage points and protected lands.
Analysis · Data visualization
Recreational assets of Adirondack hamlets
A comparison of public land and recreation access across dozens of Adirondack communities.
Web map
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma: land & natural assets
Parcels, wells, aquifers, pipelines and land cover in a single viewer for tribal resource planning.
Web map · Terradex
Idaho cleanup sites
Public map of environmental cleanup and institutional control sites.
Open the mapWeb map · Terradex
Bay Area cleanup sites (MEW)
Interactive map of groundwater monitoring and remediation at a Silicon Valley Superfund site.
Open the mapWeb map · Town of Topsham
Topsham, Maine parcel viewer
Tax parcel and zoning viewer for a municipal government.
Modeling · Print map
Madawaska Pond dam failure
Modeling the effect of dam failure on shoreline and lake depth.
Print map
Woodhull Lake environmental impact
Ecological impact zone and resource management map for Woodhull Lake, NY.
Modeling · Print map
Historic sea level in mid-coast Maine
Reconstructing the shoreline of Inner Heron Island around 11,000 years before present.
Data visualization
Forest Ecosystem Services Toolkit
Interactive charts of water quality regulation in forested watersheds.
Data visualization
Long-term watershed data explorer
Interactive time-series charts comparing precipitation and stream data across experimental watersheds.
More: Huyck Preserve Trail Guide · The Ecology School at River Bend Farm Trail Map · Adirondack Atlas Project
Clients
Who we work with
Conservation groups, research institutions, biological field stations, municipalities and private firms.
- Adirondack Land Trust
- Adirondack Council
- Protect the Adirondacks!
- Adirondack Long-Term Monitoring Program
- Adirondack Atlas
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
- SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
- Beier Lab, SUNY-ESF
- UVA Mountain Lake Biological Station
- USC Wrigley Marine Science Center
- Town of Topsham, Maine
- Terradex
About
Frontier Spatial, LLC
Steve SignellFounder · Cartographer & GIS specialist
Frontier Spatial was founded in 2011 by Steve Signell, an award-winning cartographer and Geographic Information Systems specialist. Trained in forest and landscape ecology at the University of Michigan and Penn State University, Steve has years of experience managing spatial data and making maps.
He worked as a GIS specialist at the SUNY-ESF Adirondack Ecological Center in Newcomb, NY, and has taught GIS at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2014–2021) and Champlain College (2022–present).
- 2011Founded
- Award-winningNYS GIS Association
- 10+ yrsTeaching GIS
2011 Annual Achievement Award, New York State GIS Association
Contact
Let's talk about your project
Low-cost solutions for non-profit, academic and small government organizations. Tell us what you're working on and we'll suggest an approach that fits your budget.
Frontier Spatial, LLC993 Williams Road
Colchester, VT 05446