Webinar provides a sneak peek of GIS tool that maps Western habitat 

The Western Governors' Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT) is nearing its public rollout in December. Next week we want to offer you a sneak peek of this exciting new GIS tool that maps fish and wildlife habitat across 16 Western states. 

Please join us for a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 23. WGA Policy Manager Carlee Brown will provide a brief overview of the CHAT project and Jeff Hamerlinck, Director of the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, will demonstrate the tool. 

Webinar Details 

WHEN: 11 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Oct. 23 
ONLINE: Go to http://westgov.adobeconnect.com/wga/ 
PHONE: 1-888-850-4523 (When the webinar asks you to join the call, please choose "dial-in" option) 
PARTICIPANT CODE: 700490 
CAN'T MAKE IT? The webinar will be recorded and available on the WGA website, where more information is available about the CHAT. 
INFORMATION: Contact Carlee Brown at cbrown@westgov.org or (303) 623-9378. 

More on CHAT 

The Western Governors' Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT) is a cooperative effort of 16 Western states to provide the public and industry a high-level overview of "crucial habitat" across the West. 

"Crucial habitats" are places that contain and connect the natural resources important to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, including species of concern, as well as hunting and fishing species. 

The CHAT is non-regulatory and cannot be used by government for project-level reviews. Rather, the goal is to increase the predictability of formal planning by establishing a common starting point across the West for the intersection of development and wildlife.