[Tagging] Large fire perimeter tagging?

stevea steveaOSM at softworkers.com
Thu Sep 24 22:17:52 UTC 2020


On Sep 24, 2020, at 3:05 PM, Clifford Snow <clifford at snowandsnow.us> wrote:
> Just a reminder, landuse is to tag what the land is used for. landuse=forest is for areas that have harvestable wood products, ie trees. Just because there was a fire doesn't mean the landuse changes. Landcover is a better tag for burnt areas as well as areas just clearcut.

Thank you, Clifford.  It wasn't my intention to change any landuse tags, though I was in listening mode in case that might be suggested — for example, in the case of entire rural neighborhoods which might have zero or few houses remaining because they all or largely burned down and so are no longer residential.  However I do anticipate there being land COVER tag changes, and substantially.  Here (there are at least a half-dozen recommended ways to tag these in our wiki), we tag landuse=forest on areas which are both dedicated to "forestry" or "timber production" and have valid logging permits and we tag natural=wood on areas which are substantially or exclusively tree-covered, but about which "timber production" it is either unknown or known to not be allowed.  (It's a relatively rough distinction, but works fairly well here).

I anticipate that landuse=forest will either change not at all or in very minor cases where forestry production ends up being "forfeited" as that particular productive use of the land.  (That would take zoning changes, timber permit revocations or surrender, lots of public meetings, etc. and therefore many years, at least around here).  I anticipate that natural=wood, natural=scrub and similar tags will substantially change, and as Joseph just suggested, is well-established by "fresh" imagery where the extent of this should likely be apparent.  The boundary=tagged fire=perimeter remains useful in the meantime (years) to delineate the extent of any necessary land cover mapping OSM would likely require.

Thanks for answers so far!  I'll go back to the January Australian fire threads people are pointing me to and take a look at any other specifics I might glean.  I do respect that there are some who say "don't map these at all," but I do find the perimeter useful to describe the extent of what is a substantial change to land cover (and in some cases, such as fully abandoned homes and residential areas where re-population / re-building will NOT take place, landuse as well).

It's wonderful to be able to ask and receive answers here (thank you),
SteveA


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