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Land cover and land use are often used as interchangeable terms, but each designates a specific type of information. Land cover designates the vegetation or other type of cover that is on the land (grass, red oak, concrete). Land use designates the human-derived applications and activities that take place on the land (agriculture, commercial, residential). There are a variety of state and national products available that map the past and present land cover and/or land use of an area.
Statewide
The current Wisconsin statewide land cover map (“Wiscland 2”) was updated and published in September 2016.
- Wiscland 2 Land Cover Data
- WI DATCP GIS Data (includes many datasets related to land use)
Local
Local governments are the main producers of land use maps in Wisconsin. Local governments rarely produce land cover maps. Refer to the Web site of the county, city, or municipality you are interested in to learn what data is available and how to request it. Some additional resources may be available at:
National
Several national land cover and land use maps are produced on a regular basis. Review the classification schemes, update frequency, and age of the products to decided which one best meets your needs.