The NRIS On-Line GIS Data Bundler gives you several tools you may use to specify an area that you want to download GIS (Geographic Information System) data for.

This application is intended for use by people who have access to GIS software and know how to use ESRI shapefile data to make maps.

The Bundler has different types of study area definition tools. Some of them are maps that show boundaries and names of potential study areas such as counties or national forests. You just click on the area you want the Bundler to provide data for. Other tools let you pick the name of your area from a list, or type in the name or technical specification of a location.

Most of the tools allow you to specify a buffer distance, in miles, to expand your area of interest around the region or location that you selected.

After you have specified a study area, the Bundler uses our Digital Atlas application to make a shapefile from your study area and to get a little map of Montana that shows its location. It returns a page that includes the map and a list of almost 100 data layers that you can download. All of the layers you select will be clipped to your study area, converted to shapefile format, converted to the coordinate system of your choice, and placed in a .zip file on our web server.

In some cases it can take a long time for the Bundler to create the data you asked for, and the Bundler can only process one user's request at a time. After you have selected the data you want, the Bundler will return a web page showing what you asked for and how many requests are ahead of yours. When your data is ready, it sends you an e-mail that has a link you can click on to download the zip file that contains your data.