2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design: Full Schedule

The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP) looks forward to your participation at this year’s 2026 Big Sky GeoCon!

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11:05am MDT

For Whom? Parcel-Level Spatial Accessibility to Hazardous Fuels Reduction

Thursday April 16, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am MDT

Alpine Room

Federal wildfire fuel reduction projects lack systematic methods for identifying affected populations. The Wildfire Adapted Missoula project authorizes hazardous fuels treatments without environmental justice analysis despite federal mandates. This study develops a parcel-level, terrain-aware distance decay framework to identify affected populations based on spatial accessibility. Using the Blue Mountain treatment area, three distance metrics are compared: Euclidean (baseline planar distance), topographic (slope-adjusted), and fire transmission (cost-distance accounting for terrain and fuel conditions that constrain fire spread). Results inform environmental justice screening where spatial equity assessment remains absent from federal wildfire decision-making.

Presenters

Patrick Benson

Carbon County

Patrick Benson is the GIS Coordinator for Carbon County in Red Lodge, MT. He recently graduated from the University of Montana with a Masters of Science in Geography. His background as a Forestry Technician for the U.S. Forest Service took him to the often overlooked yet beautiful... Read More →

Thursday April 16, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am MDT
Alpine Room

Conservation/Natural Resources, Emergency Services

11:40am MDT

DNRC Upper Yellowstone Structure Survey & GIS Methodologies

Thursday April 16, 2026 11:40am - Wednesday April 15, 2026 12:10pm MDT

Alpine Room

This presentation will focus on the GIS methods and challenges involved in structure surveying and inventory in the Yellowstone River Basin for Montana DNRC for the purpose of updating regulatory floodplain maps and how our GIS team utilized ArcGIS Field Maps to deploy structure and data forms for field crews to reference and collect data in the field. GIS field solutions proved themselves invaluable for daily and long-range planning for this project. Data collected was delivered in FEMA complaint databases comprised of structure location, information, and dimensions for 482 structures and 1446 bathymetric cross sections on 641 miles of river.

Presenters

Matt Blassic

Great West Engineering

Matt Blassic is a GIS Analyst with Great West Engineering. Matt works in Great West's Natural Resource Group, and has working on floodplain mapping projects for upwards of 6 years. Matt provides in depth knowledge of regulatory and drafting FEMA databases and spatial products for... Read More →

Hannah Nishek

Great West Engineering

Hannah Nishek: Hannah Nishek is a GIS Specialist with six years of experience in spatial data management at various project scales in the private and public sector. Hannah is skilled in custom web-based app development and interactive tools to aid in data-driven decision making, gather... Read More →

Thursday April 16, 2026 11:40am - Wednesday April 15, 2026 12:10pm MDT
Alpine Room

Conservation/Natural Resources, Government

2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design

11:05am MDT

Patrick Benson

11:40am MDT

Matt Blassic

Hannah Nishek

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