County unveils interactive CLAM mapping and explains scoring approach for ranking project areas

County staff demonstrated an interactive web map and explained the CLAM scoring method that produced the recommended rankings before the committee.

Josh Macbeth showed the online tool and walked committee members through how to locate map IDs, view recommended project areas and use the ranking form attached to the agenda. He said the ranking form aggregates individual parcel scores into an average project score and that committee members would fill out forms that staff would collect and average. "If you go to our website... you'll see August 2025 ranking meeting, a direct link to the agenda, this interactive map... and a copy of that ranking form," Macbeth said.

Staff explained that the base score comes from a GIS analysis and that additional modifiers—existing structures, landowner participation, connectivity to other protected lands, cost and funding partnerships—adjust the final placement into priority, eligible or non‑eligible groups. Committee members asked practical questions about which maps and staff reports correspond to specific form lines; staff said detailed staff reports are available for the 23 new ownership nominations but the committee need not review every staff report in depth at the meeting.

Macbeth said the interactive tool is intended to improve transparency and help members and the public visualize project areas before ranking decisions.