Case Study: Conservation Innovation Center (CIC) achieves targeted, high-impact Susquehanna River restorations with Esri's ArcGIS Insights

Data Analysis Guides Susquehanna River Restoration Efforts

The Conservation Innovation Center (CIC), the Chesapeake Conservancy’s 12-person geospatial team led by Emily Mills, needed to prioritize parcel-scale restoration across four counties in the Susquehanna River watershed. After scoring over 6,000 parcels to find where riparian forest buffers were lacking, the CIC still had hundreds of high-priority sites and required a way to narrow focus to locations with the greatest water-quality impact — so they adopted ESRI’s ArcGIS Insights.

Using ESRI’s ArcGIS Insights for integrated spatial and statistical analysis, the CIC quickly filtered and analyzed prioritized parcels, reducing thousands of candidates to fewer than 100 high-impact sites. The platform streamlined workflows and reporting, supported coordination with more than 20 restoration partners, and helped guide projects that have contributed to over 70 acres of riparian forest buffer restored while enabling clear quantification and communication of water-quality benefits.

Conservation Innovation Center (CIC)

Emily Mills

Geospatial Project Manager