COMaP was free. Why do I have to pay a subscription fee now? (Registration Fee Suspended in 2019 - COMaP is currently free)
Past financial support for COMaP relied on large grants. This is not a sustainable model for long-term funding as our past funders can no longer provide this level of financial support. Subscriptions and donations provide regular income for updates and allow us to recover the costs we incur to maintain the site. Other costs include hardware/software replacements, bug fixes, website enhancements and testing, coding upgrades, e-Commerce fees, user management, support documents, product development, and more. Fees are adjusted annually to ensure they are as affordable as possible.
If I send you data, do I get a free subscription?
No. Sharing your data keeps our data update process streamlined and efficient, and allows you to view your managed areas within the broader conservation network, but you do have to pay our annual subscription fee. Our fees have been carefully calculated to meet the minimum amount required to deliver the service. We have to integrate your data seamlessly into the map, develop data products, and run the website. This takes time and resources.
How often are the data updated?
COMaP is updated periodically as data and funding allow. Typically, it is updated once or twice a year. Any data updates will be announced on the site, but it is up to the user to download the most recent datasets.
Can I share the data with others outside my agency?
No. All interested parties need to subscribe and should be referred to the COMaP website.
Can I share the data with others inside my agency?
Yes. Your subscription fee covers all employees at your organization. Once your organization has paid in full, any employee can register on the website to access COMaP online. You can also share spatial downloads with co-workers.
How do I cite COMaP data in my work?
COMaP users are required to provide acknowledgement for COMaP data where appropriate. The correct citation for COMaP is as follows:
Long Citation:
Colorado Natural Heritage Program. YYYY. The Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection Map (COMaP), vYYYYMMDD. Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO. https://comap.cnhp.colostate.edu
Short Citation:
COMaP, vYYYYMMDD
Where vYYYYMMDD is the version date indicated in the dataset name (e.g. v20160407) and YYYY is the year indicated in the dataset name.
The protected area polygons I sent you are not exactly the same in COMaP. Why?
COMaP is a compilation of multiple data sources, with varying levels of accuracy. Polygons may be slightly adjusted to meet topology standards (no gaps or overlaps) which are required to perform many GIS analyses. Some polygons have been adjusted to match the BLM’s GCDB dataset, which is considered the most accurate reflection of the Public Land Survey System’s Township, Range and Section data. Slight differences are common; however, if you notice a glaring error, please add a comment to the map so we can fix it or email us at comap@colostate.edu
There are protected areas missing from the map. Why?
We likely don’t know about them! Please post a note on the map or send us an email to let us know there is a data gap.
My account is not paid. Who do I contact?
Check your Account Status under User Resources to identify the primary contact in your organization. This is the person responsible for paying the subscription fee and approving users in your organization.
When does my account expire?
Check your Account Status under User Resources to see the expiration date of your subscription.
What is the difference between registering and subscribing?
Subscriptions are managed at an organization level. Primary users must register and subscribe. Registering enters you into the system. Subscribing triggers the secure payment site. Once the organizational account is paid, the service is activated and the user that subscribed is set as the primary contact. All subsequent users within the organization need only to register.
What is the role of the primary contact at an organization?
The user that subscribes and pays the service fee becomes the primary contact for the organization. This person is responsible for paying the annual fee on time and approving other registered users within their organization.
I have registered on the site, but cannot access the data or map. Why?
You likely have not subscribed and paid your annual fee or your subscription has expired. Until your organizational account is current, you will not have access to the data or map. If you have the authority to make purchases, continue to subscribe and pay. This will make you the primary contact at your organization. If you do not have purchasing authority, someone within in your organization with purchasing authority must register and subscribe. Once your organization has an active account, you will have access to the data and map.
What are the "Special Use" files?
There are several situations where non-registered users can interact with the map. Please use the "Special Use" files in these situations:
1) You want to serve COMaP as an online Map Service on your public-facing website
2) You want to use COMaP in a classroom setting as a learning tool
Due to the sensitive nature of private conservation lands, the Special Use geodatabases exclude "private lands w/protection" that were not funded by Great Outdoors Colorado. All other lands are included.
Why is the Educational rate at the top of the price range?
The educational rate is intended to cover use of the site by an entire academic unit (typically a College within a University). All professors, researchers, and students within the unit can use the data and online map. If you want to use COMaP in the classroom as a learning tool outside of the online map, we ask that you use the version specifically designed for Instructional Use. Research and research-related projects should use the most comprehensive version of COMaP and users in need of these datasets should register on the site.
I have a question not addressed on this page. What do I do?
Email us at comap@colostate.edu. Please allow 3-5 business days for a response.
