This data can be viewed and manipulated using free desktop GIS software such as ArcExplorer (for basic thematic viewing of the data) or by purchasing more advanced software such as ArcView GIS (for viewing and analysis). The Matanuska-Susitna Borough does provide the free ArcExplorer product with CD products that contain the Borough’s GIS data sets. The Borough does not provide technical support or training on the use of the product though. Please contact ESRI directly for more information about ArcExplorer or any of the other software packages available for GIS query and analysis.

A wide range of free desktop GIS viewers may be obtained from this site: GISuser.com.

Each shapefile has an associated "metadata" record that describes the methodology used to collect the data, how often it is updated, known limitations, etc. Most of the shapefiles will have metadata documents available in a "short form" - A .PDF document which is accessible from this page. The short form is an entry in a GIS Data Dictionary put together by the GIS staff that contains the vital information for a specific dataset.  Metadata takes a great deal of time and effort to compile, so the short form will initially be completed for each data set. In time, FGDC documentation may be created for all of the GIS data available from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The data's coordinate system is NAD 83 Alaska State Plane Zone 4 Feet.