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Proceedings of the 9th Annual
Federal Depository Library Conference

October 22 - 25, 2000

Cover/Title Page | Table of Contents | Agenda

USDA Forest Service Mapping

Betsy Banas
U.S. Forest Service
Washington, DC

Forest Service Organization
  • First Chief of the Forest Service
    - Gifford Pinchot, 1905-1910
  • Current Chief of the Forest Service
    - Mike Dombeck, 1997 to Present

Forest Service Regions
  • Nine geographic regions.
  • Regional offices located in major cities along rail lines.
  • Decentralized
    - Decision making at the local level, not in Washington.
    - Decision makers are more familiar with local and region-wide issues.

Mapping in the Forest Service
  • Initially was done at the Forest and District level.
  • Mapping was a vital part of planning and managing the administrative area.
  • Maps were made to the specifications and requirements of the particular Forest.
  • Little standardization or consistency among Regions.
  • During World War II there was an effort to consolidate mapping for defense purposes, and Forest Service played a key role.
    - Had the equipment and expertise.
    - Mapped areas of the US along the Pacific Coast.
    - Aided the US Hydrographic Service in making detailed maps of Japan.
    - Worked out of Gettysburg, PA.
  • Regular Forest Service mapping business continued to be decentralized and non-standardized.
  • This trend continued into the late 1960s.
  • Mapping technology began to change.
  • New, costly equipment, computers, etc., required the centralizing of mapping operations.

Geospatial Service and Technology Center (GSTC)
  • Founded in 1975 (Geometronics Services Center).
  • Located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • Intent was to consolidate a large part of the Forest Service mapping activities at one location.
  • Bring together the skills and resources needed to build and maintain a standardized base mapping program.
  • The Center’s program expanded to include production of digital data.
  • Today GSTC provides a full suite of geospatial services, data and maps.
  • These services and products support core Forest Service business needs:
    - Forest Planning
    - Watershed Restoration
    - Resources Inventory
    - Transportation Management
    - Forest health protection
    - Enabling ecosystem sustainability
    - Fire Management
    - Burned Area Emergency Recovery

Remote Sensing Application Center (RSAC)
  • Co-located with GSTC in Salt Lake City.
  • Provides technical support in evaluating and developing remote sensing, image processing, and related geospatial technologies throughout the Forest Service.
  • Provide project support and assistance with using remote sensing technologies.
  • Provide technology transfer and training.

Forest Service Maps
  • Primary Base Series
    - 1:24,000 scale
    - Single Edition Quadrangle Map Program
  • Secondary Base Series
    - Inch/mile scale
    - Base for the Forest Visitor Map

Single Edition Quadrangle
  • In 1992 Forest Service entered an interagency agreement with USGS to produce 1:24,000 scale maps over forests.
  • Maps are produced by the Forest Service, to USGS standards.
      - With Forest Service information as well.
  • USGS prints and distributes the maps for the Forest Service.
  • Primarily used for administrative purposes.

Secondary Base Series
  • Base cartographic work is performed at GSTC
  • The base map is forwarded to Region/Forest where it is enhanced with photos, transportation guides and visitor information to become the standard Forest Visitor Map

Forest Visitor Maps
  • Family of maps
  • Recently signed agreement with the USGS for the sale of Forest Visitor Maps.
    - Previously only available at Forest Visitor Centers.
    - New agreement provides for the sale of Forest Visitor Maps through USGS vendor network.
    - Provides customers with one stop shopping.
    - Maps are available to vendors at volume discounts.
    - Increased customer service.

Other Forest Service Maps
  • Wilderness Area Maps
  • Wild and Scenic Rivers
  • Pocket Guides
  • Guide to Your National Forest
  • Other Specialty Products

Other Collaborative Efforts
  • Outdoors America Map
      • - Guide to recreation opportunities on Federal lands
      - 11 Federal agencies involved
  • Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration
    - Over 15 Federal agencies involved. - Will produce a map/brochure.
  • The National Atlas of the United States
  • Other Exchanges with USGS
    - Digital Elevation Models
    - Digital Orthophoto Quad production and exchange
  • Data Sharing with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM):
    - Cadastral information

US Board on Geographic Names
  • Forest Service Director of Engineering is a voting member on the US Board on Geographic Names.
    - Domestic Names Committee
  • Forest Service is a key player in updating and editing the Geographic Names Information System

Roadless Area Conservation
  • October 1999 President Clinton called a halt to all road construction in unroaded areas of National Forests.
  • An Environmental Impact Study was performed.
  • First Draft Released May 2000.
  • Geospatial Information Systems (GIS ) analysis was used to produce maps for the study.
  • Final Report is due December 2000.

Support to Wildland Fire Detection, Suppression & Rehabilitation
  • Fire Season 2000 was extremely severe.
  • GIS and Remote Sensing were essential in fire fighting efforts and are being used in restoration and rehabilitation efforts as well.

Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC)
  • The GAC was formed in 1999 to address the task of moving the Forest Service into a GIS environment.
    - Maps on Demand
    - Use of GIS in Forest Management, etc.
    - Incorporating Forest Service Databases into a GIS environment.

Important Forest Service Web Sites

 

Cover/Title Page  | Table of Contents  |  Agenda

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Questions or comments: asklps@gpo.gov.
Last updated:  February 28, 2001
Page Name:  http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/proceedings/00pro7.html
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