USDA Forest Service Engineering

Remote Sensing

Navigation and Position Determination Systems

In 1976, the Forest Service began to investigate applications for Loran-C navigation systems for aerial surveys and fire suppression operations. Today, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is a rapidly developing technology that is revolutionizing field survey methods and has potential uses in all areas of Forest Service work, including resource management, protection, engineering, research, and law enforcement. GPS receivers, carried in hand or aboard ground vehicles or aircraft, provide faster and simpler methods for determining position and navigation. In 1984, the Missoula Technology and Development Center began evaluating the GPS system for Forest Service applications. A GPS implementation program was developed to guide the use of GPS technology in the Forest Service. A national procurement contract for the acquisition of GPS receivers was awarded. An evaluation course was established at Lubrecht Experimental Forest in Montana to determine systems' requirements and to evaluate performance for Forest Service applications. GPS units are being used on all Forests for a variety of purposes, including:

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