USDA Forest Service Engineering

Remote Sensing

Satellite and Image Processing Applications

The Forest Service has been involved with satellite remote sensing since the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Forest Service scientists assisted in the functional design of the ERTS systems. Forest Service employees stationed at the NASA Johnson Space Flight Center from 1972 to 1977 began developing image processing techniques for natural resource requirements. Image processing of remotely sensed data is increasing at all levels within the Forest Service due to changing requirements for information and the expanding use of digital spatial data. Land management planning and changing resource issues are dictating rapid updates to resource information.

Satellite data are used to create integrated resource inventories, to map vegetation, to detect change, to monitor forest plans, to delineate critical wetlands and wildlife habitat, to supplement conventional cartographic depiction of National Forest lands, to assess forest damage, and for a host of other applications.

Mapping

USDA Forest Service
Engineering Staff

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