Rocky Mountain Research Station

The Tier I map and report identifies private structures, public infrastructure, public reserve areas, and hazardous waste sites.

Private structures within the Tier I layer are based on two sources: county level geospatial cadastral data; nd where cadastral data is unavailable, structure points derived from aerial photo interpretation produced by the USGS, Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center.

Public infrastructure includes water supply systems and reservoirs, major power lines, pipelines, communication towers, recreation facilities, and other significant landmarks. Tier 1 also identifies designated wilderness and roadless areas, wild and scenic river corridors, and national recreation areas. Superfund sites and mines are mapped and reported along with other HAZMAT locations.

Tier II reports are used to identify highly valued natural resources and management priorities that may be affected by an ongoing fire event. The RAVAR staff has coordinated the acquisition and staging of the appropriate layers through direct interactions with regional Forest Service fire and natural resource staff members.

Examples of Tier II layers include sensitive wildlife habitat, recreation zones, restoration priority areas, and Appropriate Management Response zones.