Forest Service UpdateNational Remote Sensing

Program

USDA Forest Service National Remote Sensing Program

Everett Hinkley – National Remote Sensing Program Leader

Spring 2013 TFRSAC

Note of Appreciation• Thanks to all of you for coming, and for those

calling in remotely.

• A special thanks to Vince Ambrosia and his support team for handling the preparatory logistics.

• This is our 19th TFRSAC Meeting!

Current WO Activities• Technology Development and Implementation

– UAS, GeoPDF, Mobile Geospatial, the “Cloud”, & Sensor development

• Unauthorized Activity on FS Lands– Detection and mapping of illegal activities

• Earth Observing Systems– Landsat 8, VIIRS, Terra, Aqua

• WO Direction & Policy

– Evolution of the Geospatial Management Office

– The Inventory, Monitoring & Assessment Initiative

Current WO Concerns• Personnel Changes

– Retirements and lost positions

• Support to Fire– Need an Infrared summit to discuss requirements, gaps &

opportunities

• Funding for imagery programs– NAIP, North American Data Buy, USDA Satellite Imagery Archive,

Enhanced View Program (NGA), Bing Imagery.

– Funding is declining and critical sources are drying up.

• Earth Observing Systems– Landsat 8, VIIRS, Terra, Aqua, Hyspiri, SMAP, and Landsat 9

VIIRS

Wide field of view 3,000 km swath width

Daily observations of nearly any point on the Earth’s surface

Surface reflectance imagery Once daily

Thermal/Emissive imagery 2 times daily

• NPP VIIRS and Aqua MODIS observations are nearly coincident

Spatial resolution 375m/750m

April 13, 2012, (NOAA/University of Maryland)

Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership

Active Fire Mapping (AFM) Program(http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us)

Satellite detection and monitoring of wildfire activity in CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii & Canada

• Leverages NASA and NOAA assets

− MODIS− AVHRR

• Facilitates decision support for strategic planning & response for U.S. and Canadian fire agencies

− Prioritize allocation of fire suppression assets

− Integrated into fire-related applications and decision support systems

• Developing new capabilities− Early detection

− Spatially refined data

− GOES− VIIRS

Tactical Fire Mapping Support

• “NIROPS” - National Infrared Operations

• Provide high resolution fire detection/mapping to support incident command operations

RSAC Support Functions:• Maintenance

− NIROPS website

− IR ordering system

− Operations Users Guide

− IR Vendor listing

• PHOENIX sensor tech support• Technology evaluation• IRIN incident support• IRIN training

Tactical Scale Fire Mapping Support(http://nirops.fs.fed.us)

Tactical Scale Fire Mapping Support

IRINs:Tom MellinNational IR Program Manager

(R3, Albuquerque)

Pilots:Dan Johnson(R4, Ogden)

IR Techs:Woody SmithCharles ‘Kaz’

Kazimir(NIFC, Boise)

Forest ServiceAssistant DirectorFire Operations:Kim Christensen

Research &Development

Operations

Tech Support

• Airborne PHOENIX imagery acquired by two agency aircraft

• Imagery is pre-processed in flight and downloaded directly to ground for interpretation by IRINs

• High resolution, daily fire map products provided by 6:00 AM

• Products delineate fire perimeter and active fire areas

Tactical Scale Fire Mapping Support

144Z: Cessna Citation Bravo

149Z Beechcraft 200 Super King Air

2012 Tactical Fire IR Support Demand

149Z – 598 requests144Z – 565 requests

• IR requests range from 250-900 annually

• More IMTs are requesting support

• UTF = “Unable To Fill” due to Wx, aircraft issues, etc.

New Airborne Sensors Available To USFS

Autonomous Modular Sensor (AMS)

• 16 band sensor (VIS/NIR/SWIR/IR)– Multi-mission potential for USFS

• Transition from NASA to USFS ongoing– Interagency agreement signed

• Fit checks on 144Z conducted Sept 2012

• NASA Ames/NIROPS technical meetings ongoing– Installation details– Flight test planning

• Availability of AMS to USFS in early CY2013– Testing & implementation spring/summer

2013

Infrared imagery/fire detection & characterization

Post-fire assessment imagery

New Airborne Sensors Available To USFS

Wide Area Imager (WAI)

• 5 band sensor (VIS/NIR/TIR)– Multi-mission potential for USFS

• Developed by Xiomas under NASA SBIR– Currently in SBIR Phase 3

• FS contract let for WAI demo/eval mission – Spring/Summer 2013 over western U.S.

fires

– 3 day mission

– One 4 hour operational period per day

– Costs split 50/50 between NIICD and RSAC

• Availability of WAI to USFS anticipated in 2014

WAI MWIR imagery

WAI MWIR imagery w/heat sources

Tactical Fire Mapping Challenges• Need for surge aircraft (!)

– To meet tactical fire support requests

• Transition/integration of new sensors– Identify aircraft; Modifications

– Facilitate daytime as well as nighttime missions

– Potential to support non-fire missions

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Forest Service UAS Advisory Group (UASAG)

• “…The Advisory Group will be responsible for interfacing with interagency partners (including the Federal Aviation Administration) and determining revisions needed to current FS aviation policy on the use of UAS. FS UAS policy can be found under FSM 5713.7 and 5718.1.

• Additional representation from other deputy and staff areas with potential interest in leveraging UAS is being pursued. “

NASA/USFS WRAP• Collaboration to facilitate and demonstrate evolving

technologies to increase the information and timeliness of data collected for wildfires

• Funded by NASA (2003-2011)

• Demonstrate/evaluate technologies− UAVs, sensors, data transfer and visualization, etc.

• Missions utilized large and small UAV platforms

USFS IRDB• Additional support provided by IRDB since FY2007

Where’s the Mojo?

• Augment, NOT replace, our manned aircraft• Work with partners to identify niche applications

that are underserved by current technology• Keep the approach simple; work on doing one thing

well before adding additional capabilities• Provide unified systems that are affordable

Forest Service UAS Strategy

Small UAS Demonstration/Evaluation Missions

• Conducted primarily to assess UAS for fire management objectives

− Short/long endurance missions

− Incident intell and communications

• USFS role: – Evaluate entire system

– Report, develop guidance documentation

• UAS payloads and capabilities:– EO/IR video and mapping cameras

– Wx sensors

– Communications relay

– Software technologies to generate NRT geospatial products

– Aircraft modifications for nighttime ops

Tier II – LALE (RS-16)

NRT image mosaic product

Tier I – Small (Raven)

Interagency UAS Coordination for Hazard Support

2011 Southwest Fire Season

• Coordination between DHS/CBP and IC Teams facilitated by DOI/Forest Service

• Daily tactical fire monitoring support provided by Ft. Huachuca-based Predator UAVs

• Real-time EO/IR video provided to IMTs via BigPipe and Remote Viewing Terminal (RVT)

• Feedback from fire teams was very positive

• Several recommendations provided to increase efficiency/utility

UAS Challenges• Progress of the UAS Advisory Group

– F&AM support

– Keep up with partner agencies; Leverage synergies

• Lifting of UAS demo/eval mission stand down– Will help advance UAS Advisory Group tasks

• FOIA’s, FOIA’s and more FOIA’s

• Public interest – not all good

Questions?