Aerial Survey program Calibration and Conformity field training. L-R: Aleksandar Dozic (WDNR), Ben Smith (USFS), Glenn Kohler (WDNR), Amy Ramsey (WDNR) and Melissa Fischer (WDNR). Near Ellensburg, Washington.

From Karen Ripley: "The aerial observers from Washington, Oregon and the newest hire in the fold Jackie Pope, who will be working in California, met in Ellensburg, Washington for “Calibration and Conformity” training. It was a great opportunity to review new policies, contracting, safety and logistics for the 2018 season, as well as practice the techniques for recording damage with DMSM tablet units. California used DMSM extensively in 2017. Oregon and Washington used this software for the Swiss Needle Cast survey in 2018. Increasing the number of observers who are doing the surveys and moving from a single agent (SNC) to many agents, points and polygons, defoliation and mortality, across diverse terrain made the need to discuss techniques and approaches to recording damage and hone skills particularly critical for 2018. The sessions included flying and mapping along a pre-planned route over several forest types (with associated damage present) and then comparing/discussing the resulting maps and data during a subsequent field trip to those sites. Glenn Kohler and Justin Hof, with help from Darci Dickinson and Connie Mehmel, located and measured the featured field sites, so deserve enthusiastic appreciation for their support towards excellent aerial survey data acquisition."

For more about the Region 6 aerial survey program see: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/forest-grasslandhealth/insects-...

Photo by: Justin Hof
Date: June 14, 2018

Credit: USDA Forest Service, Region 6, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection.
Source: Aerial Survey Program collection.

Image provided by USDA Forest Service, Region 6, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection: www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/forest-grasslandhealth

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