This paper was presented at the conference ‘Integrating spatial technologies and ecological principles for a new age in fire management’, Boise, Idaho, USA, June 1999
The establishment of a robust national fuels mapping program must be based on
pertinent lessons from relevant national mapping programs. Many large-area
mapping programs are under way in numerous Federal agencies. Each of these
programs follows unique strategies to achieve mapping goals and objectives.
Implementation approaches range from highly centralized programs that use
tightly integrated standards and dedicated staff, to dispersed programs that
permit considerable flexibility. One model facilitates national consistency,
while the other allows accommodation of locally relevant conditions and
issues. An examination of the programmatic strategies of four national
vegetation and land cover mapping initiatives can identify the unique
approaches, accomplishments, and lessons of each that should be considered in
the design of a national fuel mapping program. The first three programs are
the U.S. Geological Survey Gap Analysis Program, the U.S. Geological Survey
National Land Cover Characterization Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Survey National Wetlands Inventory. A fourth program, the interagency
Multiresolution Land Characterization Program, offers insights in the use of
partnerships to accomplish mapping goals. Collectively, the programs provide
lessons, guiding principles, and other basic concepts that can be used to
design a successful national fuels mapping initiative.
Accuracy assessment of the U.S. Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset, and comparison with other large-area elevation datasets: SRTM and ASTER