86 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY|SUMMER 2019
Produced in partnership withTree Tech, and
Climate Change
Aninsidelook at the
technologiesprotecting
our nation’s forests.By Patricia Miller
Frompapergoodstolumberandwildlife
habitattorecreation,ourforestsprovidevalue
incountlessways.However,forestmanagement
isa complexscience.Itrequiresadvanced
technology,collaboration, and an eye toward
sustainability.
Forestmanagementhasadvancedrapidly
sincethedaysoflumbermillsandsurveyors.
Thesectorisexplodingwithtechnological
advancementsthatareimprovingdata
collection,enhancingefficiency,andhelpingto
maintainthedelicate forest ecosystems on
whichwerely.
Onetechnologybeingimplemented
throughouttheforestryindustryisLIDAR ,a
remotesensingmethodwhichuseslightto
measuredistances.Forestmanagementservices
cannowuseLIDARtomapforestcanopy
surfaces,treestructures, and underlying forest
topography.KathyAbusow,presidentandCEOofthe
SustainableForestryInitiative,sharedher
insightsonthetechnology’sapplications:
“LIDARhelpspeopleseehowthingsarebeing
managed,whichisreallyimportantsotheysee
thisemergingtransparencyinthesupplychain.
Thetechnologyisincreasinglybeingusedto
helpusunderstandbiodiversityneedsaswell,
becauseyoucan’tsendpeopleeverywhereall
thetime.LIDARisjustanamazing tool for a
forestmanagerandplanner.”
TheforestrysectorisalsousingDNAtesting
tochartbiodiversitywithinforestecosystems.
Forexample,DNAsamplingfromvernalpools
tellsresearchershowmanyspeciesexistina
certainlocationandhelpsthemmakebetter
decisionsforthehealthoftheforest.Abusowexplains,“Wehavetounderstand
wherewecanharvesttreesbecausesomeof
these vernal pools are really rich in biodiversity.Itcouldbeturtlesatrisk,orfrogs,ordifferent
speciesthatneedspecialconsideration.”
Shecontinued,“Wenowcantakewaterfrom
thepoolandhaveDNAtestingtosay,‘Fromthis
vernalpoolthereareallsortsofspeciesinthere.
So,let’snotharvestinthatarea.Let’sgoover
here,wherethereisn’tthattypeofimpact.’The
technologyisjustsocoolinterms of how we
canmanagethingsnow.”
Dronesarealsoplayinganactivepartinforest
maintenanceasunmannedaerialsurveillance
systems(UAS)becomemoreaffordableand
accessible.ChiefoftheUSDAForestService
VickiChristiansenspokeaboutthelife-saving
valueofUAS:“Inourwildlandfireresponse,
havinggooddataabouttheactivefires...is
reallyimportant.Puttingpeopleinharm’sway
togatherthatintelligenceisnotsomethingwe
wanttoexposepeopleto.So,usingUASis
escalatingourabilitiesinwildlandfireresponse
andinmanyother natural resource
applications.”
Vegetationmanagementisanotherarea
benefitingfrominnovation.Christiansen
explains,“Weneedtothintheseforeststhrough
timberandhazardousfuelsales.Now,wecan
putupvirtualboundaries.”Shecontinued,“We
canwritetheprescriptions[forthinnings]
electronicallyonhandhelddevices...wecando
thatalldigitally and we don’t have to mark with
paint.”
Betweendigitalthinningprescriptions,UAS
fireintelligence,DNAsampling,andLIDAR ,
theforestsectorisembracingadvanced
technologieswithopenarms.Butforest
managementrequiresmorethanmanaging
trees,it requiresmanagingpeople.Coordinating
25,000full-timeemployees and 10,000 seasonal
hiresisnosimplefeat.
Christiansenknowsfirsthandthechallenges of
effective communication among so many