Abstract
Geospatial Technology in Forest Management at Raven Rock Mountain Complex
Track: GPS Technology
Authors: David Pritchard
Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC) is a military installation in southern Pennsylvania. As a secure site, managing the lands that encompass the installation is a particular challenge.
Two major problems in managing the forest inside the fence line are deer management and invasive flora. Over the years, native trees have been unable to regenerate because of an overpopulation of deer on site over browsing, also native vegetation has been unable to compete with the invasive plants.
ArcGIS and Trimble GPS technology, have been instrumental in implementing the Forest Management Plan. Heavy equipment operators used GPS to clear and build roads and walking paths, and clear invasive plants from protected regeneration areas. Herbicides were used to eliminate other invasive plants; these areas were identified and tracked using GIS and GPS technology to target treatment areas and eliminate any adverse impacts on native vegetation or fauna.
In addition, GIS data on the distribution of invasive species, native birds, and native trees have been used to evaluate the location of regeneration plots. These fenced plots allow native tree and plant seedlings to get established by preventing deer from damaging or destroying the seedlings.
This project has helped to demonstrate the power of spatial analysis, and future plans will involve integrating more of the installations' CAD and other data into an Enterprise GIS system. In addition, these efforts are helping to establish a healthy forest, providing recreational activities for employees, and preserving water quality in streams and wetlands inside the installation.