U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

National 

Center

Fiscal Year2001

Annual Report

Science and Technology
applying current and 

accurate science and technology to

support land and resource 

management decisions

—National Science and Technology Center

Copies of this report may be requested from: Bureau of Land Management, Printed Materials Distribution

Services, P.O. Box 25407, Denver, CO 80225-0047. Phone: 303-236-7637.

This report is available on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/nstc.
By

National Science and Technology Center Leadership Team 

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

May 2002

National 

Center

Fiscal Year2001

Annual Report

Science and Technology
National Science and Technology Center

Lee Barkow, Director

Mike Kirby, Associate Director

Division of Architecture and Engineering Services

Robert Hart, Chief

Tom Busch, Branch Chief, Building Engineering Services

Pat Fleming, Branch Chief, Site Engineering Services

Division of Geographic Sciences

Fred Batson, Chief

William L. Jackson, Branch Chief, Cartographic Applications

Neffra Matthews, Branch Chief, Photogrammetric Applications

Division of Science

Charisse Sydoriak, Chief

Debra Dinville, Branch Chief, Resource Systems and Remote Sensing/GIS Applications

Dan Muller, Branch Chief, Science Applications

Tom Roberts, Branch Chief, Science Investigations

Dave Schafersman, Branch Chief, Environmental Compliance

Information and Communications Staff

Terry D’Erchia, Chief

Barbara Campbell, Bureau of Land Management Library Director

Suggested citation:

National Science and Technology Center Leadership Team. 2002. National Science and

Technology Center: Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Report. Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado. 

vi + 62 pp.
Contents

The Director’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi

Supporting Land and Resource Management Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Architecture and Engineering: Designing a Better Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Bridge Inspections and Replacements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Southern Arizona Road Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Signage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Mackay Reservoir Recreation Site: Site Rehabilitation Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Lower Colorado River Long-term Visitor Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

California National Historic Trails Interpretive Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Meadowood Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Value Analysis Studies: Arctic Interagency Visitor Center and Big Water Visitor Center . . . . . . . . . . . .5

National Engineering Program Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

National Interagency Fire Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Cartography: Maps for Managers and the Public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Automation of the Bureau’s 100K Map Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

El Malpais Recreation Guide Map Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

National Bureau Public Lands Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Development of Standard Recreational Symbology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Center Web Map of Bureau Administrative Jurisdictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Photogrammetry: A Closer Look at Resource Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Lake Havasu Recreation Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Vekol Valley Road Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Photogrammetric Mapping of the Collet Wash Tracksite at Grand Staircase–Escalante National

Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Technical Guidance and Support of the National Off-highway Vehicle Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Integrating Geographic Information Systems Technology With the Visual Resource Management

Inventory Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Data Analysis Support for the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Geo-Positioning Selection Guide Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Locating Coalbed Methane Seeps by Using Remote Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Science Investigations: What’s New in Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Bureau Science Strategy and Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

National Landscape Conservation System Science Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Employment and Income Attributable to Bureau-oriented Recreation in the Western United States . .15

Reference Areas for Sagebrush–Steppe Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Science Applications: Using Science to Manage the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Salt Creek Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Table Mountain Fire Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Pinedale Anticline Groundwater Monitoring Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

iii
iv Contents

Forest Vegetation System Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Ecological Site Technical Reference Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Virgin River Habitat Model Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Water Erosion Prediction Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Environmental Compliance: Toward a Better Natural Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Manning Canyon Tailings Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis and Cleanup Design . . . . . . . .20

Sunrise Landfill Characterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Caselton Mine and Mill Tailings “Potentially Responsible Party” Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Iron Mountain Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Henson Creek Watershed Water Quality Loading Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Resource Systems and Remote Sensing/GIS Applications: Getting the Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Wetland Delineation for the South Platte Headwaters in Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Colorado Vegetation Classification Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Rangeland GIS With Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

HB (Wild Horse and Burro) User Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Susanville Interagency Fire Center Digital Dispatch Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Priority Subbasins Identification Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Rangeland Administration System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

National Technical Means Data for Vegetation and Fuel Model Trend Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

FY 2003 Budget Focus Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

The Bureau Library: Sharing Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Literature Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Providing Supporting Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Cadastral Survey Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

BLM Library Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Reference Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Web Access to Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Table of Contents Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Publications Support: Delivering the Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Public Rewards From Public Lands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Safety and Health Management Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Vantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Corporate Metadata Repository . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Wild Horse and Burro Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Western Springs Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Bureau Annual Performance Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Invasive Plants Brochures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

National Science and Technology Center Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Creating Opportunities While Meeting Management Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Project Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Bureau of Land Management Great Basin Restoration Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

San Miguel River Basin Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

GeoMAC: Bringing Wildland Fire Technology to the Twenty-first Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Cooperative Remote Sensing/GIS Project Between Florida A&M University and 

the National Science and Technology Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Architecture and Engineering Service Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Remote Sensing and GIS Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Environmental Technical Assistance Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Construction Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Increase in Production of Bureau Automated 100K Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

National Science and Technology Center Staff Detailed Externally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Lee Barkow—Detail to the Colorado State Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Debra Dinville—Detail to the DOI National Business Center and the Bureau’s Colorado 

State Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Dianne Osborne—Detail to the U.S. Geological Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Bruce Van Haveren—Detail to the U.S. Geological Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Personnel Detailed at the National Science and Technology Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Marvin Keller—Acting Chief, Science Investigations Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Jaci Gould—Acting Chief, Science Investigations Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Jennifer Gaines—Acting Chief, Resource Systems and Remote Sensing/GIS Applications Branch . . .40

Lori Postlethwait—Acting Chief, Resource Systems and Remote Sensing/GIS Applications Branch . .40

Other Personnel Working at the National Science and Technology Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Reaching Out to Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Professional Commitment to Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

The Bureau’s 1999 Volunteer Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

National Public Lands Day Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Denver Federal Executive Board 2001 Diversity Training Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Present and Future Constituents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Sweetwater County Fair Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

MESA Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

National Boy Scout Jamboree Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Lou’s Soap Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Take Our Children to Work Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Adjunct Faculty Affiliations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Sisseton–Wahpeton Community College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Florida A&M University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Professional Activities and Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Staff Contributions to the National Training Cadre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Looking Toward the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 

Appendix A. Projects Completed in Fiscal Year 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Appendix B. National Science and Technology Center Organization . . . . . . . . . . .60

Contents v
The Director’s Message

I am pleased to present to you the Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Report for the

National Science and Technology Center (Center). A year has passed since

we refocused our mission and changed our name. The changes that we

have made are intended to ensure that we are doing the most valuable

work in support of the field and meeting the highest and broadest needs of

the Bureau. Our new look returns to a more traditional organization with

three divisions and one staff. This organization is in response to internal

and external comments that a more traditional organization is easier for

customers to understand when seeking particular services and assistance.

Our refined mission seeks to focus on what we believe is our core mission:

providing scarce or senior technical expertise to field offices, investigating

and prototyping technology applications, and assisting the field in acquiring the needed science to address management issues.

Fiscal Year 2001 has provided many opportunities and challenges.

Throughout this report, we highlight some of the 400-plus projects we

have worked on that we believe represent the types of assistance we provide. 

During the year, we were host to many individuals who joined our staff as part of such programs as the

Departmental Team Leadership Program and college interns. In addition, several of our staff have taken

assignments with other organizations. The opportunity to have people work with us and for our staff to

work with others provides an environment that is stimulating to the entire Center. Finally, the staff at the

Center have been involved in numerous professional activities and have received recognition from others.

Participation in activities outside the Center allows our professionals to be recognized for the expertise that

they bring—individually and collectively—to the Bureau. 

The past year has been a good one. We have met the challenges that have been placed before us, both organizationally and technically. We have gone a long way in solidifying our role in the Bureau through a solid

track record of providing quality products and services, on time and within budget. We have been successful

in promoting the use of science in public land management through our technical assistance to the field and

by building partnerships with our various science providers. We look forward to continuing to build on our

previous successes next year and into the future. 

Thank you for your support. We welcome your comments on and opinions of our annual report so that we

can make subsequent reports as usable to you, our customers, as possible. The entire staff of the National

Science and Technology Center looks forward to our future associations. 

Lee Barkow, Director

vi
FY 2001 Annual Report 1

The National Science and Technology Center

(Center) of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM

or Bureau) provides a broad spectrum of services in

areas such as physical, biological, and social science

assessments; architecture and engineering support;

library assistance; mapping science; photo imaging;

geographic information systems applications; and

publications support. The staff provides synthesized

scientific information for application to specific

management or resource issues, assesses the synthesized information and provides insights into available

data formats and technologies, identifies current

technologies or developing applications, and identifies and develops partnerships with organizations

and institutions that can provide scientific services

and expertise.

Architecture and Engineering:

Designing a Better Infrastructure

The staff of the National Science and Technology

Center provides a full range of architectural and

engineering services—from technical analysis, review,

and consultation on small projects to planning,

design, and construction administration services on

major Bureau structures. The Center staff is presently working in concert with other Bureau architectural and engineering staffs to help plan and construct

new Bureau facilities and to maintain, repair, and

rehabilitate other structures. In addition to the 

planning, design, and construction administration

programs, the Center frequently provides technical

assistance and guidance on national architectural and

engineering initiatives, such as value engineering,

seismic safety and compliance, radio tower replacements, metric conversion, accessibility, sustainability,

and energy conservation. Highlights of work accomplished in Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 follow:

Amboy Crater

National Natural Landmark

(California)

Amboy Crater, a volcanic cinder cone 250 feet high

and 1,500 feet in diameter, is part of one of the

youngest volcanic fields in the United States. The

field was created by six distinct periods of eruptions

that took place between 6,000 and 500 years ago. Its

recent origin, nearly perfect shape, and lack of mining activity led to its designation as a National

Natural Landmark in 1973. A National Natural

Landmark is an area of national significance because

it represents one of the best-known examples of a

natural region’s characteristic biotic or geologic 

features.

Supporting Land 

and Resource 

Management Decisions
2 National Science and Technology Center

Amboy Crater is located in the desert of south-central California, less than 1 mile south of historic

Route 66 near the town of Amboy. Access to the site

is on a rough, unpaved road. The site has only two

unshaded picnic tables for amenities. At the request

of the Needles Field Office, Center staff prepared

designs and construction contract documents not

only for improving the access road to a paved, twolane standard, but also for formalizing plans, paving

parking areas, and constructing a new entrance sign,

wayside exhibits, restrooms, and shade and picnic

shelters, with concrete pathways to interconnect all

these elements. Two stabilized, low-water crossings

were also designed to withstand flooding and

drainage of the large desert alluvium that the road

crosses. Construction of the amenities is planned for

late 2001. 

Client and office: Lesly Smith, Needles Field Office,

California

NSTC project participants: Dave Droullard, 

Pat Fleming, Tanya Mikita

Bridge Inspections and Replacements

(California, Idaho, Montana, 

Nevada, Wyoming)

Center staff prepared construction contract documents to replace Whitaker Bridge in Montana, Sand

Creek Bridge in Wyoming, and Trout Creek Bridge

in Nevada. Actual construction of the bridges is

planned for 2001–2002. Whitaker Bridge is an old

railroad bridge on a railroad right-of-way that was

acquired by the Bureau. The purpose of this project

was to construct a new deck on the existing superstructure to provide access for vehicular traffic. The

original Sand Creek Bridge was a wooden bridge

declared unsafe years ago because of failed and missing structural members. Subsequently, the structurally deficient bridge was closed and ultimately burned

by Bureau personal, and a low-water crossing was

used for access. However, because traffic has

increased in the area and the low-water crossing is

inaccessible during periods of high streamflow, the

need for a new bridge was identified. Trout Creek

Bridge is another timber bridge that is deficient for

the intended use; its allowable load-carrying capacity

is less than what is required.

The Center provided inspection services to the

California, Idaho, and Wyoming State Offices in its

continued support of this program. Bridges and

major culverts identified for retention through the

Bureau Planning System (which establishes the need

for a structure) must be maintained in a safe condition. To identify any deficiencies in a structure, the

bridge or major culvert must be inspected in 2-year

cycles by qualified personnel in accordance with the

National Bridge Inspection Standards, Part 650,

Chapter 23, Code of Federal Regulations. Bureau

State Engineers request Center assistance in performing these inspections when they do not have the

resources or the capability to do so. 

A report of the inspection for each bridge was sent

to each State Office, analyzing the condition of the

different elements of the structure. If any deficiencies were revealed, the Center recommended repairs

and associated costs. In addition, normal maintenance work was identified to keep the structure in a

safe condition. When a bridge or major culvert is

identified for retention through the Bureau Planning

System and is determined to be unsafe or deficient

for the specified use, its replacement is required. 

Client and office: Merlin McDaniel, California 

State Office

NSTC project participant: Keith Christiansen

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participant: Keith Christiansen

Client and office: Greg Bergum, Montana State

Office

NSTC project participant: Keith Christiansen
FY 2001 Annual Report 3

Client and office: Norm Rockwell, Elko Field

Office, Nevada

NSTC project participant: Keith Christiansen

Client and office: Jim Kor, Wyoming State Office

NSTC project participant: Keith Christiansen

Client and office: Jim Kor, Wyoming State Office

NSTC project participants: Keith Christiansen,

Elizabeth Smith

Southern Arizona 

Road Improvements

(Arizona)

The Arizona State Office requested that the Center

improve roads used by the public, ranchers, and the

Bureau to access Hot Dunes Recreation Site, Cienega

Ranch, and other Bureau-administered lands in the

southern part of the State. These roads had gradually

deteriorated over the years or had been damaged by

storm runoff, while their use had increased dramatically. The Center prepared construction contract documents for improvements to more than 37 miles of

the Bureau’s Empire–Cienega Road and Haekel Road

in southern Arizona. Center recommendations

include road regrading and resurfacing, drainage

improvements, culvert replacements, new low-water

crossings, and intersection improvements.

Client and office: Bruce Beierle, Arizona State Office

NSTC project participants: Dave Droullard, Mary

Anne Zehrt-Belding

Red Rock Canyon National 

Conservation Area Signage 

(Nevada)

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

(NCA) is one of nine NCAs managed by the

Bureau. Located 10 miles west of Las Vegas, this

197,000-acre area provides a 13-mile scenic drive,

more than 30 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and

a visitor center with exhibit rooms and a bookstore.

Red Rock Canyon NCA receives more than 1 million visits annually from the local community and

from American and foreign tourists. 

The growing number of visits to the area led to a

rapid expansion of facilities and a tremendous

increase in traffic. One result of this rapid growth

was that the existing signs, without a plan, had

become obtrusive, ineffective, and inaccurate. The

Center, as requested by Area Manager Greg Gnesios,

produced a comprehensive plan for consolidating,

improving, and replacing the entrance and providing

directional information and traffic signage throughout the area. One of the most well-received design

changes to date has been the installation of the cut

stone entrance signs that mimic the red rock formations for which the area is named.

Client and office: Greg Gnesios, Red Rock Canyon

National Conservation Area, Nevada

NSTC project participants: Dave Droullard, Pat

Fleming, Toni Griffin, Sue Weber

Mackay Reservoir Recreation Site: 

Site Rehabilitation Study 

(Idaho)

The Challis Field Office plans to rehabilitate the 

Joe T. Fallini Campground facilities at the Mackay

Reservoir Recreation Site. Mackay Reservoir is located 6 miles northwest of Mackay and 56 miles southeast of Challis, on Highway 93. The campground

was constructed in the late 1960s to accommodate

camping and day-use activities adjacent to Mackay

Reservoir. Heavy use, changing demands and 

regulations, and deterioration of the more than 30-

year-old site is causing a health and safety hazard for

visitors. Center staff provided Gary Stevens, Idaho

State Office, with a conceptual site plan for facilities,

including updating the potable water system;

redesigning roadways; establishing boat and trailer

parking; providing tent, trailer, and recreational
4 National Science and Technology Center

vehicle campsites, including two group sites and a

“host” site; upgrading picnic sites with a group shelter and restrooms; and constructing a sewage dump

station, fish cleaning station, warming hut, play area,

and short interpretive trail.

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Pat Fleming, Toni

Griffin, Tanya Mikita, Kathy Williams

Lower Colorado River

Long-term Visitor Areas

(Arizona, California)

Two areas near the Lower Colorado River in Arizona

and California have been designated by Congress as

long-term visitor areas (LTVAs), where the public

can establish campsites with tents or recreational

vehicles for a minimal monthly fee. The Bureau

established the unique LTVA program in 1983 to

meet the recreation needs of winter visitors and to

protect the remaining fragile desert environment. As

these areas have become increasingly popular, they

have sometimes overtaxed the modest Bureau water

and wastewater infrastructure (fill stations for

domestic water and dump stations for wastewater

holding tanks). The development of potable water

sources and environmentally sound wastewater disposal methods in the arid desert adjacent to the river

has presented unique technical challenges.

Working in collaboration with the Yuma Field

Office, Center staff prepared construction contract

documents for improvements at the South Mesa

LTVA, located about 20 miles north of Yuma on the

California side of the Colorado River, and provided

consultation during construction. Preliminary

designs for improvements at the La Posa LTVA,

south of Quartzite, Arizona, were also provided, and

construction document preparation has begun for

this site. As a result, both LTVAs will be better able

to meet the recreation needs of public visitors without adverse effects to groundwater or surface waters.

Client and office: Scott DeBock, Yuma Field Office,

Arizona

NSTC project participants: Pat Fleming, Dennis

Grevel, Romeo Singson

California National Historic Trails

Interpretive Center (Nevada)

Nearly 300,000 emigrants traveled West through

Nevada on the California Trail between 1840 and

1870. The 1,800-mile, 6-month journey from St.

Joseph, Missouri, to the Central Valley of California

saw twice as many emigrants as all the other trails

combined. Remnants of the wagon passage could

still be identified on aerial photographs taken during

construction of Interstate 80 in the 1960s. To commemorate this historic Westward migration, the

Bureau is working in partnership with local communities to establish an interpretive center near Elko,

Nevada. 

The Center was asked by the Nevada State Office to

conduct feasibility and site analysis studies for the

proposed interpretive center. Studies were completed

through the Bureau’s national architecture and engineering contract and a preferred site location was

selected. Many criteria, such as site character, views,

and interpretation opportunities; land uses, land

zoning, and context constructability; environmental

and natural hazards; and visitation, site access, and

architectural constraints were investigated to assist

Bureau managers and cooperators in making

informed decisions. Of primary concern to all parties was the economic feasibility of the proposed

undertaking. The final report provided by the

Center anticipated visitation and operational issues,

providing valuable insights that allowed the Bureau

to determine how best to proceed with this high-visibility project. Further development of the project is

planned in FY 2002.

Client and office: Jon Ekstrand, Nevada State Office

NSTC project participant: Tom Busch

Meadowood Farm (Eastern States)

Meadowood Farm is an 800-acre, undeveloped parcel of land in northern Virginia, not far from

Washington, D.C. Although the farm has been used

as a horse boarding stable with riding facilities, it

was acquired by the Bureau through a recent land

exchange. Staff at the Eastern States Office, who will

manage the resource, envision the development of an

education center to inform the public about the various resources and activities of the Bureau’s Wild
FY 2001 Annual Report 5

Horse and Burro Program. The Center was asked by

staff of the Eastern States Office, Springfield,

Virginia, to evaluate and conduct a site analysis of

Meadowood Farm. The site analysis report, prepared

in 1 month by two architects, a civil engineer, and a

landscape architect from the Center, became an integral element in the acquisition of the property.

Client and office: Charles Bush, Eastern States

Office

NSTC project participants: Tom Busch, Frank

Ciesel, Pat Fleming, Russ Virgin

Value Analysis Studies—Arctic 

Interagency Visitor Center and Big Water

Visitor Center (Alaska, Utah)

Bureau policy requires that a value analysis or value

engineering study be considered for any construction

project costing more than $500,000. Value analysis

is not a critical review, construction feasibility assessment, or cost-cutting exercise. It is a problem-solving and decision-making technique that bypasses

learned responses to produce alternative solutions

that achieve all required functions of the original

design at the least cost over the life of the facility.

This team approach follows an established, organized job plan and a problem identification format

that promotes objectivity and stimulates creativity.

When the value analysis methodology is followed

precisely, beneficial results are ensured.

If conducted early in the project process, during programming and schematic design, a value analysis can

assist Bureau management in determining if a proposed alternative meets the intended purpose. It can

identify options for lower cost or more efficient

alternatives. And it can also recommend overall “best

value.”

Although the Center routinely conducts value analyses on the products it generates, it also provides this

service on an as-available basis for field-generated

designs, as was provided for the Arctic Interagency

Visitor Center, Coldfoot, Alaska, and Big Water

Visitor Center, Grand Staircase–Escalante National

Monument (GSENM), Utah.

Client and office: Curt Fortenberry, Alaska State

Office

NSTC project participants: Tom Busch, Pat

Fleming, Bob Hart (with assistance from Trent

Duncan, Utah State Office, and Merlin McDaniel,

California State Office) 

Client and office: Casey Matthews, Utah State Office

NSTC project participants: Tom Busch, Lydia

Creager (with assistance from Kate Hammond and

Wray Kleihege, National Park Service, and Bryce

Lloyd, GSENM) 

National Engineering

Program Support

(Washington Office)

During FY 2001, the Center continued to provide

technical assistance and guidance on national 

architectural and engineering program initiatives,

including condition assessments of Bureau roads,

accessibility assessments of recreation sites, and 

value engineering studies. The Center continues to

evaluate seismic safety and compliance, participate 

in workgroups to evaluate radio tower safety, and

incorporate sustainable materials and energy 

conservation into its designs.

During its second year of administering the contract,

the Center was allocated about $2 million to 

complete evaluations of the Bureau’s level 4 and 5

roads (highest quality of road maintained by the

Bureau). Most of the level 4 and 5 road assessments

were completed through the contract, enabling 

the Bureau to proceed ahead of schedule in its 

assessment of level 3 roads. The condition assessments
6 National Science and Technology Center

have also been instrumental in identifying deferred

maintenance needs and their related costs, so they can

be included in the Bureau’s Five-year Deferred

Maintenance and Capital Improvement Plans.

Client and office: Bernie Hyde, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Frank Ciesel

The Center was allocated about $1 million to conduct full accessibility assessments and to make recommendations on Bureau recreation facilities. These

assessments helped Bureau management identify

which improvements could be made at its recreation

sites to make them fully accessible to people with disabilities. The recommendations contained within the

assessment reports, performed by experts from the

Bureau of Reclamation, are recorded in the Accessible

Data Management System, which is maintained by

the Bureau of Reclamation. An end-of-year report

identifying the specific work done and project

requirements by State, location, site name, and identified cost for maintenance is also provided. The report

outlining projected costs will help managers identify

budgets necessary to make these facilities accessible.

Client and office: Bernie Hyde, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Frank Ciesel

Although the Center provided technical program

support for many other engineering activities, it was

particularly active in the Seismic Safety Program and

the replacement of communication towers for various programs Bureauwide. The Center continues to

oversee the national effort to ensure that all Bureau

administrative sites are in compliance with national

standards for seismic safety. Through an agreement

with the Bureau of Reclamation, Rapid Visual

Surveys were completed. The survey data were captured in a Bureauwide database to help identify the

Bureau’s highest risk structures—those most susceptible to seismic failure. Of those structures that presented the greatest risk, Center staff continued to

evaluate the structural stability of its buildings by

performing the required Federal Emergency

Management Agency structural analysis studies.

These analyses help further define structural safety

concerns with high-risk structures.

Client and office: Linda Force, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Elizabeth Smith

Center staff have participated in a national effort to

identify structurally deficient communication towers. Structurally deficient towers are those that no

longer meet industry standards and do not ensure

the safety of employees during service or maintenance. After spending months resolving the safety

requirements (identifying the appropriate authorities

and standards) associated with this issue, the workgroup devised a strategy to replace high-priority

radio towers over a 3-year period and to establish a

3-year Comprehensive Radio Tower Condition

Assessment program. 

Client and office: Elliot Ng, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Elizabeth Smith

National Interagency Fire Center 

(Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Utah)

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in

Boise, Idaho, is the Nation’s support center for wildland firefighting. Seven Federal agencies, including

the Bureau, work together to coordinate and support

wildland fire and disaster operations. 

The increase in wildfires over the past few years has

resulted in additional construction funding for the

fire program. As a result, in FY 2001 alone the

Center has prepared contract documents for two air

tanker bases (ATBs) and more than six fire stations. 

Most of the designs for the fire stations (crew quarters) were derived from a standard that was approved

and adopted nationally by NIFC about 2 years ago.

The use of a standard design reduces the time it

takes to prepare a construction bid package and provides consistency in fire facilities throughout the

Bureau. The use of a previously tested design also

decreases the need for costly contract modifications.

The Center used the NIFC standard as a basis for

the Nixon Fire Station (Arizona), Malad and
FY 2001 Annual Report 7

Rogerson Fire Stations (Idaho), Carlin Fire Station

(Nevada), and Vernon Fire Station (Utah). Although

the standard design was the basis for all of these stations, design features unique to each station were

incorporated into all final projects, such as siting

materials, foundation design, heating, ventilation,

and air conditioning systems and, in some instances,

alternative energy systems. 

Client and office: Kim Schuett, Nevada State Office

NSTC project participants: Lydia Creager, Ernie

Parrott, Dennis Grevel, Romeo Singson, Chanh Tran

Client and office: Dan Stone, Arizona State Office

NSTC project participants: Elizabeth Smith, Chanh

Tran

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Lydia Creager, Pat

Fleming, Dennis Grevel, Toni Griffin, Ernie Parrott

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Pat Fleming, Dennis

Grevel, Toni Griffin, Ernie Parrott, Elizabeth Smith,

Chanh Tran

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Ernie Parrott, Elizabeth

Smith

Client and office: Gary Wieser, Utah State Office

NSTC project participants: Tom Busch, Toni

Griffin, Tanya Mikita, Ernie Parrott, Mark Prichett,

Chang Tran, Young Yu

The Center continues to work with NIFC in developing new design standards for other fire-related

structures. A design workshop was held in Denver in

February 2001 to begin the development of these

standards. Representatives from NIFC, Bureau State

Engineering Offices, the Forest Service, and the

Center gathered to devise an action plan for developing the new standards. An existing ATB design prepared by the Forest Service was evaluated and adopted as the Bureau standard. Since the meeting, two

ATB designs have been completed and are scheduled

to be constructed before the June 2002 fire season.

The design will be used at Cedar City, Utah, and

Pocatello, Idaho. Conceptual designs for the engine

storage garages and operations centers are presently

being developed through a national architecture and

engineering (A/E) contract.

Client and office: Dave Bott, Utah State Office

NSTC project participants: Frank Ciesel, Pat

Fleming, Bob Hart, Elizabeth Smith, Chanh Tran,

Young Yu

Client and office: Gary Stevens, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Frank Ciesel, Pat

Fleming, Elizabeth Smith, Chanh Tran, Young Yu

Conceptual design alternatives were developed for

renovating the ATB at Battle Mountain (Nevada)

Airport. The following items were considered as part

of the site development and redesign of the airport:

the expansion of existing structures; new and larger

buildings, including an administration and operations center, pilot lounge, and storage area; circulation pattern improvements for pedestrians, cars,

trucks, and aircraft; parking and loading areas for aircraft; retardant handling and mixing areas; retardant

distribution and collection systems; and a storm

water collection system, including a detention pond.

Preliminary and final design packages for this multiphased construction project are under development.

Client and office: Jon Ekstrand, Nevada State Office

NSTC project participant: Bob Hart

Center architects and engineers are working closely

with NIFC on other infrastructure improvements. For

example, contract documents have been completed

for the demolition and removal of old storage tanks,

pumps, piping, valves, electrical components, and an

operations center for an air tanker retardant loading

facility. The Center was also part of an interagency

design effort led by the Bureau of Reclamation to

upgrade the aircraft operations ramp. Center personnel provided specifications for the installation of new

pumps in a wastewater pump station and undertook a

comprehensive study to update the storm water management plan for the NIFC campus.

Client and office: Paul Hefner, National Office of

Fire and Aviation

NSTC project participants: Frank Ciesel, Bob Hart
Cartography: Maps for Managers 

and the Public

Staff of the National Science and Technology Center

are responsible for the design and production of a

wide variety of mapping products, databases, and

services that are used by all Bureau offices to administer Bureau-managed resources and by the general

public for commercial and recreational pursuits.

Highlights of work accomplished in FY 2001 follow:

Automation of

the Bureau’s 100K Map Series

(Bureauwide)

Since the Bureau began publishing the 1:100,000-

scale (100K) Surface Management Status map series

in the 1970s, the maps have become the most popular intermediate-scale maps ever published by a

Federal agency. This series remains the only map

series that shows surface ownership for the entire

Western United States. 

In 1999, at the request of State Directors and Field

Office Managers throughout the Bureau, the Center

began automating the 100K map series by using

ARC/INFO and ArcMacro software. The automated

maps were designed to look like the traditional

100K series. A total of 48 Bureau 100K maps have

now been digitally revised and printed, with an additional 39 maps presently in the production process.

Automation of the Bureau’s 100K map series has

greatly reduced the time and cost of map compilation and produces a better looking, more consistent,

and more accurate map. Maps are now produced at

a fraction of what they once cost and are completed

in days rather than in the weeks or months required

when using the traditional manual compilation

process. As an added benefit, the databases created

by the automation process also lend themselves to

other applications. For example, some or all of the

data themes could be used to support land use 

planning, special mapping applications (such as

delineating recreational opportunities and offhighway vehicle access), and geographic information

systems applications. The digital data can also be

served on Bureau Web pages for other uses. 

Client and office: Mapping science lead in each State

Office

NSTC project participants: Neal Anderson, Don

Decicco, Susan Derr, Mary Ann Guinea, William L.

Jackson, Chris Smith

El Malpais

Recreation Guide Map Project

(New Mexico) 

El Malpais (“the badlands”) is the historical Spanish

name given to the lava flows near Grants, New

Mexico. Combined, the El Malpais National

Conservation Area and National Monument encompass 378,000 acres, including the lava flows, which

are bounded by high sandstone bluffs on the east

and a cluster of cinder cones called Chain of Craters

on the west. The Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation

is to the west, the Acoma Indian Reservation to the

east, and the Cibola National Forest to the north.

The El Malpais Recreation Guide Map was updated

with the assistance of Center cartographers, primarily for use by visitors to the public lands and regional

land managers. This recreation map represents portions of four Bureau 1:100,000-scale Surface

Management Status maps that have been appended

to make one map. It shows highways, roads, topography, historic and nationally important trails, and

land ownership. Recreation information includes

8 National Science and Technology Center
FY 2001 Annual Report 9

campground locations and four-wheel-drive and hiking trails. In addition to the map, accompanying

photographs and narratives show the beauty of the

rugged badlands and inform the public of the cultural history of the area with brief descriptions of

popular destinations and significant special designations, such as the National Monument and

Wilderness Areas. Safety reminders are included

along with telephone numbers and agency office

locations.

Client and office: Greg Homan, New Mexico Sate

Office

NSTC project participants: Neal Anderson, Faye

Bogan, Susan Derr, William L. Jackson, Janine

Koselak, Hugh Wolfe

Partners: National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service,

and the Ramah Navajo and Acoma Indian

Reservation Tribal authorities 

National Bureau

Public Lands Database

(Washington Office)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National

Mapping Division created a digital National Atlas of

all Federal and State ownership for the United States

in 1997 and 1998. The Center, Bureau State

Offices, and other Federal and State agencies provided input into the national ownership database of the

atlas. The Planning, Assessment, and Community

Support Group of the Bureau’s Washington Office

requested the Center’s assistance in creating a better

interim national database. State Offices provided

statewide ownership and other accompanying metadata. In some instances, data were obtained from

State agencies. After reviewing the data, a Center

cartographer extracted Bureau lands data into individual State databases to compare them with the

USGS National Atlas version of the Bureau dataset

for possible conflicts. Individual State databases were

then merged into a seamless national database of

surface lands administered by the Bureau.

This information is being used to create a new

national Bureau of Land Management public lands

database to replace the older Bureau published and

online maps. The database will serve in an interim

capacity where national coverage is required until an

improved ownership file can be prepared from other

sources.

Client and office: Ed Harne, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Keith Francis

Partner: Mike Badar, ESRI Corporation

Development of Standard Recreational

Symbology (Arizona, Oregon, Washington

Office, Wyoming)

In the past few years, cartographers at the Center

and printing specialists from the National Business

Center (NBC) had noticed inconsistencies in the use

of recreational symbology and associated definitions

in the Bureau’s printed products (maps, booklets,

resource management plans). On further review, it

was discovered that the problem was more widespread—not only was it a problem Bureauwide, but

also throughout other Federal agencies.

As a result of this discovery, Center cartographers are

participating on a working group with staff of the

Bureau’s Arizona, Oregon, and Wyoming State

Offices and other agencies to develop recreational

symbology that will become the standard symbol-set

for use in publications produced by all agencies of the

Federal government. Once the working group has

agreed on the recreational symbology to be used, it
10 National Science and Technology Center

will be developed in truetype fonts and converted into

symbol-sets for ARC/INFO, ArcView, and Adobe

Illustrator applications. These symbols will also be

available for download from the Center Web site. 

Because both traditionally and digitally produced

maps are often combined with recreational

brochures to create cost-effective publications (printed on both sides), successful merging of products

will be dependent on the widespread use of the standards throughout government organizations.

Client and office: Ed Harne, Washington Office

NSTC project participants: Peter Doran, William L.

Jackson, Tom Noble, Chris Smith

Partners: Lee Campbell (Bureau National Business

Center), National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological

Survey, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Bureau

of Reclamation, Department of Highways,

Department of the Army, and Amtrak

Center Web Map

of Bureau Administrative Jurisdictions

(Washington Office) 

The Bureau’s 3-foot x 4-foot map of its administrative boundaries has been revised and reprinted

many times. Recently, however, the Center has

received many requests from within the Bureau,

other government agencies, and private individuals

for smaller versions of the map and for the actual

digital data. To reduce the staff time required to fill

these requests and, at the same time, deliver a quality product in a timely manner, this information has

been made available through the Center Web page

(http://www.blm.gov/nstc/jurisdictions/).

By using the Web as a medium, more information is

available with just the click of a mouse than can be

provided by a traditional printed map. The information is available in PDF format, and digital spatial

data can be downloaded in ARC/INFO export 

coverage or ArcView Shape (zipped). A visual information specialist and webmaster from the Center

prepared the maps for online serving.

Client and office: Washington Office and National

Science and Technology Center 

NSTC project participants: Keith Francis, Randy

Hayes, Jennifer Kapus

Photogrammetry: A Closer Look at

Resource Issues

Staff of the National Science and Technology Center

provide technical support to Bureau offices in using

aerial photography and digital images to map and

measure features associated with Bureau-managed

resources. This support includes the ability to specify

and monitor aerial acquisitions, prescribe the

required control, perform the analyses to meet specific customer needs, and manage the archive of

Bureau-owned aerial photography. Center personnel

also provide photogrammetric support for deferred

maintenance requirements. Highlights of work

accomplished in FY 2001 follow:

Lake Havasu Recreation Sites 

(Arizona)

The eastern side of Lake Havasu in Arizona has

more than 100 boat-in campsites along nearly 20

miles of shoreline. Many of the restrooms that serve
FY 2001 Annual Report 11

these campsites, as well as the campsites themselves,

are threatened by severe shoreline erosion. In an

ongoing, multiyear effort, the Center is providing

terrain maps of many sites along the lake so that

Lake Havasu Field Office personnel and the Arizona

State Office zone engineer can plan improvements

for the facilities. The maps may also be used to

obtain waivers from State health regulations when

the proposed restroom facilities do not meet setback

requirements. The maps consist of a grid of elevation

(x, y, z) points spaced at a sufficient interval to allow

generation of 1-foot contours. These data fields provide users with flexibility in portraying the data in

different ways for individual applications. The maps

also contain locations of specific features such as

ramadas, grills, tables, outhouses, and existing shoreline improvements.

Client and office: Bill Parry, Lake Havasu Field

Office, Arizona

NSTC project participants: Paul Graves, Dave Kett,

Tom Noble

Vekol Valley Road Improvements

(Arizona)

The Center assisted engineers at the Arizona State

Office with a road improvement project that will

provide better access to the new Sonoran Desert

National Monument south of Phoenix. The existing

road in the Vekol Valley area has many at-grade

drainage crossings that often become impassible during times of high water flow. Center staff created

detailed terrain maps for about 30 of these sites

along 10 miles of road. Center personnel also coordinated the contract for the acquisition of aerial

photographs of the area. Because of the tight schedule for the project, Center photogrammetrists used

several different methods for producing the maps,

such as digitally scanning aerial photos and then

extracting the terrain data using automated terrain

correlation software on a digital workstation. Data

for other sites were collected using traditional photogrammetric methods on analytical stereoplotters. 

Client and office: Sedrick Green, Arizona State

Office

NSTC project participants: Paul Graves, Dave Kett,

Tom Noble

Photogrammetric Mapping of the Collet

Wash Tracksite at Grand Staircase–Escalante

National Monument (Utah)

The Collet Wash Dinosaur Tracksite is located

approximately 20 miles south of the town of

Escalante, Utah, along Twentymile Wash. The tracks

are preserved in Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone.

Only a few tracksites of this age exist worldwide

and, as a result, the site has global scientific value

and high interpretive possibilities. Because the Collet

Wash Dinosaur Tracksite is open to the public, management issues for the site center on protection and

documentation of the important paleontological

resources located there. In addition, interpreting the

site for the public is of vital importance. However,

with increased visitation, the threat of erosion and

other negative effects also increases.

Managers of Grand Staircase–Escalante National

Monument (GSENM) requested the Center’s help

in capturing the value of this unique site through

photographic and spatial documentation. Aerial

photography, at a variety of scales, will be integrated

with precise ground measurements to produce an

orthorectified digital photomosaic of the track-bearing surface. This digital photomosaic will be spatially
12 National Science and Technology Center

corrected and can be used in a geographic information system environment to digitize the locations of

individual dinosaur tracks at the site. The digital

photomosaic can also be used in the field as a base

map to collect other information from the track surface, enabling the development of an interpretation

of Middle Jurassic events. This documentation will

preserve the visual value of this unique dinosaur

tracksite for the future.

Client and office: Alan Titus, GSENM

NSTC project participants: Neffra Matthews, Tom

Noble

Technical Guidance and Support of the

National Off-highway Vehicle Strategy

(Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana,

Washington Office)

With the increasingly high profile of off-highway

vehicle (OHV) activities on public lands, many

Bureau offices (Phoenix Field Office, Arizona Strip

Field Office, Montana State Office, Lower Snake

River District Office, Colorado State Office, and

California State Office) have requested technical

assistance from the Center in mapping existing

routes. Center staff, with the concurrence of the

Washington Office Recreation Group, prepared an

information bulletin (IB) to provide guidance for

field offices preparing route inventories. The IB presents proven methodologies that will provide a consistent and defensible inventory when reviewed by

Bureau partners and constituents. The methodologies outlined in the IB have been used throughout

the Bureau and have been met with acceptance by

both field specialists and the general public.

In other OHV program support, a supervisory cartographer from the Center serves as a technical liaison to the Bureau OHV Strategy Team. Center cartographers are also preparing a prototype 1:100,000-

scale OHV map at the request of the Wyoming State

Office. This prototype will be shared with the

Washington Office and State OHV leads and may

be used as a template for other States.

Client and office: Washington Office and multiple

State and field offices

NSTC project participants: Fred Batson, Paul

Graves, Russ Jackson, William L. Jackson, Neffra

Matthews, Nancy Russell, and Chris Smith

Integrating Geographic Information Systems

Technology With the Visual Resource

Management Inventory Process 

(Arizona, Utah, Washington Office) 

Visual Resource Management (VRM) is the process

used by the Bureau to identify and protect visual values on public lands. Visual values are developed by

completing an inventory of the natural landscape for

the purpose of resolving issues through the resource

management plan (RMP) process, or for areas where

a surface-disturbing project is proposed and a visual

resource inventory does not exist or needs to be

updated. The Center’s assistance was requested by

the Washington Office Recreation Group to improve

inventory procedures used by field offices.

Technical Note 407, Integrating GIS Technologies

With the Visual Resource Management Inventory

Process, updates the VRM inventory process by using

advances in geographic information systems (GIS)

and image processing technologies to enhance the

repeatability of VRM results, reduce the cost and the

time needed to conduct an inventory, reduce the

workload that a VRM inventory has on the local

office, and improve the quality of VRM inventories

for land management decision makers.

By providing this information in printed or electronic format, it can be distributed quickly to a wide and

diverse audience. Technical Note 407 is available in

hard copy and on the Internet.

Client and office: Rodger Schmitt, Washington

Office

NSTC project participants: Russ Jackson, Jennifer

Kapus, Kathy Rohling
FY 2001 Annual Report 13

Partners: Chris Horyza, Phoenix Field Office; Stu

Jacobson and Jerry Sempek, Utah State Office

Data Analysis Support for 

the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska

(Alaska)

The National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska, which

encompasses 23 million acres, is the largest block of

federally owned land in Alaska and the largest piece

of undeveloped Federal land in the United States.

Originally set aside as the Naval Petroleum Reserve

by President Harding in 1923, the Reserve came

under Bureau management in 1976 with the passage

of the Naval Petroleum Reserve Production Act.

The Alaska State Office, along with the Washington

Office, asked the Center for help in establishing

long-term monitoring procedures and baselines for

evaluating the environmental effects of oil and gas

exploration and development on the reserve. Center

staff evaluated potential sources of information,

including classified data, and the appropriate tools to

exploit that information. Methods were developed to

provide timely and concise information in a standard

format that met the needs of field specialists and

managers. It is anticipated that the Center’s assistance will be requested for further refinement of procedures as data sources and tools evolve and become

routinely available.

Client and office: John Payne, Alaska State Office

NSTC project participants: Russ Jackson

Geo-Positioning Selection Guide Update

(Washington Office)

In 1993, the Bureau published Technical Note 389,

The Geo-Positioning Selection Guide for Resource

Management, to provide guidance to field office personnel and managers in selecting the appropriate

geopositioning tool for help in managing the public

lands. The technical note was a great success and

received wide distribution throughout the Bureau,

other agencies, the private sector, and educational

institutions.

With the rapid increase in the number and types of

geopositioning tools available today, the Washington

Office Planning, Assessment, and Community

Support Group requested assistance from the Center

to coordinate an update of the selection guide. 

The intent is to describe the present state of the

geospatial technology industry and how it relates to

resource management. Issues related to planning

starts, OHV mapping, weeds, wildfire, and other

areas require that the Bureau have the most recent

and accurate information on the tools available to

support these efforts. Work is under way in the

development of this update.

Client and office: Ed Harne, Washington Office

NSTC project participants: Peter Doran, Linda Hill,

Russ Jackson, Tom Noble

Locating Coalbed Methane Seeps by Using

Remote Sensing (Nevada, Wyoming)

The recovery of coalbed methane (CBM) gas is

becoming a rapidly developing industry in the West.

Along with CBM production has come a growing

concern about the gas seeping from the ground into

private residences. However, these seeps can also

indicate the location of pockets of gas that could

prove to be a valuable resource. The process of

removing CBM has been known to cause underground fires in local coal seams. To identify previously unknown CBM seeps or burning coal seams,

the Wyoming State Office requested that the Center

investigate whether remote sensing tools could be

used to detect CBM seeps or burning coal seams

near Gillette, Wyoming. 

Acquisition of all the data and imagery has been

completed and analysis has begun. A photogram-
14 National Science and Technology Center

metrist and a remote sensing specialist are evaluating

a variety of imagery, including hyperspectral and

thermal-infrared imagery and National Aerial

Photography Program color-infrared photography. A

map product has also been requested for delivery in

2002. By combining resources, a privately owned

hyperspectral sensor (Aurora Sensor) provided data

not only to the CBM project at the Center, but also

to the Nevada State Office, NIFC, and two Nevada

Bureau Field Offices.

Client and office: Ed Heffern, Wyoming State Office 

NSTC project participants: Nancy Russell and

Melinda Walker

Partners: Larry Hamilton and Ken Reninger, NIFC;

Sandy Gregory and Kevin Hull, Nevada State Office;

Joe Senftle, Advanced Power Technologies, Inc.,

Washington, D.C.

Science Investigations: What’s New in

Science

Staff of the National Science and Technology Center

(Center) conduct science investigations in support of

land and resource management decisions. These science investigations can entail working with research

institutions or agencies or assimilating existing information. Personnel are involved in identifying, assessing, and synthesizing information relevant to Bureau

management issues identified by field offices, State

offices, the Washington Office, and others. Center

disciplines include geology, plant ecology, wildlife

ecology, wildlife diseases, outdoor recreation planning, land use planning, and other natural resource

sciences. In FY 2001, Center staff were involved in

many initiatives and projects, including (1) the

development of a Bureau science strategy, (2) the

development of National Landscape Conservation

System (NLCS) science plans to support unit land

use plans, (3) a study to determine the employment

and income attributable to Bureau-oriented recreation in the Western States, and (4) an analysis of

reference areas (lands that best represent the potential of an ecological site in both physical function

and biological health) for the Great Basin

Restoration Initiative. Highlights of work accomplished in FY 2001 follow:

Bureau Science Strategy

and Implementation

(Bureauwide)

The Bureau of Land Management Science Strategy

(Bureau of Land Management 2000) was completed

and signed by the Bureau Director in September

2000. The Strategy was written and revised by a

multidisciplinary team that included field office

technical specialists, field office managers, State

office representatives, a State Director, Science

Advisory Board members, Washington Office representatives, Center representatives, and Science

Coordinating Committee (SCC) members. The

emphasis of the Strategy was to develop an expanded

concept of science in the Bureau and a process for

identifying the science issues, needs, and projects to

support decision making. This year, the SCC and

the Center have been developing the regional science

catalogs called for in the Strategy, including the

issues and needs for each region. This information is

being compiled for internal use, to promote science

needs to potential researchers and partners, and to

serve as preliminary budget tools in the identification of future projects.

Client and office: Henri Bisson, Renewable

Resources and Planning

NSTC project participants: Lee Barkow, Phil

Dittberner, Brian St. George, Charisse Sydoriak

Partners: Bob Bennett, Chris Gordon, Mark Stiles,

U.S. Geological Survey; Science Advisory Board 

members; Science Coordinating Committee members

National Landscape 

Conservation System Science Plans 

(Arizona)

Center staff are in the process of developing a 

science plan template for use by National Landscape

Conservation System (NLCS) units as a component

of their Resource Management Plans (RMPs).

Science plans establish an analytical process for identifying management issues, information needs for

addressing the issues, and a framework for tracking
FY 2001 Annual Report 15

local science activities. Because many NLCS units

were designated to protect scientific attributes, it is

important that each unit have a plan to identify and

guide its scientific mission and efforts. The Center is

developing this prototype science plan in conjunction with Grand Canyon–Parashant National

Monument as a template that can be applied across

diverse NLCS units. 

The science plan will assist unit managers in making

more informed responses to requests for land or

resource use within their NLCS units and will

enable managers to better determine which activities

meet land use objectives. The plan will comply with

unit-specific issues and will contain standards and

guidelines for using, permitting, cataloging, and

monitoring science on public lands according to

parameters defined in the Bureau’s Science Strategy.

The implementation of science plans provides NLCS

units with several benefits. Because they are developed in conjunction with each unit’s RMP, NLCS

units will benefit from additional assistance in 

gathering information, strategic guidance, and 

critical review of planning documents. Additionally,

science plans present standards and guidelines for

using, permitting, cataloging, and monitoring 

science on public lands. In the course of cataloging

management issues and science needs, unit managers

are building a foundation for future budget justifications, identifying management issues, scheduling

projects, and articulating project deliverables.

Client and office: Grand Canyon–Parashant

National Monument, Arizona

NSTC project participants: Vicki Josupait, Brian 

St. George

Employment and Income Attributable to

Bureau-oriented Recreation in the Western

States (Washington Office)

In 1999, the Bureau initiated an assistance agreement with the University of Wyoming to assess the

economic effects recreation has had on public lands

in the Western United States. University staff used

the IMPLAN input–output modeling system to

carry out State-level analyses that indicated that, in

2002, recreation on Bureau lands in the Western

States generated almost 16,000 jobs and more than

$295 million in income. This information will be

helpful in assisting managers to make more informed

land use decisions. Additionally, communities can

use these findings in developing viable and sustainable economic options when making a transition

from extractive-based local economies to less 

extractive economies.

This study is a first step in assembling economic

information to help describe the importance of

recreation on Bureau lands in the Western States. As

additional expenditure data and improved recreation

use data become available, they will serve as a baseline to determine the value of recreation in the West

and will assist the Bureau in achieving its mission to

sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the

public lands for the use and enjoyment of present

and future generations.

Client and office: Ann Aldrich, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Vicki Josupait

Partner: Loren Cabe, Washington Office

Reference Areas for Sagebrush–Steppe

Restoration (Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming)

Land Health Standards, BLM Handbook 4180-1,

calls for the use of reference areas in determining

land health. Reference areas, as defined by the

Bureau, are “lands that best represent the potential

of a specific ecological site in both physical function

and biological health.” Reference areas are used as a

comparative baseline for determining success in

meeting ecosystem restoration goals.

This reference area project was initiated in response

to concerns about the definition and application of

reference areas as called for in BLM Handbook
16 National Science and Technology Center

4180-1. The objectives of the project are to define

the concepts of reference areas and reference 

conditions within the ecological context of sagebrush–steppe ecosystems and to develop meaningful

criteria by which field managers select reference

areas. Reference areas can then be used by project

leaders to set realistic restoration or treatment goals

and to determine progress toward meeting those

goals. 

Specific project field sites were selected in fall 2001.

Bureau Field offices in Colorado, Wyoming, and

Nevada were invited to participate in this project.

In preparation for field studies, a literature review

was conducted by Center staff to discover the 

general science issues and questions associated with

reference areas and to discover previous work on 

reference areas as applied to the sagebrush–steppe

ecosystems. Although the results suggest that the

concept of reference areas is well developed for

forested areas, little work has been done on reference

areas in shrub–steppe ecosystems. 

Clients and offices: Great Basin Restoration

Coordinator and Bureau field offices in the Great

Basin, Wyoming Basin, and other sagebrush–steppe

areas

NSTC project participant: Bruce Van Haveren

Science Applications: Using Science to

Manage the Land

The National Science and Technology Center is

multidisciplinary, providing consultation and analytic skills pertinent to resource management issues and

questions. Personnel strive to transfer scientific

methods and applications to Bureau employees

through training, publications, and demonstrations.

Specialists adapt scientific research and technical

applications for use in collecting and analyzing

information required for land-use decisions. Expert

knowledge of stream systems, riparian areas, and

upland sites is applied to range and forest public

lands. During FY 2001, Center staff supported the

Bureau’s field offices, National Training Center, and

Washington (D.C.) Office in developing technical

guidance documents, implementing the Center’s 

science initiatives, and conducting numerous sitespecific consultations. Center personnel offer skills

in assessing soil, forest, range, riparian, and stream

health. Services were also provided in groundwater

analyses and terrain-geographic modeling. Highlights of work accomplished in FY 200l follow:

Salt Creek Evaluation 

(Oregon)

The objective of this FY 2001 project was to analyze

off-road vehicle effects on a stream channel and

riparian areas in an arid ecosystem. Salt Creek, a

tributary to the Colorado River, is located in the

southeastern portion of Canyonlands National Park

(Park), near Moab, Utah. The stream provides extensive year-long surface water and a riparian–wetland

community in the Park. Since 1953, the Creek

streambed has been used as a four-wheel-drive route.

The results of a recent legal action taken by off-road

user groups has resulted in a Park decision to prepare

an environmental assessment of the effects of travel

in Salt Creek. Consequently, the National Park

Service requested that the National Riparian Service

Team (NRST) assist them in analyzing whether various access alternatives would cause impairment to
FY 2001 Annual Report 17

Park resources. The Center’s fishery biologist, as a

member of the NRST, assisted in this analysis. The

interdisciplinary team performed an extensive assessment of the streambed and related areas and released

a draft report of their findings to Park management.

The report, titled Salt Creek Proper Function

Condition Assessment, specifically discusses the 

results of applying proper functioning condition

assessments to address the effects of motorized travel

on the physical functionality of Salt Creek’s 

riparian–wetland resources. The results and 

management options address riparian conditions,

recreational vehicle use, and vegetation management.

The report was submitted to the Park manager in

September 2001 for use in the pending environmental analysis document.

Client and office: Wayne Elmore, NRST, Prineville

Field Office, Oregon

NSTC project participant: Don Prichard

Partners: National Park Service, Natural Resource

Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service

Table Mountain Fire Assessment

(Nevada)

In the Table Mountain Fire Assessment project,

which began in 1997, participants analyzed the

effects of fire on watershed condition and assessed

the risks of extreme flooding. The Table Mountain

Fire occurred in summer 1997 within the Table

Mountain Wilderness Study Area in Nevada.

Because of the wilderness character of the area, a

management decision was made to use limited firesuppression activities. A total of 8,500 acres were

burned. Significant thunderstorms that produced

flooding in two major drainages followed. A Center

hydrologist and physical scientist, in conjunction

with other agencies, provided in-depth analyses of

precipitation data and flood magnitudes and assessed

the risks of excessive runoff. Specifically, they quantified the change in runoff for the burned area as a

function of pre- and postfire watershed conditions.

The report Table Fire Watershed Impact and Risk

Assessment was completed and submitted to the

respective Bureau field office.

Data summaries and rainfall and runoff model

results were presented in a final report in FY 2001.

Similar studies are needed in other fire–watershed

situations to develop predictive capabilities. Further

work has been proposed through the Joint Fire

Sciences Program.

Client and office: Gary Medlyn, Ely Field Office,

Nevada

NSTC project participants: Scott Archer, Jim Fogg

Partners: National Climatic Data Center of the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological

Survey
18 National Science and Technology Center

Pinedale Anticline

Groundwater Monitoring Plan

(Wyoming)

In this monitoring plan, an approach was developed

for monitoring groundwater effects from new natural gas well development within the Green River

Basin of southwestern Wyoming. Both a preliminary

assessment of hydrogeology and the development of

a draft monitoring plan were requested by the

Pinedale Field Office. Before groundwater monitoring plan implementation, it is necessary to gain

knowledge of the groundwater flow system, which

includes geologic and aquifer characteristics, existing

wells, water quality, and gas development potential.

This information becomes part of the monitoring

data for the field. The Center’s geohydrologist met

with the Pinedale and Rock Springs Field Office

staffs as well as with company representatives and

assisted in the analysis of groundwater issues, resulting in a draft ground and surface water monitoring

plan to be implemented as part of the

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) record of

decision for leasing.

As part of the EIS record of decision, the monitoring

plan will help expedite natural gas development

while protecting surface and groundwater resources

by outlining conditions of development that are

agreed upon by all parties. This planning effort was

exceptional because it will be agreed on by six different companies developing the natural gas field.

This prototype plan can be used to help expedite the

development of natural gas reserves while working

cooperatively with industry to protect valuable water

resources. The plan can be used as a framework for

setting water monitoring requirements in other conventional natural gas development areas. The draft

has been reviewed by the gas field operators and an

agreement for the level of investigations has been

reached. Implementation of the plan has been legally

challenged, however, and is presently on hold pending resolution of how to proceed under the guidance

of the court.

Client and office: Phil Howland, Pinedale Field

Office, Wyoming

NSTC project participant: Paul Summers

Partners: Dennis Doncaster, Rock Springs Field

Office. Representatives from County government,

local ranchers, environmental agencies, and gas field

operators provided advice and document review.

Forest Vegetation System Installations

(California, Colorado, Montana,

New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, 

Washington [D.C.] Office, Wyoming)

The objective of the Forest Vegetation System installations project was to install and train field office

employees on the revised database and NT-based

interface of Forest Vegetation Inventory System

(FORVIS). The FORVIS enables field offices to

manage and analyze their respective forest inventory

data. The Center’s forester provides expertise on

inventory protocols and data management.

Specifically, assistance was provided to aid field

offices in managing their data records and, in particular, historically collected data. Database installations were completed in Oregon, Wyoming,

Montana, and New Mexico. Efforts are presently

under way to install the database in Colorado.

Legacy data were converted and loaded in Wyoming,

Montana, and Colorado. With assistance from field

office personnel, a Microsoft Access user interface to

the Informix database was developed. This NT-based

user interface program was installed in the

Albuquerque, Spokane, Baker City, Rawlins, and

Worland Field Offices. As a second part of the interface development, a contractor was employed by the

Center to complete an ArcView FORVIS extension.

This year’s installations and modifications resulted in

significant advancement in the overall management

of the Bureau’s forest inventory data. The

Washington Office has been supportive of these

efforts and has encouraged establishing FORVIS as a

national data system.

Client and office: Rick Tholen, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Bill Williams

Partners: Jim Cunio, Canon City (Colorado) Field

Office; Allen Gardner, Spokane (Washington) Field

Office; Bill Hensley, Montana State Office; George

Phillips, Rawlins (Wyoming) Field Office
FY 2001 Annual Report 19

Ecological Site

Technical Reference Development

(Washington Office)

The objective of this project was to update the 

technical procedure for conducting ecological site

inventories on public rangelands. The Center’s

Rangeland Management Specialist led a team to

revise outdated standards (i.e., National Range

Handbook) and to produce a new technical 

reference. Bureau Technical Reference TR-1737-7

has been completed and is being published. 

The need for ecological site inventories on public

rangelands was mandated by Congress in the 1976

Federal Land Policy and Management Act

(FLPMA). In particular, FLPMA requires the Bureau

to develop and maintain an inventory of range 

conditions and trends on public rangelands. The

standard method of vegetation inventory is the

Ecological Site Inventory, which is patterned after

the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s 

vegetation inventory method. This standard involves

the identification and mapping of unique soil–

vegetation units and the collection of individual

species production data. 

This effort concludes an initiative begun several years

ago. Future work is needed to establish and maintain

vegetation databases for ecological site information.

Client and office: Tom Roberts, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Ned Habich

Partner: Natural Resource Conservation Service

Virgin River Habitat

Model Comparisons

(Arizona, Nevada, Utah)

The objective of this project was to improve confidence in estimating Virgin River fishery water flow

requirements by comparing results and assumptions

from three independent habitat model operations. In

1992, the Bureau initiated an instream flow study

on the Virgin River from locations near Saint

George, Utah, downstream to Lake Mead in Nevada.

This interdisciplinary study included an assessment

of habitat requirements of several warmwater fish

species, including species that are rare or endangered. In particular, data collection and analysis

adhered to the physical habitat simulation model

developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1989.

The hydraulic portion of the model was developed

on the basis of a fixed-bed channel with relatively

coarse substrate. Because of the nature of the Virgin

River’s sand substrate and associated channel mobility, which potentially violated the model’s assumptions, applicability of the modeling results was questioned. The Center and others were requested to

develop and conduct a comparative model output

study using expert sources outside the Bureau. This

study was initiated in 1997 and included independent model runs using corresponding assumptions

developed by experts. In May 2001, a report titled

Comparative Analysis of Aquatic Physical Habitat of

the Virgin River from Southern Utah to Lake Mead

was completed and distributed to customers. 

The findings of this report show that the independent model results were similar to the Bureau’s initial

model results. The implications are that streams,

which exhibit conditions similar to those of the

Virgin River, can be successfully modeled by using

this particular approach to habitat modeling. It is

expected that this report and related data will be

used in the establishment of flows required for fish

species in the Virgin River.

Client and office: Ron Hooper, Arizona State Office

NSTC project participants: Jim Fogg, Steve Swanson

Partners: U.S. Geological Survey, Utah State

University

Water Erosion

Prediction Workshop

(Oregon)

The objective of this project was to assess Statespecific needs and develop an agenda to deliver a

water erosion prediction workshop. At this interactive, hands-on workshop held March 20–21, 2001,

in Salem, Oregon, an overview was presented and

applications of the Water Erosion Prediction Project

(WEPP) model were provided. WEPP is a leadingedge, process-based water erosion model that 

calculates erosion, sedimentation, and runoff rates

on an average annual or probability-of-occurrence

basis for climatic events during a given number of

years. The hillslope and watershed versions—as well
20 National Science and Technology Center

as the X-DRAIN, WEPP:Road, and Disturbed

WEPP interfaces—were presented. The Center’s soil

scientist worked with others in the Bureau and from

other agencies. The workshop is designed to prepare

participants to independently operate the model on

completion of the workshop. The goal of the workshop is the transfer of this technology to Bureau and

other Federal employees to enable them to apply

what is considered by peers to be the best science

available in erosion prediction modeling. This was

the fifth in a series of WEPP workshops that the

Bureau has developed and organized. Almost 60

Bureau and more than 40 other Federal agency

employees have participated in the workshops. A

recent survey revealed that more than half the participants are using the WEPP model for environmental

assessment, land use planning, project design, and

other uses.

Client and office: Cliff Fanning, Oregon State Office

NSTC project participant: Bill Ypsilantis

Partners: U.S. Forest Service, Agricultural Research

Service; Natural Resource Conservation Service

Environmental Compliance: Toward a

Better Natural Environment

In FY 2001, staff of the National Science and

Technology Center assisted personnel of other

Bureau offices in meeting their cleanup and 

restoration goals and environmental compliance

responsibilities. Center staff provided the following

environmental compliance services to its clients in

FY 2001: evaluating and cleaning up hazardous

waste sites; recovering funds and avoiding higher

costs associated with hazardous waste-site cleanup,

restoration, and resource injury; assessing and 

restoring natural resources damaged by hazardous

wastes; monitoring and resolving air and water 

quality issues related to the public lands; advising 

on compliance with environmental laws and 

regulations; and providing environmental 

contracting support. Highlights of work 

accomplished in FY 2001 follow:

Manning Canyon Tailings Engineering

Evaluation and Cost Analysis and Cleanup

Design (Utah)

The objective of this project was to complete an

analysis of alternatives for cleaning up the site,

selecting an option that would reduce risks to

acceptable levels in the most cost-effective way, and

designing the selected cleanup actions. 

The Manning Canyon tailings site poses significant

risks to human health and safety and the environment from the release of arsenic and other contaminants. This abandoned mine lands site near Fairfield,

Utah, contains more than 700,000 cubic yards of

tailings in the canyon bottom. The site itself is a

heavily eroded, denuded moonscape that attracts

many off-road vehicle visitors. The tailings average

about 5,000 ppm of arsenic, and they have migrated

3 miles downstream into the small town of Fairfield.

The EPA removed yard soils with greater than 

500 ppm of arsenic; however, further site cleanup is

required. 

Center staff completed an Engineering Evaluation

and Cost Analysis and also wrote the Action

Memorandum that selected the remedy for the site.

This remedy involves removing the tailings from the

floodplain and storing them in an onsite repository.

The dry gulch channel will be restored to handle a

500-year flood. The Center oversaw the Bureau of

Reclamation’s design in June 2001. In 2002, a construction contractor will implement the site remedy.

Client and office: Tim Ingwell, Salt Lake City Field

Office, Utah

NSTC project participant: Karl Ford

Partner: Bureau of Reclamation

Sunrise Landfill Characterization 

(Nevada)

This project will complete a site characterization and

assessment of the Sunrise Landfill and surrounding

area for the design and implementation of closure

actions and long-term monitoring.

The Sunrise landfill is located on the outskirts of 

Las Vegas, Nevada, and is one of the largest landfills

(900 acres) located on public lands. The landfill

began operations in 1952 and ceased operations in
FY 2001 Annual Report 21

1993. The lessee and operator are presently under

EPA unilateral administrative orders for violations of

Clean Water Act 309 and Resource Conservation

and Recovery Act 7003. The lessee and operator are

responsible for closure of the landfill. 

EPA Region IX requested the Bureau’s involvement

in onsite characterization efforts to determine the

current condition of the landfill for modification of

closure requirements. The Center is providing 

technical oversight of activities at the landfill that

encompass characterization of the landfill cover 

and surface water control, given the geologic/

hydrogeologic setting. The latter has presented 

the challenge of developing a three-dimensional 

geologic/hydrogeologic model from which EPA can

better assess the design requirements of an ongoing

groundwater monitoring network required of most

solid waste municipal landfills. This effort will 

continue into FY 2002.

Client and office: Mike Moran, Las Vegas Field

Office, Nevada

NSTC project participants: Brent Lewis, Tom

Morris

Partner: Environmental Protection Agency

Caselton Mine and Mill Tailings

“Potentially Responsible Party” Search

(Nevada)

A search is being conducted for a potentially responsible party (PRP) that may be liable for the costs of

cleanup and restoration of the Caselton Mine site

and for injuries to natural resources as a result of

releases from the site. A PRP can be the present or

past owner or operator at a site, the arranger for the

treatment or storage and disposal of hazardous substances at the site, or a person who transported hazardous substances from the site. It is Bureau policy

that a PRP search should be completed at every site

where the Bureau conducts a response action. The

PRP search process is usually twofold. First, an evaluation PRP search is undertaken, which consists primarily of data collection and title searching. This

can be a relatively inexpensive way to identify PRPs

and any data gaps that may exist. For more complex

sites, a more in-depth baseline search is conducted.

The site itself is an abandoned mine lands (AML)

site near Caselton, Nevada, with more than

3,000,000 cubic yards of tailings. The tailings contain arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals that average in the thousands of parts per millions (ppm).

These tailings have eroded and migrated downstream into the Meadow Creek Valley. Additionally,

the site itself is heavily eroded—supporting little or

no vegetation—and generates toxic dust. The site is

also used heavily for off-road vehicle recreation.

Cleanup is required because the site poses a significant risk to human health and safety and the environment. If a viable PRP is not identified for this

site, funding for cleanup will have to come from the

DOI Central Hazmat Fund or Bureau appropriations. 

The Center completed a baseline PRP search on this

site and also coordinated the review of the

September 2000 document, “Baseline Potentially

Responsible Party Search and Operation Report,”

with the DOI Solicitor and Bureau staff and managers associated with the site. In addition, the Center

drafted information request letters that will be sent

to potential PRPs and others who may have significant information pertaining to legal liabilities associated with the site. Future PRP work on the site will

be based on information obtained from these letters

and review and guidance from the DOI Solicitor.

Client and office: Sue Skinner, Nevada State Office

NSTC project participant: Janet Youngdahl

Partner: DOI Solicitor

Iron Mountain Natural Resource

Damage Assessment and Restoration

(California)

The objective of this project is to maximize the

restoration of Bureau resources affected by mining

on Iron Mountain, which is located in northern

California northwest of Redding. The hazardous site

condition on Iron Mountain is a result of gold, silver, and copper mining from the 1860s to the1950s.

Historical mining perforated a sulfide-rich ore

deposit, which has produced world-record acid mine

drainage resulting in releases of extremely high concentrations of metals. These contaminants have

affected creeks, riparian habitat, and reservoirs with-
22 National Science and Technology Center

in the Sacramento River watershed. The Bureau

manages lands with riparian and wetland habitat, as

well as recreational uses in the area. The National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the

State of California jointly manage the salmon habitat

and populations. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)

manages the reservoirs and water storage and allocation. Threatened and endangered salmon, water

quality, aquatic and riparian habitat, wildlife associated with the habitat, and recreation loss are of concern to the natural resource trustees (trustees). The

Bureau, BOR, and USFWS represent DOI’s

resource interests in this case. The State of California

and NOAA are also trustees. 

The Center assisted the Bureau hazardous materials

lead for California and the Redding Field Office in

carrying out the Bureau’s trustee responsibilities at

this site. In the last year, the Center has participated

in many technical and planning meetings, where

strategy and the determination of trustee positions

have been negotiated and finalized. Center staff

served as the Bureau’s alternate member on the

Trustee Council, the team established by memorandum of understanding that will manage the case and

implement restoration. These efforts resulted in a

global settlement that resolves all present and future

liabilities of the PRP in exchange for payment of

$161 million, and includes previous agreements and

commitments for cleanups. The consent decree was

entered in February 2001. From the settlement of

$161 million, the EPA’s cleanup process received

$150 million and the trustees received $11 million

for restoration. The Center will continue to provide

assistance with the design and implementation of

restoration actions. 

Client and office: Chuck Schultze, Redding Field

Office, California

NSTC project participant: Paul Meyer

Partners: Bureau of Reclamation, DOI Solicitor,

Department of Justice, State of California, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service

Henson Creek

Watershed Water Quality Loading Analysis

(Colorado) 

A loading analysis of Henson Creek is being conducted to determine which abandoned mine sites

within the watershed have the greatest effect on the

water quality of Henson creek. The methodology

used to conduct this loading analysis is the tracerdilution technique. 

The Henson Creek Watershed is located in southwest Colorado. It has been identified by the

Colorado Bureau’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML)

program as a high-priority watershed for cleanup

because of the effects on human health, safety, and

the environment from releases of contaminants associated with hundreds of abandoned mines located

within the watershed. The long-term goal of this

watershed effort is to clean up mine and mill sites on

public lands in the Henson Creek watershed that

pose a threat to human health and safety or the environment, or contribute to the degradation of stream

water quality. Specific water quality objectives to

achieve this goal are being developed on the basis of

the results of the watershed and site characterization. 

The Center conducted a tracer study in FY 2001

using a tracer-dilution technique for measuring

stream discharge while synoptic water-quality 

samples are being collected. The general approach of

the tracer-dilution technique is to measure the

downstream dilution of an injected tracer and then

use this information to compute stream discharge.

Because a conservative tracer substance (sodium 

bromide) is used, the downstream decrease in 

concentration is due solely to dilution by inflowing

tributaries and groundwater. Multiple discharge

measurements can be obtained by measuring the

tracer concentration at several points downstream

and computing the dilution sequentially from point

to point. This represents a considerable savings in

time and logistics compared to obtaining multiple

discharge techniques by standard (current meter)

measurements. Synoptic water-quality samples are

collected from the tracer injection reach and from 

all visible sources (tributaries, seeps, springs, adits)

contributing flow to the reach. Chemical analysis

includes the tracer, so separate samples are not
FY 2001 Annual Report 23

required. The combination of flow and chemistry

allows loading from identified sources to be 

computed. Loading from unknown sources such as

groundwater can also be computed.

Two tracer studies have now been completed in the

Henson Creek basin. The first (August 2000) was

done in cooperation with the U.S. Geological

Survey. This injection was done on a high elevation

tributary, Palmetto Gulch. The second study was

conducted by Bureau personnel in August 2001, on

a section of Henson Creek. Additional reaches will

be analyzed in FY 2002 and 2003.

Client and office: Barbara Hite, Colorado State

Office

NSTC project participant: Bill Carey

Partners: Colorado State Office, Montrose

(Colorado) Service Center, U.S. Geological Survey

Resource Systems and Remote

Sensing/GIS Applications: Getting the

Big Picture

Staff of the National Science and Technology Center

assisted Bureau personnel nationally in FY 2001 by

dynamically examining technological developments

and applying necessary technology transfer in support of the Bureau’s business operations. With the

inherently spatial nature of the Bureau’s business,

and the focus of Federal government on electronic

business applications, the following assistance was

provided: determination of a focal point for user

input on the Wild Horse and Burro System,

Rangeland Administration System (RAS), Grazing

Authorization and Billing System (GABS), and

Species Tracking System; prototyping and designing

GIS applications in support of Bureau programmatic

requirements; applying advanced GIS and remote

sensing technologies to meet program management

needs; assisting national program offices in establishing spatially referenced databases; sharing and 

examining new developments in technology and

applications that benefit Bureauwide operations; and

developing and conducting related training.

Highlights of work accomplished in FY 2001 follow:

Wetland Delineation for 

the South Platte Headwaters in Colorado

(Colorado) 

The Colorado State Office, along with the Royal

Gorge Field Office, asked for assistance in identifying critical wetland and fen areas in South Park.

Remote sensing techniques (used to determine possible wetland areas in a recent water rights case with

the city of Aurora, Colorado) proved promising in

assisting with this task.

Landsat imagery and image processing techniques

were used to assist in identifying probable wetlands

and fens in the South Platte Headwaters watershed.

Three separate products for the South Platte

Headwaters watershed were provided to the contractor: (1) Tasseled Cap Transformation (a linear transformation that rotates data onto new axes directly

correlating to vegetation’s physical characteristics);

(2) criteria analysis performed on band three of the

Tasseled Cap Transformation; and (3) an unsupervised classification to 50 spectral classes. Products

were delivered to the contractor, who is using them

to target where field work needs to be done. These

products will help the contractor optimize time in a

large area with a short field season. After collaboration with the contractor, the usefulness of each product in identifying wetlands will be assessed. Plans

include performing the same analysis on the North

Park area of Colorado in FY 2002.

Client and office: Roy Smith, Colorado State Office

NSTC project participant: Pam Clemmer

Partners: Brad Johnson, Johnson Environmental

Consultants, Fort Collins, Colorado

Colorado Vegetation

Classification Project

(Colorado)

The “Basin-wide Project,” as it is known, was started

in 1994 to develop a vegetation database from

Landsat satellite data and field points for the southwestern corner of Colorado, Montrose District. In

1997, the project was expanded to include the entire
24 National Science and Technology Center

state. The vegetation map being developed will be at

a 25-meter resolution and will be classified down to

a modified Anderson scheme (a land cover types

classification system devised by Anderson et al.

1976). The database is being developed and managed by hydrologic cataloging units or watershed

basins, as appropriate. A total of 96 watersheds and

pieces of watersheds in Colorado have been grouped

into 47 units for the image processing.

To date, 24 watersheds are complete. This is an

ongoing, multiyear project with completion planned

for FY 2003.

Clients and offices: John Carochi, Canon City,

Colorado; Jim Ferguson, Montrose, Colorado; Greg

Goodenow, Craig, Colorado

NSTC project participant: Melinda Walker

Partners: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado

Division of Wildlife, Colorado Department of

Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

U.S. Forest Service–Region 2 

Rangeland GIS With Extensions

(Washington Office)

This project continues the development and

enhancements of GIS products in support of rangeland management. Several extensions were developed

this year; in addition, enhancements were added to

previously developed extensions. The project 

encompassed several parts:

A. The Rangeland Information System (RIS), 

version 2, was released this year. An integrated

package for the input, storage, analysis, and output of spatial rangeland data, RIS version 2 is a

significant improvement over version 1 and is

easier for the field office specialist to use. As a

result of customer suggestions, two new queries

were added, some preexisting queries were

enhanced, and new tools and buttons were

added and enhancements were made to the

existing ones. The online documentation was

also improved and put into an Adobe pdf

(Portable Document Format).

B. An extension was developed to help field office

users convert the Grazing Authorization and

Billing System (GABS) and Rangeland

Improvement Project System (RIPS) PCFocus

files to ARC/INFO data files, thus allowing

them to use their most recent GABS and RIPS

data with the application. 

C. The Ecological Site Inventory Extension (ESIE)

is a customized ArcView GIS extension that provides users with more efficient access to spatially

view and analyze Site Writeup Area (SWA) vegetation data from the Inventory Data Systems

(IDS) database. This extension combines spatial

data and tabular data by linking digitized SWA

polygons to records in the IDS database stored

in Informix, not previously available to Bureau

field office personnel. The ESIE is accessible

from anywhere on the Bureau network and provides real-time access to IDS data. Custom data

queries are provided to enable the user to better

understand relationships and glean pertinent

information from this rich database. The system

enables more accurate planning and reporting of

range activities in completing recreation

Environmental Impact Statements and management plans, conducting surveys, or as an analysis

tool for vegetation manipulations. Also, hard

copy map printouts of the themes displayed in

the ArcView interface can be generated. Targeted

users for this extension are the range conservationists and resource specialists working in

Bureau field offices. 

D. The Analysis Tools Extension (ATE) was created

to provide a simple report writing capability.

When an individual uses the Rangeland

Information System (RIS), Soils Suitability

Extension (SSE), or Ecological Site Inventory

Extension (ESIE), query results are displayed in

the table of contents of an ArcView window.

These results need to be intersected with the

area of interest, such as an allotment. Normally,

the intersect command intersects only two

themes at a time, but with ATE, users can intersect as many themes as they wish within their

area of interest. Additionally, the ATE allows the

tabular results to be easily copied into

WordPerfect or MS Word. Although the concept seems simple, this was a difficult extension

to create. This extension will be released on

completion of a detailed user document.
FY 2001 Annual Report 25

E. IDSU/2 converter. For field offices to get their

Environment Sensitivity Index (ESI) data into

the Inventory Data System (IDS) database, they

must calculate the township, range, and section

for each Site Write-up Area (SWA). This is a

time-consuming process; however, the data cannot be entered into the IDS without this information. IDSU and IDSU2 were created for field

offices to input their ESI data without having to

determine the township, range, and section of

each SWA on a stand-alone PC. Because the

data reside at a field office in this PC format,

the IDSU/2 extension was developed to intersect

digital SWA, PLSS, and land status coverages

and create the needed 703 file. This process

allows local data from IDSU and IDSU2 to feed

the national IDS database. Programming is

being finalized and documentation is nearing

completion. 

Client and office: Tim Reuwsaat, Washington Office

NSTC project participants: Ned Habich, Leon Pack,

Mary Beth Stulz

Partners: Bureau Field and State Offices,

Programming Specialists

HB (Wild Horse and Burro)

User Representative

(Bureauwide)

In FY 2001, the Center’s user representative of the

Wild Horse and Burro Program supported the

upgrade of the Wild Horse and Burro Information

System. Four sets of upgrades were released, focusing

both on fulfilling new reporting requirements and

on facilitating use by remote users. The major

enhancement was the addition of the Unmarked

Animal Maintenance Record, which allows field

offices to enter information about animals before

they are freeze-marked. Other enhancements include

two new standard reports, reworking of the adoption

fee and fee-type accounting (competitive bidding in

adoption fees; adoptions from capture sites, sanctuaries, and the Internet), and the addition of several

enhancements recommended by the Adoption

Standardization Team (definition of an adopter 

e-mail element, documentation of an animal’s training, and reflecting an adopter’s use of a fee voucher

to replace an animal that was returned from adoptive

care).

Client and office: Bureau Field Offices, Washington

Office

NSTC project participant: Dick Stark

Partner: Bureau’s National Information Resources

Management Center

Susanville Interagency Fire Center 

Digital Dispatch Map (California)

For years, the Susanville Interagency Dispatch

Center has needed a map for the Dispatch Office—a

difficult effort because the area crosses State boundaries and has multiple jurisdictions. Few were able to

compile data that were out of their jurisdiction. A

new digital map was created that will provide seamless digital coverage of more than 25 layers of data

for the entire dispatching region. These digital data

will be incorporated into the Dispatch Office’s computer-aided dispatching software, WildCAD.

Client and office: Chuck Judd, Susanville

Interagency Fire Center, Susanville, California

NSTC project participant: Susan Goodman

Partners: Bureau of Land Management Offices

(California and Nevada), California Department of

Forestry, National Highway Department, National

Park Service, U.S. Forest Service (Lassen National

Forest), U.S. Geological Survey (Internet data)
26 National Science and Technology Center

Priority Subbasins Identification Project

(Washington Office)

Data sets developed for the Western States were used

to identify the subbasins whose ecosystems were at

the greatest risk, according to criteria specified in the

FY 2001 Annual Work Plan. Examples of these risks

are weed infestation, poorly functioning riparian

areas, and fire. The results of an analysis of the data

were to be provided for review and feedback through

an ArcIMS site accessible from the Internet.

As data sets were identified and submitted, the 

information was prorated to Level 4 hydrological

cataloging units and stored as layers in a Spatial Data

Engine database. A Web site was established

(http://ncarc.blm.gov/website/psip) that allowed

participants to view the data sets and supply feedback to the programmer. An electronic comment

page was also implemented. When the analysis was

completed, 143 subbasins were found to contain

three or more risks to their ecosystems and were

identified as high-priority subbasins. Because some

of the data sets were incomplete and many were

somewhat general, it is expected that review by the

State may result in requests for adjustment of the

results.

Client and office: Eric Janes, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Wendy Bullock

Partners: Washington Office Program Leads

Rangeland Administration System

(Bureauwide)

The Rangeland Administration System (RAS)

replaced the Grazing Authorization and Billing

System (GABS) on September 29, 2001. Since its

deployment in 1987, GABS has been used to produce grazing authorization documents such as permits, leases, applications, and bills. It provided a way

for Bureau employees to produce and print these

documents in their local offices when they were

needed, instead of on the weekly schedule provided

by the Range Management Automated System that

this system replaced.

In contrast with GABS, which was deployed on

stand-alone personal computers, RAS will reside on

the Bureau Intranet and data will be available to all

Bureau users on a real-time basis while providing

individual offices with ownership and security of

their data. RAS will be deployed in a Windows environment, allowing navigation through various

records so users will be able to perform work in the

most efficient way for them.

Reports (standard and ad-hoc) will be retrievable at

different office levels, thus reducing the number of

data calls from State Offices and the Washington

Office. For example, a new field (“permit issue date”)

has been added that will allow the Washington Office

and State and field offices to track permit renewal

accomplishments in real time and as frequently as

needed. The “Application for Grazing Permit

Renewal” and the “Exchange of Use Agreement”

reports have been added to assist users in processing

permit or lease renewals and relating exchange-of-use

grazing to the authorizing documents.

System users will no longer order, store, and use 

special forms that must be printed on impact-type

printers, as all forms will be system-generated and

printed on plain paper using network or dedicated

printers. RAS will be interfaced with the Collection

and Billing System, thus eliminating time spent 

performing redundant data entry and reducing 

the possibility of errors that duplicate data entry

introduces.

Client and office: Tim Reuwsaat, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Leon Pack

Partner: Leslie Cone, Washington Office

National Technical Means Data for

Vegetation and Fuel Model Trend Analysis

(Nevada, Wyoming)

This project was undertaken to determine whether it

was possible to quantify, by advanced remote sensing

techniques, effects over time of prescribed fire in a

grassland–shrub environment, to assess success in

accomplishing the goals set forth in a burn plan.

Commercial multi-spectral imagery (both aircraftmounted and satellite imagery) was used to 

determined whether burn plan objectives had been

met and, if so, what vegetation currently existed on

the site. It was concluded that this question could

not be answered by using multi-spectral imagery. A

proposal was submitted to and accepted by the Joint
FY 2001 Annual Report 27

Fire Science Program to continue this line of research

using hyperspectral data. The project encompasses

the Left Hand Creek study site near Worland,

Wyoming, and the Sheldon-Hart Refuge in northern

Nevada at the Catnip Mountain study site.

Client and office: Bruce Keating, Wyoming State

Office

NSTC project participant: Susan Goodman

Partners: National Park Service, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey

FY 2003 Budget Focus Areas 

(Washington Office) 

Information was gathered to provide an approach to

budget packaging for FY 2003. Data were collected

for four focus areas—National Landscape

Conservation System, Energy and Minerals,

Community Growth, and Conservation and

Restoration—and made available on the Internet. A

Web site display was completed and full access was

provided to the Washington Office for review. The

Washington Office used the data to support its 2002

budget submission. The site can be accessed at

http://ncarc.blm.gov/website/budget.

Client and office: Mike Mottice, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Wendy Bullock

Partners: Washington Office Program Leads

The Bureau Library: Sharing

Knowledge

The Bureau of Land Management is charged with

effectively managing the Nation’s public lands on the

basis of accurate scientific information (BLM

Science Strategy 2000). The Bureau Library, located

in the National Science and Technology Center,

Denver, provides access to current information on

technologies, procedures, and studies of importance

to Bureau scientists and managers. The Library supports the Bureau with a full range of services, including reference services, interlibrary loans, cadastral

survey information sets, and listings of recent publications. With more than 40,000 volumes and 250

periodical subscriptions available for their use, staff

are kept apprised of pertinent research and development, applied technology, legislation, and administration. The following Library support was delivered

Bureauwide. Highlights of work accomplished in 

FY 2001 follow:

Literature Searches

Library staff have access to nearly 1,000 databases

that contain periodicals, books, reports, conference

proceedings, and dissertations. During FY 2001, the

Bureau Library performed literature searches resulting in bibliographies used in many Bureau initiatives, including the following:

Staff of the Wyoming State Office requested a bibliography of books, articles, and dissertations dated

between 1991 and 2001 on various aspects of the

coal industry and its effects in Wyoming. The completed bibliography will be available in printed and

CD format. 

The Library provided literatures searches on various

effects of fire on cultural resources. Bishop Field

Office (California) staff compiled these for the

Bureau of Land Management Preservation Board.

The bibliography was transmitted to all field officials, cultural program leads, and fire management

specialists in the July 26, 2001, Washington Office

Information Bulletin 2001-131.

The Library contributed bibliographies on the

effects of off-highway vehicles (OHV) in support of

the Bureau’s national initiative. This information was

provided to a staff member at the Idaho State Office

and to the U.S. Forest Service’s National Riparian

and Wetlands Program Manager.

Staff of the Moab (Utah) Field Office and the

Center requested bibliographies related to bighorn

sheep habitat management, land use effects, and

radiotelemetry techniques. This information is being

used in support of bighorn studies by the Bureau,

the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the

Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, and

the National Park Service.
28 National Science and Technology Center

Providing Supporting Documentation

Interlibrary loan services also help support Bureau

land management decisions. In FY 2001, the Library

filled almost 4,000 requests for books and reports, as

well as copies of more than 2,000 journal articles.

For example, pursuant to developing a Geothermal

Categorical Exclusion List, a number of Bureau

researchers and partners are investigating geothermal

energy. The Library performed literature searches in

various databases and on the Internet. Requests for

Library assistance also resulted in the following: (1)

When Bureau wildlife and fisheries biologists began

writing guidelines for working with U.S. Forest

Service and National Marine Fisheries Service cooperators, the Bureau Library provided supporting documents and information. (2) Bureau scientists

requested documentation on Bureau policies and

procedures regarding the use of pesticides, focusing

on information on sensitive fish species. (3) The

Library has provided many hundreds of documents

for a handbook about riparian plants to be published

in cooperation with the Idaho State Office. 

Cadastral Survey Information

More than 100 requests for historical cadastral survey information were addressed during FY 2001: 

(1) In addition to serving Bureau offices, the Center

assisted the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, and the DOI Division of Realty.

Requests were also filled for the Colorado

Department of Transportation, the Colorado

Highway Patrol, the Assessor’s Office of

Breckenridge, Colorado, and the City of Aurora,

Colorado. (2) Private corporation requests came in

from Selenite and Crystal Lights, Inc., King

Surveyors, Inc., and Premier Data Services, Inc. The

Southern Oregon Historical Society and Southern

Oregon Genealogical Society were also assisted. 

BLM Library Update

The Library provides a BLM Library Update 

(formerly called Monthly Alert) on the Bureau’s Web

site that contains a listing of citations from current

publications pertaining to natural resources. More

than 500 requests generated by publication of this

listing have resulted in the delivery of more than

5,500 articles. Presently, 285 Bureau staff subscribe

to this service. Most items in the monthly update are

reprints of current journal articles or research papers,

provided free of charge upon request.

Reference Services

The Library added 435 new acquisitions to the

Bureau collection during FY 2001, on diverse topics

such as Wildlife Study Design, Writing Successful

Science Proposals, and Riparian Management in

Forests of the Continental United States. More than

700 reference questions were responded to, providing such support as information regarding a tribal

water boundary dispute, resource materials for

designing a bat grate on caves, information regarding

abandoned mines, research on Bureau lands boundary adjustments, research on a National Wildlife

Refuge, information regarding stock driveway signs,

and support in finding out-of-print Bureau documents dealing with hawks.

Web Access to Databases

Beginning in September 1999, the Bureau Library

has provided Internet access to the National

Agricultural Library’s database, AGRICOLA, so that

Bureau researchers could identify and find articles

pertinent to work activities. Since that time, the

Library has added GEOREF, the premiere international resource for information about the geosciences, and ABSEARCH, a wildlife database with

citations and abstracts from key journals in the fields

of wildlife, fisheries, and avian biology and manage-
FY 2001 Annual Report 29

ment. Publications and articles chosen from these

resources can be acquired by the Library and sent to

the requester for use in making policy and management decisions relating to Bureau projects.

Table of Contents Service

The Library’s Table of Contents Service, provided

through a private vendor, helps keep Bureau staff

informed of current research in their areas of interest. The table of contents from as many as 50 journals designated by the requester are sent electronically each month to the individual’s personal computer

for perusal. The employee can then request any article he or she wishes to see in full text from the

Library.

Client and office for all Library services listed:

Bureauwide

NSTC project participants: Elizabeth Araki, Barbara

Campbell, Kenneth Grace, Barbara Klassen, Nathan

Matthews, Joan Penzien, Crystal Talavera, David

Woodworth

Publications Support: Delivering 

the Message

Staff of the National Science and Technology Center

provide a full range of publication services—from

consultation and planning to coordination of printing and distribution. Working in concert, Center

editors and visual information specialists support the

production of Bureau technical manuscripts and

articles, planning and environmental documents,

general interest brochures and pamphlets, newsletters, training materials, exhibits, posters, and other

publications. Highlights of work accomplished in 

FY 2001 follow:

Public Rewards From Public Lands

(Washington Office)

The annual report series Public Rewards From Public

Lands presents the value of Bureau lands in econom-
30 National Science and Technology Center

ic, social, and environmental terms, looking at land

management challenges on a State-by-State basis.

The Bureau’s message reaches out to State and

Federal partners, interest groups, and the public.

This 12-volume report is also presented to Congress

for use in the budget planning process—making

timely publication of critical concern. Center staff

provided design, layout, and photo coordination for

this report, as well as original map illustrations.

Clients and office: Celia Boddington, Rem Hawes,

Jeffrey Krauss, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Jennifer Kapus

Safety and Health Management 

Handbook (National Human Resources

Management Center)

In the “Program Evaluation” section of the BLM

Strategic Plan for FY 2000–FY 2005, material weaknesses in the Bureau’s safety management program

are discussed. Center staff provided the publications

support to produce an innovative Safety and Health

Management Handbook that addresses 

the Strategy’s challenge by providing policy and

guidance on the implementation of the Bureau’s

Safety and Health Program. The handbook provides

a Bureau standard for the safety program by furnishing guidance on risk management, occupational

health hazards, fire safety, motor vehicle and 

equipment safety, and the use of personal protective

clothing and equipment. Center publications staff

worked with the safety and occupational health

manager from the National Human Resources

Management Center to ensure that the document

provides clear, useful, and possibly life-saving 

information for the Bureau’s managers and 

employees.

Client and office: Dick King, National Human

Resources Management Center

NSTC project participants: Ethel Coontz, Kathy

Rohling

Vantage

(Eastern States Office)

At the beginning of the fiscal year, the Bureau’s

Eastern States Office produced a special edition of

Vantage, its quarterly newsletter, to summarize

Eastern States activities for Congress, interest groups,

and customers. The newsletter provided highlights of

Eastern States programs, information on funding

levels and payments to State governments, and

descriptions of partnerships and environmental education activities. Center publication specialists

worked with the Eastern States External Affairs

Office to ensure that the text was clear, concise, and

easy to read. A unique, cost-efficient design was

developed by using two ink colors and blending

them to achieve a third color for added dimension.

The result was an eye-catching document that the

Eastern States Office used to notify the public about

its accomplishments and to gain support for future

activities.

Clients and office: Peggy Riek, Cathy Rodine,

Eastern States Office

NSTC project participants: Linda Hill, Janine

Koselak
FY 2001 Annual Report 31

Corporate Metadata Repository 

(Washington Office)

The Corporate Metadata Repository, or CMR, is an

Oracle-based, off-the-shelf software package that

stores metadata—data about data—about the

Bureau’s national applications. The Center was called

on to help write and design a CMR brochure and

exhibit for display at an Information Resources

Management seminar held in May 2001. The data

manager for the group indicated that the final products received favorable reviews throughout the

Bureau for clearly explaining and illustrating what

the CMR is, who could use it, and how it could be

accessed by using one of two different tools.

Client and office: Melanie Rhinehart, Washington

Office

NSTC project participants: Peter Doran, Kathy

Rohling

Wild Horse and 

Burro Handbook

(Nevada)

The Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 directs the

Bureau to preserve and protect wild horses and burros and to manage for healthy rangelands. When an

overpopulation of wild horses and burros exists on

the range, excess animals are removed and offered to

the public for adoption. The Wild Horse and Burro

Program Handbook, Conducting Compliance Checks

for BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program,

was written several years ago and, after undergoing a

number of reviews, was sent to the Center for editing and layout. Publications staff worked with the

National Wild Horse and Burro Program Office in

Nevada to reorganize the handbook and rewrite 

certain sections using a “plain language” approach.

Numerous forms and illustrations were incorporated

and an appealing cover was designed and created.

The handbook outlines the responsibilities of the

adopter and the Bureau; explains what compliance

checks are, who may conduct them, and when they

are conducted; provides compliance inspection procedures; and outlines corrective actions. The handbook is used to train Bureau-authorized officers and

their designees on compliance actions and provides

an approach that can be used consistently within the

Bureau to ensure that adopters are complying with

the requirements of the wild horse and burro 

adoption program. 

Client and office: Lili Thomas, Nevada Program

Office

NSTC project participants: Linda Hill, Jennifer

Kapus

Western Springs Guide

(Idaho, Nevada, Washington Office)

Springs have a unique combination of physical,

chemical, and biological characteristics that may

require individual management prescriptions for

maintaining the ecological structure and function of

the spring habitat. A Guide to Managing, Conserving,

and Restoring Springs in the Western United States was

developed to provide information on the characteristics of Western springs and to identify techniques for

managing spring habitats that will allow their use,

maintain biological integrity, and rehabilitate or

restore degraded habitats. The guide describes

processes for assessing and determining spring management and suggests restoration priorities. Each

process builds on an evaluation table to assist managers in making their determinations. Center staff

worked with the Fish, Wildlife, and Forests Group

of the Washington Office and the Desert Research

Institute and University of Nevada–Reno to ensure

that the material was presented clearly, the processes

were developed logically, and the information in the

evaluation tables correlated with the text. A unique

design was developed that incorporated drawings of

species found in springs and brought out the underlying message of the importance of preserving spring

habitat. 

Client and office: Jill Silvey, Idaho (Washington

Office–Fish, Wildlife, and Forests Group)

NSTC project participants: Linda Hill, Janine

Koselak, Don Prichard

Partner: Don Sada, Desert Research Institute and

University of Nevada–Reno
32 National Science and Technology Center

Bureau Annual 

Performance Plan 

(Washington Office)

Each fiscal year, the Bureau provides the

Department of the Interior (DOI) with an Annual

Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

for use in strategic planning. To be useful, this large

undertaking must be completed in a short time.

Design innovations by Center staff helped streamline

the report so that it was about 30 pages shorter than

the previous year’s report. Design staff researched

and obtained photographs from other Bureau documents and strategically placed them in the performance report to illustrate text discussions. In-house

design of the annual report provided the Bureau

with substantial cost savings—especially when lastminute changes were required to reflect the most

recent figures for budget planning.

Client: Janine Velasco, Washington Office

NSTC project participant: Jennifer Kapus

Partner: Robert Woerner, National Business Center

Interpreting Indicators of 

Rangeland Health

(Idaho)

Technical Reference (TR) 1734-6, Interpreting

Indicators of Rangeland Health, describes a new, 

qualitative assessment protocol that allows for more

consistent interpretations of rangeland health 

indicators to make assessment results comparable

across agency boundaries. The document was 

produced through an interagency partnership

between the Departments of the Interior (Bureau of

Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey) and

Agriculture (Natural Resource Conservation Service

[NRCS], Agricultural Research Service). Center staff

contributed to the contents of the report and 

provided editing, layout, and design support. Ten

thousand copies of the document were produced

and distributed to Bureau field offices, rangeland

consultants, resource specialists, and cooperating

agencies. Additional applications of the information

in this TR are being researched by the American

Farmland Trust for use in prioritizing areas for

preservation. The electronic version of the document

is accessible through the Center Web site

(http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/techref.htm) and

the NRCS Grazing Lands Technology Institute Web

site (http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/glti/pubs.html).

Client and office: Mike Pellant, Idaho State Office

NSTC project participants: Ned Habich, Janine

Koselak, Kathy Rohling

Partners: David Pyke, U.S. Geological Survey;

Patrick Shaver, Natural Resource Conservation

Service; Jeffrey Herrick, Agricultural Research

Service

Invasive Plants Brochures

(California)

The presence of non-native, invasive plants are of

concern across the Bureau’s landscape. Center publication staff provided support to the Lassen County

(California) Special Weed Action Team through the

Bureau’s Eagle Lake Field Office with publication

support for a series of four brochures designed to

educate the public about the dangers of noxious
weed infestations and how they affect the environment and ecosystems. These brochures describe how

perennial pepperweed (Lepidium spp.), Scotch thistle

(Onopordum acanthium L.), spotted knapweed

(Centaurea melitensis L.), and yellow starthistle

(Centaurea solstitialis L.) can reduce the biodiversity

of native plant communities and rapidly displace

other plants that provide habitat for wildlife and

food for people and livestock. Illustrations provide

identification keys and habitat. This Bureau project

was undertaken in partnership with local and

Federal agencies, addressing common interests and

achieving common goals.

Client and office: Mary Lou West, Eagle Lake Field

Office, California

NSTC project participant: Ethel Coontz

Partners: Lassen County Department of Agriculture,

California; University of California Cooperative

Extension Office; Natural Resource Conservation

Service; California Department of Food and

Agriculture; Honey Lake Valley Resource

Conservation District, California; Robert Woerner,

National Business Center

National Science and

Technology Center Web Site

(Bureauwide)

The Center’s Web site continues to be one of the

most informative and user-friendly sites in the

Bureau. The redesigned site was made available on

March 30, 2001, to reflect the changes and mission

of the Center. Scientific and technical information

about such topics as air quality, ecosystem modeling,

soils, biological communities, mapping, and visual

resource management is included as well as information on how to access Center services. Many useful

links within the Bureau, as well as to other goverment and academic sites, are also provided. Visit the

Center’s Web site at http://www.blm.gov/nstc.

Client and office: Bureauwide

NSTC project participants: Terry D’Erchia, Randy

Hayes, Linda Hill, Jennifer Kapus 

FY 2001 Annual Report 33
34 National Science and Technology Center

The Bureau of Land Management shares common

goals with many other organizations: the appreciation, conservation, and wise use of the irreplaceable

treasures of public lands. Bureau partners have

demonstrated their commitment to these objectives

through contributions to resource projects, efforts to

educate the public about the conservation of public

lands, and the donation of materials.

Project Partnerships

Bureau of Land Management 

Great Basin Restoration Initiative

The Bureau of Land Management Great Basin

Restoration Initiative (GBRI) originated in the wake

of the disastrous fire season of 1999, in which 1.7

million acres of public land—mostly in Nevada—

burned. Today, more than 25 million acres of the

Great Basin are dominated by exotic annual grasses

and noxious weeds, with additional acres dominated

by pinyon pine and juniper. The health of these

lands is in jeopardy because of (1) exotic annual

grasses (such as cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum L.),

which are flammable and can increase the incidence

and spread of wildland fires resulting in even greater

loss of native vegetation and habitat as the exotic

species spread; and (2) woodlands dominated by

pinyon pine or juniper species, or both, which, as a

result of fire suppression, excessive livestock grazing

pressure, and climate change, have invaded what

once was sagebrush–steppe and sagebrush. Through

the GBRI, the Bureau is responding to the need for

large-scale restoration to stop the downward ecological trends in the Great Basin area.

The National Science and Technology Center has

supported the ongoing Initiative through active participation as members of the team and by providing

services and developing various products. Examples

of Center support include the following: (1) The

identification of the GBRI area and subbasins

included producing an objective and definitive

means of identifying the geographic extent of the

GBRI area. The results of this work provide the 

basis for common delineation of the GBRI area. 

(2) General GIS support in preparing mid- to broadscale digital databases and producing maps and 

associated analysis outputs for use in team meetings,

documents, and other needs. (3) Several specific

remote sensing and GIS-related products, such as a

broad-scale map that shows the change in cheatgrass

areas in the Great Basin. The primary objective of

Creating Opportunities While

Meeting Management

Challenges
FY 2001 Annual Report 35

the task was to demonstrate the extent of this problem through a map showing changes, both increases

and decreases, in cheatgrass over time. (4) Support

toward developing the GBRI Conservation/

Restoration Prioritization Worksheet for Watersheds.

The worksheet is an analytical priority-setting tool

that assigns a numerical value to watersheds,

depending on the status of resources, risks, and

opportunities for restoration. The Center specifically

provided criteria for soils and special status species.

Client and office: Sherm Karl, Washington Office

NSTC project participants: Bruce Durtsche, Dianne

Osborne, Bill Ypsilantis,

Partners: Federal and State agencies, Native

American tribes, universities and colleges, interest

groups, Congress, and the public

San Miguel River Basin Study

In the early to mid-1990s, the Upper San Miguel

River Basin (Colorado) experienced some of the

highest relocation and resort growth rates in the

Nation along with a fivefold increase in nonskier

recreational uses. This growth lead to rising demands

for out-of-channel water use and to a resultant

depletion of instream flows. The San Miguel

Watershed Coalition was formed to develop a multijurisdictional watershed plan for the Basin. The

Coalition includes community groups, local governments, and State and Federal agencies. Coalition

work groups have been formed to focus on riparian,

recreation, and fisheries issues. These work groups

review, prioritize, and provide additional definition

to the issues. 

One high-priority issue identified by the Coalition’s

Water Issues Work Group was the protection of

resource values associated with the San Miguel

Basin’s riverine systems. The Bureau was assigned

the lead in preparing an instream flow assessment

that would be easily understood by and accessible to

the public. The assessment was to provide substantive information to facilitate land management decisions for achieving sustainable riverine ecosystems

and flow-dependent resource values. 

The technical approach used to prepare this instream

flow assessment was similar to that used in several

other assessments. However, one unique aspect to

this particular instream flow assessment was the participation and contributions of the numerous partners involved in the study. Local citizens assisted in

collecting meteorological data and also served as

observers to alert Bureau personnel when ice flows

occurred during the winter. The ice flow part of the

study was conducted with assistance from the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research

and Engineering Laboratory in New Hampshire.

The USGS provided analyses of stream flow data

from past and present gaging stations on the San

Miguel River. The Colorado Division of Wildlife

provided assistance with data collection and with

modeling to determine the usability of the river for

aquatic biota. They also worked with the Center to

perform similar modeling for different types of recreational uses. The University of Colorado and

Colorado State University assisted the Bureau in

assessing the relation between riparian plant communities and groundwater–surface water interactions

along the San Miguel River Basin.

The instream flow assessment has been acknowledged as a valuable tool in (1) making recommendations to community leaders and developers to balance growth with available water resources, (2)

allowing agencies responsible for management of the

riverine system to better understand flow-related

limitations for future management potential, (3)

providing education to the public on the value of

instream flow, and (4) providing data to facilitate

instream flow recommendations to the Colorado

Water Conservation Board.
36 National Science and Technology Center

Client and office: Dennis Murphy, Bureau Colorado

Montrose Service Center

NSTC project participant: Bill Cary

Partners: San Miguel Watershed Coalition, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Colorado Division of

Wildlife, University of Colorado, Colorado State

University, U.S. Geological Survey

GeoMAC: Bringing Wildland Fire

Technology to the Twenty-first Century

GeoMAC is a real-time Internet mapping system

tool that allows wildland fire managers and the 

public to pinpoint the location and size of existing

wildfires by using geospatial technologies. This 

system was originally created by the Geospatial

Multi-Agency Coordination Group, consisting of 

the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land

Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological

Survey, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. GeoMAC allows users to manipulate map information on the computer screen by

zooming in and out and displaying fire information

at various scales. The user can query information on

individual fires such as the fire name, current

acreage, and other wildland fire status information,

and can link to a remote automated weather station’s

data near a wildfire. Additional data layers such as

temporary flight restrictions, wildland fire weather

watches, red flag warnings, aircraft hazard maps, and

other critical wildland fire analysis information are

presently being added to GeoMAC.

The Center participated in GeoMAC by updating

wildland fire perimeters daily during fire season. To

give wildland fire managers near real-time information, wildfire perimeter data are updated daily

according to input from incident intelligence

sources, Global Positioning System data, and

infrared imagery from fixed-wing aircraft and satellites. The Center also helped in coordinating management of the project, procuring equipment and

contracting support. Some of GeoMAC’s data layers

have also been provided by the Center. Anyone can

visit this popular Web site at http://geomac.usgs.gov.

In addition, wildland fire managers may access a

password-protected site through the same address.

This special access gives the wildland fire manager a

faster response time to the GeoMAC site, as there is

less Internet traffic on the wildland fire manager’s

site.

Client and office: Katy Madrid, National

Interagency Fire Center

NSTC project participants: Wendy Bullock, Susan

Goodman, Melinda Walker

Partners: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land

Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological

Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration 

Cooperative Remote Sensing/GIS Project

between Florida A&M University and the

National Science and Technology Center

A collaborative project was developed in FY 2001

between Florida A&M University—a Historically

Black College and University—and the Center to

assist in developing teaching materials to provide
FY 2001 Annual Report 37

real-world Remote Sensing and GIS experience and

to reinforce the working relations between the two

institutions. Specific project work involves the use of

digital orthophotoquads to extract off-highway vehicle routes on a project area within the Phoenix Field

Office.

Client and office: Bill Gibson, Phoenix Field Office

NSTC project participants: Debra Dinville and

Nancy Russell

Partner: Katherine Milla, Florida A&M University

Contractors

Architecture and 

Engineering Service Contracts 

The Center has contracts in place for obtaining

architecture and engineering (A/E) and other related

services (planning, design, construction management) throughout the Bureau. Project work completed through these contracts in FY 2001 included

condition assessments, feasibility studies, site analyses, resource management studies, master planning,

interpretive planning and design, development concept plans, construction drawings, specifications, and

construction inspections. In addition, the Center has

developed partnerships through inter- and intraagency agreements with several government agencies,

including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of

Reclamation, and the National Park Service. 

Remote Sensing and GIS Contracts

Remote Sensing and GIS contracting services were

used in FY 2001 in support of the Great Basin

Restoration Initiative to map changes in cheatgrass

(Bromus tectorum L.) communities by analyzing

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer satellite

data. The primary objective of this task was to produce quantifiable data and an associated map showing decreases or increases in cheatgrass over time.

Historical change detection mapping using aerial

photography was applied to select demonstration

sites in the Great Basin Restoration Area for changes

in pinyon–juniper and cheatgrass over time. The primary objective of this project was to show change in

vegetation over a specific area at a high resolution.

Information was gathered on existing inventories for

eight specific noxious weed categories that occur in

the Great Basin Restoration Area. The objective of

this project was to combine existing noxious weed

data from disparate sources into one common

theme.

Contracting services for remote sensing were used in

an interagency statewide vegetation mapping project

called the Colorado Basinwide Vegetation classification. The goal of this ongoing project is to produce a

comprehensive vegetation classification scheme based

on watershed delineation for the State of Colorado.

Many State and Federal agencies in Colorado use the

resulting vegetation mapping analysis.

Contracting support was also used for the development of automated spatial tools that connect with

present Bureau national databases to optimize the

use of these data. The Rangeland Information

System (RIS) was developed and maintained to connect Grazing Authorization and Billing System and

Rangeland Improvement Project System information

with digital allotment boundaries. The Soils

Suitability Extension (SSE) was developed as a set of

standard queries from the Natural Resource

Conservation Service State Soil and Soil Survey databases. The RIS and SSE extensions are examples of

the type of support used in the Bureau’s field offices.

Other tools include an Ecological Site Inventory

Extension, an Analysis Tools Extension, and the

development of ArcIMS and ArcGIS weed applications for Montana.

Environmental Technical 

Assistance Contract

The Center has a contract in place for obtaining

environmental services, including cost recovery services, site assessment for land transfer, environmental

auditing of facilities, hazardous waste site evaluation

and analysis, National Environmental Policy Act

(1969) support, and restoration support. The contract was issued in partnership with the U.S. Forest

Service. In addition, the Center has procured envi-
38 National Science and Technology Center

ronmental services through other mechanisms such

as the General Services Administration’s contracting

schedule and memorandums of understanding with

the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of

Energy.

Construction Management

The Center added Construction Management to its

program in FY 2001. A Construction Manager staff

position was created in June to provide administration and oversight during the construction phase of

work. Inspection services will be provided through

the Center by one of three national A/E contractors.

The primary service provided by the program will be

the day-to-day project oversight and related coordination efforts necessary to ensure strict adherence to

construction contract documents. 

Optimally, the Construction Manager will be designated as the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR), and will work closely with the onsite A/E

inspector. Inspectors are trained professionals who

possess specific knowledge of relevant building

codes, regulations, and industry standards. Regular

communication between the inspector and the COR

is critical. Typical issues that arise are scheduling,

payments, and overall quality control. Additionally,

followup guidance from the design staff (either

Bureau or A/E contractor) is used by the inspector

(through the COR) for clarifications and modifications—part of the dynamics of all construction projects. An additional benefit of the program is accurate onsite documentation, which can prove invaluable in the event of a construction claim or other

legal action. Ultimately, the goal is to close the loop

between design and construction, thereby ensuring

that the contractor builds the quality product

expected by the agency client.

These services are available for all Bureau construction projects, whether designed by in-house staff or

by private A/E contractors. State Offices are encouraged to use this service as a means of easing their

workload and improving the quality of their end

product. Projects presently under way are the

Caliente Field Office Administration Building,

designed by in-house Center staff; the Escalante

Cannonville Visitor Center, the Vernal Readiness 

Center and Fire Cache, and the Cedar City ATB

Operations Building, designed by A/E contractors. 

Increase in Production

of Bureau Automated 100K Maps

To meet critical Bureau mission requirements in fire

management, wildland urban interface issues, and

land use planning activities, production levels of the

automated 100K maps are being increased. The

Center has used outside sources of labor—both

onsite contractors and small commercial firms—to

meet these increased production requirements in a

timely way.

National Science and Technology

Center Staff Detailed Externally

Lee Barkow

Detail to the Colorado State Office

Lee Barkow, Center Director,

was provided an opportunity

to serve as the Colorado

Associate State Director for 7

weeks this year. Barkow was

able to learn how one State

was approaching implementation of the National Fire

Plan and the challenges presented to field offices. He

also observed how Colorado was approaching the

management of new National Landscape

Conservation System units with minimal staff and

funding. As a result, Barkow brought U.S.

Geological Survey and Bureau managers together for

a week-long tour of three units to discuss science

opportunities that the USGS could assist with and

Bureau managers could benefit from. Finally,

Barkow was given the opportunity to experience

how myriad administrative matters were addressed at

the State Office level. Collectively, this detail allowed

the National Science and Technology Center

Director to bring a current field perspective to

Center management.
Debra Dinville

Detail to the DOI National Business Center

and the Bureau’s Colorado State Office

Debra Dinville’s first detail

was at the DOI National

Business Center (NBC) in

January, where she worked as

the project manager for the

demonstration Web site,

YourLand.gov, leading the

staff at the NBC toward project completion. She acquired the necessary funding

and brought the project in on time and under budget. Her second detail was at the Bureau’s Colorado

State Office, where Dinville served as the acting

Chief Information Officer/IRM Chief. This detail

involved managing a diverse staff and included organizational budget preparation and justification, management of the Information Access Center, record

management, handling Freedom of Information Act

issues and requests, Web development, and geographic information systems responsibilities.

Dianne Osborne

Detail to the U.S. Geological Survey

As part of Dianne Osborne’s 60-day developmental

assignment, she worked in the USGS Office of

Biological Informatics and Outreach in Reston,

Virginia, where she assisted in the development of

program materials to support the National Biological

Information Infrastructure and the Gap Analysis

Program. Another developmental assignment was for

a DOI–USAID/CARE-sponsored program called

the International Technical Assistance Program. This

assignment was to provide Ecuadorian resource

agencies, primarily Jatun Sacha and Ecociencia

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Forestry

staffs, with Remote Sensing and GIS technical training and assistance. 

Bruce Van Haveren

Detail to the U.S. Geological Survey

Bruce Van Haveren served as Acting Director of the

Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

(NPWRC), Jamestown, North Dakota, in June and

July 2001. A 62-person USGS research center with

satellite field stations in Arkansas, Missouri, and

Minnesota, the NPWRC is responsible for biological

research throughout the Great Plains. Under this

detail, Van Haveren organized and hosted an

NPWRC-wide research planning meeting to identify

and develop future research directions for NPWRC;

challenged NPWRC staff to contribute ideas to the

USGS Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Science Plan;

outlined principles for a wetlands research strategy

and challenged NPWRC scientists to expand wetlands research and to fill gaps in existing knowledge

about prairie wetlands; met with Bureau and U.S.

Forest Service field office managers to discuss science

needs in the northern Great Plains; developed new

client contacts in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land

Management; reviewed NPWRC’s research portfolio

and made recommendations for program changes,

including the addition of a Northern Great Plains

riparian research initiative; contacted the president

of North Dakota State University for future collaboration on natural resources and natural science

research; and identified structural needs and initiated

a plan for renovation of the main NPWRC building.

Personnel Detailed at the National

Science and Technology Center

Marvin Keller

Acting Chief, Science Investigations Branch

Marvin Keller came to the Center from Billings,

Montana, where he serves as Regional Archaeologist

with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. During the 6

weeks of his detail he was able to gain valuable experience managing the Branch, where, he related, he

“worked on developing my skills and recognizing my

limitations.” His contributions including providing

an opportunity for Branch staff to discuss goals and

general directions for the newly formed Branch. 

FY 2001 Annual Report 39
40 National Science and Technology Center

Jaci Gould

Acting Chief, Science Investigations Branch

Jaci Gould works for the Bureau of Reclamation’s

New Mexico Area Office (Albuquerque), where she

manages the Water Resource Management Division.

Gould spent 6 weeks at the Center learning about

the people, opportunities, and challenges of the

Division of Science and associated branches. Gould

continued the work Keller started, assisting Branch

staff in understanding their roles in the organization.

Gould provided opportunities for staff to discuss

their concerns and expectations in preparation for

the incoming branch chief. Gould also assisted the

division chief in developing a process for the division

and associated branches to define their roles in the

organization.

Jennifer Gaines

Acting Chief, Resource Systems and Remote

Sensing/GIS Applications Branch 

Jennifer Gaines works for the USGS Center for

Biological Informatics in

Denver, Colorado. She spent

60 days between February

and April 2001 acting as

Chief of the Resource

Systems and Remote

Sensing/GIS Applications

Branch at the Center. Gaines

employed many of the skills

she acquired during the DOI Team Leadership

Program, such as leading change, leading people,

business skills, and building coalitions and communication. Center staff were eager to offer assistance

with questions or management issues. Gaines related

that she learned about the Center’s diverse skills and

gained experience with Bureau issues. She assisted

staff in accomplishing their goals by communicating

change and promoting their involvement in various

projects. 

Lori Postlethwait

Acting Chief, Resource Systems and Remote

Sensing/GIS Applications Branch 

Lori Postlethwait came to the Center from the River

and Reservoir Operations Branch of the Pacific

Northwest Region of the Bureau of Reclamation,

where she is a hydraulic engineer for reservoir operations. She said that she spent 4 weeks “learning

about the diverse skills of the Branch and a little

about some of my strengths and weaknesses in managing people.” She related that she valued her time

working with this group of highly professional, selfmotivated individuals. 

Other Personnel Working at the

National Science and Technology

Center

Carol Giffen

Liaison, U.S. Geological Survey

Carol Giffin serves as a U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS)

representative to the Bureau

of Land Management’s

National Science and

Technology Center, interacting with Washington, State,

and field office representatives to address joint mapping issues, the exchange of

technical information, and partnership development.

The cooperative efforts of the Bureau and the USGS

resulted in new geographic data portraying the land’s

elevation and features, temporary personnel

exchanges, and the development of the National

Spatial Data Infrastructure. The Center is addressing

an extensive range of science issues, and Giffin

recently completed assignments to the geology,

water, and biology offices of USGS to provide

broader representation for the USGS and to increase

the Center’s understanding of USGS scientific activities.

Eric Hecox

Intern from Indiana University

Eric Hecox attends graduate school at Indiana

University, where he is presently pursuing a joint

degree through the School of Public and

Environmental Affairs. His summer internship with
FY 2001 Annual Report 41

the National Science and Technology Center

involved two projects: His primary responsibility was

to conduct research on Western States’ water laws. In

addition to water rights research, he assisted the 

project team in the administration of the Resource

Notes series, a component of the Center’s science

strategy.

Charli Strebig

Intern from Colorado School of Mines

Charli Strebig attends the Colorado School of

Mines, where she is pursuing a degree in chemistry.

During her term as a temporary employee of the

Center, Strebig has been assisting staff with the evaluation and cleanup of abandoned mine land sites

and hazardous waste sites. This work included the

collection of environmental samples, data analysis

and management, and report review and writing. In

the summer of FY 2001, Strebig also completed her

training in first aid, CPR, and OSHA hazardous

waste operations. 

Darrick Smith

Intern from Langston University

Darrick Smith is a student at Langston University.

Smith worked on a geographic information systems

water project through the Richfield Field Office,

Utah, helping Richfield’s hydrologist. Smith created

ArcView layouts of water chemistry data to help the

hydrologist locate wells and springs that may have

potential water quality and chemistry problems. He

also helped design several GIS Web pages while at

the Center. He learned how to collect data using

Global Positioning System technology and 

incorporated these data into a GIS. He also 

attended a Regional ESRI Users Conference

Jennifer Knudson

Intern from the University of

Colorado–Boulder

Jennifer Knudson, a history

major at the University of

Colorado–Boulder, is working as an intern on the

Washington Office project to

digitize current and historical

photos of Bureau lands and

people. Insights gained during the photo digitization project led to Bureau participation in the Colorado Digitization Project

(CDP). The CDP is a collaborative effort to digitize

photographs, maps, diaries, and other important

documentation to create an open, distributed, publicly accessible digital library for Colorado residents.

This project is funded by the Institute of Museum

and Library Services (an independent Federal

agency), the State Library, the State Historical Fund,

and the Regional Library Service Systems.

Volunteers

Short-term volunteers included Michael Milner and

Jennifer Owens. In August, Milner worked in the

Bureau Library in an effort to earn a Boy Scout

merit badge, updating the Environmental Education

and Volunteers collection. Owens, a first-year art

major at the University of Colorado–Boulder, assisted Washington Office staff member Steve Shafran

with a PowerPoint presentation directed at student

recruits. 
42 National Science and Technology Center

The Bureau of Land Management is dedicated to

serving its customers. High-quality customer service

is one of the Bureau’s highest priorities as it strives to

match or exceed the best service available in the private sector. 

Professional Commitment to Outreach

The Bureau’s 1999 

Volunteer Annual Report

More than 17,000 volunteers contribute to the care

of public lands by supporting the work of the

Bureau of Land Management each year, from conducting field work in remote locations to providing

administrative support in some of the Bureau’s

busiest offices. Making a Difference—BLM’s 1999

Volunteer Annual Report describes volunteer activities

in support of specific

Bureau programs

and provides data 

on the number of

volunteers, hours

contributed, and

estimated values and

costs. The report,

with editing, design,

and layout services

provided by the

Center, was 

distributed to

Bureau volunteer

coordinators and other interested parties. It is also

available at www.blm.gov/volunteer/news/

annreport/index.html.

National Public Lands Day Activities

Each year for the past several years, the Bureau has

been a partner, along with the National

Environmental Education and Training Foundation,

other Federal agencies, and several nongovernment

organizations, in sponsoring National Public Lands

Day. This event brings volunteers together to help

Reaching Out to Others
FY 2001 Annual Report 43

improve and restore America’s public lands and

resources. It also provides an opportunity for the

Bureau and its partners to educate volunteers about

the environment. To be successful, the event must be

well publicized and the efforts of volunteers must be

recognized. Center publication professionals worked

directly with a representative of the National

Environmental Education and Training Foundation

to develop and produce posters, brochures, and certificates for volunteers. Products were provided to

partner agencies for further distribution within their

communities to inform the public about the event,

solicit help from volunteers, and thank volunteers

for their hard work.

Denver Federal Executive Board 2001

Diversity Training Seminar

The Denver Federal Executive Board’s 2001

Diversity Training Seminar, Inclusion Through

Education, was supported by Center publications

staff, who produced the seminar program and

posters, signage, and a biography booklet about the

presenter. The Workforce Diversity Council, which

presented the seminar, is composed of members of

the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee,

the Federal Women’s Program, the American Indian

Program, the Black Employment Program, and the

Hispanic Employment Program. These committees

are made up of Federal employees who have volunteered their time and efforts to help educate and

expand the horizons of the Federal system and workforce.

Present and Future Constituents

Sweetwater County Fair Display

County fairs provide an excellent forum for the

Bureau to reach out to local constituents. When staff

of the Rock Springs (Wyoming) Field Office

requested production assistance for a Bureau exhibit

to be presented at the Sweetwater County Fair,

Center staff provided timely, targeted services. The

display, Keeping Water on the Land Longer, describes

how to keep land healthy and productive, how the

introduction of houses and roads affect the nature of

the land, and why soil compaction makes it difficult

for vegetation to grow.

MESA Conference

The Mathematics, Engineering, Science

Achievement (MESA) conference provides recruitment opportunities for minority students in math

and engineering fields in private industry and government agencies. Along with the National Business

Center, the National Science and Technology Center

participated as a prime sponsor, with six representatives meeting with students and attending the MESA

luncheon. A 72-inch Bureau banner was produced

for the conference, as well as a Bureau recruitment

advertisement in the yearly MESA publication.

National Boy Scout Jamboree Exhibit

Walk on the Wild Side, the Bureau’s 2001 National

Boy Scout Jamboree exhibit, was a great opportunity

to reach out to an important audience—the more

than 33,000 Boy Scouts and their leaders who

attend this yearly outdoor gathering. The Bureau’s

Environmental Education staff took the opportunity

to educate Jamboree participants about Bureau programs such as paleontology, cultural heritage, invasive plants, and recreation in a fun maze of information (53 vinyl panels of various sizes). Center staff

worked with the Washington Office to produce the

exhibit, providing design and production services.

Durable outdoor materials were needed to hold up

under varying weather conditions. By using in-house
44 National Science and Technology Center

services, the Bureau saved tens of thousands of 

dollars.

Denver Area Council of 

the Boy Scouts of America 

The Center provides support on land and resource

management issues on properties belonging to the

Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

A staff forester worked with the council in locating

three new roads at the 2,600-acre Peaceful Valley

Scout Ranch in Elbert County, Colorado. These

roads provide access to expanded camping areas and

new facilities.

Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch is a working ranch with

hay fields and livestock grazing, as well as summer

camping facilities. Following the advice of a staff

range specialist contained in a Center-authored grazing plan, the summer pasture was split to implement

a rotation grazing system that would improve forage

production and vegetative cover. At the request of

the council, a staff fishery biologist is preparing recommendations on fishery management of a lake at

Camp Tahosa in Boulder County, Colorado, to

improve the quality of fishing and fishery habitat

Lou’s Soap Box

Center staff member Louise Ecoff coordinates the

collection of toiletry items (miniature bars of soap,

shampoo, lotion, and other items) from hotels where

staff stay in the course of their official travel. These

items are then donated to the “Gathering Place”—a

Denver-area shelter for battered women—where the

items are greatly needed and appreciated.

Take Our Children to Work Day

Take Our Children to Work Day is a unique opportunity to provide staff members’ children with educational opportunities, mentoring, and just plain

fun. For this year’s celebration in April, the Center

co-sponsored one of the three workshops put on by

the Bureau’s National Centers. The children interviewed science staff (recreation planner, wildlife biologist, and wild horse and burro specialist) to learn

about the Bureau and report on some resource issues

and programs. They learned how to write and create

a document from scratch with help in Internet and

traditional research from library staff, writing and

editing tips from a staff editor, and layout and

design guidance from visual information specialists.

The resulting document, BLM: Kids Taking Over

Parents’ Jobs, was posted on the Center Web site and

also at www.blm.gov/kids. 

The Center also assisted the National Information

Resources Management Center with a workshop

that recognized the thirtieth anniversary of the Wild

Horse and Burro Program. Children in this second

workshop participated in a variety of activities, learning about the Adopt-A-Horse program, the connections between wild horses and burros and livestock,

wildlife uses of the public lands, and the historical

roles of wild horses and burros. The children also

had an opportunity to work with a graphic artist in

the creation of a booklet on the day’s activities. They

used a desktop scanner to manipulate photographs

and their original drawings to digitally include them

in the booklet, and they learned about page layout

and editing in producing this booklet. The workshop’s activities were also captured on the Web site

at www.blm.gov/kids.
Adjunct Faculty Affiliations

Sisseton–Wahpeton Community College

Bruce Van Haveren, a Science and Research Advisor

with the National Science and Technology Center,

taught a 1-week, two-credit short course on landscape analysis at Sisseton–Wahpeton Community

College, Sisseton, South Dakota. This was the last

year of a 3-year project to assist tribal colleges in

capacity-building in the areas of natural resources

and environmental science. This project focused on

providing assistance in curriculum development and

teaching to tribal colleges in North Dakota, South

Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska. 

Florida A&M University

Jerry Fiedler, a geodesist with the Center, accepted a

temporary reassignment in August to teach three

surveying courses at Florida A&M University. The

Division of Engineering Technology at the university

offers a Civil Engineering Technology Survey Option

program that consists of 33 surveying hours. Upon

completion of this course work, students are eligible

to take the Surveyor in Training examination in

Florida. Presently, Florida A&M University does not

have a survey program leading to an undergraduate

degree in surveying. Fiedler taught three courses

(Fundamental Surveying, Photogrammetry, and

Modern Surveying Instrumentation) for a total of

nine semester hours. In addition, he provided technical assistance to three students involved in a mapping project of Florida A&M University’s research

farm.

FY 2001 Annual Report 45
46 National Science and Technology Center

The staff of the National Science and Technology

Center is committed to fulfilling the mission of the

Bureau—to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment

of present and future generations. To this end, staff

members actively support the Bureau’s mission

through a multitude of professional activities, from

participation in conferences, meetings, and training

to researching and preparing publications for use by

Bureau personnel and Bureau partners. 

Publications

Breithaupt, B. H., and N. A. Matthews. 2001.

Preserving paleontological resources using 

photogrammetry and geographic information

systems. Page 47 in Crossing boundaries in park

management: The eleventh conference on

research and resource management in parks and

on public lands. The George Wright Society

Biennial Conference, Denver, Colorado.

[Abstract]

Breithaupt, B. H., and N. A Matthews. 2002.

Preserving paleontological resources using photogrammetry and geographic information systems. In Crossing boundaries in park management: Proceedings of the eleventh conference on

research and resource management in parks and

on public lands. The George Wright Society

Biennial Conference, Denver, Colorado. In press. 

Breithaupt, B. H., E. H. Southwell, T. L. Adams,

and N. A. Matthews. 2001. Innovative documentation methodologies in the study of most extensive dinosaur tracksite in Wyoming. In A fossil

odyssey: Partners for a new millennium. Sixth

conference on Fossil Resources, Grand Junction,

Colorado [Abstract]

Breithaupt, B. H., E. H. Southwell, T. L. Adams,

and N. A. Matthews. 2002. Innovative documentation methodologies in the study of most extensive dinosaur tracksite in Wyoming. In A fossil

odyssey: Partners for a new millennium.

Proceedings of the sixth conference on fossil

resources, Grand Junction, Colorado. In press.

Bureau of Land Management Science Strategy. 2001.

Bureau of Land Management. 19 pp.

Bureau of Land Management. 2001. CERCLA

Response Actions Handbook. Bureau of Land

Management, Handbook 1703-1. 

Clemmer, P. 2001. Riparian Area Management: The

use of aerial photography to manage

riparian–wetland areas. Revised edition. Bureau

of Land Management. n.p.

Goodman, S. 2001. Geospatial task group brochure.

Bureau of Land Management. [brochure]

Matthews, N. A., and B. H. Breithaupt. 2001.

Close-range photogrammetric experiments at

Dinosaur Ridge. Mountain Geologist

38:147–153.

Professional Activities

and Recognition
FY 2001 Annual Report 47

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, T. Lumme, 

and N. C. Fraser. 2001. Paleontologic resource

documentation using an aerial camera blimp at

Jurassic fossil sites in Wyoming. In A fossil

odyssey: Partners for a new millennium.

Proceedings of the sixth conference on fossil

resources, Grand Junction, Colorado. [Abstract]

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, R. E. Moore,

and C. Neff. 2001. Laser technology meets

dinosaur paleontology. In A fossil odyssey:

Partners for a new millennium. Sixth conference

on fossil resources, Grand Junction, Colorado.

[Abstract]

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, and E. H.

Southwell. 2000. Photogrammetric documentation of a Middle Jurassic dinosaur tracksite in the

Sundance Formation of the Bighorn Basin of

Wyoming. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

20(3). n.p.

Presentations

Breithaupt, B. H., and N. A Matthews. 2001.

Preserving paleontological resources using photogrammetry and geographic information systems. Crossing boundaries in park management:

The eleventh conference on research and resource

management in parks and on public lands. The

George Wright Society Biennial Conference,

Denver, Colorado.

Breithaupt, B. H., E. H. Southwell, T. L. Adams,

and N. A. Matthews. 2001. Innovative documentation methodologies in the study of most extensive dinosaur tracksite in Wyoming. A fossil

odyssey: Partners for a new millennium. The

sixth conference on fossil resources, Grand

Junction, Colorado.

Clemmer, P. 2001. Instructor, Geodata collection

and use. February, Reno, Nevada.

Clemmer, P. 2001. Instructor, Remote sensing and

map reading. March and April, Field skills module of the Lands and Realty Academy.

Clemmer, P. 2001. Instructor, Using aerial photography to determine proper functioning condition.

May, Reno, Nevada.

Clemmer, P. 2001. Instructor, Aerial photo interpretation workshop. GIS/Remote Sensing workshop, June, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

D’Erchia, T. 2001. Panel chair, Editing for the new

millennium. Hats off to communicators,

National Association of Government

Communicators workshop, March 7–9, Denver,

Colorado. 

Doran, P. 2001. Designing for the Web. Hats off to

communicators, National Association of

Government Communicators workshop, March

7-9, Denver, Colorado.

Ford, K. 2001. Mine waste repositories, selection,

design, and cost. Department of the Interior

Environment Conference, March, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

Goodman, S. 2001. ESRI user conference, July

10–12, San Diego, California.

Jackson, W. L, and C. Smith. 2001. Update on mapping standards. Bureau of Land Management

GIS conference, April 23–27, Phoenix, Arizona.

Marchase, M. 2001. Using aerial photography to

help assess and restore environmentally damaged

areas. U.S. Department of the Interior 2001 conference on the environment: The path before

us—Environmental stewardship for the twentyfirst century, March, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

[poster presentation]

Marchase, M. 2001. Using aerial photography to

help assess and restore environmentally damaged

areas. Bureau of Land Management GIS conference, April 23–27, Phoenix, Arizona. [poster presentation]

Matthews, N. A. 2001. Put power in your presentations. Federally employed women: Finding energy for women. Rocky Mountain Chapter training

program, March, Lakewood, Colorado.

Matthews, N. A. 2001. From dinosaur tracks to

management tracking: GIS. Federally employed

women: Finding energy for women. Rocky

Mountain Chapter training program, March,

Lakewood, Colorado.
48 National Science and Technology Center

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, T. Lumme, and

N. C. Fraser. 2001. Paleontologic resource documentation using an aerial camera blimp at

Jurassic fossil sites in Wyoming. A fossil odyssey:

Partners for a new millennium. The sixth conference on fossil resources, September 10–14,

Grand Junction, Colorado. [poster presentation]

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, R. E. Moore,

and C. Neff. 2001. Laser technology meets

dinosaur paleontology. A fossil odyssey: Partners

for a new millennium. The sixth conference on

fossil resources, September 10–14, Grand

Junction, Colorado.

Matthews, N. A., B. H. Breithaupt, and E. H.

Southwell. 2000. Photogrammetric documentation of a Middle Jurassic dinosaur tracksite in the

Sundance Formation of the Bighorn Basin of

Wyoming. Sixtieth annual meeting of the Society

of Vertebrate Paleontology, October 25–28,

Mexico City, Mexico.

Meyer, P. 2001. Restoration Program workshop,

February, Bureau National Training Center,

Phoenix, Arizona. 

Meyer, P. 2001. Natural resource damage assessment

and restoration. Department of the Interior

Environment Conference, March, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

Morris, T. 2001. The use and integration of GPS,

GIS photography in the inventory and evaluation

of hazardous waste sites. Alaska Forum for the

Environment and Department of the Interior

Environment Conference, March, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

Russell, N. 2001. Mapping OHV routes from

DOQs. Bureau of Land Management GIS conference, April 23–27, Phoenix, Arizona.

Schafersman, D. 2001. BLM CERCLA response

actions handbook. Department of the Interior

Environment Conference, March, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

Smith, C. 2001. Status of BLM automated 100K

production. Bureau of Land Management GIS

conference, April 23–27, Phoenix, Arizona.

[poster presentation]

Stulz, M. 2001. ESRI International User Conference

July 10-12, San Diego, California..

Stulz, M. 2001. The Rangeland Information System:

A customized ArcView Geographic Information

System (GIS) application for the Bureau of Land

Management. The Society for Rangeland

Management fifty-fourth annual meeting,

February 17–23.

Stulz, M. 2001. Bureau of Land Management GIS

Workshop, April 23–27, Phoenix, Arizona.

Walker, M. 2001. GeoMAC presentations: 

Western Governors Association (WGA) representatives, May 15, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),

Lakewood, Colorado. 

WGA Executive Committee, June 25, WGA

Office, Denver, Colorado.

GIS Seminar, April 27, Colorado State

University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

GIS 2001 Conference, April 25, USGS,

Lakewood, Colorado.

Infrared Interpreters Annual Meeting, February

20–22, Phoenix, Arizona.

Society of American Forester’s Annual

Convention, September 16, Denver, Colorado.

Walker, M. 2001. Instructor, Remote sensing and

GIS: USGS GIS 2001 Conference, April 23,

National Science and Technology Center,

Lakewood, Colorado.

GeoData collection and use, February 5–8, Reno,

Nevada.

Abandoned mine land characterization, July

9–13, National Science and Technology Center,

Lakewood, Colorado.
FY 2001 Annual Report 49

Staff Contributions to 

the National Training Cadre

1400-08, Pathways. National Science and

Technology Center (Center) instructors: Lee Barkow,

Paul Meyer, and David Schafersman. 

1400-12, Leadership Challenge. Center instructor:

David Schafersman.

1703-19, CERCLA Cost Recovery–Cost Avoidance.

Center instructors: Paul Meyer and Janet Youngdahl.

1703-14, Characterization of Abandoned Mine

Lands. Center instructor: Karl Ford.

7000-11, Stream Dynamics and Channel Design for

Reclamation (National Training Center [NTC]

Course). 

1737-12, Aerial Photography Training to Assess

Proper Functioning Condition (NTC Course).

Water Erosion Prediction Project Workshop, Salem,

Oregon.

Awards

Peter Doran, Center Graphics Editor, received the

Blue Pencil Award from the National Association of

Government Communicators for the USGS publication Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological

Resources. As a staff Visual Information Specialist,

Doran worked in collaboration with the U.S.

Geological Survey to create this landmark document.

It is the second major publication of the U.S.

Geological Survey’s (BRD) inventory and monitoring program, and the first in a series of scientific

publications that will compile and present status and

trend formation for use by resource managers and

the public. The award was presented at the National

Association of Government Communicators workshop, Hats Off to Communicators, which was held

March 7–9, 2001, in Denver, Colorado.

Don Prichard, Center Fishery Biologist, was selected

on September 20 as recipient of the Department of

the Interior’s distinguished Environmental

Achievement Award for 2001. The Department 

recognizes employees for exceptional achievements

or contributions in a broad range of environmental

discipline areas. Prichard was selected because of his

outstanding personal efforts and leadership over the

past 10 years in the implementation of a national

riparian–wetland assessment process as part of the

Bureau’s strategy to restore and maintain these

resources. The development of these protocols, 

related guidance, and training involved numerous

stakeholders from the U.S. Forest Service, the

Natural Resource Conservation Service, State 

agencies, private entities and international contacts. 
50 National Science and Technology Center

Science and technology are becoming mainstays to

the way the Bureau of Land Management does business. Never before has there been a more favorable

environment for facilitating science and technology

as a part of the land management process. Current

technologies are becoming affordable and new technologies are continually providing opportunities.

The National Science and Technology Center’s challenge is to apply these current and new technologies

to the problems that resource managers and specialists face. Technology can often be used for applications other than those for which it was originally

developed. Center staff must understand and use the

technology well enough to recognize opportunities

for innovative applications. 

Information and knowledge are continuing to

explode at an almost exponential rate. The mission

of the Center is to bring relevant science to managers and specialists in a form that can readily be

used to solve management issues. This “packaging”

of science is of the utmost importance and the reason for establishing the new Branch of Science

Investigations. The Center must work effectively

with all its science providers, including those at the

U.S. Geological Survey and the Cooperative

Ecosystem Studies Units throughout the United

States. It is critical that the Center implement the

Bureau’s Science Strategy through development of

the regional science catalogs and then share its science needs with those who can help address them. 

The Center continues to move toward being a significant source of scientific information and technical assistance to its field customers and toward seeking solutions to regional and national management

problems. The focus of Center staff is to solve those

management problems that have the broadest scope,

while understanding that a need at the local level is

often just as critical to achieving positive natural

resource results. The Center’s success will continue

to be judged by its customers and by those who provide the financial resources for it to carry out its mission. Center staff value customer feedback and welcome present and potential customers to work with

them to set an agenda for the future and to keep the

Center on a productive track. 

The National Science and Technology Center is an

important part of the solution, but no means the

only part. The Center’s motto continues to be

“Helping those who manage the land.”

Looking Toward

the Future
FY 2001 Annual Report 51

A/E – Architecture and Engineering

AML – Abandoned Mine Lands

ATB – air tanker base

ATE – Analysis Tools Extension

BLM – Bureau of Land Management

BOR – Bureau of Reclamation

CBM – coalbed methane

CDP – Colorado Digitization Project

CMR – Corporate Metadata Repository

COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative

EIS – Environmental Impact Statement

ESIE – Ecological Site Inventory Extension

ESRI – Environmental Systems Research Institute

FLPMA – Federal Land Policy and Management Act

FORVIS – Forest Vegetation Inventory System

GABS – Grazing Authorization and Billing System

GBRI – Great Basin Restoration Initiative

GIS – Geographic Information Systems

GPS – Global Positioning System

IB – Information Bulletin

IDS – Inventory Data System

LTVA – long-term visitor area

MESA – Mathematics, Engineering, Science

Achievement

NBC – National Business Center

NCA – National Conservation Area

NIFC – National Interagency Fire Center

NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

NPWRC – Northern Prairie Wildlife Research

Center

NRCS – Natural Resource Conservation Service

NRST – National Riparian Service Team

NSTC – National Science and Technology Center

OHV – off-highway vehicle

PRP – potentially responsible party

RAS – Rangeland Administration System

RIPS – Rangeland Improvement Project System

RIS – Rangeland Information System

RMP – Resource Management Plan

SCC – Science Coordinating Committee

SSE – Soils Suitability Extension

SWA – Site Writeup Area

TR – Technical Reference

USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS – United States Geological Survey

VRM – Visual Resource Management

WEPP – Water Erosion Prediction Project

Acronyms
52 National Science and Technology Center

Appendix A.

Projects Completed in 

Fiscal Year 2001

Project Name Client

Alaska

Alaska AML and Hazmat Site Investigation and Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Susan Flora

Alaska Forum on the Environment Presentation – GPS/GIS Site Mapping . . . . . . . . . .Susan Flora

Alaska NFO Site Investigations Mapping Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Susan Flora

Alaska Northern Field Office Support for Mapping Hazardous Waste Sites . . . . . . . . . .Susan Flora

Gold Bench/Ironside Bar AML Site Characterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Butts

Rapid Response Mapping Support on the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska . . . . . .John Payne

Red Devil Mine Risk Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Alcorn

Value Engineering for Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodd Moretz

Arizona

Arizona 100K Mapping (FY 1999–2000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Hutchison

Arizona 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Angel Mayes

Burro Corrals Well Site Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Duane Ferneau

Cadastral Automation Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis McKay

Combating Desertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beth Perault

Empire Cienga Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce Beierle

Florence, Arizona (Phase 1) – Route Inventory/OHV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Gibson

Florence, Arizona (Phase 2) – Route Inventory/OHV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Gibson

Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument – Scoping Report and

Pilot Project/OHV Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cimarron Chacon

Haekel Road Scoping Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce Beierle

La Posa Water System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Scott Debock

Lake Havasu Recreation Sites (Phase 3) – Deferred Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Parry

Nixon Fire Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Stone

Planning for Mega-meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gregg Simmons

Virgin River Instream Flow Hydrologic Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Hooper

Vekol Valley Road Improvement (Phase 1) – Deferred Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sedrick Green
FY 2001 Annual Report 53

California

Bridge Inspections and Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merlin McDaniel

Corn Springs Well Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ronald Noordman

Eagle Lake RA (Susanville) Resource Natual Color Aerial Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . .Donald Wannebo

Hydrologic and Geochemical Review of Mesquite Mine Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kevin Marty

Molycorp Waste Materials Mapping Project with AVIRIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Molly Brady

South Lassen Street Trail Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Donald Wannebo

Weed Brochures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Lou West

Colorado

Arkansas River Water Needs Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Taliaferro

Colorado 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keven Huffstutler

Colorado Interagency Vegetation Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Carochi

Colorado Recreation Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tina McDonald

Evaluation of Photogrammetic Support Needed by Royal Gorge Field Office . . . . . . . .Dan Grenard

GIS Map of Henson Creek Watershed Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Barbara Hite

Kremmling – OHV Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Arkins

OHV – Photo Interpretation Class Development (Pilot) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Diekman

OHV Strategy for Public Scoping Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis Zachman

OHV Support Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Diekman

Photogrammetric Support for Garden Park Fossil Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Grenard

San Miguel River Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis Murphy

South Park Groundwater Sampling, Phase II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roy Smith

Uncompahgre Plateau Project Logo and Letterhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maggie McCaffrey

Vegetation Classification Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Ferguson

Eastern States

Eastern States Vantage Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peggy Riek

Eastern States Vantage Newsletter Special Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Corky Rodine

Meadowood Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charles Bush

Idaho

Conceptual Site Plan for Dike Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Stevens

Idaho 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Garvin

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Pellant

Kaiser Spring Hydrogelogic Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .William Cook

Malad Fire Station Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Stevens

OHV Route Inventory Statement of Work (Lower Snake River District) . . . . . . . . . . . .Dirk Shupe

Pocatello Air Tanker Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Stevens

Rogerson Fire Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Stevens

Salmon River Riparian Aerial Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Howard Merriman

Site Development Study for the Mackay Reservoir Site Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Stevens

Ten Mile Terrace Geophysical Survey for Sand and Gravel Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Mallis
54 National Science and Technology Center

Montana

Billings/Bridger Recreation Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Corla Debar

Lewistown HVAC Modifications – Consultation and Submittal Review . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Bergum

Montana 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Corla Debar

Montana A/E Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Bergum

Weeds ARCIMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kathie Jewell

Nevada

Assistance with Veta Grande AML Site Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis . . . . . . . .Neal Brecheisen

Battle Mountain Master Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jon Ekstrand

Caliente Field Station – Administrative Office Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Fewell

California Trail Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jon Ekstrand

Carlin Fire Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norman Rockwell

Caselton Tailings Removal Site Evaluation and Engineering Analysis/Cost Evaluation . .Dan Netcher

Elko CIR Riparian Aerial Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carol Marchio

Nevada 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark O'Brien

Norse Windfall Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry Neumann

Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kim Schuett

Red Rock Signage Plan – Phase I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Gnesios

Red Rock Visitor Center Remodel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kim Schuett

Tablefire Flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Medlyn

Technical Climate and Air Quality Preparation for 3809 Mining Regulations EIS . . . . .Paul McNutt

Trout Creek Bridge Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norman Rockwell

Tybo Tailings Surface Water Controls and Cover Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry Neumann

Wild Horse and Burro Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lili Thomas

New Mexico

El Malpais Recreation Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Homan

Helium Operations Electrical Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katie Gallardo

Helium Resources of the US – 2001, Tech Note 408 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brent Gage

New Mexico 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Bewley

Rio Benito Water Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Schroeder

Technical Climate and Air Quality Preparation for the Camino Real EA . . . . . . . . . . . .Charles Carroll

Oregon

Accelerating Cooperative Riparian Restoration and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wayne Elmore

Cleveland Mill Tailings – Deer Camp Removal Site Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jake Jakaboski

FORVIS Install – Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Al Gardner

Implementing the BLM Science Strategy and Advancing Science in BLM . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Alverts
55 National Science and Technology Center

Oregon (continued) 

Oregon 100K Mapping (FY 1999–2000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy Briney

Oregon 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy Briney

Oregon Trail Center Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vern Pritchard

Riparian Poster Session for SAF Conference, September 13–16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carol Connolly

Umpqua Mine (AML) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eric Heenan

Update Process for Preparedness Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerry Day

Western Oregon Watershed Modeling Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chester Novak

Utah

Ad Hoc Wildland Fire Technology Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sheldon Wimmer

Calf Creek Site Map (GSENM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryce Lloyd

Cedar City Air Tanker Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Bott

Convert USGS–Utah Water Source Chemistry Data to GIS Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Phil Zieg

GSENM A/E Contract Selection, Design, and Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Casey Matthews

Hydrogeologic Assessment of Impacts of Well Development on BLM Water Rights . . . .Randy Beckstrand

Manning Canyon AML PRP Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Brown

Photogrammetric Support for Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry (Price, Utah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Leschin

San Rafael Swell Resource Aerial Photography – West Half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Casper

SW Utah Natural Color Resource Aerial Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Casper

Upper Fremont River Narrows Restoration Scoping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Phil Zieg

Utah 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Gale

Vernal Fire Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Hunter

Washington Office

100K Automated Mapping Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

Abandoned Mine Lands Web Site Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rory Raschen

Access – FORVIS Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rick Tholen

A/E BLM Level 4 and 5 Road Condition Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde

A/E Routes Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

A/E Selection for ID/IQ Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde

AML Cleanup Program Cost Recovery Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .George Stone

AML Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .George Stone

Annual Inventory Monitoring and Evaluation Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick Mayberry

Annual Performance Plan (FY 2001) and Report (FY 1999) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl Zulick

Argonne National Laboratory MOU Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henri Bisson

Back to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

Basic Training Course for Entry-level Hazardous Materials Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Billing System and the Rangeland Improvement Project System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Hartzell

BLM Guide to CERCLA Response Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

BLM NRDAR Case Screening and Initiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde
56 National Science and Technology Center

Washington Office (continued) 

BLM Performance Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Janine Velasco

BLM Representative to Interagency Improve Steering Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

BLM Representative to Interagency NADP/NTN Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

BLM Representative to Interagency WESTAR Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

BLM-wide Professional Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Fry

Boy Scout Jamboree Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

Bridge Safety BLM Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

Bureau Climate Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

Bureau-wide Air Quality Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

Civilian Conservation Corps Brochure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

CMR Exhibit and Brochure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Theresa Fresquez

Complete Software to Construct APDS and Transfer Data to GCDB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Ader

Cultural Heritage Program Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Brook

Demonstration of HRSS at the Central Hazmat Fund

Technical Review Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Development of Model Documents Addressed in CERCLA

Response Actions Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Digital Format of RMP Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ted Milesnick

Directory of BLM Hazmat Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Discovering Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elizabeth Rieben

DOI Restoration Program Work Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde

Engineering Advisory Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde

Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eric Janes

FIMMS Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

Focus Area Priority Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kit Muller

Forestry Forms Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Stewart

GABS and RIPS Rehost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Hartzell

GIS Products for National Sage Grouse Steering Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Hilliard

Guide Specifications for Construction Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

Hazmat and Environmental Contract Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

HBCU Support (FAMU-Cadastral) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Nunn

HB User Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bud Cribley

Indian Mineral Owners Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Anderson

Interagency Geographic Science Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

Journal Article – Research Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Haugh

Land Use Planning Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Aldrich

Making a Difference – BLM’s 1999 Volunteer Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

Management of BLM Statellite Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

Management of Interagency Printing Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

Micrographic Support FY 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don Buhler

Monitoring and Inventory Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Roberts

National Assessment Prototype Project Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sherry Barnett
57 National Science and Technology Center

Washington Office (continued)

National BLM Public Lands Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

National Interagency Technical Team on Ecological Units Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Stone

National Landscape Conservation System Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Krauss

National Public Lands Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

National Public Lands Day Celebration Tattoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Tisdale

National Resource Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick Mayberry

NCP Removal Document Examples for Hazmat Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Nighthawk Removal Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jake Jakaboski

NRDAR Program Coordination in BLM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernie Hyde

Project Management Guidance for BLM OSC/RPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Dean

Public Lands Opportunity Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patrick Gubbins

Public Rewards from Public Lands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Celia Boddington

Rangeland GIS with Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Reuwsaat

Range Permit Renewal TPRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Hartzell

ReGAP Cooperative Vegetation Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Hartzell

Sagebrush Habitat Committee Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jauhola

SCEP Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Shafran

Seeds of Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carol Spurrier

Seismic Safety in BLM Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

Shrub Steppe Dataset Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Hilliard

Sustainablilty Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Force

Technical Working Group, Roundtable on Sustainable Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Stewart

Unexploded Ordnance – Handbook 1703-2 for Land Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrea Mclaughlin

Utilization of Classified Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Harne

User Representative for the Grazing Authorization and Watershed Initiatives

and Salinity Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eric Janes

User Representative for Inventory Data System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick Mayberry

User Representative for SSST, STS, IHICS, and PLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jauhola

Volunteer Awards Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bibi Booth

VRM and GIS Intregration Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodger Schmitt

WO-230 Technical Support and Misc. Interagency Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Haske

Wyoming

Aquifer Protection for Oil/Gas Development in Green River Basin, Wyoming . . . . . . .Phil Howland

Advance Remote Sensing Technologies for Monitoring Postburn

Vegetation Trends and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce Keating

Design for Construction of the Red Hole Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Honn

Geophysical Survey of the Poison Spider Oil Pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ken Henke

Keeping Water on the Land Longer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis Doncaster
58 National Science and Technology Center

Wyoming (continued)

Red Gulch Wyoming Dinosaur Track Site – Detailed Terrestrial Photogrammetry . . . . .Darrell Barnes

Remote Sensing Presentation and Short Course for Wyoming R/S Workshop . . . . . . . .Gretchen Meyer

Rock Springs Administrative Offices – Title 1 Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don Schramm

Rock Springs Administrative Offices – Title 1 Design Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don Schramm

Sand Creek Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Kor

Scoping of the Hydrologic Parameterization and Modeling Project

for the Casper Field Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Meyer

Wyoming 100K Mapping (FY 2000–2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patrick Madigan

Workshop Course Development for Annual WY BLM GIS User Group Meetings . . . . .Gretchen Meyer

Wyoming Bridge Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Kor

National Business Center

BLM Annual Report 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Woerner

National Business Center Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Woerner

Reutilizing and Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sheri Johnson

National Human Resources Management Center

Inclusion Through Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lorenzo Cervantes

H-1112-1 Safety and Health Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick King

Rohn Tower Evaluation and Retrofit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce Prater

National Information Resources Management Center

Land and Resources Project Office Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Leslie Cone

LR2000 Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Leslie Cone

National Interagency Fire Center

Idaho 100K Mapping (FY 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katy Madrid

NIFC Standard Design Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Hefner

NWCG Geospatial Task Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katy Madrid

National Training Center

Air Conformity Training Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Russ Krapf

CERCLA Enforcement Class (1703-19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Costa

Conduct Training – AML Site Characterization and

Reclamation Class (1703-14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda Costa

Development of Time Series GIS Modeling Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diane Nelson

Engineers' Roles and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Meyers

GeoData Collection and Use Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diane Nelson

GIS Training Needs Assessment for Bureau Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diane Nelson
59 National Science and Technology Center

National Training Center (continued)

Lands and Realty Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June Bailey

Modules for Basic Training Course for 

Hazardous Materials Coordinators (1703-00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Sykes

Nonpoint Source Pollution Training (7000-09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Russ Krapf

Stream Dynamics and Channel Design for Reclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Russ Krapf

Time Series Modeling Course Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diane Nelson
60 National Science and Technology Center

Appendix B.

National Science and

Technology Center

Organization
FY 2001 Annual Report 61

National Science

and Technology Center

(ST-100)

Lee Barkow – Director

Michael Kirby – Associate Director

Rheda Dodd – Executive Assistant

Louise Ecoff – Business Manager

Carol Giffin – USGS Employee/Liaison

Division of Architecture and

Engineering Services (ST-110)

Robert Hart – Division Chief

Deanna Miller – Secretary 

Scott Hansen – Special Projects Coordinator

Russ Virgin – Construction Manager

Branch of Building Engineering Services

(ST-111) 

Thomas Busch – Branch Chief

Frank Ciesel – Architect

Phillip Luu – Structural Engineer

Ernest Parrott – Architect

ChanhTran – Mechanical Engineer

Sue Weber – Engineering Technician

Young Yu – Electrical Engineer

Vacant – Architect

Vacant – Engineering Technician

Vacant – Specification/IT Coordinator

Branch of Site Engineering Services (ST-112)

Patrick Fleming – Branch Chief

Keith Christiansen – Structural Engineer

Gary Fisk – Structural Engineer

Mary Anne Nelson – Civil Engineer

Mark Pritchett – Landscape Architect

Tanya Pardy – Civil Engineer

Elizabeth Smith – Structural Engineer

Vacant – Engineering Technician

Division of Geographic Sciences

(ST-120)

Fred Batson – Division Chief

Vacant – Secretary

Branch of Cartographic Applications

(ST-121) 

William Jackson – Branch Chief

Neal Anderson – Cartographic Quality Control

Faye Bogan – Cartographic Lab Specialist

Donald Decicco – Cartographer

Susan Derr – Cartographic Technician

Keith Francis – Cartographic Development 

Specialist

Mary Ann Guinea – Cartographer

Daniel Sedillo – Cartographic Technician

Chris Smith – Cartographic Development Specialist

Branch of Photogrammetric Applications

(ST-122)

Neffra Matthews – Branch Chief

Lawrence Cunningham – Aerial Photo Acquisition 

Coordinator

Paul Graves – Photogrammetrist

Russell Jackson – Photogrammetrist

David Kett – Photogrammetrist

Michael Marchase – Photogrammetrist

Tom Noble – Cartographer-Data Management

Nancy Russell – Photogrammetrist

Constance Slusser – Aerial Photo Archivist

Betty Wilson – Photo Lab Specialist
62 National Science and Technology Center

Division of Science (ST-130) 

Charisse Sydoriak – Division Chief 

Vida Jenkins – Secretary 

Elsie Pacheco – Secretary 

Branch of Science Investigations (ST-131)

Tom Roberts – Branch Chief 

Steven Barrell – Geologist 

Phillip Dittberner – Plant Ecologist 

Bruce Durtsche – Terrestrial Species Disease 

Specialist

Victoria Josupait – Management Analyst

Brian St. George – Natural Resource Specialist

Bruce Van Haveren – Science and Research Advisor 

Vacant – Outdoor Recreation Planner 

Vacant – Statistician 

Branch of Science Applications (ST-132) 

Daniel Muller – Branch Chief 

Jacek Blaszczynski – Terrain Modeling Specialist

James Fogg – Surface Water Modeling Specialist

Donald Prichard – PFC Fishery Biologist 

Paul Summers – Hydrogeologic Specialist

Steve Swanson – River Modeling Specialist

William Williams – FORVIS/Forest Inventory 

Specialist

Bill Ypsilantis – Soil Condition and Health 

Specialist

Vacant – Air Modeling Specialist

Vacant – Inventory and Monitoring Specialist

Branch of Environmental Compliance

(ST-133) 

David Schafersman – Branch Chief 

Scott Archer – Air Quality Specialist

William Carey – Water Quality Specialist

Karl Ford – Toxicologist 

Pamela Innis – Environmental Engineer 

Brent Lewis – Geophysical Survey Specialist

Paul Meyer – Resource Damage Specialist

Thomas Morris – Computer Specialist

Kenneth Smith - Environmental Protection Specialist

Janet Youngdahl - PRP Investigator 

Branch of Resource Systems and 

Remote Sensing/GIS Applications (ST-134)

Debra Dinville – Branch Chief

Wendy Bullock – GIS Development Specialist

Pamela Clemmer – Remote Sensing Specialist

Jerald Farringer – Wildlife Systems Manager

Susan Goodman – GIS Development Specialist

Dianne Osborne – GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist

Leon Pack – Grazing and Range Systems Manager

Kathy Pino – Information Systems Support

Richard Stark – Wild Horse and Burro

System Manager

Mary Beth Stulz – GIS Development Specialist

Vacant – Forestry Systems Manager

Vacant – GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist

Vacant – Project Manager

Information and Communications

Staff (ST-150)

Terry D'Erchia – Staff Chief 

Helen Sweeney – Secretary 

Ethel Coontz – Visual Information Specialist

Peter Doran – Visual Information Specialist

Deborah Harris – Writer-Editor 

Randy Hayes – Webmaster 

Linda Hill – Writer-Editor 

Jennifer Kapus – Visual Information Specialist

Janine Koselak – Visual Information Specialist

Jennifer Knudson – Intern

Kathleen Rohling – Writer-Editor 

Vacant – Historian

BLM Library

Barbara Campbell – Library Director

Elizabeth Araki – Reference Librarian 

Kenneth Grace – Microform Equipment Operator 

Barbara Klassen – Catalog Librarian 

Nathan Matthews – Library Technician/ 

Microform Equipment 

Operator

Joan Penzien – Reference Librarian

Crystal Talavera – Library Technician 

David Woodworth – Library Technician
The mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute

endorsement or recommendation for use by the Federal Government.

BLM/ST/GI-02/001+1300

✩ GPO: 2002—773-309/54019

Production services provided by:

Information and Communications Staff

Terry D’Erchia, Chief (303-236-6547)

Lee Barkow, Director

National Science and Technology Center

P.O. Box 25047

Denver, Colorado 80225-0047

The Bureau of Land Management’s National

Science and Technology Center supports

other BLM offices by providing a broad 

spectrum of services in areas such as physical,

biological, and social science assessments;

architecture and engineering support; library

assistance; mapping science; photo imaging;

geographic information systems applications;

and publications support.