BIA

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) applies remote sensing to activities such as land use planning, responding to non-point source pollution affecting subsistence hunting and fishing, and climate change impacts such as sea-level rise for coastal Tribes, location and identification of potential dam hazards, and the generation of digital terrain data for the use of open-channel hydraulics. In collaboration with other agencies, BIA continues to actively explore ways to improve management through the use of remote sensing data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies.

Bureau Full Name
Bureau of Indian Affairs

Home

The National Space Policy announced by the White House on July 28, 2010 recognized the Department of the Interior's expertise and accomplishments in remote sensing to provide data and advance research for science and natural resource management. This policy states:

The Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), shall:

2011 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data, information, and resources contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI).  Spanning data sources from aerial photography, to moderate resolution satellite data, to highly specialized imaging sensors and platforms, DOI personnel use remotely sensing capabilities to evaluate and monitor land-surface conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

2012 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data, information, and resources contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI).  Spanning data sources from aerial photography, to moderate resolution satellite data, to highly specialized imaging sensors and platforms, DOI personnel use remote sensing capabilities to evaluate and monitor land-surface conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility. This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) provides a sampling of the many applications of remote sensing across the DOI.*

2013 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI).  This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

2014 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI). This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

2015 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI). This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

2016 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI). This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

Training in Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies for Tribal Land Management

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

A USGS research team led by Dennis Dye of the Western Geographic Science Center gave a 3-day technical training course on land remote sensing to staff of the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s Forest Resources Program in San Carlos, Arizona.  The training supports the Tribe’s objectives for using ground-based observing systems (science-quality “phenocams” and other sensors) and airborne laser scanning (lidar) to support improved monitoring, analysis, and management of their natural resources.

Vegetative Response to Water availability on the San Carlos Apache Reservation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

On the San Carlos Apache Reservation in east-central Arizona, vegetation types such as ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and grasslands have important ecological, cultural, and economic value for the Tribe. This value extends beyond the Tribal lands and across the western United States. Vegetation across the southwestern United States is susceptible to drought conditions and fluctuating water availability. Remotely sensed vegetation indices can be used to measure and monitor spatial and temporal vegetative response to these water and drought dynamics.

Classifying Forest Types Using Remotely-Sensed Imagery

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

The Penobscot Nation in Maine, a federally recognized Indian Tribe, utilized remote sensing imagery to map forest resources on their reservation. The Tribe hired a contractor to capture aerial color imagery at a scale of 1:15,840. After post-collection analysis of the acquired imagery, a forest cover map was created for the 14,000-acre Lakeville parcel. The map incorporated minor and major tree species (hardwoods and softwoods), stand density, and forest floor cover.