U.S. Department of the Interior
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) remote sensing program provides OSMRE offices, states, and Tribes with the necessary tools to use remote sensing technologies to support Titles IV (Abandoned Mine Lands) and V (Regulation of Current Mining) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). As part of this support, the OSM remote sensing program provides high-resolution satellite imagery, aerial photography, and light imaging and detection (lidar) data to conduct analysis of terrain, vegetation, and hydrologic function on active mine sites to ensure reclamation is consistent with the approved mining permit. These data are also used to support inventory, monitoring, and assessment of abandoned mine land features to ensure there is no threat to the environment or to health and human safety.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of OSMRE employees have easily transitioned into a maximum telework schedule as much work can be done remotely. With technology in place to stay in contact and have virtual meetings, they continue to work successfully on collaborative assignments.
The OSMRE GIS Branch has been providing imagery support to monitor mine reclamation activities. This support was more critical in 2020 due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic.
Monastery Run Wetland 1 near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is a passive mine water treatment system constructed in 1997–1998 to treat multiple discharges from an abandoned underground mine. The OSMRE Technical Support Division assisted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) with diagnosing issues and improving the effectiveness of the water treatment system.
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.
Geographers and remote sensing specialists at OSMRE use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS; drones) to capture images and create mathematically correct 2D and 3D models of active and abandoned coal mining sites and features.
The OSMRE Western Region worked with the State of Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining to monitor reclamation efforts at Cottonwood-Wilberg Mine in Emery County, Utah, using remote sensing change detection of historical photography and land use records. OSMRE purchased high-resolution lidar and orthophotography from Juniper Unmanned of the site before major earthw
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.
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:
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.
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.*
