The purpose of this technical note is to assist field offices in using current geographic information systems (GIS) and image processing technologies to facilitate new, or improve on existing, visual resource management (VRM) inventories. This technical note seeks to use technology available in the field to improve existing VRM inventory procedures without changing the basic concepts the inventory is built on.
As previously noted in WO IM No. 2001-038, Development/Approval of Preparation Plans for New Planning Starts, use of current technologies are needed to assist managers in completing new, or amending current, planning documents. The methodology described throughout this technical note can be quickly distributed to the field and provides defensible and repeatable VRM data for inclusion in the Bureau’s resource management plan (RMP) process. This technical note attempts to modernize the VRM inventory process by taking advantage of advances in GIS and image processing technologies in order to accomplish the following goals:
- Enhance the repeatability of VRM results.
- Reduce the amount of time needed to conduct an inventory.
- Reduce the workload that a VRM inventory has on the local office.
- Reduce the cost of the inventory.
- Improve the quality of VRM inventories for land management decisionmakers.