GSS Sends 3 to Northern California for Field Verifications

In mid-October, GeoSpatial Services’ (GSS) Andy Robertson, Kevin Stark, and Eric Lindquist spent a week in Northeastern California and Western Nevada for the purpose of verifying GSS’s wetland mapping work. GSS has been a major contributor to the National Wetland Inventory and a long-time partner with the BLM to complete much of their wetland mapping in the western United States and Alaska.

Much of the data taken to the field for evaluation and on-the-ground corrections was created by the team of students working with the GSS/Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mapping team at Watters Hall on SMUMN’s Winona campus. GSS student technicians are guided through a training and learning protocol of wetland mapping skills and exposure to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software in order to be employed by GSS/SMUMN. Staff members Peter McColl, James Loken, Matt Hogan, Shauna (Frahm) Larson, and Eric Lindquist work with students who are in “real-world”, paid positions within GSS. The students gain skills in the software used, data creation, natural resource mapping, and much more.

Currently, GSS employs approximately 40 students at both the Winona and Twin Cities campuses on various projects throughout the U.S.