BLM Alaska Fieldwork - Summer 2022 Edition

This summer saw a continuation of the ongoing work GeoSpatial Services (GSS) is doing in Alaska for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). GSS has had wetland mapping contracts with the BLM for 4 years now. Each of its awarded contracts includes a field component for verifying its computer-based GIS work. Fieldwork is done on each project to compare the wetland data created in the office to actual landscapes, and not solely relying on the satellite imagery used in the work.

This summer’s BLM work was similar to past years in that a team was sent to Alaska to complete data collection and data comparisons utilizing helicopters, cameras, soil and vegetation sampling, and more. This year’s team was led by Eric Lindquist and James Loken, who spent 20 days in the vast landscapes of Alaska. The pair traveled many miles by car, plane and helicopter. Lindquist and Loken traveled from Fairbanks, AK to remote villages/towns such as Bettles, Galena, Nome and more. Areas of unique interest included the Seward Peninsula and the Bering Land Bridge, Kobuk/Noatak National Park, Kobuk Sand Dunes, and more. This work will continue for nearly two more years and will employ numerous staff and students!