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BEYOND REGULATION TO PROTECTION. THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS IN THE SCIENCE MISSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Citation:
Williams, D J. BEYOND REGULATION TO PROTECTION. THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS IN THE SCIENCE MISSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. Presented at Federal Reconnaissance Users Conference, Chantilly, VA, February 4-7, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
The objectives of this task are to:
Assess new remote sensing technology for applicability to landscape characterization; Integrate multiple sensor systems data for improved landscape characterization;
Coordinate future technological needs with other agencies' sensor development programs;
Apply existing remote sensing systems to varied landscape characterization needs; and
Conduct remote sensing applications research for habitat suitability, water resources, and terrestrial condition indicators.
Description:
The use of National Technical Means (NTM) data and advanced geospatial technologies has an important role in supporting the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA's responsibilities have grown beyond pollution compliance monitoring and enforcement to include the characterization and assessments of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, global change research, environmental information collection and management, international activities, national preparedness and homeland defense. With this increasingly complex mission, the use of advance data collection systems such as civil, commercial and national remotely sensed data has become critically important. Information derived from national reconnaissance systems is used in many scientific activities throughout the agency. NTM data supports many activities in EPA's Landscape Sciences Program and provides a dependable, highly accurate and cost effective way to assist in developing useful, sensitive indicators of environmental condition and change. Data from national reconnaissance assets is also used by EPA to characterize the Nation's landscapes at multiple scales and to- document land cover changes and is utilized to perform accuracy assessments of multi-agency national land cover products such as the Multi-Resolution Land Cover database. NTM data has also been used in a non-regulatory context for domestic and international emergency response activities by providing timely information to on-scene personnel. EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center (EPIC) provides scientific and technical assistance within the EPA regarding the use of NTM data and remote sensing technologies and to other civil agencies and members of the Intelligence Community.