Surveying Forest Lands

About this technology

Overview

The forest service has 187 million acres of land in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Accurately marking boundaries of such extensive property is obviously a monumental task. Survey originally estimated as a 24 year job because mountains, trees, and thick bushes block direct sightings between two points. Goddard built a Laser Range Pole a portable battery operated backpack device that allows direct sightings no matter how rough the terrain or how thick the forest. Equipment consists of a laser transmitter and a receiver. From property marker transmitter pulses a laser beam vertically, several thousand feet in some cases. A second surveying point about a mile away, receiver detects the laser pulse high above trees and locks in the exact direction providing a bearing between the two points. A ground crew can extend border back to sending point by conventional surveying techniques.