IKONOS Imagery Used for NRCS National Resources Inventory in Alaska 

IKONOS satellite images of the Little Susitna River, a major salmon stream in south central Alaska -- the image shows the transitional zone between the timbered uplands and the inter-tidal wetlands near the mouth of the river

For the first time ever, NRCS will use a combination of archive and newly tasked IKONOS satellite images to map and apply National Resources Inventory (NRI) program primary data elements to inventory land use, evaluate loss of farmland to urbanization, measure the effectiveness of conservation practices, and detect changes to the landscape from soil erosion.  NRCS has awarded a contract to Space Imaging to provide high-resolution IKONOS satellite imagery of Alaska for the NRI.  The NRI serves as the federal government’s statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands. 

“In the past, we have mainly relied on aerial photos and people in the field for our inventory. However, the high-resolution quality of the IKONOS images provides us with a more accurate mapping product which saves us time and resources,” said Ted Cox, NRCS State NRI/GIS coordinator in Alaska. “The information we collect with the IKONOS imagery will give us a future reference on which we can compare and register changes.  Once we have this in place, most of data elements can be collected with remote sensing so that field visits can be limited.”

The inventory process has a longer cycle in Alaska due to the difficult logistics of acquiring data in its remote regions.  IKONOS has been initially tasked to capture images of 38 contiguous areas of interest.  An additional 350 areas of interest will eventually be acquired.  Some areas captured by IKONOS allow the NRI to cluster samples and view two to three primary sample units at one time, which enables it to maximize its return on investment.

Learn more about NRCS in Alaska

"Alaska’s unique landscape and remoteness make it an ideal area where satellite imagery can significantly assist in assessments," said Jim Roper, director of sales at Space Imaging.  "Using IKONOS images improves NRCS’s ability to inventory, monitor, and assess the status and trends of our nation’s natural and environmental resources."

Space Imaging is a member of the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation.
Your contact is Ted Cox, NRCS Alaska State NRI/GIS coordinator, at 907-761-7764.