BATTLING THE SILENT INVASION MAPPING SOUTHERN OREGON'S NOXIOUS WEEDS WITH GPS

Noxious weeds, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are 'species of plants that cause disease or are injurious to crops, livestock or land, and thus are detrimental to agriculture, commerce or public health'. These invasive species have become so thoroughly established on public and private land that many state and federal agencies have implemented prevention and control policies. To facilitate the economic burden of protection, control, and restoration efforts, one national agency, the Rogue River National Forest (RRNF) (managed by the U.S. Forest Service, under the USDA) in southern Oregon and northern California, has implemented a GPS-based mapping program that is helping refine its plan of attack against noxious weeds. Historically, the RRNF has not had any formal program to manage noxious weed infestations. With the emergence of geospatial technology, however, notably GIS, GPS, and digital mapping, federal land managers recognized an opportunity to develop a standardized noxious weed database that could carry into the future and allow for the creation of efficient control strategies. Thus, the rangeland department of the RRNF hired Timberhill Mapping of Corvalis, Oregon, to help develop a solution to their mapping quandary. To ensure accurate affordable data, the Timberhill Mapping and RRNF staff decided that combining GPS with aerial and digital photography would achieve their goals. The procedures developed for the data collection task, and the role of GPS in the procedures, are discussed. (AIAA)