Project Summary:

The Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. (WGFD) is a strong advocate for detailed habitat characterization in Wyoming. The Bureau of Land Management is providing in-kind assistance including field data collection performed by Chicago Botanical Gardens interns and BLM staff field leads.

Southwest land cover mapping will be completed by December 2006 and is designed to characterize habitat and land cover change in SW Wyoming. Central land cover mapping will be completed by December 2007.  This project involves extensive remote sensing analysis to create a current, detailed land cover map of the region, as well as change detection analysis at 5 year intervals back to the mid-1980s. Additionally, we will map the extent of snow cover in Southwest and Central Wyoming for a typical low snow year and a typical high snow year. All of these products are essential for habitat management activities. The work will integrate mapping done by the BLM and other agencies, and will be conducted in close cooperation with field offices.