00:33
It's no news that we all use maps to do our jobs. There are often
00:38
problems using them in the traditional paper form, particularly when we can't seem to get the right information in the
00:43
right format when we need it. There should be a better way. GRASS is a
01:01
Geographic Information System or GIS. It's a better way to manage, store and use your mapped information. GRASS is simply
01:09
a computerized system which stores, analyzes and displays different types of mapped information. GRASS supports
01:18
installation managers in carrying out their mission with higher reliability in a cost-effective manner. GISes
01:25
reduce costs, improve result and
01:28
conclusions, produce more defendable data and are more acceptable to
01:32
the public. GRASS is currently
01:34
established at Forts McClellan, Hood
01:37
and Lewis, and the Yakima Firing Center as well as
01:40
National Guard Bureau Head Quarters. It will be established soon
01:44
at several additional army locations as well as other governmental agencies. So don't keep your
01:51
information about soils, vegetation, roads
01:54
or archaeological sites rolled up
01:56
in map tubes or stuffed into drawers. Keep it in
01:59
a computer. GRASS can consist
02:03
of any number of different layers, with each layer representing
02:06
a different theme. These layers are related or registered the same map base. So they
02:12
can be overlayed onto each other automatically, without ever having
02:15
to adjust scales or match coordinates first. GRASS eliminates many
02:20
of the problems which occur with paper maps. GRASS can
02:24
also let you use the information on your installation in
02:27
ways which would be difficult or impossible with more traditional
02:30
techniques. Let's see how.
02:34
Finding the map of a particular feature is not a problem with GRASS. All the map
02:39
layers are kept in a computer. You have immediate access to any layers such as elevation, streams or to any combination of layers. To relate
02:49
maps of different scales on paper can be difficult and tedious. With Grass, all of
02:54
your layers are registered to the same base. So you can combine maps of different scales automatically. Don't be limited in the types of map combinations and overlays you can cope with manually. You can combine any number of layers to produce new maps. You can see where certain specified combinations of features occur. Updating
03:16
a paper map is a bother. Changes can mean the entire map has to be redrawn by hand. Unless you happen to have a full time artist on your staff, producing to Automaps by hand is not possible.
03:30
data in GRASS are in Because the data in GRASS are in a computer system, keeping installation
03:34
information up to date is
03:36
straightforward and systematic. You can
03:39
also keep track of changes over time and get an
03:41
updated paper copy right away when you need it. GRASS
03:45
lets you display your information quickly at a tremendous variety of formats, sizes, scales and colors. In addition, a user can overlay layers to find where certain unique combinations of features exist, much as Ian McHarg proposed in his book Design with Nature. You can create entirely new layers for your installation by combining existing maps in various ways. These new layers can be added to GRASS. On your installation,
04:15
GRASS can be used to help answer questions about installation
04:19
resources; answers like critical habitat
04:22
zones for endangered species such as red-cockaded woodpeckers; or legally
04:28
required noise contour zones which impacts civilian areas. These can be generated for public presentation or for inclusion in environmental impact assessments or statements. Other
04:40
questions may deal with finding the amount of highly erodible
04:42
soil present on a new multipurpose range complex or potential
04:47
hazardous waste landfill sites or the location of areas which
04:51
will be within a proposed firing rain safety fan. GRASS
04:54
can also be used to monitor changes or trends in installation resources. It can compute areas, lengths, distances or do profiles of topographic elevations automatically.
05:06
How can these capabilities be
05:08
applied to your installation? Suppose
05:11
you need to know where undiscovered archaeological sites are most likely to occur. If locations
05:18
of known archaeological sites can
05:19
be correlated with combinations of environmental features such as vegetation
05:24
types, soil types, elevations or
05:26
nearness to water. GRASS can be used to display other areas at the installation where
05:32
these same combinations of features occur. You have thereby created
05:36
a map of potential archaeological site locations. This same approach
05:41
can be used to find potential recreation areas like game hunting zones by using specified
05:46
combinations of features - terrain,
05:48
vegetation or restricted zones. Suppose you have to locate a
05:52
new landfill. One of the factors in landfill siting is the access to paved roads within a limited distance of the cantonment area. GRASS can
06:01
be used to find all locations meeting these requirements. The
06:05
results of any of these analyses can be displayed in virtually any format tailored to
06:10
meet your particular needs including
06:12
placing them directly into required documents like environmental impact statements. We have gotten some idea
06:18
for the potential uses of GRASS for your installation. Now,
06:21
let's look at a specific example of how GRASS is
06:24
being used at an army installation. At Fort Hood, one
06:28
weapon system requires a five kilometre line of clear sight
06:32
for training. Using conventional survey techniques, only a few appropriate training areas could be found.
06:39
And because of that those areas were being heavily used by this one particular tank. We determined in a hurry that these areas were being used too much and that the soil was being terribly disturbed at the grass land for being degraded a very, very rapid rate. And if we continued, as we were, we would going to end up with a virtual desert.
07:01
Emmet Grey, Head of Fort Hood Environmental Office, approached the trainers with a plan to locate and develop more training areas using GRASS. They liked
07:10
the idea since it met their training scenarios. In such a system, we would spread the hurt - so to speak. We would have the same amount of training going on but in a greater area. This suited my needs
07:25
as a land manager tremendously.
07:27
It suited their needs as a training exercise actually better
07:33
since they had more land
07:34
to deal with. Higher-level authorities are also taking an interest in GRASS like Colonel Kelsey at the Army's Environmental Office.
07:42
The National Environmental Policy Act and the President's Council on Environmental Quality required the consequences of proposed actions be fully considered and integrated into the planning and decision making process. For years the army has searched for tools and methodologies to develop and present high quality environmental analyses to decision makers and the public. The Construction Engineer Research Laboratory has developed the best currently available tool to assure this commitment to excellent analysis. The three greatest benefits of GRASS from the NEPA perspective are, first, that the environmentalist now has the ability to get involved with projects and project planning in an early phase and assist the proponent in designing in desired mitigations. Secondly, I think the advancement in quality of environmental documentation will be significant, both from an analysis and graphic presentation perspective. And finally, and this too is related to excellence and analysis, is the objectivity of our analyses and the associated credibility gained through the process. This is accomplished while reducing the cost and time normally associated with environmental analysis. What do
09:02
you need to implement GRASS at your location? A GIS has four components: the analysis
09:08
software, the installation specific data,
09:11
the computer hardware, and the
09:13
operating staff. USA Searl has
09:18
developed the GRASS software component of the last several years.
09:21
It is publically available software
09:23
for governmental agencies with land management or environmental planning requirements.
09:29
The extensive family of options are designed to be accessed
09:32
through user friendly menus. Only
09:34
minimal training is required to begin to make GRASS responsive to your needs.
09:44
The second component is the installationâs specific data layers. The layers most commonly included are vegetation or land cover, topography, installation boundaries,
09:55
training areas, roads and trails. Additional layers can also be added later. Remember, you may not have to collect and
10:03
enter as many layers as you first think because some
10:06
can be created or derived from others. For example, slope and aspect layers can be
10:11
derived automatically from elevation data.
10:15
On the other hand, the more specific the questions you want to ask, the more detailed the map layers must be and usually the higher the cost to collect and enter the necessary data. Besides
10:25
the data you already have
10:27
at your installation, other types are available. Remote sensing can
10:31
include traditional techniques such as
10:33
aerial photography as well as
10:35
the use of data collected by sensors and satellites or
10:37
aircraft. Aerial photography usually has to be interpreted and then transferred into the installation base map before it can be entered into GRASS. Data collected
10:47
by satellite, on the other hand, comes in computer-ready form
10:50
on digital tapes. The new Landsat Thematic Mapper Data have
10:54
resolution down to thirty meters on an edge suitable for many installation applications. Though it
11:01
must be scanned to get into computer form, high altitude,
11:04
false color images are inexpensive and relieve and resolve individual trees and cars. Topographic data
11:11
for your installation can be also acquired in computer-ready digital form. Data which are not
11:16
already in digital form need to be digitized. The GRASS software also includes utilities to
11:23
construct this kind of computer data. Of course, your system
11:27
is more than just software and data. It also includes the third component: The computer
11:32
equipment or hardware. GRASS has been established on the Masscomp
11:38
and Sun Mini computers. It is possible to run it
11:41
on any computer which uses the Unix operating system. The Unix operating environment ensures that
11:49
GRASS code can be ported to new computers such as the AT&T 3B2 or other microcomputers.
12:01
Besides, the computer itself, a monitor and color display terminal, a printer and plotter
12:06
are usually necessary. Hardware costs are currently in the range
12:11
of fifty thousand Dollars for the entire configuration. In time, this will drop as computer
12:17
costs go down and as GRASS is ported from the
12:20
mini to micro computer level. The fourth and very important
12:27
component is the operating staff. Do you and your staff have to be computer specialists? No. GRASS is very user-friendly
12:36
and interactive. A professional with minimal previous computer exposure will
12:42
be able to obtain useful GRASS analyses after some initial
12:46
training. However, maintenance requires a
12:48
trained technical assistant on your staff knowledgeable in regular computer systems support and largely dedicated to GRASS support. GRASS can
12:58
help you whenever you need to access information on your installation quickly; to determine aerial planimetric amounts; to combine, overlay
13:07
or analyze the information to answer specific questions; to compare alternatives; or to predict the
13:14
effect of certain events. If you're not satisfied with hand-drawn
13:18
out of date maps, using GRASS can help improve your effectiveness as an installation manager
13:24
and make better use of limited manpower and smaller budgets. GRASS can help you take
13:30
better care of the resources for which you are responsible.
