Fire-Risk Reduction on the Yakama Nation Reservation, WA

CSI is working together with the Yakama Nation Fuels Management and Wildlife Resource Management team to identify the invasive and fire-prone species of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) cover on the Yakama Nation lands in central Washington State. Identification of areas where cheatgrass cover is dominant and homogenous is a first step toward reducing fire risk and restoring more fire-tolerant grasses and shrubs. Land cover products derived from satellite imagery, ancillary, and in situ reference data that are digitally processed and modeled to quantify fuel load will provide spatially explicit information on cheatgrass communities. Modeling the spatial patterns of contiguity and/or fragmentation of cover by Bromus tectorum will improve efforts for restoration and improve the safety and air-quality for residents situated proximal to cheatgrass infestations. CSI is using an approach that will result in the following:

• A land cover classification to effectively and efficiently target cheatgrass
• Integration of image products with fire fuel load model
• Site maps and products for cheatgrass elimination

The deliverables for this project are:

• Prioritized fire risk maps
• Maps of fuel load and sensitivity zones
• Supplemental digital archive of imagery