Interested in how our national landscape changes over time? In February 2021, USDA Forest Service has released its expanded online Landscape Change Monitoring System (LCMS), a publicly available dataset that combines remote sensing products (including Landsat imagery) with reference data to create meaningful spatial data products such as time-lapses showing annual vegetation change, land cover, and land use. The release, developed by staff at the agency's GTAC in Salt Lake City, greatly expands LCMS’s coverage to include the entire continental United States and South and East Coastal Alaska. The update also adds 5 new data layers covering 1985 to present.

“We are thrilled to announce the release of the new LCMS Data Explorer, which leverages work accomplished by a diverse science team composed of Forest Service researchers, academia, and other government organizations. The data set's increased geographic coverage allows agency and public users to view, analyze, summarize, and download extensive imagery data showing landscape changes over time across the nation,” said Deb Oakeson, GTAC Director. 

Prior to the latest release, the LCMS data covered only Region 4 (the Intermountain Region) of the National Forest System plus four other national forests. In addition, the updated LCMS Data Explorer offers new kinds of data.

“In addition to the original Vegetation Loss data layer, users can now use LCMS to analyze Vegetation Gain, Land Cover, Land Use, Fast Loss, and Slow Loss data layers,” said Kevin Megown, GTAC’s Program Lead for Resource Mapping, Inventory and Monitoring. Megown oversees the GTAC team that updates and improves LCMS data, visualization tool, and user support.

How is LCMS data used? GTAC's online LCMS Data Explorer was originally developed to leverage USFS research to visualize the process of change across a landscape. (Link to time-lapse example on the Rocky Mountain Research Station's website). Managers then used it to make informed decisions for future management. For example, Forest Service regional and forest-level staffs have helped identify many applications for LCMS data including forest planning and revision, updating existing vegetation maps, assessing landscape conditions, supporting post-fire recovery, Forest Service Activity Tracking System (FACTS) analysis, disturbance tracking, and meeting broad-scale monitoring requirements.

The history of federal forest management dates to 1876 when Congress recognized the need for oversight of the quality and conditions of forests throughout the country. This foresight has evolved into today’s Forest Service, with a mission firmly rooted in sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

Located in Salt Lake City, UT, GTAC provides leadership in geospatial science implementation in the USDA Forest Service. Learn more about GTAC’s mission, projects, career opportunities, and publicly available geospatial applications by visiting the center’s USDA Forest Service website at https://fs.usda.gov/about-agency/gtac.