Location: Range Management Research
Project Number: 3050-21600-001-104-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2023
End Date: Apr 30, 2028
Objective:
The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) is a remote-sensing based data product that empowers landowners and resource managers to track vegetation through time, equipping people with the information they need to improve America’s grazing lands. RAP provides rangeland vegetation cover and production data served up in an easy-to-use web application, but the data are also available through Google Earth Engine and FTP sites. RAP allows rangeland practitioners to evaluate vegetation through space and time and at a variety of spatial scales (30 m to CONUS). RAP is a rangeland management and monitoring tool intended to be used alongside local data and knowledge to develop sustainable rangeland management strategies and implement climate smart practices. RAP helps users analyze the outcomes of land management actions and plan for future actions, such as evaluating the impacts of drought on perennial forage on both seasonal and yearly scales, identifying where to implement future restoration treatments, or evaluating the effectiveness of restoration treatments. RAP is currently maintained and operated by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range in collaboration with Partnerships in Data Innovation.
Approach:
RAP is actively used in BLM NEPA analyses and in planning efforts. It is important that RAP data and web tools remain available for use by BLM staff to support decision making. In FY23, ARS will:
• Produce RAP cover and production models at appropriate intervals (16-day for the production data, annually for the cover data).
• Make RAP data accessible to BLM users through web apps (rangelands.app), Google Earth Engine assets, and FTP sites.
• Work in collaboration with BLM state, NOC, and program staff to support BLM users of RAP.
• Develop and strengthen interagency partnerships with BLM, NRCS, USFWS, USFS, and more to ensure the continuity and improvement of RAP in the future.
• Coordinate with other remote sensing platforms, models, and tools to improve integration and complementarity of remote sensing tools for BLM.
