Unmanned Aerial Systems in Federal Cultural Resource Management

Summary

Although use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or what are commonly known as drones, has become popular among the general public over the years, federal land management agencies are just beginning to realize their potential for cultural resource management. The Bureau of Land Management, Las Cruces District Office (LCDO), has recently obtained UAS resources and trained staff capable of collecting data that is useful for a variety of resource management issues. In particular, the LCDO UAS team has provided high resolution imagery to assist in resource documentation, site monitoring, and mapping of resource degradation. The data collected via UAS has enabled resource specialists to calculate rates of erosion at a damaged Pueblo site situated on an arroyo bank. Areas of the site that are at high risk of being lost to erosion can be targeted using this data. This is one example of the utility of UAS for cultural resource management, but the implications of this technology are enormous for land managing agencies. Large areas can be covered in a short period of time. The data obtained is high quality, allowing the agency to use the best science available for its mission objectives.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21657