LAND MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Whether a project requires above ground carbon accounting or current forest fuels structure measurements, Vibrant Planet can deliver a range of products that establishes baseline data for project evaluation throughout its lifespan.

Partner credit: USFS

Map Vegetation and Fuels

Vibrant Planet and our partners have developed novel workflows that package high spatial and temporal resolution information into meaningful datasets that can be applied at multiple scales. We provide seamless, timely, and cost-effective updates when disturbance may render parts of that dataset inadequate. We understand that there isn’t a mapping product that will fit everyone’s requirements, so we tailor all of our deliverables to meet our client’s specific needs.

Quantify Forest Resilience

Vibrant Planet has pioneered workflows to quantify forest resilience by measuring horizontal and vertical forest structure across large areas of forests in the western United States. Taking advantage of extensive, high density LiDAR acquisitions, we synthesize pattern data in order to compare at risk forests to contemporary resilient forest conditions that exist in places like Illilouette Basin in Yosemite National Park and Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja, Mexico.

Through extensive vegetation, fuels, and fire modeling capabilities, Vibrant Planet specializes in quantifying the effects of action or inaction which informs decisions and conveys project vision to stakeholders.

Partner credit: Janice Coen

Model Fire Behavior

Vibrant Planet will apply the appropriate wildland fire model or suite of models to answer our clients’ specific land management questions. We utilize empirical, semi empirical, and/or physical fire behavior models to examine large landscape fire hazards or even analyze site-specific treatment effects. We maintain positive working relationships with most wildland fire model developers, so we are regularly taking advantage of contemporary, yet proven modeling toolsets.

Model Forest Disturbance and Growth

With a deep understanding of available vegetation growth and disturbance models including spatially independent models like Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) or Landscape Disturbance and Succession Models like RMLands or LANDIS, Vibrant Planet is able to build appropriately scaled datasets to serve the analysis needs of any project phase. Whether it is to improve the inputs for fire behavior modeling or to evaluate treatment effects on carbon stores, we can efficiently serve up products that will help quantify the present and make the future clearer.

Photo credit: UC Berkeley, Sagehen Field Station

Evaluate High Valued Resources and Assets (HVRA) Risk to Wildfire

Utilizing similar workflows that go into regional or statewide risk maps, Vibrant Planet builds risk products from proprietary vegetation and fuels information coupled with proven locally sourced HVRA data that is coordinated with input from stakeholders. Products are updated without large remote sensing acquisition investments and are applicable at county wide planning effort scales all the way down to defensible space treatment design on individual buildings.

Execute CEQA/NEPA Environmental Analysis and Documentation

Vibrant Planet has intimate experience applying environmental law, regulations and policy to natural resource projects. In conjunction with our partners, we can find the right level of environmental analysis to meet the needs of any project based on its effects. Whether that is an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration under CEQA on private lands or an Environmental Impact Statement level of analysis on federal lands, we has access to the resources and expertise necessary to carry a project from scoping through decision.

Vibrant Planet synthesizes assessment data, analysis conclusions, and field knowledge with extensive forest management systems application experience when designing treatment matrices that follow the spirit and letter of a decision.

Partner credit: USFS

Design and Prioritize Treatments

Drawing on decades of design experience, Vibrant Planet takes advantage of all available remote sensing data and field inventories to draft treatment boundaries accompanied by detailed prescriptions and proposed methodologies. In collaboration with stakeholder groups, we then integrate risk maps with designed treatment matrices while considering current environmental, economic, and social pressures to prioritize what treatments will elicit the greatest impact.

Prepare Contracts and Layout Treatment Units

Vibrant Planet has the hardware and software to successfully map and document treatment areas using sub-meter Global Positioning Systems and semi-permanent ground demarcation for collaborative field trips, contract outreach, and implementation oversight. We, with years of natural resource management contract experience, can then synthesize environmental documentation, treatment design, and field layout information into attractive contracts for solicitation.

Vibrant Planet can utilize the specificity of field measurements, the coverage of satellite data, and the detail of unmanned aerial vehicles to track treatment progress as well as directly measure effects.

Partner credit: USFS

Administer and Manage Contracts

Administering forest contracts requires a unique blend of contract law knowledge and forest ecology application experience with the array of forest treatment systems. Whether it is monitoring performance, compliance, or finances, Vibrant Planet will provide a professional, experienced, and field going administrator to ensure every aspect of the project design is carried through closure. Furthermore we have the ability to manage inevitable contract changes as well as the relationships needed for successful contract completion. In conjunction with our partners, if that individual needs to be a Registered Professional Forester, we can provide those services as well.

Examine Post Treatment Conditions

Vibrant Planet can deploy field resources necessary for site specific monitoring needs or take advantage of remote sensing technologies to evaluate larger scale treatment effects, disturbance recovery, or even the slow changes of mature forests. Field and/or remote sensing data can then be synthesized into data products to answer any of the monitoring questions a project may have while being understood by any audience.

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