GIS Applications for ROW Management on New York Power Authority High Voltage Transmission Lines

1. GIS Applications for ROW Management on New York Power Authority High Voltage Transmission Lines Prepared for: 2004 DoD Pest Management Workshop Prepared by: New York Power Authority and URS Corporation Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida February 9 – 13, 2004

2. Presentation Team • New York Power Authority • Ed Alkiewicz – Sr. Environmental Scientist • Kevin McLoughlin – System Forester • John Wingfield – GIS/Survey Manager • URS Corporation • Dave Frazier – Project Manager • Lana Khitrik – GIS Manager • Jim Kooser – Senior Ecologist

3. The New York Power Authority • One of the largest producers of electricity in New York State • Over one thousand miles of high voltage transmission lines crossing New York State

4. NYPA and Rights-of-Way Management • Approximately 24,000 acres of rights-of-way: • Various types of lands use • Various vegetation types Goal: Provide safe and reliable transmission of electric power in an economic and environmentally compatible manner

5. Importance of Effective Vegetation Management August 2003 Blackouts – Lessons Learned Cause 2: Inadequate Tree Trimming

6. Integrated Vegetation Management • The highly selective removal of tall growing trees through the careful use of herbicide and mechanical treatments. • Manages the ecology of the rights-of-way to reduce tall tree density and encourage the growth of desirable species. • Accurate data on the density of undesirable and desirable species is required to implement an IVM strategy. Electronic field data collection techniques make gathering such data economical.

7. The Traditional Process

8. The Traditional Process The labor intensity of juggling the disparate data sources led NYPA to seek a better way to achieve its ROW management goals

9. GIS Framework for ROW Management 1999 – Started an NYPA-wide Enterprise GIS system Developed a GIS User Community Selected a Consultant – URS Corporation Carefully crafted short- and long-term plans 1999 – Started data collection for the first 200 miles of NYPA’s Rights-of-Way 2000 – Released first version of a custom user application 2001 – Multipurpose, multidiscipline, easy-to-use tool accepted across the board

10. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto

11. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records

12. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records • GIS Coverages from other agencies

13. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records • GIS Coverages from other agencies • State Regulated Wetlands

14. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records • GIS Coverages from other agencies • State Regulated Wetlands • NWI Wetlands

15. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records • GIS Coverages from other agencies • State Regulated Wetlands • NWI Wetlands • Real Property Records

16. Data Collection – Existing Data • Digital Orthophoto • NYPA Historical Records • GIS Coverages from other agencies • State Regulated Wetlands • NWI Wetlands • Real Property Records • Tax Maps

17. Data Collection – In the Field • PenMap GIS installed on rugged, hand-held field portable pen computers • Field crews consisted of experienced biologists trained on GIS

18. Data Collection – GIS In the Field Pre-programmed pull-down menus minimize data collection effort

19. Data Collection Once data collection was completed, the GIS contained dozens of accurate, current data sets

20. Data Collected in the Field • Vegetation polygon ID • Acres • Non-Compatible Species • Non-Compatible Species Density • Non-Compatible Species Heights • Non-Compatible Depth Below Conductor • Compatible Species • Compatible Species Density • Recommended Treatment • Treatment Justifications • Land Use • Buildings • Streams, Creeks • Foreign Utilities • Roads • Trails • Bridges • Culverts • Benches • Gates • Boreholes • Wells • Manholes • Poles • Parking Lots • Access Roads • Steep slope Pre-programmed pull-down menus minimize data collection effort

21. User Applications • Ease of Access • Simplicity • Centralized Data Access • Security

22. User Applications • Helps Right-of-Way managers evaluate vegetation conditions • Provides access to geographic data so that IVM treatment techniques • can be examined taking into account conditions such as wetlands, • landowner issues/agreements, site access, regulatory commitments, • and security • Helps with treatment plan review process • A link for creating work orders through NYPA’s existing • maintenance resource management system (MAXIMO)

23. User Applications Helps Real Estate professionals with tasks such as: • Notifying land owners of the herbicide application • Acquiring tree cutting rights • Issuing various land use permits • Tracking the acquisition and the conveyance of real property Real estate professionals also provide quality assurance checks for IVM treatment plans

24. User Applications Provides an support for all phases of Integrated Vegetation Management Field inventories are conducted each year for the rights- of-way scheduled for treatment in the following year NYPA’s forestry staff reviews the inventories and treatment recommendations and accepts or modifies the recommendations The IVM treatment plan is used to solicit bids for treatment Once the actual field work begins, the treatment plan and related data are downloaded onto field computers for use by NYPA inspectors The inspectors track the actual treatment in the field, and then upload the data to the central server for future use

25. User Applications When the next field inventory of the same rights-of-way is performed, the data from the previous inventory are used to analyze how well the previous treatment cycle worked

26. Program Summary • Field GIS enhances data collection capabilities • Produce an accurate delineation of “Pest” species • Produce accurate specifications for “Pest” management that minimize treatment applications to target areas • Field verify that treatment plans were implemented as per specification or document approved deviations • Conduct pre-mobilization landowner notifications for access and treatment • Produce reports for internal use or regulatory requirements