This summer I’m working as a GIS Intern for the Bureau of Land Management in Rock Springs, Wyoming. The week before last was my first week of work and I spent it in Rawlins, WY at an orientation training for seasonal employees of the High Desert District of Wyoming BLM. The mandatory training sessions gave us a good overview of what the BLM does and addressed federal policies and procedures, district communications, safe driving practices, vehicle maintenance and First Aid/CPR. It was a very informative week!

Last week was my first week working from the Rock Springs field office. My supervisor sat down with me to discuss some projects I’ll be involved with this summer. Among other things, I will be working on readying data layers for the agency’s upcoming revision of the Green River Resource Management Plan. While waiting for computer access, I read through the latest edition of the Resource Management Plan, plus a few reports on wind energy development to familiarize myself with the typical management practices and challenges of the surrounding area.

I also got to “tag along” with some field crews last week to get a sense of what they do on a daily basis. I spent time with the outdoor recreation crew on several occasions: planting tree saplings for the upcoming National Public Lands Day, checking a fence line near ancient petroglyphs (fascinating!), and documenting illegal “trespass” roads into Wilderness Study Areas. Bouncing along a bumpy two track in 4-Wheel-Drive was a great way to get acquainted with this part of the district!

Me potting tree saplings for National Public Lands Day

Helping the recreation crew check fencing around a petroglyphs site

Me standing beside the White Mountain Petroglyphs

An especially interesting petroglyph of a horse

Surveying trespass roads in Wilderness Study Areas with the recreation crew

I also went out with the wildlife crew to survey a fence line for evidence of sage grouse “strikes” and mortalities. I learned that the BLM uses fence markers to enhance the visibility of fencing for sage grouse.

White markers along barbed wire fence increase fence visibility for sage grouse

I also headed out with my supervisor last week to go “ground truthing,” which meant collecting geographic data on location with a hand-held Trimble GPS device. We were trying to determine which real-world features corresponded to which line features in aerial imagery and classify them as old two track roads, power lines, gas pipelines, or other features. It was a rewarding experience!

Ground truthing in situ using a Trimble GPS device

I am looking forward to growing personally and professionally during the next four months. Judging by my caring coworkers, my friendly roommates, the outdoor recreational opportunities of Wyoming and the challenging nature of my position, I’m sure it will be a great summer.

I can’t wait to see everyone at the Training Workshop in the Grand Canyon next week!

Melissa Buchmann
Rock Springs, WY
Bureau of Land Managment