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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Multi-State Working Group

The Multi-State Working Group, formerly known as Tri-State Working Group, is comprised of NASA Carbon Monitoring System scientists and carbon data end users from the northeastern United States. The WG was created at the 2016 NASA CMS & USFS Applications Workshop & Tutorial held at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The overarching goal of the new Multi-State WG is to share stakeholder perspectives and needs, and relevant scientific advances for forest carbon monitoring and modeling. The working group provides a focused opportunity to continue and expand discussions on lessons learned, identify common needs and solutions, and make progress in incorporating science into policy and decision making. 

The Multi-State WG holds quarterly meetings (through teleconference) to discuss science & policy updates, as well as potential uses and applications of CMS data products. The objectives of the Multi-State WG Quarterly Meetings are the following:

  1. Provide stakeholders with the opportunity to discuss updates of policies, programs, and initiatives that could benefit from CMS carbon data products
  2. Determine how CMS can contribute science to policy
  3. Keep awareness of CMS updates

Multi-State Project Information & Metadata [Hurtt-04, Hurtt-03, & Dubayah-03]

For more information on the CMS Multi-State Project please see Hurtt-04, Hurtt-03, & Dubayah-03 CMS Project Profiles, or visit the High-Resolution Carbon Monitoring and Modeling Webpage.
Tree canopy cover near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
Estimated tree canopy cover (in green) near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for the year 2008. (From CMS: LiDAR-derived Tree Canopy Cover for Pennsylvania, USA, 2008 Data Set, Archived at ORNL DAAC)

Tri-State Area Applications Workshop & Tutorial Highlights

CMS & USFS 2016 Applications Workshop & Tutorial: LiDAR and CMS Applications, Uses & Lessons Learned in the Tri-State Area of Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania

Friday, September 9, 2016
USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station
Newtown Square, PA

This Applications Workshop discussed the uses and applications of new CMS data products available for the tri-state area stakeholders, and assessed results and lessons learned from the agencies and organizations using the data. The CMS leads and scientists learned about the climate change landscape and the mitigation targets and goals in each of the three states, and what is the current approach to forest carbon MRV in these states. The workshop also discussed the added value and extended benefits of LiDAR data for the states agencies and counties.

Agenda [pdf] | Presentation [pdf] | Recording

Workshop Goals:

  • Understanding of stakeholders needs for carbon monitoring and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)
  • Demonstration of new NASA-Carbon Monitoring System capabilities
  • Identify opportunities and challenges and next steps for application of new technology
  • Provide data access and use tutorial
  • Identify the challenges/needs of communities that are interested in biomass, Lidar applications, MRV and related activities

Workshop Summary CMS Application workshops and tutorials provide an opportunity for CMS Science Team members and stakeholders to engage on thematically detail objectives that help advance CMS science into appropriately scaled policy arenas.  On September 9, 2016, the CMS Applications Team working in partnership with the Hurtt-03 CMS project, hosted a workshop with stakeholders from the tri-state area of Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.  The workshop was held at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station in Newtown Square, PA.   Collaborators for this workshop included the University of Maryland and the USDA Forest Service. The goal of the event was to understand the stakeholders needs for carbon monitoring and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) for MD, DE and PA and find ways of applying the CMS Lidar products to the appropriate areas of each State's Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The Applications Workshop & Tutorial discussed the uses and applications of new CMS data products available for the tri-state area stakeholders, and assessed results and lessons learned from the agencies and organizations using the data. The CMS scientists learned about the climate change landscape policies and the mitigation targets for each respective state. Current approaches to forest carbon MRV practices were presented by each state representative in an effort to help provide perspective to the CMS scientists. The workshop also discussed the added value and extended benefits of LiDAR data for the states agencies and counties. Some of the stakeholders engaged included: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (DNREC) Division of Energy and Climate, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, Delaware Geological Survey, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Forest Service, USDA Forest Service, City of Baltimore, Pinchot Institute, Versar, amongst others.

The CMS projects involved in this effort include Escobar-01, Dubayah-03, Hurtt-03.  This Hurtt-03  project builds off the earlier Dubayah-03 project and uses airborne lidar retrievals to develop aboveground biomass maps, 1m canopy height and forest/non-forest maps, and 1m land cover maps for the tri-state area of MD, DE, and PA. The CMS Applications Effort (Escobar-01) is assisting Dubayah and Hurtt in the engagement efforts with the state agencies, counties and cities to translate the needs of each state's DNR for carbon monitoring and MRV.

Results from the workshop include:

  1.  Identification of large and important synergies between advances in carbon monitoring and stakeholder needs for carbon monitoring in region.
  2. Recognition of opportunity to cooperate and develop a shared, consistent, approach to carbon MRV for the tri-state area.
  3. Discussion of differences between states in terms of specific policy drivers, resources, timeline, needs, opportunities, etc.
  4. Creation of a Tri-State Working Group consisting of scientists and stakeholders to discuss, share, plan, support, and encourage the development and use of relevant data products to meet stakeholder needs for carbon monitoring (MRV) in the region.

Quarterly Meetings

Past
November 23, 2021 [report-TBD][agenda] [presentation] [recording]
June 9, 2020 [report-TBD][agenda] [presentation] [recording]
February 7, 2020 [report][agenda] [presentation] [recording]
July 30, 2019 [report] [agenda] [presentation] [recording]
March 14, 2019 [report] [agenda] [presentation] [recording]
April 20, 2018 [agenda] [presentation]
September 18, 2017 [agenda] [presentation]
Quarterly Presentation: Don Strebel, Versar, Inc.
June 15, 2017 [agenda] [report] [presentation]
Quarterly Presentation: Elliott Campbell, Maryland DNR
March 8, 2017 [agenda] [report]

Working Group Participants

Name Role Organization Email
Edil Sepulveda CMS Applications Coordinator NASA GSFC / SSAI edil.sepulvedacarlo@nasa.gov
Vanessa Escobar CMS Applications Team Lead NASA GSFC / SSAI vanessa.m.escobar@nasa.gov
Kari St.Laurent Research Coordinator DNREC/DCP/DNERR kari.stlaurent@state.de.us
Katelyn Dolan  CMS Project Scientist  UMD kdolan@umd.edu
Nathan Randolph Forestry GIS Specialist City of Baltimore nathan.randolph@baltimorecity.gov
Rob Feldt Forest Resource Planner Maryland Forest Service rob.feldt@maryland.gov
Richard Jefferies Board Member Rochdale Initiatives / LCPF Inc. rjp9999@aol.com
Victor Miranda GIS Coordinator CIty of Baltimore victor.miranda@baltimorecity.gov
Al Steele Physical Scientist State and Private Forestry, Northeastern Area asteele@fs.fed.us
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne CMS Project Scientist  University of Vermont joneildu@uvm.edu
Sudheer Shukla Outreach Specialist Biodiversity for a Livable Climate sudheer.shukla@bio4climate.org
Art Walker GIS Specialist USDA-NRCS arthur.walker@de.usda.gov
John Privot GIS Analyst Wallace Montgomery jprivot@wallacemontgomery.com
Nancy Falxa Sonti Urban Forest Ecologist USFS Baltimore Field Station nancyfsonti@fs.fed.us
Kim Finch Enviornmental Planner MNCPPC kim.finch@ppd.mncppc.org
John Brodnicki Forest Program Specialist- GIS PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry jbrodnicki@pa.gov
Shawn Lehman Forest Program Manager - Inventory and Monitoring Section PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry shlehman@pa.gov
Greg Czarnecki Climate Change & Research Coordinator PA Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources gczarnecki@pa.gov
Wenjuan Yu International Student- Urban Forestry USFS Baltimore Field Station wejuan.yu@gmail.com
Dexter Locke PhD Candidate in Geography Clark University / USFS Baltimore Field Station dexter.locke@gmail.com
Stuart Sheppard Ecometrica Application Manager UMD stuartmsheppard@gmail.com
Tonya Lister Research Forester USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) tlister01@fs.fed.us
John Hom Interdisciplinary Scientist USDA FS Climate, Fire, Carbon Cycle Sciences jhom@fs.fed.us
Tony Ferguson Station Director USDA FS Northern Research Station tferguson@fs.fed.us
Sabrina Delgado Arias Applications Research Scientist NASA GSFC / SSAI sabrina.delgadoarias@nasa.gov
Elliott Campbell Ecological Economist MD Department of Natural Resources elliott.campbell@maryland.gov
Kristofer Johnson Research Biologist USDA Forest Service kristoferdjohnson@fs.fed.us
George Hurtt CMS Science Team Leader & PI  UMD gchurtt@umd.edu
Wenli Huang Postdoc Research Associate UMD wlhuang@umd.edu
Andy Finley Statistician MSU finleya@msu.edu
Maosheng Zhao ED modelling UMD zhaoms@umd.edu
Andy Lister Research Forester USDA Forest Service alister@fs.fed.us
Cassandra Pallai Geospatial Project Manager Chesapeake Conservancy cpallai@chesapeakeconservancy.org
Jen Youngblood Tribal Liasion - Environmental Scientist USDA FS - NA S&PF, NFS R9, NRS, FPL jenniferyoungblood@fs.fed.us
Ben Parkhurst Forestry Technical Services Blue Source bparkhurst@bluesource.com
Will Price President (acting) Pinchot Institute willprice@pinchot.org
Naomi Bates GIS/LiDAR Specialist Delaware Geological Survey nsbates@udel.edu
Don Strebel Environmental Consultant Versar, Inc dstrebel@versar.com
Richard McCullough Forester/GIS USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) rmccullough01@fs.fed.us
Maureen Brooks Coop Fire Specialist USFS Northeastern Area mtbrooks@fs.fed.us
Rachel Riemann Research Forester/Geographer USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) rriemann@fs.fed.us
Steve Flanagan ED modeling UMD  sflanaga@umd.edu
Krista Heinlen Natural Resource Specialist USFS Philadelphia Field Station krista.heinlen@davey.com
Owen Martin AD Coop Fire & Aviation USFS NA SPF omartin01@fs.fed.us
Susan Love Climate & Sustainability Section Lead  Delaware DNREC  Susan.Love@state.de.us
Mark Biddle Environmental Scientist DE DNREC, Watershed Assessment mark.biddle@state.de.us
Mary Raley Project Planner DE Dept. of Transportation mary.raley@state.de.us
Lori Brown DNREC LoriM.Brown@state.de.us
Kim Cloud Software Engineer State of Delaware - DTI kim.cloud@state.de.us
Gary Andrews IT Coordinator City of Seaford Gandrews@seafordde.com
Jimmy Kroon GIS Specialist Delaware Dept of Agriculture jimmy.kroon@state.de.us
William Seybold Forest Health Specialist Delaware Forest Service William.Seybold@state.de.us
Miriam Pomilio GIS Coordinator Delaware Office of State Planning and Coordination Miriam.Pomilio@state.de.us
Chalita Forgotson CMS Applications Team Member NASA GSFC / SSAI chalita.forgotson@nasa.gov
Christine Kang Senior Faculty Specialist Dept of Geographical Sciences, UMD ckang1@umd.edu
Michelle Canick  Conservation Information Manager The Nature Conservancy mcanick@tnc.org 
Ralph Dubayah CMS PI UMD dubayah@umd.edu

Contact
Please email Edil Sepulveda for any questions or suggestions regarding the Multi-State Working Group.