The USDA Forest Service uses many forms of technology to manage 193 million acres that comprise the National Forest System: handheld data-entry devices and satellites; modeling software and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) remote sensing; and desktop computers and servers. Collectively, these technologies power the models that create the maps land managers use to monitor and understand landscape changes. Adopting cloud-computing platforms, such as Google Earth Engine (GEE), offers potential to advance these monitoring efforts even further.

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Year 2022 Volume 253