Prescribed Burning Today - Wharton, other sites

[stiltzkin]

I think I got that in my head because of Historic Aerials, which has these marked as "1984." I saw that label for years, and then when I later saw the images on your site, they looked very similar to me.

At least in some places, they do appear to be nearly identical imagery, with a key difference in that yours is IR and theirs appears to be in true color. I'd think that these examples are probably from the same flights, but using a different, true color camera.

For example, you can see some of the same artifacts, like here:

And here:

And the same cars and trucks on the road in some places, like here.

In the HA image, these four cars and semi are close to the intersection of 206 and 613.

And then in your image, it's the same vehicles, but they are a bit further south. Which photo was taken first would depend on whether the cars were heading northbound or southbound, but regardless - they must have been taken just a few seconds apart.

Historic Aerials doesn't even provide any information or attribution like you do, though. They may have simply chosen "1984" as a convenient summary of a pastiche of images from 1981-1987.

So I will correct that assumption - appreciate the info.

 

[Boyd]

Very interesting, thanks. I wonder where they get their stuff? I know the owner claims he has spent considerable money processing/georeferencing it himself (which justifies his high prices).

 

[stiltzkin]

I would really love to know too. Especially the 1940, 1956, 1963, and 1970 aerials. 1970 is clearly different from your Wetlands imagery, with broad coverage. I have seen some Army Mapping Service imagery from 1956 on EarthExplorer, but that, too, is different than what's available on HA.

There must be someone who knows more of the history here. I assume these were probably created by one agency or another, so ideally speaking, as a work of the government they should be available somewhere for free. I do understand that a significant amount of work goes into scanning these physical plates/prints/negatives, georeferencing them, orthorectifying them, and editing them together. I'm not discounting that. Someone who does that creates a new work and they fully have the right to copyright it and charge for it. Still, I would much prefer to see someone give them back to the public, as you have done with the maps on your site.

 

[Boyd]

@teleflux posted this link in another thread, very nice imagery from many of those time periods but it only covers Atlantic County. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anywhere this is being offered for download. Maybe other counties also have something similar? Have not looked myself.

Atlantic County Historic Aerial View

www.atlantic-county.org

 

[stiltzkin]

Ah, awesome! Thanks, another one to add to the mapping toolbox.

Looks like the source layers are here but I don't see a way to directly download, either.

 

[Boyd]

Thanks, I believe I found those before but could not directly access them, although I didn't make much of an effort. Will have another look when I get a chance, the license info suggests that it is not restricted. I'm reluctant to just use random arcGIS mapservices however, unless they are specifically shared by an organization like NJGIN, PASDA, etc. Have read the license before which implied that data is only provided for use with ArcGIS software.

 

[stiltzkin]

Might be worth specifically asking the county about the usage rights. This page says something about all of the imagery being available for download in .SID format. Burlington doesn't seem to have a nice mapping tool for aerials like this, but there is a request form for digital or physical copies of GIS data.

 

[Boyd]

Might be worth specifically asking the county

Sorry, I'll pass on "Asking the county"... my motto is "never ask a public official a question unless you already know the answer!"

 

[stiltzkin]

Satellite imagery from today is now available, but it's not as interesting as I thought it might be. These burns were small.

Looks like they burned only half the fields at Greenwood.

That burn near Mt Misery must have been very small, maybe only this highlighted area. I don't see any other differences.

Imagery copyright Planet Labs Inc.

I thought for sure they were also burning roughly here near Woodmansie. Hoping to get some photos at a distance, I drove Coopers Rd in the early afternoon and got very close to the smoke, and a forestry service vehicle at the intersection with Rogers Rd, but couldn't see flames. I don't see any visual evidence of it on satellite, so maybe not, or it was very limited.

 

[Teegate]

The highlighted area in the second photo is almost exactly the Asa Pittman property. They burned what I expected they would.

 

[Teegate]

We visited the burned area at the Asa Pittman property in Lebanon this morning. I was a little annoyed that the FFS displaced what I believe is one of the remaining outhouses made by the CCC and even sold by them. Either they used this one for the CCC workers building the roads or Asa Pittman himself installed it as he owned property on both sides of the road at this location.

There really was no need to move this in any way.

We looked for the one remaining property corner that I was never able to find and came up empty. The fire burned the area fairly well at this location but if it is there the fire did not clear away enough duff to be of use to me. Most likely it is not there at all anymore.

We explored the cedar swamp of Asa's and came upon a game camera strapped to a cedar tree that the fire had came right up to but stopped. The owner of that camera is really lucky the fire did not destroy it. I am not sure it is even working. I will check on it in a few months.

This is a cedar right near it. One of them was still smoking this morning.

 

[Teegate]

Plenty of prescribed burns planned for Greenwood and Howardsville coming up soon.

 

[bobpbx]

It's funny how phragmites is growing in that privy only because it's holding water.

Its always been odd to me why they burn way out there off 539. Why not just burn around communities?

Guy, were there other cedars burned? That's not cool.

 

[Teegate]

Guy, were there other cedars burned? That's not cool.

Yes. All along the edge cedars were burned. Some only had it on one side and very minor.

 

[Teegate]

Looks like they are burning at the Forked River Mountain today. And on Stage Road near Prince Place Road.

 

[Teegate]

Looks like they are going to burn all of Penn State Forest.

 

[bobpbx]

They have not been shy about burning the plains. The downside is they are creating new access roads and fire ditches. Today.

 

[Teegate]

They are or have burned Penn State Forest today. They also burned along the power lines in Medford and near Dover Road and Goodluck road in Greenwood.

 

[bobpbx]

They are or have burned Penn State Forest today. They also burned along the power lines in Medford and near Dover Road and Goodluck road in Greenwood.

Today, I went a a couple hundred yards down Webbs Mill Road from 539 and they turned me back. Not just the fires, but they are chopping the road sides. That oughta look interesting.

 

[Boyd]

Burning today in the Maple Lake WMA (former Estell Manor Game Preserve, which was briefly named the Lenape Farms WMA before being merged into Maple Lake).

https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.402178/-74.804846/legacy24k/0.00/0.00

Good day for a burn, not much wind and rain is coming tonight. They put up some temporary warning signs yesterday but I don't know if they actually started, didn't notice any smoke at my place nearby. Yesterday there was also a temporary sign on Tuckahoe Rd that said something like "warning: low visibility, smoke in road". Didn't see or smell any smoke, not sure if it was left over from Wednesday or a warning for something that hadn't happened yet.

https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.403815/-74.827011/legacy24k/0.00/0.00