Foliage Reporting Goes Upscale

MONMOUTH (NEWS CENTER) -- Foliage reports have become important to Maine's tourism industry. A number of groups, business and agencies are doing it. This year, the Department of Conservation applied the latest technology to their reports.

They employed personal data assistants or PDA's to give more timely and accurate foliage assessments. The devices enable the forest rangers to file reports directly from the field. It also enables rangers to stay in the field.

"I'm very pleased that we're able to support Maine's fall foliage season and subsequently our tourism industry," said Bill Williams, state supervisor for the Forest Protection Division. Maine has 57 forest rangers in the field.

"We can act as the eyes and ears of the state," said ranger Art Lavoie who met with News Center on Mt. Pisga in Winthrop.

The devices were purchased with Homeland Security money as a pilot project.

Forest rangers have been using the PDA's to collect information on natural occurances such as floods, ice storms, hurricanes, fires and other potential emergencies. It enables emergency managers to have up to date information about what is happening in the field.