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Right Whale Paper Published
A paper by GMI marine scientists Amy Whitt, Kathleen Dudzinski, and Jennifer Laliberté has been published in the journal Endangered Species Research. The authors summarize right whale sightings and acoustic data collected from the first year-round study dedicated to marine mammals in New Jersey’s nearshore waters.
Cultural Resources TxDOT Win
The Cultural Resources group of the GMI Environmental Services Division was awarded an Archeological General Services contract by the Texas Department of Transportation in February. One of four awardees, GMI will be involved in archeological survey, test excavations for National Register eligibility determinations, and data recovery projects across the state of Texas.
Biological Inventory Study for Melrose AFR
GMI wildlife biologists, in conjunction with Cannon AFB and Melrose AFR, initiated surveys for a Biological Inventory Study of a 10,968 acre area of land gifted to Melrose AFR by the state of New Mexico.
GMI to Support Fishermen's Energy with Environmental Impact Efforts
As part of the Energy Department's broader efforts to launch an offshore wind industry in the United States, GMI will support the Fishermen's Energy team with R&D for the advancement of traditional thermal and video imaging systems related to the assessment of nocturnal animal (bird, bat) occurrence, strikes and behavior around offshore wind turbines.
GMI Researchers Contribute to Texas Archaeological Literature
Nancy Kenmotsu is a co-editor and author of a new book published by Texas A&M University Press: The Toyah Phase of Central Texas: Late Prehistoric Economic and Social Processes. The volume is about the hunter-gatherers living in central Texas from AD 1300 – 1700.
Estabrook Heads Cultural Resources Dept.
Following 20+ years working as a Project/Program Manager for several of the largest cultural resources firms in Florida, Rich Estabrook has joined GMI as Cultural Resources Program Manager in the Plano corporate office.
Environmental Resources
Environmental Management • Fire Management • GIS • Marine Resources • NEPA •
Pest Management • Remote Sensing • Renewable Energy
Airport Services
AICUZ
GMI’s Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) program was developed to support the Department of Defense (DOD) AICUZ discretionary program, which is designed to promote compatible land use around military airfields. The DOD maintains an AICUZ program in an effort to protect the operational integrity of their flying mission and is guided by DOD Instruction 4165.57 much like the Federal Aviation Administration’s Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150 program for civil airports. It’s important to recognize that the AICUZ program is a land use planning program not a land acquisition or land management program. GMI’s expertise includes:
- Land use analysis
- Airspace analysis
- AICUZ
- Aircraft noise modeling
- Public hearing/meeting management
PORTFOLIO
GMI collected, processed, and analyzed aircraft operational data for six Air Force bases as part of the AICUZ program. The Department of Defense established the AICUZ program in response to the Noise Control Act of 1972 and growing incompatible urban development (encroachment) around military airfields.
The primary parameters addressed in these studies were:
- Aircraft noise
- Accident potential zones (i.e., area beyond the airfield runway where an aircraft mishap is most likely to occur)
- Socioeconomic data
- Land use development
During data collection trips, interviews were conducted with personnel in air traffic control, airfield management, and operations (pilots, schedulers, maintenance personnel) to develop a comprehensive set of operation data that describes how frequently and in what manner the specific aircraft based at an installation operate. The data collection process also captures the profile characteristics of operations (airspeed, elevation and power settings at various points along the flight tracks employed by the installations’ pilots).
To model the predicted noise exposure, GMI collected data for relevant airspace classifications in the vicinity (to include FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces that govern maximum obstruction heights in the vicinity of airfields) and the existing land use development patterns as well as future land use planning efforts adjacent to the installations.
The results each AICUZ study consist of a report and an implementation/maintenance plan. A citizen’s brochure and public release was also prepared. This program works to protect aircraft operational capabilities at its installations and to assist local governments in protecting and promoting public health, safety, and quality of life.