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Contact Information:

photo of Thomas Gushue
Name:
Gushue, Thomas M.
Title:
Geographer, Acting GIS Coordinator
Discipline(s):
Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Geography, Environmental Planning, Natural Resources
Research Station:
GCMRC
Work Address:
2255 N. Gemini Drive, Building 4, Room 420 B, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Telephone Number:
(928)556-7370 Fax:(928)556-7368
Email Address:
tgushue@usgs.gov

Biographical Sketch:

Thomas Gushue joined the U. S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) as a Geographer in June of 2001, and he is currently serving as Acting GIS Coordinator for GCMRC. Prior to moving to Flagstaff, Arizona, Tom worked as an Interdisciplinary GIS Specialist in the Supervisor's Office of the Black Hills National Forest in Custer, South Dakota. As a GIS Specialist for the Forest Service, Tom became a technical lead for the spatial components of numerous endeavors including wildland fire mapping, noxious weed identification and mediation, wetland habitat mapping, forest planning and range management.

A native of Pennsylvania, Tom's first experience with the Forest Service was through an internship with Allegheny National Forest in the western part of the state as a fulfillment of his Bachelor's Degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It was during this internship that Tom first became familiar with the upper Allegheny River and its environs. The allure of the river eventually developed into a Master's thesis topic concerned with the vegetation dynamics of several wilderness river islands found along the Allegheny. Tom's experience with both GIS and Remote Sensing spans over 8 years in the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior as well as in graduate school at Indiana State University, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Project List

  • BIOLOGICAL, AQUATIC
    • Fish Mechanic Removal Established GIS layers of sample locations using automated procedures and concurrently developed unique identifications for database within proposed river reaches for experiment. Currently maintains GIS layers to be used by science staff for research efforts as well as publication purposes.
    • LCR Humpback Chub Monitoring Developed field mapping and data collection protocols for monitoring endangered fish along the Little Colorado River that explored new technologies (pen tablet computers) and techniques (GPS-GIS integration). Trained USFWS staff in spatial database development and employed automated procedures for producing numerous high-quality, high-resolution maps used by scientists and technicians in the field. Provides cartographic support for publications submitted by USFWS staff.
    • Native and Non-native Fish Monitoring Created customized field map atlases of river corridor using automated procedures to be used by science contractors and cooperators. Serves as technical lead in spatial database development of field data.
  • BIOLOGICAL, TERRESTRIAL
    • Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Serves as technical lead in spatial database development; coordinating with Principal Investigator, other contractors and GCMRC staff to create a GIS database of terrestrial monitoring along Colorado River corridor.
    • Kanab-Amber Snail Monitoring Worked with survey staff to import legacy survey data into a current, usable GIS format. Developed an Internet Map Server site that has been made available to science cooperators in effort to coordinate research efforts across distances.
    • Vegetation Mapping Project Assisting with field verification of vegetation mapping project. Working with remote sensing PI, Phil Davis, on GIS aspects of classifications from remotely sensed data.
  • WATER QUALITY PROGRAMS
    • Downstream Integrated Quality of Water Program Worked with GCMRC staff and contractors to develop the spatial component of water quality databases. Trained GCMRC personnel to use GIS software for the purpose of creating and editing data layers and printing hardcopy maps of sample sites.
    • Lake Powell Water Quality Program Worked with GCMRC science staff to develop GIS index layers and unique identifications in coordination with the database administrator as part of the database development pilot project.
  • OTHER SPATIAL DATA SUPPORT
    • Survey Control Network Database Development Working with survey staff and database contractors as primary GIS contact for the development of the survey control network database. Supported field survey efforts for paneling and ground control point data collection.
    • Remote Sensing Missions Operated GPS total station in support of May 2004 overflight mission. Working with remote sensing specialist to coordinate future imagery and LIDAR data collection missions.
    • GIS General Projects Development of a new 10-meter DEM base map of GCMRC's study area (the Grand Canyon basin), in both hardcopy and digital format. Designing new base map to be incorporated into GCMRC's Internet Map Server (IMS) sites that are provided to the public.
    • Development of a new Lake Powell Base Map for both science staff at GCMRC and the general public.
    • Creation of new IMS sites for the following projects: terrestrial ecosystem monitoring, downstream integrated quality of water, kanab-amber snail monitoring, LCR native fish monitoring and survey control network. Some of these sites are password protected, others will be made available to the public.
    • Development of new base data layers to be incorporated in GIS database as needed.

Publications, Maps, and other Products

  1. Glick, Daniel; Gushue, T.M. 2006. Glen Canyon Revealed: A Dry, Red Season. National Geographic, Vol. 209, No. 4. [Map/Digital Map Product]
  2. Gushue, T.M. and Kohl, K. 2006. Accuracy Assessment of Digital Orthophotography of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon, AZ. 26th Annual ESRI International User Conference, poster presentation, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, August 2006. [Poster]
  3. Gushue, T.M. 2006. Modern-day surveying and mapping in Grand Canyon. Western Association of Map Librarians, Fall 2006 Meeting. Invited speaker. September 13-16, 2006. [Presentation]
  4. Gushue, T.M. and Gwinn, D. 2005. Determining spatial relationships of shoreline habitat to awuatic resources along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona. 25th Annual ESRI International User Conference, poster presentation, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, July 2005. [Poster]
  5. Gushue, T.M. 2005. Status of DASA. Oral presentation made at the Fall 2005 Southwest Biological Science Center All-Hands Meeting, Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ. [Presentation]
  6. Gushue, T.M. and Kohl, K. 2005. Advancing the GCMRC Oracle Database and Assuring Spatial Data Integrity: Geodetic Control, Spatial Data Acquisition, Accuracy Determinination and GIS Spatial Analysis. Fall 2005 Science Symposium poster presentation, Fiesta Inn, Tempe, AZ. [Poster]
  7. Gushue, T.M. and Kohl, K. 2004. Development of a Photo-Identifiable Fixed Point Database for Determining Accuracies of Airborne Remote Sensing Data in Grand Canyon, Arizona. 24th Annual ESRI International User Conference, poster presentation, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA. [Poster]
  8. Gushue T.M. 2003. Channel Geometry Mapping on the Colorado River. 23rd Annual ESRI International User Conference, poster pesentation, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, July 2003. [Poster]
  9. Mietz S., C. Flaccus, C. Lochridge, T. Gushue, M. Breedlove, T. Andrews. 2003. Building an Integrated Ecological Spatial Database for Grand Canyon using SDE, IMS, and Oracle. 23rd Annual ESRI International User Conference, poster presentation, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, July 2003. [Poster]
  10. Gushue T. 2002. ArcGIS Instructional Seminar for Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center. USGS Field Campus, Flagstaff, AZ, June 2002 . [Presentation]
  11. Gushue T. 2001. Assessing Landscape Effects of the Jasper Fire. Forest Service Geospatial Conference, Little America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 2001. [Presentation]
  12. Gushue T. 2001. Analyzing the Jasper Fire in the Black Hills National Forest. ArcNews Vol. 23 No. 1, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.(ESRI) . [Journal Article]
  13. Gushue T. 1999. Forest Leadership Team (FTL) GIS Demonstration and Training Session. Black Hills National Forest, Supervisor’s Office, Custer, SD 57730, October 1999 . [Presentation]
  14. Gushue T. 1998. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Vegetation Dynamics in a Human Modified Landscape . Undergraduate/Graduate Research Showcase, Indiana State University, First Place in Graduate Poster Competition, April 1998. [Poster]