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The Global Positioning System (GPS) is an important tool for natural resource managers. Wildlife biologists use GPS to document the location of nests, survey points, and other critical habitats. Foresters use GPS to delineate treatment areas and develop standard geographic information systems (GIS) databases for roads and other management-related infrastructure. Fisheries biologists and hydrologists use GPS to map stream systems. Recreation resource managers use GPS to map trails systems. A variety of professional use GPS in conjunction with wildfire monitoring and suppression activities. All natural resource managers, along with the general public, use GPS to navigate. While most people think of GPS in terms of the receivers that they use, GPS is actually a system of satellites, receivers, control stations, base stations, and software for navigation and mapping the earth's features. This two-day course:

• Introduces the basic features of the Global Positioning System
• Discusses sources of error and techniques for assessing data quality
• Provides experience with GPS mission planning, GPS data collection, and post-processing GPS data

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the basic components of GPS
• Be able to understand many of the common terms associated with GPS (e.g., PDOP)
• Think critically about GPS error sources and data quality
• Understand how to plan and conduct a data collection project with a mapping-grade GPS receiver

Natural resource management professionals and realtors who have little or no background with the Global Positioning System (GPS), yet have an interest in learning about the basics of GPS and experiencing data collection procedures, post-processing procedures, and accuracy assessment methodology. Upper-level managers who need to communicate GPS-related requests with field personnel may find the course useful as well. Realtors who are involved in the valuation of rural land and timber should also attend.

This course provides lecture material, computer-based exercises, and field data collection exercises to provide an overview of GPS and experience in various phases of GPS use in natural resource management. The material will be presented in a logical manner, from a description of GPS, to the equipment involved, to field data collection procedures. These all occur on Day 1. On Day 2, data collected in the field will be transferred to a computer, differentially corrected, and displayed in a geographic information system. Accuracy will be assessed. Handouts will be provided to summarize the material presented.

Pete Bettinger is an associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He has more than 20 years of operating, teaching, and research experience in forestry and natural resources, including roles with the U.S. Forest Service, several forest products companies, and Oregon State University. Bettinger has taught several courses on forest measurements, forest planning, and harvest scheduling, as well as GIS applications in natural resource management. In 2004, McGraw-Hill published his book Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Forestry and Natural Resources Management. Bettinger earned BS and MS degrees from Virginia Tech; and a PhD from Oregon State University.

The fee for this course is $445, which includes lunch, refreshment breaks, and instructional materials. There is an $80 discount for fees paid by check or credit card and postmarked by June 16, 2008. Preregistration must be accompanied by check, purchase order, or credit card number to guarantee a place in the course. Limited seating is available.

• 12 Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) hours — Category 1
• 12 Continuing Logger Education hours (CLE) — Business Management
• Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board credits will be applied for; accepted by the Georgia Real Estate Commission, if approved.

Full Attendance Is Mandatory to Receive Credit.

If you are not satisfied with this course, we will refund your registration fee. Third Course Free! Attend two forestry courses in 2008 as a paid participant and get the third course (with equal or lower course fee) for free. Contact Nette Penn at 706-542-6658 or e-mail her at Nette.Penn@georgiacenter.uga.edu, before you register for the third course. Fourth Person Free! Register three people from your organization and the fourth person is free. All registrants must be with the same program (same address and same budget), and the registration fees must be paid in advance by check or credit card.

This optional one-hour course focuses on case studies to illustrate the place of ethics in the practice of forestry. It meets the ethics requirement for registered foresters in Georgia.

Now Available Online! Forestry Ethics Online Course

Now you can complete the one-hour Forestry Ethics Online Course from the comfort of your home or office. Register today for this self-paced, self-study program and earn CFE credit! Go here for more details: www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/forestry

The Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center & Hotel, located on the beautiful, historic campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, provides outstanding educational programs and services for lifelong learners. A total living and learning environment, the Georgia Center includes a 200-room hotel, restaurants, banquet areas, conference rooms, auditoriums, a fitness center, and a computer lab — all under one roof. As a unit of UGA's Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, the Center brings the University's teaching, research, and service expertise to the people of Georgia and beyond! For more information, visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu.

Special Needs:
If you require special services, facilities, or dietary considerations, contact your event coordinator, Nette Penn at 706-542-6658 or Nette.Penn@georgiacenter.uga.edu prior to June 30, 2008.

Lodging (Georgia Center Hotel):
A block of rooms is being held for your conference until 5:00 p.m. ET, June 16, 2008. Policies: (1) Tax Exemption — The State of Georgia only allows tax-exempt charges for a payment by a state-issued credit card or check or by a direct bill to a state agency (with a Georgia State Tax Exemption Certificate). (2) Lodging Cancellation — Cancel your reservation by 4:00 p.m. ET the day prior to your scheduled arrival to avoid being charged one night's room and tax. (3) At check-in, you must present your credit card or a completed credit card authorization form (for a copy, call 800-884-1381, Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET). Note: The Georgia Center is a smoke-free building; all lodging rooms are nonsmoking.

Travel Information:
Athens, Georgia, is located about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta. For directions, see www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/conferences/about/directions.phtml. A parking deck is located adjacent to the Center (hourly rates, maximum $8 each 24-hour period; vehicle height limit, 7 feet). Athens is served by two airports. Athens-Ben Epps Airport offers connecting flights to and from Charlotte, NC. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located about 90 minutes southwest of Athens, with scheduled ground shuttle service and rental car service available between the airport and the Georgia Center.

Program Cancellation Policies:
(1) Full refunds are available for cancellations made by 5:00 p.m. ET, June 26, 2008. No refunds will be issued thereafter; substitutions will be allowed. (2) If a course is cancelled for any reason, the Georgia Center will not be responsible for any charges related to travel. (3) If for unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances an instructor is unable to attend, the Georgia Center reserves the right to substitute a comparable instructor.