NOTE TO EDITORS: 99-103

A NASA research aircraft will fly an innovative laser instrument over national forests in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains this weekend to find out for the first time just how much vegetation is in these forests.

USDA Forest Service scientists hope to use these one-of-a-kind maps to identify mature "old-growth" forests and other habitats associated with sensitive wildlife species. When this technology is launched into space next year aboard the NASA/University of Maryland Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) spacecraft, it will create the first global maps of forest vegetation.

A news media briefing on the NASA mission and its application to management of national forest lands will be held Thursday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. in Fresno, Calif. The briefing and tours of the NASA C-130 aircraft will be held at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Speakers include:

* Ralph Dubayah, VCL principal investigator, University of Maryland

* Bryan Blair, Instrument principal investigator, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

* Carolyn Hunsaker, Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Fresno

Briefing location: Mercury Air Center, 5045 E. Anderson Ave. (Phone: 559-454-7501 for directions). From the airport's main terminal, go to General Aviation, Gate 6B, and use the call box. If driving, take Clinton Ave. to Ashley Dr., which leads to Anderson Ave. Parking is available at the Central Tower lot.

A video file and color still images (.tif format) to support this mission are available from NASA Goddard Public Affairs.