Transforming Wildland Fire Management:
How SOU Alum Eli Polsky’s GIS Specializations Revolutionized Wildland Fire Management
March 8, 2024
Pictured above: UAS take off
Photos: Eli Polsky
Eli Polsky, an Environmental Studies graduate from SOU, is currently a GIS specialist and owner of a leading Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) company called Rogue Reconnaissance.
His story starts in Maui, Hawaii. He grew up outdoors and enjoyed surfing. After high school, his intention was to go to Maui Community College, but a friend redirected him to a new path. That new path was in Ashland, Oregon, at Southern Oregon University.
During orientation at SOU, the leaders of the event asked Polsky to choose a major even though he wasn’t certain which major he wanted to go for. So, he closed his eyes when he was confronted with the list of majors and pointed to a random option. When his eyes opened, he saw that he was pointing at Environmental Studies.
During his second year of college, after attending classes with Environmental Studies professors Pat Acklin and Greg Jones, he decided that Environmental Studies was the direction he wanted to go.
He also found other professors memorable, like John Gutrich and Eric Dittmer. Gutrich helped push him and his classmates outside their comfort zones. Dittmer participated in the Gold Ray Dam destruction project and had a piece of the old dam on his desk, glimmering like a trophy.
Pictured Above: Eli Polsky’s profile photo
Physical Geography, Geomorphology, and GIS were the classes that best suited his interests. Polsky recommends that current Environmental Science students take classes like GIS seriously, as it is a common practice in environmental careers.
While attending SOU, Polsky participated in 1 internship and a seasonal job, both related to environmental science. First, he was an intern at Jackson County GIS. He worked in biotech under the supervision of GIS Specialist Karim Naguib, an influential person with whom he still has connections to this day.
Polsky found out about seasonal work with the Forest Service when he saw a flier at the science building on campus. The seasonal work would involve wildland firefighting under the supervision of Ian Reid. Polsky cites Ian Reid as another influential person in his life.
For his Capstone project, Polsky partnered with one other student to map every street tree in the city of Talent. The purpose of the project was to aid in fire prevention, permitting, and for historical reasons. He identified the height and species of every tree. He input this information into a geodatabase for the city to use. He even presented his Capstone project to Talent. This project would be a critical stepping stone for his career journey.
Polsky graduated from SOU in March 2013. He then worked for the Forest Service for six years. While working in biotech, he conducted fish surveys and Coho counts and was a wildland firefighter.
One particular wildland firefighting shift in 2016 was when the inspiration for his business came to fruition. He was working with a friend during an especially dangerous call to action. The firefighters’ incident commander thought of ordering a manned aircraft with Infrared (IR) sensors in response to the unsafe terrain conditions (IR sensors see hotspots through trees and brush). Polsky and his friend, who both have a background in UAS operations and GIS, recommended that they attach an IR camera to their drone.
The option to put an IR camera on their drone was only seen a little in wildland firefighting before that shift. The idea caused a fundamental change in wildland firefighting–as attaching IR cameras to drones was a ¼ of the cost compared to manned IR flights.
Pictured Above: IR flight near wildland fire
Polsky realized how successful a business specializing in geospatial mapping and aerial imagery could be.
But even with great, revolutionary ideas, businesses only explode in success after some time. Starting a great business takes a lot of time, patience, commitment, and faith. Polsky recalls that it took 4 years to obtain a contract with the Oregon Department of Forestry. It took a while for his company’s website to propagate. He advises anyone remotely interested in starting a business to obtain contracts and create your website today, in case you want to start a business a year from now.
Maintaining sight of your goals is essential, even when tough times may interfere with your ambitions. Polsky believes that if you work hard, you will see results. He says, “Stay on the path, you’ll see results–it just takes a long time.”
In the beginning stages of his company, Polsky took on some side projects to stay afloat. One side job he did was build family tiny homes in Southern Oregon. He continued to serve as a wildland firefighter.
Polsky had a lot to learn and faced some challenges while starting his business, but just like he had hoped, his dream became a reality.
Polsky’s company, Rogue Reconnaissance, has worked with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the City of Ashland, Big Island Tree Service, Tetra Tech, and other organizations to help implement UAS systems and fire risk assessment assistance.
In 2023, Rogue Reconnaissance secured a deal with Hawaiian Electric contractor Big Island Tree Service. Polsky saw an article about Hawaiian Electric using helicopters to perform routine transmission line inspections. He jumped on the opportunity to call the electric services company and tell them how Rogue Reconnaissance’s specializations could help them inspect transmission lines more efficiently using LiDAR. Since then, Rogue Reconnaissance has had a 2-month stint in Hawaii that taught 22 crew members how to collect geospatial data and started a UAS LiDAR Division for Big Island Tree Service.
Rogue Reconnaissance has also worked with the City of Ashland Parks & Recreation Department to adapt the city’s forests to climate change. In this project, Rogue Reconnaissance conducted an aerial survey using a combination of technologies to assess tree and forest health over 800 acres of forest. The aerial survey showed some possible reasons why many trees (like Doug Fir) died significantly. The survey also gives a reference to anticipate developing wildfire risk.
Currently, Polsky works for the City of Ashland Fire Department’s Forestry Division and continues to run his business.
In the future, Polsky plans to work with the City of Ashland to conduct an aerial survey using LiDAR. The project involves surveying vegetation for fire safety. He hopes to find flammable fuels that may be problematic for the city. The project is planned to last from March until early summer of this year.
Starting a business in the environmental sciences is a great path to follow if you have a passion like Polsky did. You don’t have to have a revolutionary idea to start a business. You can create a consulting business if you can water the seeds of hope.
Making connections is crucial to one’s success in leading a business. Being very outgoing, connecting with experienced people from all different kinds of science fields, and taking risks are all pieces of wisdom derived from Polsky’s experience. He has found that asking lots of questions to skilled professionals has taught him a lot.
All of the hard work is worth it to Polsky. As he owns his own business, he enjoys traveling and feels great about doing natural resource work. A huge benefit of running a business is the freedom aspect.
The courage to persevere and have faith is in all of us. People like Eli Polsky demonstrate this well. With his UAS business, Rogue Reconnaissance, Polsky has an inspiring story that can influence many people to follow their dreams and make them a reality.
Learn more about SOU’s Environmental Science, Policy, & Sustainability Programs:
Environmental Science, Policy, & Sustainability | ESP&S Programs Offered
