WLC’s Survey and GIS groups were hired in the fall of 2010 to quickly perform a boundary inventory on the proposed Pioneer Park Wind Farm. The proposed site, located in the North Laramie Range covers approximately 35,000 acres of high grasslands and timbered mountain slopes. Beginning a boundary survey in late fall at high altitude presented a number of logistical and technical challenges. Additionally, a portion of the site had been divided into a number of irregular government lots of varying sizes and configurations. In order to complete this work in the allotted time, WLC’s GIS staff constructed a project overview and field reference maps as well as search coordinates to aid in the recovery of Public Land Survey System (PLSS) monuments. These mapping products also depicted land ownership and right-of-entry which were critical to the success of the project. Field survey activities began in October of 2010 utilizing RTK and Rapid Static GPS methods. Using these techniques, monument recovery was better than expected and more than 90% of the boundary was recovered. The remaining boundary monuments, an ALTA survey, and turbine micro-siting were completed in 2011. Upon completion of the boundary inventory a GIS deliverable was provided to Wasatch to assist them in future development on the site.
