Western Alaska Drone Community of Practice (DCoP)

Local drone pilots addressing Alaska’s response and planning needs

The Western Alaska Drone Community of Practice (DCoP) is a drone-based collaboration led by IARC, the Native Village of Unalakleet (NVU), and the Model Forest Policy Program. DCoP is designed to increase regional resilience in Western Alaska communities.

The DCoP specializes in precision drone flights using U.S.-made Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) to create high resolution 2D and 3D maps of communities and the surrounding landscape. Uses include:

• planning
• dual-use infrastructure maintenance
• habitat analyses
• erosion documentation
• situational awareness
• permafrost monitoring

Local pilots. Local skills. Local knowledge.

Working under a contract with NVU Drone Services, LLC, DCoP pilots conduct safe and legal drone operations as local Alaskans who also have specialized training in developing technical end products. DCoP activities include:

• Map products and data visualization—The DCoP delivers decision-relevant information in industry-standard formats including digital surface models, georeferenced orthomosaics, 3D models, and maps.
• Real-time change detection—Provisioning AI-enabled discovery of critical change products allows for monitoring of dynamic security targets in Alaska’s Arctic. We offer remotely-sensed imagery, collected with U.S.-made drones, and validated for operational use.
• Operational research partnerships—Our expansive partnerships and innovative sensor suites allow for the integration of remote sensing expertise into our work. From advanced infrastructure inspection to beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights along the western Alaska coast, we are developing real-world applications of UAS in Arctic conditions.
• River monitoring—Preliminary development of drone-based tools and methodologies to map water temperature and river hazards are in progress. These approaches will support habitat analyses, environmental planning, and forecasting efforts.

Funding and logistics

The DCoP operates via public-private partnerships and tribal approval to provide direct answers about the natural and built environment through observations and fundamental research. This technical workforce of Alaskans living beside the Bering Sea and in Fairbanks was trained with funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is contractable through NVU Drone Services, LLC and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Contact us

• John Henry, Native Village of Unalakleet, john.henry@unikira.org
• Jessica Garron, University of Alaska Fairbanks, jigarron@alaska.edu
• Margaret Hall, Model Forest Policy Program

Visit ADACarctic to learn more.