Background On July 29, 2002, lightning ignited a wildfire that burned over 3,000 acres on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota. Dry conditions allowed the fire to spread rapidly before it was finally contained five days later. The Horse Looking fire forced the evacuation of 500 people and destroyed valuable timber stands. The fire had a significant impact on the reservation both economically and socially, thus a timely remediation of the burned area was a major concern for the tribe.

 Use of DataLandsat 7 imagery (Figure 1) was used by the tribe to determine the aerial extent of the fire as well as the severity of the damage. This information was then used by the tribe and Sinte Gleska University's Sicangu Policy Institute in a grant proposal. As a result of this proposal, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe was awarded a one year Department of the Interior Wildland Urban Interface grant. The grant, designed to assist in the recovery and redevelopment of the burned area, will employ 80 tribal citizens.

 Economic and Environmental Benefits The use of remote sensing imagery helped secure a federal grant that will help boost the reservation's economy by employing tribal citizens. In addition, the grant will aid in the timeliness of the recovery of the tribe's natural resources, particularly its timber stands. The economic benefit of the grant and a quick recovery is obvious, and there are environmental benefits as well. The sooner the area is restored, wind and water erosion will be reduced and suitable habitat will again be available for the area's wildlife.