General Dynamics will map it out for Forest Service

General Dynamics Corp. won a $20 million contract to provide geographic information system services to the U.S. Forest Service's 18 national forests in California and its Remote Sensing Laboratory.

The contract is a 10-year, multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, but the names of other awardees were not released.

Under the contract, General Dynamics Network Systems will provide services that include vegetation mapping, inventory, monitoring and reporting on the forests within the region. The company also will provide geographic information systems support to land and resource management planning and assessments within an ecosystem framework, and vegetation stand exams and global position system technical support.

Other work includes GIS and satellite imagery library cooperative work with other Forest Service regions and with state and federal partners.

The contract was awarded in the name of Veridian IT Services Inc., formerly a business unit of Veridian Corp., which became part of General Dynamics Network Systems when General Dynamics acquired Veridian in August.

General Dynamics, based in Falls Church, Va., employs about 66,900 people worldwide and has estimated 2003 revenue of $16.1 billion. The company was ranked No. 7 on the Washington Technology 2003 Top 100 list.