Environmental Research Inventory and Analysis (ERIA) is a high quality Geographic Information Systems (GIS) consulting firm.  We provide excellent mapping services, spatial analysis, GIS support, Remote Sensing (RS) analysis, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) applications, Database construction, Field Data Collection, and Statistical Analysis.  Other fields that ERIA is involved in are Natural Resource Inventories. We are part of a Cooperative Organization of consultants, which cumulatively have over forty years of experience in GIS, RS, GPS, and Statistical Analysis.   Our software suite for GIS consist of Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS (ver 10.8.1), for remote sensing we use ERDAS IMAGINE (2020), for GPS we use Trimble Navigation GeoXT units and for statistics we use R “The R project for Statistical Computing."

Environmental Resource Inventory and Analysis (ERIA) has been in operation since 2005.  Michael Tuffly owner and proprietor has produced, implemented, and assessed:  1) Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), 2) Feasibilities Study Reports (FSR), 3) Forest Resource Evaluations ,4) Historical inventories of Abandoned Mines, and 5) Spatial Modeling of Natural Resources for over 15 years.

Since ERIA is a small hands on company our business philosophy is to develop plans and data to clients that are easily to understand, comprehensive in nature, and useful in application.  ERIA is well versed from data collection, computer systems architecture, and report publication.  Therefore detailed comprehensive plans and data are produced.

ERIA believes in constant communication with clients.  These communications efforts build excellent working relationships between ERIA and the client. Resulting in precisely honed products.  

ERIA is unlike any consulting firm.  That is, we cannot know the length and breath of all the components of a specific project.  Hence, we are truthful and ethical in stating our knowledge and abilities.  However, we have a network of experts at our disposal.  Concluding, we can research topics and techniques with experts in a particular field to obtain advice and achieve optimum results.

Michael Tuffly owner and proprietor of ERIA consulting located at 165 South 32^nd Street in Boulder Colorado, 80305  USA.  Cell (720) 841-6188, email:  mtuffly@eriaconsultants.com.

History

In 1988 Michael Tuffly was tasked by the California Department of Forestry to conduct detailed forest inventories on some 20,000 hectares of Jackson State Demonstration Forest, which is located on the North Coast of California.  Forest composition was primarily redwood Sequoia sempervirens and Douglas-fir  Pseudotsuga menziesii.  Using GIS technology at the time, plots were systematically randomly located on 200 by 200 meter grids based upon stand characteristics.  Detailed forest metrics (e.g. tree height, site tree information, tree diameters, and reproduction rates) were collected on each plot and data were tied to the plot point location via a database.  Forest mensuration data were used to modify stand boundaries and design harvest schedules.

In the 1992 Michael Tuffly constructed a Fire Susceptibility model for the Middle fork of the Smith River on Six Rivers National Forest.  The study area was located in the extreme Northwest region of California.  This 1,600-hectare study area was home to a complex stand of forest tree species, which include:  redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and Douglas-fir  (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Knob Cone Pine (Pinus attenuata), and Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana).  Using Remote Sensing, the Global Positing System (GPS), and GIS.  This model predicted fire hazard based on slope, aspect, and vegetation data, the latter of which was derived from spectral signatures (Six Band LandSat TM Data), using image processing classification algorithms. The construction of a relational database coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, GPS, and ground truthing for accuracy assessment facilitated operations and model validation.  These GIS data are used in: 1) Initial Response to Wildfire, 2) The construction of Fire Management Plans, and 3) The implementation of prescribe fire.

In 1995 working as an employee for the State of California the Department of Fish and Game I implemented a Wetland Inventory Project for the entire Central Valley of California.  This 6 million hectare study area was assessed for current wetlands using Remote Sensing and image classification techniques.  Wetlands were identified, categorized, attributed, polygonized, and store in a spatial data set.  These data are used for landuse planning, Wetlands Banking, and environmental assessment for biodiversity.

In 1997 while working as an employee for the State of California the Department of Conservation we constructed a Feasibility Study Report for the inventory, assessment, and remediation of Abandoned mines for the entire State of California.  There are over 100,000 abandoned mines in California, of which 50 percent are a physical hazard to humans and 30 percent are chemical hazards to humans and the environment.  I developed a relational database, inventory protocol, and sampling techniques to evaluate the Scope and Magnitude of Abandoned Mine in California.  The total area involved in the FSR was approximately 41 million hectares.

In 2003 working as an employee of NatureServe I began developing an ecological assessment for the Utah High Plateau Ecoregion.  The Utah High Plateau ecoregion is 11 million hectares in size and spans from mid-western Colorado to southwestern Utah.  We used remotely sensed data for an existing landcover layer and approximately 25 other ancillary data sets depicting anthropogenic activity (i.e. dams, oil wells, hazardous materials sites, etc..).  All the data are linked from the relation database to a spatial feature (point, line, or polygon).  The goal of this project is to facilitated ecoregional planning efforts, maintain or enhance biodiversity, and augment Federal land manager’s long-term resource plans.

In 2004 I was asked to teach GIS at Front Range Community College, in Boulder, Colorado.  For two years I taught GIS from the Introductory to Advance Level.  This was a rewarding and exciting experience.

In 2005 ERIA Consultants LLC was created.  Our Clients include the United States Forest Service (USFS), Forest Health Protection and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).  At The USFS I spatially model the potential introduction, establishment, and susceptibility the United States Forests are to various exotic insects and diseases.  I also have created a relation enterprise database coupled with an “on-the-fly” web based mapping application using ArcGIS Server and ArcSDE.     

In 2008 at TNC I was the lead Forestry consultant involved with assessing the health of Colorado Forest under the 2008 Farm Bill.      

In 2009 I worked with the Greenlands Reserve organization where I am mapping and assessing conservation easment properties along the Arkansas River in Southeastern Colorado.

In 2012 Tuffly finished his Ph.D. in Forest Science at Colorado State University.

In 2013 from 2016 Tuffly was an adjunct Professor at Colorado Sate University teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in forest biometrics, Remote Sensing, and Geographic Information Systems.

In 2017 he became an adjunct professor at Denver University teaching graduate courses in Remote Sensing

In 2018 he became a Certified Lead Forest Carbon Verifier for the California Air Ressources Board Carbon Offset Program AB32. In addition he has also conducted either Forest Carbon Verification under REDD+ in addition to Forest Carbon Project Development under REDD+ in Australia Tanzania, and Myanmar.

In 2020 he has been working under a USAID grant for the

Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).  His role in this $300,000 USAID grant is to serve as a subject matter expert with respect to high resolution multispectral optical image acquisition and classification as it relates to land use and land cover changes for seven independent countries in the Caribbean.  Additional tasks for CIMH are to conduct environmental risk assessment for both natural and anthropogenic hazards.

In 2021 Tuffly serves the Chair advisor on graduate committees for various students pursuing a Masters of Science Degree at Denver University.

Also in 2021 Tuffly became a certified UAV (Drone) pilot (FAA Part 107).         

Current Project can be review at Work Examples