Even this small amount of material is enough to prevent the equipment from being brought onto the forest!

While mud and dirt are the main things we look for, other environmental threats are obviously searched for as well. Things such as hydraulic, oil, or fuel leaks are the major ones we look for. Differentiating between a hydraulic or oil leak from dripping water was difficult at first since some machines have just recently been cleaned prior to our arrival and thus are still wet.

                                                                                                                                        Can you tell what this small fluid leak is?                                               

Some infractions are much easier to spot, though. Egregious dirt buildup is an obvious discrepancy that must be rectified before entrance into the forest is permitted. The void under hydraulic stabilizing legs is a surprisingly common place to find material buildup. 

                                                                                              This obviously would not be allowed entrance into the forest if presented as such for an inspection

While not an entirely glamorous task to perform, equipment inspections are an important part in the monumental task of preventing invasive species from devastating our national lands. While its importance is not easily overstated, it is a simple task to perform and, more importantly, it keeps the biologists happy! Please look forward to hearing about the exciting world of road construction and maintenance in my next post!