在美国西部的犹他州，无人机正从雪崩处的附近飞过，观测从山上坠落的积雪。
Drones are also being used in the southeastern United States. For example, in North Carolina, they are searching for endangered birds and the places they use to raise their young.
无人机也被用在美国东南部。例如，在北卡罗来纳州，无人机正在搜寻濒临灭绝的鸟类以及它们抚养幼鸟的地方。
Public transportation agencies are using drones in nearly every state. That information comes the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO.
几乎每个州的公共交通机构都在使用无人机，这些信息来自于美国国家公路和运输官员协会（简称AASHTO）。
In a report released this month, the nonprofit group found a large increase in the use of drones over the past few years. The aircraft are also called unmanned aerial vehicles.
在本月发布的一份报告中，这家非营利组织发现过去几年无人机的使用大幅增加，这些飞机也被称之为无人驾驶飞行器。
The association's survey found that governments as well as private citizens have accepted the technology. They include individuals who love flying model aircraft.
该协会的调查发现，政府以及公民都接受了这项技术，其中包括喜欢操控模型飞机的人士。
In 2016, the group found that no state transportation agency was using drones every day. Now, 36 states employ certified drone pilots.
该组织发现，2016年没有州运输机构在使用无人机。现在，有36个州雇佣了经过认证的无人机飞手。
Jim Tymon is the executive director of the association. "You've seen the cost of drones come down significantly, and the capabilities that come along with some drones increase significantly as well," he said.
Jim Tymon是该协会的执行董事。他说：“你已经看到了无人机的成本显著下降，而且一些无人机的功能也有显著提升。”
Jared Esselman is the director of aeronautics at the Utah Department of Transportation. He says that drones are valuable for all kinds of work.
Jared Esselman是犹他州交通部的航空主管。他称无人机对各种工作来说都很有价值。
"We can predict not only snow slides, but mudslides and water runoff as the snow melts," Esselman said. "Drones are a perfect tool for any job that is dangerous or dirty."
Esselan表示：“我们不仅可以预测积雪滑坡，也能预测积雪融化时的泥石流和洪水。无人机是危险或脏乱工作的完美工具。”
In North Carolina, drones are finding the nests of endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, reports Basil Yap. He is the unmanned aerial systems program manager at the state's transportation department.
Basil Yap报告称，无人机正在北卡罗来纳州搜寻像红啄木鸟这样的濒危物种的巢穴。他是该州交通部门无人机系统项目经理。
People once used helicopters or all-terrain vehicles to inspect for evidence of woodpeckers before building new projects. But the drones can do the job quicker with fewer problems, Yap said.
Yap表示，在建造新项目之前，人们曾经使用直升机或全地形汽车来检查啄木鸟的迹象。但是无人机可以更快地完成工作，遇到的问题也更少。
A number of states are beginning to explore how to create laws to control a flood of private drone traffic that is likely to come in the future. In Ohio, the state government is working on an air-traffic control system, called SkyVision, which would enable drones to recognize and avoid other aircraft in flight.
许多州都开始探索如何制定法律，以控制未来可能大量涌现的私人无人机飞行。在俄亥俄州，州政府正在开发一项名为SkyVision的空中交通管制系统，该系统可以让无人机识别并避开其它飞行中的飞机。
I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·拉塞尔。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)