U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

On the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Forest Inventory

FIA Progress Update

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Key findings of the Blue Ribbon Panel

• Elevate priority of FIA Program• Implement annual inventory and

supporting analysis• Report on all forest land• Concentrate on core ecological and timber data• Develop a Strategic Plan to implement

new FIA - with annual progress reporting

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Elevate FIA Program PriorityKey finding #1

• Higher priority within Forest Service- Funding support 100% of MOU for 2001- More details coming up

• Higher priority in Research Stations- 7 new analysts/techniques researchers - More data use by other programs

- Fire, US Sustainability, Global Change• Higher priority with customers

- 28% of funding and workload non-FIA

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

FIA coverage, 2001 completed

P2 + P3

P3 onlyP3 + Old P2

P2 only51%

14%

3%

9%

23%

P2 > 125,000 forest plots

3mi. (5km) grid

P3 > 8,000 forest plots

13mi. (22km) grid

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Implement annual inventoryKey finding #2• Full MOU target funding in 2001

• 65% of Nation covered in 2001

• Up from 42% in FY 2000• Up from 21% in FY 1999

• 115 Reports in FY 2001

• 1st Annual reports in South • Web site activity up 50% over 2000

• 19,000 forest data downloads• 5,400 timber product downloads

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Report on all forest lands Key finding #3

• All new FIA inventories conducted since 1994 are wall-to-wall (outside NFS), NFS was

included as of 2001

• New FIA DB and reports cover all forest land

• Continue to assist in development of urban inventory protocols

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Concentrate on core ecologicaland timber data Key finding #4

• New national field guide requires:• Core national variables• Consistent approach nationwide

• On-line databases• Customer driven table generators & graphics• Data output available in English or metric

Check out http://fia.fs.fed.us

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Develop a strategic planKey finding #5

• Defined and implemented core variables• 107 collected on all plots, nationally consistent

• 36 extended core on subset of plots (P3)

• Established national core field manual

• Implemented a change mgmt process

• Refining privacy guidelines– More to come

• Expanded use of advanced technology• Work with USGS to develop land cover system (MRLC)

• Exploration of new technology for electronic data collection

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

2001 Success Stories

• Annual Business Report continues to be very successful at tracking program accountability

• New 2002 RPA database & tables completed

• New on-line Mapmaker, Tablemaker, and Customer Survey

• New national private forest landowners study

• Implemented soil sampling on P3 plots

• Technical Bands have been very successful and participate actively in annual FIA Symposia

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

More success stories

• Quality input from regional and national User Groups

• FIA will provide data and analysis for 2003 Sustainability Report for U.S.

• Continue to develop links between FIA data and NFS databases

• Continue developing crosswalk to National Vegetation Classification Standard

• Working with other scientists to inventory urban landscapes

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Outstanding Performance

Director’s award for excellence

Mike Hoppus, Barb O’Connell, Peggy Kain, Jim Alegria, Ralph Warbington, Ron Tymcio, Larry DeBlander, Andy Edwards,Steve Solem, Bill Burkman, Pat Miles, John Vissage

PartnershipParticipation on FIA Exec Team & Mgmt TeamTechnical Band Participation

CollaborationUSGSFire Plan ResearchState Department

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

What’s Next?

FY 2002 and beyond…

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

FIA coverage, 2002

P2 + P3

P3 onlyP3 + Old P2

P2 only72%

10%

3%

4%

11%

Funding at 89% of MOU

$6.2 million short

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

2002 Program Plans

• Continue implementation to 73% of all forest (outside of interior AK)

• Push for increased funding in 2003

• Heavy emphasis on information management development

• Fine tune P3 methods to eliminate redundancies with P2

• Finalize methods for veg structure and down woody debris

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

2002 Early Successes• Created the Geospatial Service Center at the NE Station

• National Woodland Ownership Survey under way

• Signed MOU with EDC

• Moving into Fire arena to help quantify risk, losses, & treatment opportunities

• Completed the first comprehensive inventory of southeast Alaska

• Tropical Forest inventory underway for the Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico with exceptional participation by the Island governments

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

2003 Goals

• Complete Privacy Guidelines and Policy

• Continue implementation to 94% of all forest (outside of interior AK)

• Push for full MOU funding by 2004

• Evaluate P2 methods for efficiency

• Implement veg structure and down woody debris on P3 plots

• Begin drafting the next Strategic Plan

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

This Year’s Hot Issues

• Ownership Classification

• Plot Confidentiality

• FIA Fire Plan Research

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Ownership Classification

• Why ownership studies?

• What is collected and how?

• What are the privacy implications?

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Plot Confidentiality:Why is this an issue?

• Privacy

• Integrity

• Credibility

• Consistency

• Data utility

U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

FIA Fire Plan Research

• Community Action Prioritization System

• Strategic Assessment of Fire Risk in MT

• FIA Biosum Project