Information Needs National Forest System Update

2011 FIA User Group Meeting – Sacramento, CAMarch 9, 2011

Greg Kujawa NFS, Washington

Office

Objective

High-Mid Altitude overview Key current and emerging business

requirements

FS National Priorities

USDA Strategic Plan Goal 2: “Ensure Our National Forests and Private Working

Lands Are Conserved, Restored, and Made More Resilient to Climate Change, While Enhancing Our Water Resources.”

NFS Focus Areas (Elements of Landscape-scale Conservation)– Enhancing Water Resources – Responding to Climate Change – Community-based Stewardship – Jobs to Assist Rural Communities

Integration/Alignment Through

Policies Budget Business Requirements, Processes, and

Tools

…in Collaboration with

States– State-wide Forest Resource Assessments and

Strategies Other Federal Agencies

– Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) (DOI-USWFW)

– Rapid Ecosystem Assessments (BLM) Tribes, NGOs, Industry

Emphasis/Strategic Priorities Integrated Resource Restoration (IRR) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation New Planning Rule National Cohesive Wildland Fire

Management Strategy “Action Plan for the Nation’s Forests and

Grasslands” (implements the “all-lands vision”)

America’s Great Outdoors (AGO)

Budget Line Item (BLI) Consolidation

Integrated Resource Restoration (IRR) BLI – 2012 budget would include:

Forest Products, Vegetation and Watershed Mgt, Wildlife/Fisheries Habitat Mgt, Non-WUI Hazardous Fuels, Legacy Roads/Trails, Road Decommissioning, and CFLRP funds.

Land Management Planning, Assessment, and Monitoring BLI– Combines Land Management Planning with

Inventory and Monitoring programs.

New and Emerging Business Processes and Tools

Climate Change Roadmap and Scorecard Planning Rule direction on assessments

and monitoring Landscape Conservation Frameworks

– Five Region/Station/Area Partnerships Watershed Condition Framework Terrestrial Ecological Integrity Index

Climate Change Scorecard

Will help implement the Roadmap and respond to USDA Strategic Plan Goal 2.

10 Yes/No questions. 7 “yes” answers needed by 2015. Four scorecard elements relevant to FIA.

Element 6

Vulnerability Assessment– Has information relevant to management actions

at the Unit level been developed and synthesized to assess the vulnerability of key resources to the impacts of climate change and other stressors?

Element 7

Adaptation Activities– Is an adaptation strategy in place that helps

incorporate the vulnerability of resources and places into priority setting and management actions?

Element 8

Monitoring– Is monitoring being conducted to track climate-

related changes in conditions of species, watershed condition, forest and grassland health, and other measures, and the effectiveness of adaptation activities?

Element 9

Carbon Assessment– Has information relevant to the Unit level been

developed and synthesized to assess carbon stocks and the influence of land management activities and disturbances on potential changes in carbon stocks?

Planning Rule (proposed)

Establishes a 2-tier framework for assessments and monitoring:– Broad scale– Local unit scale

REVISE (or Amend)

ASSESS

MONITOR

Develop 2-tier Approach

Develop Proposed

Plan

DECISION

ROLES Need for change Engage Partners

Potential Need

NEPA Revision

Amendment

REPORT (Evaluate)

Engage Partners

Engage Partners

Action Plan

REPORT (Roles)

(Need for Change)

Planning Rule (proposed)

Regional Offices will have a major role to play.– Assessments

Identify and evaluate information needed to understand existing conditions, trends, and stressors.

– Monitoring The status of select watershed conditions, select

ecological conditions, focal species, etc. Measurable changes on the unit related to climate

change and other stressors. The carbon stored in above-ground vegetation. RFs shall develop broader-scale monitoring strategies.

Watershed Condition Framework

Assessments conducted at 6th HUC scale Apply 12 core national indicators

WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS(12 Indicator Model)

5. RIPARIAN/WETLANDVEGETATION

1. Vegetation Condition

AQUATICPHYSICAL

(Weight = 30%)

12. FOREST HEALTH

1. Insects and Disease 2. Ozone

11. TERRESTRIALINVASIVE SPECIES

1. Extent & Rate of Spread

AQUATICBIOLOGICAL(Weight = 30%)

TERRESTRIALPHYSICAL

(Weight = 30%)

TERRESTRIALBIOLOGICAL(Weight = 10%)

4. AQUATIC BIOTA

1. Life Form Presence 2. Native Species 3. Exotic and/or Invasive Species

6. ROADS & TRAILS

1. Open Road Density 2. Road Maintenance 3. Proximity to Water 4. Mass Wasting

9. FOREST COVER

1. Loss of Forest Cover

7. SOILS

1. Soil Productivity 2. Soil Erosion 3. Soil Contamination

1. WATER QUALITY

1. Impaired Waters (303d Listed) 2. Water Quality Problems (Not Listed)

2. WATER QUANTITY

1. Flow Characteristics

10. RANGELANDVEGETATION

1. Vegetation Condition

8. FIRE REGIME orWILDFIRE

1. Fire Condition Class OR 2. Wildfire Effects

3. AQUATIC HABITAT

1. Habitat Fragmentation 2. Large Woody Debris 3. Channel Shape and Function

Watershed Condition Framework

Note: 6th HUC watersheds are generally too fine to use FIA data, but…

Two indicators use FIA data: – Forest Health : FHP I& D Risk Map– Fire Regime Condition (FRCC): LANDFIRE

National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

Fire-adapted communities Response to wildfire Restore and maintain resilient landscapes

– Interagency effort (WFLC)– Phase II - Regional Strategies and Assessments

(NE, SE, West)

Common Elements

Assessments Monitoring

Geographic Scale– Broad scale (regional) or higher

Next Steps

Development continuing on guidance for:– Scorecard elements– Planning Rule assessments and monitoring– Terrestrial Ecological Integrity Index.

Principles: – Identify specific info needs (INA).

What are the management or policy questions?– Use existing data systems.– Align/integrate among national efforts.

Next Steps

Agency-wide vegetation information management strategy needs to be developed.– To increase efficiency, data scalability, supports

public collaboration, and transparency.– SLMBOD is directing this effort. – Process proposed to be piloted with invasive

plants.

Issues and Challenges

Future budgets Data gaps

– Veg data across all lands. Interagency collaboration

Questions?