Progress Toward Compatibility

Among Regions

2011 FIA National Users’ Group MeetingSacramento. CA

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 2

The Effect of 1998 Farm Bill

Farm Bill declared annual survey design….no more periodicPlot intensity & measurement refresh related to information needs and costs……National understanding on East/West trade-offsFive Year Reporting cycleField first place to standardizeData processing lagged in full integration of NIMS….for good reasonsEastern Stations ramped the fastest due to strong partnershipsFinal States in West started in FY2010

Interior Alaska yet to startSome years away from full re-measurement of annual panels

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 3

Where We’re There

Progression on national field manuals (5.0). 6.0 is comingNational Data Recorder System (MIDAS 5.0) 6.0 is comingNational Information Management SystemNational Estimation ModelImplemented in all 50 statesA distributed data collection model…..NIMAC and similar efforts in support of NFS and StatesData is on timeOn-line and in FIADB More Tools every year

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 4

FIA Program Highlights For FY 2010

Active for the first time in all 50 StatesOnly missing Interior AlaskaNearly achieved goal of 1998 Farm Bill

Online data less than 2 years old for 44 States plus coastal Alaska3-5 years old in FL, NC, and NVMore than 5 years old in WY, NM, LA, interior Alaska, west TX

Started double-intensity inventories on National Forests in the South, through Region 8 contributions

2-3X in Region 9 through R-9 and state contributionsData collection productivity and quality remains high

19,272 P2 plots visited by field crews; 1,204 included enhanced forest health data9% of P2 plots revisited by QA/QC crews

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 5

More FY 2010 FIA Program Highlights

Federal-State partnership is productive and highly efficient 392 federal employees205 State employees & contractors

203 publications; 74 in peer-reviewed journals10 user group meetings423 spatial data requests991 expert consultations (260 weeks of assistance)104,676 on-line FIA database downloadsState reports are reasonably current

18 of 24 NRS States less than 5 years old10 of 13 SRS States less than 5 years old3 of 5 PNW States less than 5 years old3 of 8 RMRS States less than 5 years old

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 6

Our Commitment to Standards

Core …..Core optional……..Regional optionalP2 Core

P2 plot/subplot/tree attributesP2 Core Optional & Regional Optional

Recall from your field trip on TuesdayQA/QC is a big part of program delivery

FIADB updated with fresh data each year

We Working on Doing the Same For:NWOSTPO

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 7

Tough Times Provide Opportunities

Re-evaluate of phase 3 measurements in terms of aligning with FIA/FS/partners mission areas and products or outputs provided.Re-evaluate the intensity plots of phase 3 measurements with collected – move phase 3 indicators to phase 2 versions. National field guide 6.0 includes “lite” versions of DWM and understory vegetation. “More plots/less measurements”Move all/some of phase 3 measurements to core optional from core.Some combination of all of the above.

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 8

Policy Standards

Data on-line and on timeContinue commitment to transparencyFive year reportsBuy Down/Cost Share PolicyData Release and Plot Confidentiality Continue commitment to Safety

Don’t Change the Design

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CA Slide # 9

The National Commitment

Know our Mission To improve the understanding and management of our Nation’s forests by maintaining a comprehensive inventory of the status and trends………..forest, area, trees, wood volume, biomass, carbon, bio-enegry, change is all.

How can we span the final increments of standards and compatibility during these time of opportunity?

Mission (Yes, We have the FIA Train)Prioritize mission (Define the measurement, analysis and reporting cars being pulled by the FIA Train)P3 items like DWM, Veg, Soils could move to P2 lite. Less measurements but on more plots.Some P3 items may need “soft dollar” to be maintained.

greams@fs.fed.uswww.fia.fs.fed.us