Progress Toward Compatibility Among Regions 2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting Sacramento. CA 2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting Sacramento. CA

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 2 The Effect of 1998 Farm Bill Farm Bill declared annual survey design….no more periodic Plot intensity & measurement refresh related to information needs and costs……National understanding on East/West trade-offs Five Year Reporting cycle Field first place to standardize Data processing lagged in full integration of NIMS….for good reasons Eastern Stations ramped the fastest due to strong partnerships Final States in West started in FY2010 Interior Alaska yet to start Some years away from full re-measurement of annual panels

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 3 Where We’re There Progression on national field manuals (5.0). 6.0 is coming National Data Recorder System (MIDAS 5.0) 6.0 is coming National Information Management System National Estimation Model Implemented in all 50 states A distributed data collection model…..NIMAC and similar efforts in support of NFS and States Data is on time On-line and in FIADB More Tools every year

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 4 FIA Program Highlights For FY 2010 Active for the first time in all 50 States Only missing Interior Alaska Nearly achieved goal of 1998 Farm Bill Online data less than 2 years old for 44 States plus coastal Alaska 3-5 years old in FL, NC, and NV More 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 contributions Data collection productivity and quality remains high 19,272 P2 plots visited by field crews; 1,204 included enhanced forest health data 9% of P2 plots revisited by QA/QC crews

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 5 More FY 2010 FIA Program Highlights Federal-State partnership is productive and highly efficient 392 federal employees 205 State employees & contractors 203 publications; 74 in peer-reviewed journals 10 user group meetings 423 spatial data requests 991 expert consultations (260 weeks of assistance) 104,676 on-line FIA database downloads State reports are reasonably current 18 of 24 NRS States less than 5 years old 10 of 13 SRS States less than 5 years old 3 of 5 PNW States less than 5 years old 3 of 8 RMRS States less than 5 years old

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 6 Our Commitment to Standards Core …..Core optional……..Regional optional P2 Core P2 plot/subplot/tree attributes P2 Core Optional & Regional Optional Recall from your field trip on Tuesday QA/QC is a big part of program delivery FIADB updated with fresh data each year We Working on Doing the Same For: NWOS TPO

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 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, CASlide # 8 Policy Standards Data on-line and on time Continue commitment to transparency Five year reports Buy Down/Cost Share Policy Data Release and Plot Confidentiality Continue commitment to Safety Don’t Change the Design

2011 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Sacramento, CASlide # 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.