Charley Peterson Pacific Region Forest Inventory & Analysis Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program Pacific Northwest Station, Portland, Oregon Emerging Issue(s) for FIA SAF National FIA User Group Meeting Rancho Cordova, California March 09, National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Increased need for science in land management decisions is spurring new requests for FIA data, especially more exact plot information What types of requests and by whom, Drivers behind the requests, and Benefits and Challenges for FIA National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

FIA Spatial Data Services Center team members (brochure in back) Liz LaPoint – Team Lead, Northern National projects Rich McCullough – Northern Research Station FIA Sam Lambert – Southern Research Station FIA Jock Blackard – Interior West FIA Dale Weyermann and John Chase – Pacific Region FIA 2010 National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues 3

2010 Business Report, Figure 9 – Requests made to the FIA Spatial Data Service Center, National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Increased requests for information beyond public FIADB, and/or plot locations (2010 Business Report) Requests have shifted in recent years from knowledge types to summary and spatial type National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

More requests for sample data on all lands from Spatial Data Services in past year (2010 Business Report) Academia: SDS’s largest client with 27% of new requests Requests by National Forest System: from 4% to 8% Requests by other Federal groups from 15% to 28% National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues Q: Are needs for FIA confidential plot data legitimate ? A: Yes, but the need for plot confidentiality conflicts with FIA role of being of service to the public.

Changing User Needs drive nature of data requests from Spatial Data Services All Lands Approach contributes to needs [e.g., Region 5 ( Carlos Ramirez ) and Regions 3/6 Integrated Landscape Assessment Project for Forest Planning]; State assessment requirements [e.g. WA and OR used GNN imputation that combines FIA plots and remote sensing]; Universities and mega-remote sensing labs (e.g., LANL) wanting plots for ground validation National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

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Integrated Landscape Assessment Project Regions 3 and 6 using (FIA) Plot Data Landscape cross-ownership information on vegetation (existing/ potential) conditions in AZ, NM, OR, and WA. Information to be used for mid- and broad-scale landscape assessment and planning efforts. Currently using imputation methods to map existing and potential vegetation for these clients. FIA data is the cornerstone plot data set that ILAP uses to develop imputation maps National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Integrated Landscape Assessment Project Regions 3 and 6 using (FIA) Plot Data Accurate spatial plot locations are necessary to build accurate imputation maps. Fuzzed coordinates do not allow development of accurate relationships between geographic data and vegetation plots. LANDFIRE data, while comprehensive, are not of sufficient resolution for client needs. MOU can be developed so to specify safeguards of plot locations as required by FIA data security protocols National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Challenges for FIA and Spatial Data Services More atypical (non-traditional) users unfamiliar with the data, design, or confidentiality procedures; Increased demand from FIA for both time and resources to educate and fulfill needs of the request; Increased scrutiny comes with increased availability as more people are looking at the data, perhaps suggesting A need to re-invigorate our Quality Assurance process National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Benefits to FIA: what do we want in exchange for using our confidential data? Remains confidential (non-negotiable) Program acknowledged (preferably in a grateful tone); a standard acknowledgement for publications Offers of FIA participation, particularly in complex non-routine projects National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Be more pro-active in getting the information out Websites need help, and there's a lot of potential to populate websites with content we're already creating (e.g., input to regional and national accomplishments)…topic unto itself Utilize publications to help people navigate the pitfalls, find the gems in FIA data when they think they want the coordinates or try to use what's publicly available National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

Be more pro-active in getting the information out Recognize o ur client base has broadened Understand client base and needs Actively teach the users about the data Informing new users of the process for acquiring the data and assuring confidentiality National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues

On the bright side, the national FIA Program of Research is definitely on the map and very much in demand as a recognized resource, especially compared to just 10 yrs ago when many folks didn’t knew who or what FIA was, or perhaps recognize its value National FIA User Meeting – Peterson: emerging issues 15