F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census FIA Leadership Change, the Farm Bill & Strategic Plan Greg Reams FIA National Program Leader USDA Forest Service

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Acting Director of Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Research Rich Guldin retired on January 2, 2015 Linda Langner the National Leader for RPA research acting through this week. Starting next Monday Josiah Kim will be acting for 120 days. Josiah is Region 9 (Milwaukee) engineer.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census LAST YEAR--WHAT WE NEED TO DO...You Said Put a Firewall around core program Complete the Base Don’t Lose the Base Maintain Flexibility & Core Variables Ramp spatial products including mapping Find new money to implement urban work Annualize TPO and make available like FIADB Don’t change the design!!!!

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census WHAT FARM BILL REQUESTED In revising the strategic plan, the Secretary of Agriculture shall describe in detail the organization, procedures, and funding needed to achieve each of the following: (1) Complete the transition to a fully annualized forest inventory program and include inventory and analysis of interior Alaska. (2) Implement an annualized inventory of trees in urban settings, including the status and trends of trees and forests, and assessments of their ecosystem services, values, health, and risk to pests and diseases.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census FARM BILL CONTINUED (3) Report information on renewable biomass supplies and carbon stocks at the local, State, regional, and national level, including by ownership type. (4) Engage State foresters and other users of information from the forest inventory and analysis in reevaluating the list of core data variables collected on forest inventory and analysis plots with an emphasis on demonstrated need. (5) Improve the timeliness of the timber product output program and accessibility of the annualized information on that database.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census FARM BILL CONTINUED (6) Foster greater cooperation among the forest inventory and analysis program, research station leaders, and State foresters and other users of information from the forest inventory and analysis. (7) Promote availability of and access to non-Federal resources to improve information analysis and information management. (8) Collaborate with the NRCS, NASA, NOAA, and USGS to integrate remote sensing, spatial analysis techniques, and other new technologies in the forest inventory and analysis program.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census FARM BILL CONTINUED (9) Understand and report on changes in land cover and use. (10) Expand existing programs to promote sustainable forest stewardship through increased understanding, in partnership with other Federal agencies, of the over 10 million family forest owners, their demographics, and the barriers to forest stewardship. (11) Implement procedures to improve the statistical precision of estimates at the sub-State level.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census ENHANCE PARTNER OUTREACH Maintain and enhance current partnerships States, NFS, Universities as key partners Continue to build partnerships Tribes Vibrant Cities Water Districts Agencies and entities with similar missions Federal, States, Muni and International contributions to forest I&M

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Strategic Plan Update Submitted to SPBA last summer (before August deadline) Because of budget increases significant review and comment period between FS and OMB through Feb, Forwarded March 2, 2015 to House-Committee on Agriculture and Senate-Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Each of the 11 elements now has a funding range rather than point estimate.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Strategic Plan Update Option A & B is complete the original plan Option A & B range is million Restore 7-yr east federal base cycle & 10-yr in the west. Include interior Alaska

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census OPTION C Range $84 - $92 million Enhance TPO Land use and land cover research Improve carbon/biomass estimation Enhance owner study Urban

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census OPTION D Range $99 - $104 million 5-yr base federal all states

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census OPTION E Range $105 - $108 million Promote other agency collaboration Engage non-federal IT resources Analysis and cooperation Core data evaluation

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census OPTION F Range $130 - $135 million Partners leverage FIA to increase sample size for small area estimation. 2 X intensification This is currently at shared partner expense. Approximate cost is 4-5 cents/acre.

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census BIOMASS and CARBON are now A BIG DEAL!!! As evidenced by the Farm Bill Improved individual tree biomass Improved carbon estimation Land use and land cover change Urban sector specifically named

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Stocks and Flows of Biomass and Carbon Now A BIG DEAL As evidenced by the Farm Bill Annual Forest GHG report FIA and RPA modelers estimating trends and futures of land use sector and carbon storage and lose rates. Being used by US Government in international negotiations. Includes Harvest Wood Products (HWP) Flows of forest land use to and from other sectors

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Stocks and Flows Continued Attribution-code for disturbances including natural & human caused…also Land Use Change Improvements in land use sector data and estimation key to delivering the above!! When land use changes do trees remain? In urban…..often yes Who in USG should do this work? EPA, USGS, maybe FIA and Dept. of Ag. (NASS/NRI)? Perhaps tree biomass/carbon in other land sectors helps maintain working forest?

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census CHANGE AGENT 1) Reforestation/Afforestation 2) Partial Harvest 3) Clear Cut 4) Fire 5) Insects & Disease 6) Development (Urban) and Ag 7) Expected Change of Stand Dynamics 8) Other

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census LAND USE DEFINITIONS

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Moving to implementation of the Forest Atlas 5 themes drive the Atlas Where do trees grow and why? What else lives in the forest? What shapes the forest? What benefits do forests provide? What is the future of our forests?

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Forest Atlas Here’s the theme or issue Here’s one of the stories Here’s the ability to drive in locally Here’s the data, analyses & interpretation Here’s what others have to contribute Need a firewall busting cloud environment to implement Working with FS leadership & CIO to do so

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Forest Atlas Screen Shot py cover. E

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census Forest Atlas Screen Shot Screen Captures

F I A San Antonio, Texas 2015 The Nation’s Forest Census QUESTIONS THANK YOU!!!!!