1. Missouri’s Forest Resource Assessment - An Overview for NASF - Lisa Allen State Forester Missouri Department of Conservation

2. Minimum Requirements for Assessments Forest Conditions and Trends Forest Resource Threats Forest Benefits and Services Partner and Stakeholder involvement Priority Forest Areas Multi State Priorities Existing Statewide Plans

3. Key Components of Missouri’s Assessment Identification of Issue Themes Forest Opportunity Areas

4. 12 Key Issue Themes Issue Theme 1: Private Forest Landowner Demographic Trends, and Corresponding Land Use Changes Issue Theme 2: Challenges & Opportunities for Private Forest Landowners Issue Theme 3: Climate Change Issue Theme 4: Maintaining High Quality Soil and Water Resources Issue Theme 5: The Role of Fire in Missouri’s Forests Issue Theme 6: Growth, Harvest and Consumption of Forest Products Issue Theme 7: Exotic and Invasive Plants, Animals and Diseases, and other Forest Health Threats Issue Theme 8: Role of Trees/Forests in Making Cities More Livable and Sustainable Issue Theme 9: Public Lands which Provide Multiple Benefits Issue Theme 10: Maintaining Biodiversity (Wildlife Diversity) Issue Theme 11: Public Awareness of Forests and their Benefits & Services Issue Theme 12: Legal, Institutional and Economic Consideration

5. Key Component: Issue Themes – Synopsis – Desired Future Conditions – Conditions, trends, threats and opportunities related to achieving DFC’s – Tie-ins to other existing plans – Example: Issue #1: Private Forest Landowner Demographics Trends, and Corresponding Land Use ChangesPrivate Forest Landowner Demographics Trends, and Corresponding Land Use Changes

6. Our Methodology for Delineating Rural and Urban “Forest Opportunity Areas”

7. Definitions: Forest Opportunity Area (FOA) = Areas in the state, including both forested areas and areas well suited to reforestation, which present Missouri’s best opportunities for sustaining forest resources and the benefits and services derived from them. Priority Forest Landscape (PFL)= A large landscape (generally >10,000 acres) of concentrated FOA.

8. Step One: Forest Opportunity Model ¼ acre grid cells are evaluated w/ 8 Data Sets: 1. Biodiversity 2. Forest Productivity/Carbon Sequestration 3. Soil and Water Conservation 4. Recreation/Social Values 5. Forest Patch Size 6. Current Harvest Pressure 7. Insect and Disease Vulnerability 8. Housing Density Projections

11. Step Two: Delineate Priority Forest Landscapes 1.Forest Opportunity Model is applied to 12 Digit HUC watersheds. 2.A few additional areas are pulled in which uniquely promote the Seven Criterion of Sustainability.

14. Delineating Urban Forest Opportunity Areas Urban Forest Opportunity Area = Metropolitan area which stands to gain the most from “urban” strategies.

15. (In Progress)

16. Working with Partners and Stakeholders

17. Lessons Learned from our Stakeholder Meetings: Conduct an internal trial run. Set realistic expectations. Focus on stakeholder feedback rather than providing outreach. Don’t assume your agency already has all of the answers. Even if you do, it is highly informative to learn what stakeholders are thinking. Provide multiple opportunities for feedback.

18. Closing Thoughts… Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies take a lot of time!!! An opportunity, not just a mandate…