Guiding Principles

In implementing this new and expanded plan of work, we will be guided
by the following principles:

Although our primary mission is to serve the people of this Nation,
we recognize that many of the problems require a multinational or
global approach.

We will take the lead in inventorying and monitoring changes in the
Nation’s forests, forest resources, and forested ecosystems.

In regard to common national and international data reporting
problems, we will strive to establish universal protocols that ensure
comparability of statistics.

We will operate to maintain the best possible working relationships
with our clients and cooperators.

We will actively participate in developing inventory methods and
new techniques that will assist the National Forest System in meeting
the requirements of the National Forest Management Act.

We will maintain our emphasis on conducting statewide forest
resources inventories, while conducting a balanced program of
research to advance knowledge on multiresource assessments and
forest health monitoring.

We will recruit, train, and retain a competent and highly dedicated
work force from all segments of the Nation’s population, and we will
encourage creativity and innovation in our people.


E6LOS) 26

12


Mandates

The Forest Inventory and Analysis program, initially known as the Forest
Survey, was conceived over eight decades ago when the U.S. Congress
acknowledged the need for information about the supply and condition
of the Nation's natural resources. The Organic Act of 1897, which estab-
lished the National Forests, included provisions for the inventory and
management of these lands. Later, the Forestry Research Act (McSweeney-
McNary) of 1928 directed the Secretary of Agriculture to make and keep
current a comprehensive inventory and analysis of the Nation’s forest
resources. The Resources Planning Act of 1974 (RPA) amended the earlier
research act and directed the Secretary of Agriculture to, “...make and
keep current a comprehensive inventory and analysis of the present and
prospective conditions of and requirements for the renewable resources
of the forest and rangelands of the United States..." The Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978, which replaced the
earlier Forestry Research legislation, repeated the amendment contained
in the RPA.

The National Forest Management Act of 1976 states: “...to serve the
national interest, the renewable resources program must be based on a
comprehensive assessment of present and anticipated uses, demand for,
and supply of renewable resources from the Nation's public and private
forest and rangelands....” This law expanded the activities of the nation-
wide Forest Survey to cover all renewable natural resources. Recent
legislation, such as the Forest Ecosystems and Atmospheric Pollution
Research Act of 1988, directs the Secretary of Agriculture to ”...increase
the frequency of forest inventories in matters that relate to atmospheric
pollution and conduct such surveys as are necessary to monitor long-term
trends in the health and productivity of domestic forest ecosystems.” This
legislation directs FIA to monitor the forest health of the Nation. In
cooperation with State and Private Forestry, under the Forest Stewardship
Act of 1990, FIA is developing a methodology to assess the current status
of the urban forest resources of the Nation.


Goals for the 1990's

In the short term (the next 5 years) the FIA program will concentrate on
attaining these general, high-priority program goals:

Base Program * Maintain maximum 10-year inventory remeasurement cycle in all
regions.

* Expand FIA comprehensive inventory coverage to all forest lands,
of all ownerships and statuses.

* Develop and maintain data bases and a uniform data delivery system
to address State, regional, and national forest-resource information
issues, and provide adequate documentation and interactive access
for data requesters.

204 25
Remeasurement cycle
20
e a5,
8s S
S &
& w4 - >
5 "n, 3
3 “nae 10 9
6
§
a
= _|
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45
° TT TT OT 1
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
Year
Historic FIA funding and cycle length
Forest Health Monitoring ¢ In cooperation with EPA, the States, and other Federal agencies,

establish and maintain an extensive Forest Health Monitoring net-
work across all forest ecosystems.

¢ Identify, measure, and monitor key indicators of the forest that allow

an assessment of forest productivity; resiliency; biodiversity; and
ecosystem stability, distribution, condition, and structure.

19


arty Ee ; Te
—s AS TRS cena ee SPINS {Et

Se



Urban Forest Inventory Research

Backyard forests as well as single trees/groups of trees in urban/suburban
settings are receiving increasing attention as a source of wildlife habitat,
specifically for songbirds and small mammals in predominantly urban or
suburban areas. Small forested tracts that do not meet FIA’s definition of
forest land are being used as inner-city environmental education centers.
Greenways are increasingly used by city dwellers as a focal point for
recreation, exercise, and other leisure activities. In addition, research is
currently being conducted to identify the tree species that are best suited
for planting as windbreaks and noise barriers, to abate hydrocarbon
emissions, and as potential for summer shade to reduce energy costs in
cities and suburbs. A baseline estimate of tree biomass in urban settings is
necessary to be able to monitor the effectiveness of urban tree planting
programs and to identify the size and species distribution of trees. Cities
and urban land should be first stratified into subclasses, such as residen-
tial, transportation rights-of-way and median strips, recreational
greenways, and industrial settings, so that biomass estimates, and the
extent and type of use associated with the subclasses, may be identified.
To meet this challenge, we will:

* Develop a methodology for delineating and stratifying urban forest
land.

* Test, and if necessary, modify existing procedures of land classifica
tion and estimation in order to conduct forest/tree inventories in
densely populated areas.

Evaluate the extent of forest urbanization at present, track changes
in “urbanized forest land,” and evaluate the effects of urbanization
on levels of forest management and ecosystem retention.

Design appropriate sampling procedures to study ecological systems
along urban-rural gradients and to examine remnant forest patches,
species composition, and vertical and horizontal vegetative structure.

PSRESEARCH


Forest Service-NFS

Forest Service-S&PF

Forest Service-IF

Alliances

The FIA program has many partners in accomplishing its mission. Some
traditional and major current cooperators and their relationship to our
program include:

National Forest System administrators are major land managers, especially
in the West, and are responsible for intensive management-level invento-
ries on National Forest System lands. In the East, the FIA program con-
ducts extensive inventories on the National Forests, as well as other public
and private land, and furnishes standard statistics for Resource Planning
Act (RPA) decadal assessments. In the West, the NFS furnishes input for
State-level inventories and RPA assessments.

The two inventory activities are complementary. Land management
questions can best be answered by map-based NFS inventories, while
questions that are regional in nature and that affect all forest land owner-
ships can best be answered by the FIA sample-based inventories. As the
Forest Health Monitoring program is implemented, FIA will be establish-
ing and maintaining field plots at FIA photo- or field-plot locations on all
forest land ownerships and thus will have opportunities to strengthen our
partnership with NFS.

State and Private Forestry programs offer opportunities for cooperation in
several areas. Forest Pest Management (FPM) is a major partner with FIA
in implementing the national Forest Health Monitoring program. The FIA
role is in the early phases of monitoring: answering questions of what,
where, and when by recording the condition of forest ecosystems, esti-
Mating baseline conditions, and detecting changes from the baseline.
FPM assists in detecting changes and takes the process one step further by
determining the causes of the detected changes. When cause is identi-
tied, then corrective actions can be identified and implemented.

Under the Forest Stewardship Act of 1990, “...an assessment of the current
status of urban forest resources...” is required. No uniform national
methodology has been developed for conducting these assessments. FIA
has the technical skills and design capabilities to develop this methodol-
ogy and a nationwide organization that is capable of producing consis-
tent national statistics.

The Tropical Forestry program under the responsibility of International
Forestry recruits experts to assist in training professionals from developing
countries and helping them to manage their forests for sustainable
development. FIA scientists are experts in resource inventories and
analyses and the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and
remote sensing technology to resource assessment needed for this
program.


FSmESEARON

acy


Purpose

The purpose of this blueprint is to chart a course for the Forest Inventory
and Analysis program that will serve as a guide throughout the 1990's. It
contains the basis for our varied activities, covers our relationships with
our clients and cooperators, and contains our vision of where we are and
where we are going. We are proud to be part of the USDA-Forest Service
whose stated mission is “...to care for the land and to serve the people”.
We have an important role to play in achieving this overall mission. Our
forest inventories provide the necessary foundation for building a pro-
gram of land stewardship. And we serve the people by providing unbi-
ased, accurate, current, and relevant forest resources information that
meets their diverse needs. Likewise, we are proud to be part of the Forest
Service Research organization, which serves society by “developing and
communicating the scientific information and technology needed to
protect, manage, and use the natural resources of forests and range
lands.” As part of Research’s foundation program, we develop basic
statistics that are needed as background for many research proposals and
problem analyses. Although much of our energy is expended in gathering
data and reporting statistics, our program includes a dedicated and
capable cadre of scientists who evaluate forest resource trends, develop
techniques, and adapt the latest technology to allow us to remain in the
forefront of inventory organizations throughout the world. As our
mandated responsibilities grow and our client base becomes more diverse,
FIA must become more responsive to the public’s information needs.

Intermountain

Pacific Northwest North Central

Hawaii ®

Southeast

Southern

Puerto Rico
Forest Inventory and Analysis zones of research responsibility



Investigate new ways of describing the urban forest, such as leaf area
indices or foliar volume.

Develop total tree biomass equations for urban trees by evaluating
crown structure and relating canopy biomass to stem diameter for
trees in urban settings. Determine the current extent and distribu-
tion of tree biomass by species and size.

Identify the level of use and the extent of management for recre-
ation and wildlife habitat associated with urban land uses, such as
backyard forests, land supporting trees and shrubs but less than 1
acre in size, and strips of isolated trees along fences and streams in
agricultural settings.

Evaluate the current levels of removals and mortality of trees in
urban land uses and develop trend data by species and land-use
classes.

Assess the impacts of urban expansion and other developments on
the forest resources. Provide information on the forest area and tree
volume found in close proximity to areas developed for permanent
or seasonal homes, campgrounds, recreational resorts, and industrial
complexes.

17




A Blueprint for

Forest Inventory and
Analysis Research and
Vision for the Future



Conservation Groups

Universities

10

In recent years, conservation groups, including the Wilderness Society,
Friends of the Earth, Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club, have made
increasing use of FIA multiresource inventory data and analyses. With
increased recognition of the value and uses of this information, these
groups and others will become active supporters of the FIA program.
These groups provide useful guidance on how to inventory and assess
forest resources more effectively.

The universities participate actively in recruitment of students for both
seasonal and permanent FIA positions. In addition, researchers at univer-
sities are involved in formal cooperative agreements with FIA research
units for research and analysis using resource inventory data. Forestry
extension activities at universities are an important means for transferring
FIA findings and technology.


States

Forest Industry

Soil Conservation Service

Environmental Protection
Agency

The States have a long tradition, both directly and through the National
Association of State Foresters, of cooperating with the FIA program in
many ways. Individuals within State agencies serve on important forest
inventory advisory committees. During periodic reinventories, States may
provide financial support to intensify the sample intensity. State person-
nel provide training to FIA field crews in insect and disease detection, and
provide personnel, field equipment, vehicles, and aerial photography for
both forest inventory and forest health monitoring activities. State
forestry staffs also assist FIA in gathering data on commodity drain and
forest landowners at specified intervals, and they review forest resources
reports and assist in disseminating results to the clients and data request-
ers.

Forest industry has long been an active cooperator with and supporter of
the FIA program. Forest industry provides FIA access to fee and leased
forest lands to conduct inventories and forest health monitoring. The
industry participates with FIA through the Research Committee of the
American Forest Council to provide review and advice on technical inven-
tory matters. Industry is a major user of FIA resource inventory data and,
both individually and collectively, is an active supporter of the FIA pro-
gram.

A formal agreement between the SCS and FS states that ”...Forest Service
will be responsible for forest resource inventories...” and “...FS and SCS
will work together on inventory...to identify data needs, avoid duplication
of efforts, and assure that data collected by each agency are mutually
usable.” It further states that SCS and the FS will “...develop common
methodology and standards, and broaden opportunities for sharing
information." In recent years, cooperation during several statewide
inventories has resulted in the verification and upgrading of SCS soils
maps and the addition of soils information when evaluating forest pro-
ductivity. The two agencies both have inventory responsibilities and plan
to cooperate closely during current and future SCS National Resources
Inventories and FS Resource Planning Act Assessments.

The Forest Service is cooperating with the EPA-Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment Program (EMAP) in the continued development and
national implementation of forest health monitoring. Detection monitor-
ing, one of the three tiers of interrelated monitoring activities, is the most
extensive level and involves the FIA program. Detection monitoring
provides a direct linkage to the EMAP sampling grid. EPA and FIA scien-
tists are collaborating in specifying the monitoring requirements for forest
ecosystems. EPA-EMAP-Forest will also provide ancillary data that will
help in interpretation of detection monitoring results. Over the next 5
years, we envision that the planning and implementation of the nation-
wide monitoring program will be completed. During this period EPA will
contribute funding, training, staff, and laboratory analysis for samples
collected in the field.


Long Term

Short Term

Issues and Trends

Four issues stand out as being related to renewable natural resources and
will directly affect the FIA program.

Increasing Pollution This issue includes such topics as acid precipitation,
the effects of global climate change, deterioration of forest health, and
lower forest productivity.

Dwindling Resources This issue encompasses lack of regeneration, over-
harvesting, desertification, a loss of biological diversity, dwindling old-
growth forests, and forest and ownership fragmentation.

Increasing Population This issue is closely linked to urbanization, land
clearing, and increased pressure on remaining forest systems to supply
necessary goods and services.

Proliferation of Information In the future we will continue to need
accurate, timely resource information and easy access to data.

We must anticipate research needs rather than react to crises. To do this,
we must be aware of upcoming trends. For the 1990's, we see the follow-
ing major trends affecting forest resources:

A Changing Forest Land Base The ability of our forests to supply
timber products is declining in response to growing pressures to supply a
broad spectrum of commodities and nonmarket goods and services. To
keep pace with dynamic land-use change, the inventory remeasurement
cycles should be shortened and appropriate variables should be collected
to adequately characterize other resources values.

Rising Noncommodity Uses The extent and condition of forest re-
sources, on which these uses depend, need to be thoroughly documented.
In-depth analyses are needed to estimate outdoor recreation demand and
potential increases in use, wildlife habitat suitability and extent, water-
shed conditions, grazing use, and biological diversity. To get a complete
picture of these resources, all forest land, including wilderness areas and
parks, should be included in forest resources inventories and featured in
reports..

Environmental Health Change Forest health and productivity are
affected by a large number of interacting factors. Air quality problems
and the potential for anthropogenic climate change have increased the
need for timely information on the health and productivity of the
Nation’s forests. Addressing these issues requires efforts from many
disciplines to provide new kinds of monitoring data. A key role will be
the establishment of a baseline set of field locations that can be moni-
tored to detect changes in the health and condition of major forest
ecosystems over time.


Techniques Development

Other Activities

20

¢ Implement research and technical development of inventory and
monitoring design and resource analysis methods.

* Identify those remote sensing products, or combination of products,
best suited for monitoring forest area change in the United States.

* Develop appropriate methods for identifying, defining, and invento-
rying urban forests and forested wetlands.

* Validate most appropriate methodology for estimating the compo-
nents of change and its use during extensive forest inventories.

* Maintain and update the 1987 RPA Assessment data base and statis-
tical summary tables for 1992.

© Update the national survey of forest land owners of the United
States.

* Expand the national biomass assessment to include the western
woodland ecosystems.

* Provide technical experts to assist international agencies and devel-
oping nations in conducting forest resources inventories and adapt
ing emerging technologies.

USDA policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin,
sex, age, religion, or handicapping condition. Any person who believes he
or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should
immediately contact the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.


rumeseance

Introduction

Since its beginning, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) has played an
integral role in the management of the Nation's timber resources and in
the orderly inventory of these resources which is required for the develop:
ment of effective management scenarios. It has helped quide industrial
expansion into the most suitable and opportune locations, It has acted as
watchdog in identifying problems already created or developing in the
timber supply. It has provided key forest resource information for plan:
ners and policy makers, and has also provided expert advice and assistance
in solving complex resource questions. It has been internally motivated to
improve the reliability and usefulness of forest resource statistics and the
analysis of resource findings. In recent years, an increased number of
major decisions affecting the Nation's forests have been made with
reference to and reliance upon Forest Inventory and Analysis findings and
forest resource evaluations

High standards set in FIA’s early days and maintained over the years have
established a tradition for full, unbiased, and factual presentation of
forest resource information, These same high standards must be sustained
in the future if FIA is to retain its credibility and usefulness. Therefore, all
change, expansion, or shifts in program emphasis must be made with
utmost care to ensure that all information produced is based on ad
equately tested procedures and sound research

It is with this background that the Forest Inventory and Analysis program
proposes to approach the formulation of a new and broader program for
the future


Traditional Research Areas

Comprehensive Inventory of the Forest Ecosystems of the United
States

Forest land covers 736 million acres, or 32 percent of the land base in the
United States. These forests provide important economic, social, and
aesthetic values to the Nation's 250 million inhabitants. Comprehensive
inventories will be planned and conducted to provide current information
on the extent, condition, and use of the renewable forest resources.
Focus will be on the efficient collection and compilation of forest re-
sources data required for periodic national assessments and statewide
resource evaluations. Research and analysis of past, current, and prospec-
tive trends in the renewable forest resources as they relate to the Nation's
overall economic and social needs will identify the value and importance
of all of the forest resources, note the interactions among various man-
agement activities, and identify opportunities for altering prospective
trends. Timely, accurate, and comprehensive data on the forest ecosys-
tems in the Nation are essential for the formulation of sound forest
management policies and programs. In response, we will:

© Identify new kinds of information that better describe the forest
resources, and the landowners that control them.

© Obtain baseline data on forested wetlands and old-growth forests
across the Nation and develop analytical methods for portraying
them.

« Undertake the inventory of woodland and productive reserved forest
lands of the Nation.

* Improve techniques and procedures for measuring biomass on
forested and other land and estimate the amount of carbon stored in
forest ecosystems.

* Develop procedures to quantify landscape features when addressing

fragmentation and other issues pertinent to contemporary manage-
ment concerns.

13


New Research Areas

In response we will:

Conduct thorough analyses of change between successive invento-
ries, examining gross growth, mortality, and removals.

Estimate and analyze changes in timber utilization.
Conduct studies of total roundtimber removals from all lands.

Conduct analyses of biomass/energy potentials and their impact on
traditional timber uses.

Implementation of Forest Health Monitoring

The USDA Forest Service and the Environmental Protection Agency are

jointly developing a forest monitoring program to provide regional

assessments of the status and trends of forest condition. As an initial step
in the development of this program, a pilot study on five indicators of

forest condition (growth efficiency, visual symptoms, foliar nutrients/
chemical contaminants, soil productivity, and vegetation structure) was
conducted during the 1990 summer fieid season in New Engiand. These

indicators are being considered for use in the remaining Eastern States
and in the West as the program is implemented in future years.

Our efforts will include:

Investigating forest sampling strategies that are best suited to forest
health monitoring.

During analyses, determining how to link forest health data collected
in the field, remotely sensed data, and other data (e.g., climate
parameters and pollution loadings).

Identifying key environmental health indicators which directly, or
indirectly, reflect forest ecosystem condition. Determine if forest
indicators discriminate between forest stands of known “good” and
“bad" health.

Determining how to monitor and track long-term trends in the
health and productivity of the forest ecosystems.

Identifying the field data measurements required to adequately
assess both human-induced and natural environmental stresses.

Developing sound mensurational and data processing procedures
applicable to forest health monitoring.

Conducting studies to determine the kinds of information that can
be acquired from remote sensing.


Contents

Introduction

Mandates .
Purpose..
Issues and Trend:

Long Term..

aA aanaWN

Short Term .
Alliances

Forest Service-NFS

Forest Service-S&PF

Forest Service-IF

States

Forest Industry

Soil Conservation Service

Environmental Protection Agency .............-.
Conservation Groups ........ssseseceseeseseseeteeeeneen

Universities

Research Direction

Traditional Research Areas .....

New Research Areas ..............++

Guiding Principles ....
Goals fOr the 1990'S... esssssesseeceeseeteeeeeneeneenete

Base Program...

Forest Health Monitoring

Techniques Development .......:sesseceereeeeee

Other Activities

October 1993


he understandihg and, management of our

\ 1 } t03 . .
Nation's forests by maintaining a co ensive inventory

of the status and trends of the counteysdiverse forest

ecosystems, their use, and their healtfit=

FIA Stiaped Planning Team



Research Direction

Recent mandates provide Forest Inventory and Analysis with a new
charter for the 1990’s. More important, however, is our recognition that
the various pieces of new legislation offer tremendous new opportunities
for the Forest Service, the Research stations, and other researchers as well
as the Forest Inventory and Analysis program. In the past, Forest Service
researchers have worked somewhat independently of one another, each
pursuing individual and often unrelated goals. within a single discipline.
In addition, much research has been conducted as case studies applicable
only to local situations; as a result, the findings cannot be expanded to
broader regional applications. When making regional resource evalua-
tions, another problem is that individual disciplines or specialties tend to
develop their own terminology, standards, and methodology, often
inconsistent with other disciplines. This lack of comparability makes it
very difficult, if not impossible, to relate results to a common resource
situation or common land base.

Collectively the Resources Planning Act, the Forest Ecosystems and Atmo-
spheric Pollution Research Act, and the Forest Stewardship Act offer an
opportunity to develop a strong, coordinated research effort dedicated to
meeting the special needs of the Acts, and at the same time, provide
motivation for many different specialists and disciplines to work together
toward common goals.

80 5

Scientist years
&
1

° T T T rT

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990
Year

Historic FIA scientific effort

Within this context, Forest Inventory and Analysis proposes an expanded
research program in three traditional areas of emphasis and a new re-
search program in two areas of national concern.

11


Identification of Non-Commodity Variables Needed for the
Nation’s Resource Planning Act Assessments

Starting in 1976, particular attention was given to link variables indicative
of more than one forest condition or attribute. Classifications and mea-
surements made at sample locations focused on special information needs
for evaluating wildlife habitat, recreation use, range suitability, water
quality, erosion hazards related to forestry practices, and the use-interac-
tion relationships associated with the numerous forest conditions.

The primary goal of a comprehensive inventory is to quantify and describe
these distinct plant communities as to site, origin, vegetative composition,
and stage of development and to determine what benefits are present.
The inventory merges information on the understory plant communities
and noncommodity attributes with conventional information on trees at
the same sample locations. The inventory further quantifies and describes
man’s intervention and control over the natural development of these
plant communities through conventional forestry practices and actions. In
essence, the comprehensive inventory is designed to establish the basic
ecological relationships vital to periodic assessments and evaluations.

To meet the challenge, we will:
* Develop closer alliances with diverse multiresource data users.

© Assist NFS in developing definitions, field procedures, and analytical
methods for portraying old-growth forest ecosystems.

¢ Develop data requirements, definitions, and analytical methods to
assist in evaluating wildlife habitat condition and extent, measuring
biological diversity, and tracking threatened and endangered spe-
cies.

¢ Expand the basic inventory of trees to include all vegetation for the
purpose of establishing a long-term, statistically valid sample of the
condition of the entire forest ecosystem.

Forest Industry and Timber Production Analyses

Studies of timber products output will be conducted in cooperation with
State forestry agencies, forest industries, and professional and trade
associations. These data and data obtained from extensive inventories
will allow scientists to plan and conduct research studies on timber use
and its relation to inventory volume, and to estimate the amount of
iogging residues and other removais associated with cultural practices and
changes in land use. Timber recovery studies and information on forest
products and timber industry production provide the necessary input for
maximizing investment returns. Legislators, public and private resource
managers, planners, and analysts utilize this information to formulate
policy and to make resource management decisions.