Ideally, each deer in the state would be counted, but this is obviously impossible. Once the data are collected, the statistician helps in analyzing and interpreting them. For the deer question, for example, this would involve getting an estimate of the state's deer population. The statistician must then determine how close that estimate is likely to be to the true deer population. Because each question is unique, each requires careful thought for data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Most states employ wildlife statisticians.
Units of the federal government that deal with natural resources, such as the National Forest Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, also make use of statisticians. The same is true of companies that collect environmental data. Increasingly, companies need statisticians to help assess how a new product or plant will affect the surrounding environment. Scientific researchers also work with statisticians, often at universities, to design experiments that will answer basic questions about the environment. This brochure was sponsored by the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the Statistical Society of Canada, and the Eastern and Western North American Regions of the Biometric Society.