A Look Ahead: the FIA Program in FY 2012 & FY 2013

1. A Look Ahead: the FIA Program in FY 2012 & FY 2013 Richard W. Guldin Director, Quantitative Sciences USDA Forest Service 2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting Baltimore, MD

2. BLUF: Bottom Line, Up Front • The current federal budgetary situation is very fluid. • FIA funding dropped $2.6 million in FY 2012 • A further $2.35 million drop is proposed for FY 2013 • If funding reductions continue, I propose two core strategies for FY 2013: • Maintain a consistent national program--active in all 50 states • Continue with an annualized inventory, but with fewer plots • Despite the budget challenges, opportunities are emerging to use FIA data in new and different ways. Three recent examples: • Reporting on forest sector impacts from the recent economic downturn • Testing iPads for improving program efficiency, delivering FIA information in new and different ways, and developing new mobile applications for FIA data. • Building on 2010 RPA Assessment findings

3. R&D Budget Overview

4. FY 2013 R&D Pres Budget Focus • Maintain critical research on: • Watershed restoration • Forest restoration and forest resiliency, including selected silviculture, management, operations, & forest products R&D • Wildland fire and fuels research; effectiveness of hazardous fuels treatments and biomass use • Recreation and urban forestry research for Vibrant Communities initiative • Where possible, emphasize research that creates jobs and captures efficiencies • Significant realignments in other research priorities will occur: • Reduce work on established pests and refocus pest research on invasive species • Manage workforce size to align with the multi-year funding trend; reduce capacity to match reduced funding

5. FIA Program Funding Summary • In FY 2011, FIA partners contributed +$9.1 million of cash and in-kind support to the FIA program  13% in additional program funding • In FY 2011, the FIA program provided $14.3 million in grants and cooperative agreements to fund partners to: • Collect data • Develop new inventory methods, and • Conduct analyses • State governments’ funding situations and the FY 2013 proposal puts these partnerships at risk

6. FIA Program Proposals For FY 2013 • Continue delivering the FIA program in all 50 States, except in interior Alaska, but at a slower rate than in FY 2012 • Delay re-measurement of 1,600 plots • Delay next round of State reports by one year • Transform Timber Products Output (TPO) work • Improve efficiency of data collection and analysis • Improve regional and national reporting • Continue stronger emphasis on safety in field operations and office procedures • Continue work on next-generation biomass estimation models begun in FY 2011

7. Shifting from Future Plans ….. To Real Work Funded this Year

8. Emphasis Areas in FY 2012 (#1 of 3) • Deliver the program in all 50 States • Stay on top of data collection, compilation, analyses, and production of State reports. • State partners, PMs and field supervisors need a good pat on the back for their accomplishments in FY 2011 !! • Safety will be a continued emphasis • Safety reviews at RMRS and NRS this year • Encourage partners to focus on safety too • FS agency-wide team working on “Check-in/Check-out” procedures for agency employees

9. Emphasis Areas in FY 2012 (#2 of 3) • Blending FIA data with other data for value-added info • The forest sector reporting on mill closures & job losses • Build database for 2015 RPA Assessment Update • Revise the 2008 forest area total to current number • Use new land use and land cover change information • Use current FIA information in forest planning, state forest resources assessments, forest health risk mapping, etc.

10. Emphasis Areas in FY 2012 (#3 of 3) • Continue work on next-generation biomass estimation models • Develop and test new mobile applications for FIA information • Improve efficiency of field crews; test utility in collecting data • Develop new communications and information dissemination approaches • Develop new mobile applications for downloading, analyzing, and using FIA data and other geospatial data

11. What We Think Users Want … • Keep two prime objectives: • Maintain a consistent national program—active in all 50 states • Continue with an annualized inventory • Prudently manage FY 2012 activities with an eye towards future funding outlined in the FY 2013 President’s Budget • Critically evaluate what data and analyses we can no longer afford at a reduced funding level ? • Move key forest health measures to some summer P2 sub-panels (e.g., soils, “light” versions of down woody materials and vegetation), because they contribute to carbon analyses • Make other P3 measures regionally optional (e.g., crowns, lichens, ozone), dependent on “soft” funding • Terminate some external research & applications linked to it • Reduce the number of plots measured each year; thin the grid ? • Are these in sync with users’ thinking? What other options exist?

12. Topics for Discussion • Additional presentations today and tomorrow by FIA headquarters staff and regional program managers will delve more deeply into potential adjustments for FY 2012 and 2013 • We very much value your input on the tactical steps we will propose to take: • To respond to the $2.5 million drop in FY 2012 funding • To retain flexibility to respond to whatever FY 2013 funding level ultimately emerges • To consider other options users lay on the table • We look forward to your comments on our FY 2012 emphasis areas • Safety journey • Better integrating FIA and other info to add value; TPO & RPA • Next-generation biomass estimation equations • iPad tests for data collection, dissemination, mobile applications

13. Thank You! Questions?? Comments?? rguldin@fs.fed.us www.fia.fs.fed.us