State & Private Forestry Redesign Assessment Tool

1. State & Private Forestry RedesignAssessment Tool

2. S&PF Assessment ToolOutline • Overview • Process/Workflow • National Assessment (example) • Application Web User-Interface • Output (example) • Tool Status/Update • Questions/Discussion?

3. S&PF Assessment Tool Overview

4. S&PF Assessment ToolOverview • Web-based GIS decision-support system • Capable of supporting analysis of customized data-sets and scenarios at the National/Regional/State level to guide forestry planning and decision-making. • Highlight conditions and trends, and help identify opportunities and priorities for multi-state and multi-agency investment and cooperation 4

5. S&PF Assessment Tool Process • Standard GIS Weighted Overlay Process • Combination and weighting of multiple factors • Advantages: • Integrative and Collaborative Process • Transparency and Repeatability • Interactivity and Scalability • Comparability Across Geographic Regions (If standard data are used) • Ability to Share and Document 5

6. S&PF Assessment ToolProcess • Utilizes raster-based spatial format compatible with ArcGIS (GeoTIFF) • Preloaded National Data Available (1km) • Used for National Assessments • States can also utilize to augment their data • States should use their own finer resolution data, if available. • 2-GB file size limit • Upload via FTP 6

7. S&PF Assessment Tool Workflow

8. S&PF Assessment Tool Conceptual Overview National Scale Themes Output Data Layers National, Regional, State, or Local Conserve Working Forest Landscapes Forest Fragmentation Woody Biomass Development Risk WUI Fire Potential Insects and Disease Critical Habitat Water Quality Proximity Jurisdictions Policies Watersheds Others Regional Scale Protect Forests From Harm State Scale Enhancing Other Forest-Related Benefits 8

9. Prepare Data Add Data to Themes Create Analysis Assign Weights S&PF Assessment ToolWorkflow Model Home Childlayer info Set divide /mask Reclassify data Done Manage data Data layers Layer info Upload layer Done Data themes Theme info Assign child layers Done Analyze data My analyses Analysis info Configure themes Setup slice Done Analysis Shared Alternative info Weight layer & themes Done Published 9

10. S&PF Assessment ToolPrepare Data Processing Steps: • Upload and name your data layers… • Reclassify data layers – allows the user to decide “high priority” values • Masking data – highlights data to area key to the analysis (Forest Mask); 10

11. GeospatialAssessment Process • Can build on Forest Stewardship Spatial Analysis Project (SAP) • The Data Layers from SAP can be used in the State Assessments • The weighted overlay analysis used in SAP is similar to this process 11

12. S&PF Assessment ToolData Disclaimer All data-layers associated with a single analysis must have a common geographic extent, pixel size, pixel alignment, datum, and projection in order for the analysis to produce meaningful results. 12

13. S&PF Assessment Tool Prepare Themes • Refined Questions for Each S&PF Redesign Theme Where is productive forest land most threatened by development and fragmentation? Conserve Working Forest Lands Where are forests most threatened by insects, disease, and wildfire? Protect Forests From Harm Enhance Public Benefit from Trees & Forests Where can protection of threatened and endangered species (as a proxy for biodiversity) be most beneficial? 13

14. S&PF Assessment Tool Themes & Objectives • States may add their own objectives • States decide the relative importance of the national objectives • States should define the objectives to address their specific State issues - this is “identifying criteria”… • Requires Collaborative Involvement 14

15. S&PF Assessment Tool Ranking / Weighting • Determine Goals/Priorities • What is most important in meeting theme goals? Fire, Insect & Disease, Water? • Subject area bias, how do we prevent this? • Those doing the ranking should have influence and oversight over multiple disciplines. • Broader agency goals and existing plans 15

16. S&PF Assessment Tool Data Aggregation • Chose desired mask and aggregation method (e.g. Forest, Watershed) • Difficult to work with “pixels” on a landscape level • Aggregated map a better communication tool • Not all layers overlap • Preventing unintended uses of the data • “My favorite pixel” • Local decisions still based on local data/information 16

17. S&PF Assessment Tool View/Edit Scenario • Evaluate Intermediate/Final Results • Easy to see what is driving the maps • Change Weights and Re-Run Outputs • Scenarios (Gaming) • Different Aggregation Units • Swap in Higher Resolution Data 17

18. S&PF Assessment Tool National Assessment Example

19. S&PF Assessment Tool National Themes & Objectives Themes and Objectives are based on Section 8001 of the 2008 Farm Bill – National Priorities for Private Forest Conservation and were approved by the RIC. 19

20. S&PF Assessment Tool Ranking / Weighting • to Themes Assign Data-Layers… Development Risk Map Development Conserve Working Forest Lands Woody Biomass Map Woody Biomass Forest Fragmentation Forest Fragmentation Map 2000 Wildland Fire Potential Map Fire Potential Protect Forests From Harm Insect & Disease Risk 2006 Nat. Insect and Disease Risk Map Wildland Urban Interface Wildland Urban Interface Map Enhance Public Benefit from Trees & Forests Critical Habitat Characteristics Map Critical Habitat 20

21. S&PF Assessment Tool Layer/Theme Weighting Assigned weights within themes…. … then assigned weights between themes… Development 65% Woody Biomass 22% Conserve Working Forest Lands 45% Forest Fragmentation 13% 50% Fire Potential National Assessment Protect Forests From Harm 45% Insect & Disease Risk 50% Critical Habitat 75% Enhance Public Benefit from Trees & Forests 10% Wildland Urban Interface 25% 21

22. L E G E N D High Moderate Low Priority Watersheds by AreaDraft National Assessment Development 65% Conserve Working Forest Land Woody Biomass 22% Fragmentation 13% 22

23. L E G E N D High Moderate Low Priority Watersheds by AreaDraft National Assessment Protect Forests From Harm Insect and Disease 50% Fire Potential 50% 23

24. L E G E N D High Moderate Low Priority Watersheds by AreaDraft National Assessment Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests Critical Habitat 75% WUI 25% 24

25. L E G E N D High Moderate Low Priority Watersheds by Area Conserve Working Forest Land 45% Draft National Assessment Protect Forests From Harm 45% Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests 10% 25

26. L E G E N D High Moderate Low Draft National Assessment Priority Watersheds by Area 26

27. S&PF Assessment Tool Web User Interface

28. S&PF Assessment ToolWelcome Screen

29. S&PF Assessment ToolInput Data Layers

30. S&PF Assessment ToolAssign Data to Themes

31. S&PF Assessment ToolAdd New Data Layer

32. S&PF Assessment ToolSelect Data Layer

33. S&PF Assessment ToolSelect Auxiliary Data Layer

34. S&PF Assessment ToolReclassify Continuous Data

35. S&PF Assessment ToolReclassify Discrete Data

36. S&PF Assessment ToolWeight Layers and Themes

37. S&PF Assessment ToolView/Edit Results

38. S&PF Assessment ToolSample Automated Output Report USFS S&PFAT Sample Report 38

39. S&PF Assessment Tool Status/Update

40. S&PF Assessment ToolHistory • Initial Design and Development – May 07 to Sept 08 • Requirements Analysis • Data (Availability, Consistency) • Prototype Development (Error Detection, Refinement) • Prototype Enhancement – Nov 08 to Aug 09 • Streamlined user-interface/workflow • Output (Reports, Map Viewer) • Data (Local Data, Processing) • Role-based access (National, Regional, State) 40

41. S&PF Assessment ToolCurrent Status • Transition from ESRI development environment to Interim Hosting Environment (LenTech) • New Production Configuration • New Test/Development Environments • Available For Use – Jan ‘10 • Pre-Production Use • Ongoing Development/Testing 41

42. S&PF Assessment ToolNext Steps • Mandatory Security Requirements • USDA eAuthentication • Security Certification & Accreditation (C&A) • Migrate to Government Data Center • Data/System Administration (ongoing) • Application Maintenance & Enhancements • Internet Explorer v7/8 compatibility • Enhanced On-Line Help/Tutorial • Data-Preparation & Output Transformation 42

43. S&PF Assessment ToolLessons Learned • Need clearly defined goals and objectives – what questions are being addressed by analysis. • Interdisciplinary Team (GIS & Program Experts) • Decisions made by Leadership • Refined/Streamlined workflow • Data limitations. • Improvement/Development Needs • Scaling issue(s) with Urban & Community Forestry • Risk vs. Opportunity

44. S&PF Assessment ToolLessons Learned • Need visualization tools to aid in assessment process decisions. • Need for standardized language (semantics). • Consistency • Understanding • Efforts to make tool user-friendly to “lay” people did not extend to Data Preparation – still requires some level of GIS expertise and knowledge of data.

45. S&PF Assessment Tool Questions? Contact(s): Mike Barrowcliff (mbarrowcliff@fs.fed.us) Bill Rush (brush@fs.fed.us) 45