General thoughts on Criteria and Indicators

Forest Inventory and AnalysisThe Nation’s Forest Census

General thoughts onCriteria and Indicators

fiaThe Nation’s Forest Census

presented by

W. Brad SmithAssociate National Program Manager, FIA


Why are we doing this?


ProductsSpecies

Use

TIMBERLAND

Monitortimber supplies

forsustainability

TIMBER

1928 McSweeney-McNary Act

Criteria and Indicators are not new, but the old paradigm was simpler


In the 1960’s and 70’s many significant changes in U.S. policy

began“ The days have ended when the forest may be viewed

only as trees and trees only as timber”

Hon. Senator Hubert H. HumphreyDuring debate on NFMA, 1976

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 475

1977

Vegetation and Environmental Features of Forest and Range Ecosystems

FOREST SERVICE


Clearly, the new monitoring puzzle was going to be more complex

Monitorforest

ecosystems and social-economic impacts

Reserved for future issues!


We would need a broader view of the forest

Flora Fauna Soils Water Air

Humans Management Pollution

Animals Insects/disease Fire Weather/Climate Geologic events

Biodiversity Habitat Forage Wood products Non-wood products Soil/water protection Recreation/tourism Cultural/spiritual

Composition Agents of change Desired outcomes

Elements of Criterion 2 highlighted in blue


US National Report on Sustainable Forests 2003 US

Montreal Process First Forest Overview Rep. 2003 Intnl EPA State of the Environment Report US HEINZ Report on the State of the Nation’s Ecosystems US UNEP Global Environmental Outlook Intnl Forest Resources of the United States, 2003 US Temperate-Boreal Forest Resource Assessment 2000 Intnl Global Forest Resource Assessment 2000 Intnl Forest Resources of the United States, 1997 US Montreal Process First Approximation Report 1997 Intnl

And, repeated assessments have enlightened

the discussion if not the answersReport Type

on U.S. forests from local to global

Local Sub-State region State Regional/National

Global Internationalmulti-process

National sector C&INational multi-sector

Main information flowFeedback loop

FIA, the keystone of Criterion 2, has reported


U.S. Forest Production, Consumption, Growing Stock and Area Sustainability Indices

P-indexIndicator 13

C-indexIndicator 31

GS50-IndexIndicator 11

F50-IndexIndicator 2,10

ReservedIndicator 4

PlantationsIndicator 12

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50

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Ind

ex

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lue

E-Line 1.0

2003 National Report on Sustainable Forests- What the data showed…

Indicators 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 31


Area of mid to late successional forests is increasing

Area of early successional or pioneer forests is declining

Harvesting has leveled off but we are importing more wood than ever. More pressure on private forests.

We have many regional and local issues that are masked by national level data

Other findings…


What does it mean, who cares? National interest— State Dept., Trade Rep, White

House Foundation for multi-faceted US national and international policy

State interest— National Association of State Foresters

Another way to leverage/influence better forest monitoring World is being globalized, need to keep up

Industry interest— AF&PA, NCASI, others

Protect commercial interests Protect market share, National C&I and certification

Environmental Groups— Def.of Wildlife, WWF, TNC, others

Better data to support their point of view Complement certification


Putting continuous systems into consistent and

meaningful discrete boxes is hard work.

Making sense of the relationships between the

stuff in those boxes is even harder!

Making sense of it


The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

and Sustainability Roundtable are committed to

building on what we have learned by :

Assessing data gaps Continuing to involve stakeholders Improving coordination Refining the assessment framework Improving links to other resource sectors

Moving forward on forest sustainability in

the U.S.


The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is taking on the task of integrating what we have learned and developing a framework to move forward in an organized way across resource sectors.

FORESTS, RANGELANDS, CROPLANDS, URBAN, FRESHWATER, COASTAL MARINE

Moving forward across resource sectors in the

U.S.


In the private sector, competition is seen as assuring the best product for the customer.

In the public sector, competition is seen as redundant and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Hmmmmmm…….

Are all these efforts necessary?


Some competition is critical to assuring all the key stakeholders have a viable space to voice their concerns, but it must be effectively managed.

REMEMBER: Sustainable forest management is a journey not just a destination.

A better outcome


The political courage and leadership to support and maintain progress toward the goals of sustainable forest management without knowing the outcome in advance.

Assuring the collection of consistent, reliable data is the first critical step.

The Biggest Gap?


And, a key consistency and reliablity iscore data and common definitions

National Core Data

Regional Core Data

International Core Data


If I were King…. Fully implement FIA Annualized Inventory

Complete the work on NVCS with NatureServe

Complete development of Protected Areas Database with Conservation Biology Institute (CBI)

Drop indicators 1 and 3 (data already in 2 and 4)

Make data scalable to regions and lower for more reporting flexibility

Change “growing stock and merchantable” in indicator 10 to “standing stock and merchantable” AND

2, 4, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 18,19, 26, 29, 31

2, 4, 9

1, 3

2, 4, 9

Indicatorsaffected

2, 4, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 18,19, 26, 29, 31

10


YES….

Continue the Roundtables and do another sustainability assessment…

thinking multi-sector, not just forests next time


Questions?

General thoughts on Criteria and Indicators

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