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

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

Richard W. GuldinDirector, Quantitative Sciences

USDA Forest Service

2012 FIA National Users’ Group MeetingBaltimore, MD

Richard W. GuldinDirector, Quantitative Sciences

USDA Forest Service

2012 FIA National Users’ Group MeetingBaltimore, MD

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 3

R&D Budget OverviewFS R&D Appropriation(million dollars)

FY 2011 Enacted

FY 2012Enacted

FY 2013 Pres.

Budget

Change FY 2012 to

2013 PB

Strategic R&D Programs

$239.832 $231.031 $225.991 -$5.040

Forest Inventory & Analysis Program

$66.939 $64.269 $66.805 +$2.536

FS R&D Appropriation

$306.771 $295.300 $292.796 -$2.504

Other FS Funding for Research Programs

National Fire Plan $23.917 $22.697 $20.634 -$2.063

Joint Fire Sciences Program

$8.000 $7.250 $7.226 -$0.024

S&PF: (Grants to States for FIA)

$4.647 $4.917 $0.000 -$4.917

Total FS Funding for R&D Programs

$343.335 $330.164 $320.656 -$9.508

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 5

FIA Program Funding SummaryTotal Federal Funding

FY 2011 Enacted

FY 2012 Enacted

FY 2013 President’s

Budget

Change from FY 2012

R&D Appropriation $66.939 $64.269 $66.805 +$2.536

S&PF Appropriation $4.647 $4.917 $0 -$4.917

Total Federal Funding for FIA

$71.452 $69.186 $66.805 -$2.354

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

University

State Agency

Forest Service

Other

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 7

Shifting from Future Plans …..

To Real Work Funded this Year

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 9

Emphasis Areas in FY 2012 (#2 of 3)

Blending FIA data with other data for value-added infoThe forest sector reporting on mill closures & job losses

Build database for 2015 RPA Assessment UpdateRevise the 2008 forest area total to current numberUse new land use and land cover change information

Use current FIA information in forest planning, state forest resources assessments, forest health risk mapping, etc.

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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?

2012 FIA National Users’ Group Meeting, Baltimore, MD Slide # 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

rguldin@fs.fed.uswww.fia.fs.fed.usrguldin@fs.fed.uswww.fia.fs.fed.us