a look ahead: the fia program in fy 2012 & fy 2013
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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. BLUF: Bottom Line, Up Front. The current federal budgetary situation is very fluid. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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
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 2012A 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 statesContinue 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 ProgramsNational 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 initiativeWhere possible, emphasize research that creates jobs and captures efficienciesSignificant 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 plotsDelay next round of State reports by one year
Transform Timber Products Output (TPO) workImprove efficiency of data collection and analysisImprove regional and national reporting
Continue stronger emphasis on safety in field operations and office proceduresContinue 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 StatesStay 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 emphasisSafety reviews at RMRS and NRS this yearEncourage partners to focus on safety tooFS 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 lossesBuild 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 modelsDevelop and test new mobile applications for FIA information
Improve efficiency of field crews; test utility in collecting dataDevelop new communications and information dissemination approachesDevelop 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 statesContinue 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 itReduce 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 2013We 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 emergesTo consider other options users lay on the table
We look forward to your comments on our FY 2012 emphasis areasSafety journeyBetter integrating FIA and other info to add value; TPO & RPANext-generation biomass estimation equationsiPad tests for data collection, dissemination, mobile applications
