USDA Forest Service Resource Information Group

Existing Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Inventory Technical Guide Update

Technical Guide Review

The Existing Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Inventory Technical Guide (GTR-WO-67) is available for review from April 22 to June 21, 2013. We request your review of the draft revised technical guidance, including specific comments on existing vegetation classification, mapping, and inventory procedures and guidelines, and the glossary. Subject matter experts are welcome to review only the subject matter of interest.

For Forest Service partners reviewing and providing comments:

We are interested in your comments related to the five questions listed below. Please provide your comments in Word format directly to Jim Alegria at jalegria@fs.fed.us.

For Forest Service employees reviewing and providing comments:

Please consolidate comments from your staff into one response per Region, Station, Area, or WO staff area and submit through the correspondence database. Provide a copy of your comments in Word format to Jim Alegria at jalegria@fs.fed.us.

We are specifically interested in your perspectives and responses to the following questions:

  1. Is the overall structure and flow of information presented in the technical guide useful and intuitive? Are there any major flaws?
  2. Does Section 1, "Existing Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Inventory Framework," adequately describe the relationships between agency business requirements and the proposed methods described in the technical guide?
  3. How well do Sections 2, 3, and 4, "Classifying, Mapping, and Inventorying Existing Vegetation," flow? Are there any major flaws in presentation or approach?
  4. Are there changes to the technical guide that should be considered? Are there missing components?
  5. What impacts to your organization may result from using the technical guidance?
    1. Benefits/Consequences: What benefits to partnerships, data sharing, and improved efficiency do you envision? Do you foresee any unintended consequences as a result of applying these procedures?
    2. Transition Costs: Are there changes or adaptations needed to information systems or inventory/monitoring systems to make them compatible with the guidance?
    3. Capacity of personnel to understand and use: Are the skills and training of potential users adequate to understand and apply the guidance? What training opportunities would help users?

Download the review documents:

Protocol Description

The Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide, was published in 2005. Since then, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has adopted vegetation classification standards that are not reflected in the current Technical Guide. Consistent procedures for compliance with FGDC standards are essential to facilitate landscape-scale coordination across administrative units and with our conservation partners.

In 2007, agency vegetation classification, mapping, and inventory specialists met to discuss business needs that had changed and identify opportunities to improve the guidance in the Technical Guide. Workshop participants identified and recommended a series of action items for improvements to the guide. Those action items are the basis for a project proposal recently approved by the Information Resources Board (IRB).

Accurate and consistent information on existing vegetation is essential to a wide variety of agency programs. This effort includes the following deliverables:

Phase 1: Identify and make revisions that (1) ensure alignment with current FGDC standards, (2) remove policy statements more appropriately addressed in the Forest Service directives system, and (3) remove information that is not relevant to the use and application of the Technical Guide (e.g., history of Forest Service efforts to improve resource information management). This work has been completed and is available: Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide Version 1.1 (PDF 9.2 MB).

Phase 2: Evaluate recommendations from the 2007 workshop and consult with the Steering Team to establish priorities for updates to the Technical Guide. Develop technical guidance needed to address priority recommendations, provide an opportunity for field and staff review, and draft an updated Technical Guide. This work would be completed prior to the CY2012 field season.

Directives Revision: Identify and draft appropriate supplements or revisions to FS directives, specifically FSM 1940 and FSH 1909.14. This work will be completed prior to the CY2012 field season.

Project Charter and Organization

Briefing Papers

Scope of Work

Business Requirements Analysis

Working Groups

Phase 1

  • Classification Edits Working Group (David Tart, Ralph Warbington)
  • Policy Review and Text/Table Revisions (Ralph Warbington, Kellen Nelson, Andy Lister)
  • Life Form/Order Revision for Mapping (Kevin Megown, Mark Riley, Carlos Ramirez, Andy Lister, David Tart)
  • Technical Guide Edits – Existing Vegetation Mapping (Dave Tart, Wendy Goetz, Ralph Warbingon)

Phase 2

  • Working Group A: Existing Vegetation Inventory Integration Working Group (Team Leader: Carlos Ramirez)
  • Working Group B: Map Accuracy/Utility Working Group (Team Leader: Kevin Megown )
  • Working Group C: Map Unit and Feature Design Working Group (Team Leader: Andy Lister )
  • Working Group D: Map Maintenance Working Group (Team Leader: Wendy Goetz)
  • Working Group E: Business Needs Validation Working Group (Team Leader: Linda Spencer)
  • Working Group F: Non-Forest Information Gaps

Project Management

Project Management Schedule

Steering Team Records

Core Team Records

USDA Forest Service
Ecosystem Management Coordination (EMC)
1400 Independence Ave.
Mailstop: 1104
Washington, DC 20250-1104

(202) 205-0895

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Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/rig/protocols/vegclassmapinv.shtml
Last modified: Tuesday, 30-Apr-2013 12:24:20 EDT