THE
NORTH AMERICAN FOREST COMMISSION:
Forest Inventory and Monitoring
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Table of Contents:
Introduction:
There is increasing
recognition in Canada, the United States, and Mexico that forest ecosystem
inventory and monitoring is vital to the successful implementation of
sustainable forest management. Reliable basic environmental information
is needed for formulating effective land use and conservation policy;
valuation of forest services and benefits; planning management activities;
effectively implementing those activities; and following the results over
time, to confirm the sustainability of present practices or to guide modification
of activities toward a more sustainable state. This information directly
supports reporting and assessing the status of criteria and indicators
of sustainability and serves as a knowledge base for supporting research
and development.
The three countries confirmed that the best approach to addressing common resource inventory, monitoring and assessment issues was to utilize a North American Forestry Commission (NAFC). NAFC supports research and natural resource management activities through Study Groups that explore issues of concern to the three countries. The first meeting of the North American Forestry Commission (NAFC) Study Group on Forest Inventory and Monitoring was held January 11-13 2000 at the World Trade Center in Portland, Oregon, USA. The objective of this group is to specifically explore opportunities to improve strategic inventory and monitoring at the North American scale by developing a better understanding of each country’s current programs and future plans.
All three countries are currently revising their approaches to national scale forest inventory and an NAFC Study Group aimed sharing research and information and taking advantage of opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange on forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment could make a significant contribution. This Study Group would, identify and take advantage of opportunities for increasing scientific and technical collaboration, foster compatible approaches to forest inventory, monitoring and assessment among the three countries, evaluate remote sensing and other technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment, sponsor and facilitate exchanges to build capacity and increase our understanding of different approaches to forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment, and foster communication with other NAFC study groups.
Membership in the Study Group consists of up to four representatives from each country, to be appointed by the respective NAFC organizational bodies. Meetings may also include additional invitees as deemed appropriate by the permanent members. Next year’s meeting will be hosted by Canada in late January in British Columbia with a general theme of collaboration on remote sensing.
First year plans for the Study Group included finalizing and approving a Study Group Charter; holding a workshop to report on the state of national inventories in each country; document the current state of remote sensing technology in each country; and organize outreach to other NAFC Study Groups. The Charter and workshop have been completed.
Objectives:
- Identify and take advantage of opportunities for increasing scientific and technical collaboration and consistency in national inventory, monitoring, and assessment among the three countries and globally.
- Foster compatible approaches to forest inventory, monitoring and assessment among the three countries.
- Evaluate use of remote sensing and other technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment.
- Sponsor and facilitate exchanges to build capacity and increase our understanding of different approaches to forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment.
- Advise member countries about the current status of respective forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment programs.
- Foster communication with other NAFC working groups.
For a complete look at the charter of the Forest Inventory and Monitoring Working Group, click here.
Canada, the United States and Mexico are currently revising their approaches to national scale inventory. An NAFC working group aimed at sharing research and information and taking advantage of opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange on forest inventory, monitoring and assessment could make a significant contribution. A Forest Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Working Group was established with the objective to specifically explore opportunities to improve strategic inventory and monitoring at the North American scale by developing a better understanding of each country’s current programs and future plans.
- 2008 -- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- 2006 -- Tucson, Arizona, USA
- 2004 -- Guadalajara, Mascota and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- 2002 -- Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- 2001 -- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- 2000 -- Portland, Oregon, USA
- Report of the Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Working Group (2002 Working Group Report to the Bureau of Alternates)
- North America Regional Assessment of Forest Resources (2004 Working Group Report to the Bureau of Alternates)
- Working Group on Forest Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment Report (submitted by Mark D. Gillis, March 29, 2000)
- Current and future use of remote sensing tools for operational forest inventory (in PDF format. Please download Acrobat reader to view this page.)
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