Forests at a Glance…
The Forest Resource
From lush grasslands to alpine meadows, from crystal-clear lakes to glacial carved valleys, from rolling hills to sheer mountain walls, Wyoming is home to an incredibly diverse set of landscape features. Wyoming’s forests are a part of this beautiful landscape and visitors from around the world flock to the state’s national parks and forests. Because Wyoming forests have high scenic value, as well as many other values, it is important to track their status and condition. Inventory and monitoring efforts conducted by USDA Forest Service present a systematic compilation of forest statistics of the state. For example, the graph here presents a breakdown of forest cover, or forest type, on all land ownerships for the latest inventory (1998-2003)..
A detailed statistical summary of Wyoming’s Forest Resources presents the results of the most recent statewide forest inventory conducted between 1998 and 2003 was published in the December of 2005. The most recent published forest inventory, Wyoming's Forests, 2002, presents the highlights of forest resources as of 2002.
 

Plot Status and Current Activity
Field crews collected data on Forest Inventory plots and Forest Health plots in the most recent inventory of Wyoming. The following table summarizes the number of plots measured in the latest Wyoming inventory.
 
Number of plots by inventory system, plot type, and year
 

1998-2003 Periodic*
Forest
1,981 (68)
Nonforest or water
7,975 (325)
--
Total
9,956 (393)
--

* Number of phase 3 plots (in parentheses) are a subset of phase 2.
 
Forest Products Research
The Forest Products Industry Research Program of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research Department at the University of Montana provided FIA with forest products information that will be used for timber removal estimates in the upcoming Wyoming report. The Forest Products Research Program conducted a census of primary forest product manufacturers in Wyoming to determine the utilization of Wyoming’s timber harvest, identify the type and number of primary forest products firms, sources of raw material, and quantify outputs of finished products. A draft copy of Wyoming’s Forest Products Industry and Timber Harvest, 2000 summarizes the results of this study. This document is expected to be published in the fall of 2004. The Forest Products Research Program, in cooperation with FIA, is also conducting logging utilization studies to assess the types and size of trees harvested, tree harvesting methods, and determine the amount of wood that is utilized. For more information about these studies, contact Chuck Keegan or Todd Morgan.
 
Data and Table Access
Annual inventory data are not yet available for Wyoming. Customized data summaries are available through FIA data retrieval systems.
 
Other Wyoming Reports
A record of previous statewide reporting efforts is shown in the table below. Note that other special reports, brochures, and data tables using FIA data, but not shown in the table, can be found in a comprehensive list at the Wyoming’s Forest Resources link.
 
Previous Statewide Reports
Year
Published		 Data
Year 		Title / Link Reference
Number *
2005 2002 Wyoming's Forests, 2002 RMRS-RB-6
2001 NA Wyoming Forest Health Report: a baseline assessment, 1995–1998 Not applicable
1989 1984 Forests in Wyoming, 1989 RB–INT-61
1963 1960 The Forests of Wyoming RB-INT-2
* USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station publication numbers are shown here. Over the years the name of the Research Station has changed. Previously it was named the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station or the Intermountain Research Station, hence the initials INT in the report number.
 
Inventory and Monitoring Information

For specific questions related to field procedures, current and past field manuals are available online. These manuals describe the details of plot establishment and description, forest inventory methods, and procedures used for each forest health indicator. Websites for forest health indicators give rationale for the indicator, as well as access to data, analytical procedures, and related publications.

For clients with a general interest in inventory and monitoring work elsewhere, we have compiled a short list of Inventory and Monitoring on the Web. This list comprises agencies and entities with related interests in forest monitoring at various geographic scales, both within the U.S. and internationally, plus some recommended publications for those with a more technical interest in this subject.
 
References

Choate, G.A. 1963. The Forests of Wyoming. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Resource Bulletin INT-2. 45 p. + map.

Green, A.; Conner, R. 1989. Forests in Wyoming. USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. Resource Bulletin RB-INT-61. 91p.

Koch, L.; Rogers, P.;,Frank, M.;, Atkins, D.; Spiegal, L. 2001. Wyoming Forest Health Report: A baseline assessment, 1995-1998. Wyoming State Forestry Division, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 52 p.

Thompson, M.; DeBlander, L.; Blackard, J. 2005.Wyoming's Forests, 2002. USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. Resource Bulletin RB-6. 164p.
 
Contacts
Interior West Forest Inventory and Analysis
Michael Wilson, Program Manager
USDA Forest Service
507 25 th St.
Ogden, Utah 84401
(801) 625-5407