Urban FIA: Bringing the nation's forest census to urban areas
September 9, 2015
Mark Majewsky, USDA Forest Service
Dick Rideout / Andrew Stoltman, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Chris Edgar, Texas A&M Forest Service
Last year, the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) program began developing an urban inventory program in recognition of the need to include urban forests in its nationwide forest census and in response to legislative direction in the 2014 Farm Bill. The FIA program has inventoried the nation’s forests since 1930 – while the program has piloted urban inventory approaches in years past, FIA had never formalized an urban forest approach until last year. This webinar will present an introduction to the new Urban FIA program, key information on Urban FIA methods, and the very latest on efforts currently underway in Baltimore MD, Austin TX, Madison and Milwaukee WI, Providence RI, and other “first” cities. Our speakers will discuss early successes, future developments, and how the U.S. Forest Service plans to work with partners to implement the program across the nation. Mark Majewsky will provide an overview of the FIA program and new urban inventory methods, including differences between urban and rural data collection and synergies with i-Tree Eco. Dick Rideout and Andrew Stoltman will explain how and why the State of Wisconsin is redefining its forest inventory efforts and embarking on a statewide Urban FIA initiative. Chris Edgar will present key findings from Urban FIA work now completed in Austin, TX – the first city to collect and publish a full set of Urban FIA data. Edgar will discuss the importance of seamless rural to urban monitoring, and how Urban FIA data can strengthen urban forest management and advocacy efforts.
Presentations
Urban FIA — One Iconic City at a Time (PDF)
Mark Majewsky
Supervisory Forester, Forest Inventory and Analysis
USDA Forest Service
Wisconsin's Urban Forest Assessment Program (PDF)
Dick Rideout and Andrew Stoltman
Urban Forestry Partnership & Policy Specialist and Rural & Urban Forest Inventory Analysis
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Urban FIA in Texas (PDF)
Chris Edgar
Forest Resource Analyst
Texas A&M Forest Service
Q & A (PDF)
Resources
US Forest Service Resources
Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)
Information on the USFS Urban FIA program.
The Science and Future of i-Tree
An Urban Forest Connections webinar with David Nowak.