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01 - AUTHORITY.
Basic authority for collection of site and vegetation data is found in FSM 1920, FSM 2410, and
FSM 2210.
02 - POLICY.
The procedures provided in this chapter should be used at all organizational levels of the Region
for the integration of basic data as it applies to existing vegetation and ecosystems.
04 - RESPONSIBILITY.
04.1 - Regional Forester.
The Regional Forester is responsible for:
1. The design, testing, implementation, and maintenance of the computer programs and
data bases which are used to input, store, and produce various reports.
2. Providing technical assistance to Forests in the collection and analysis of site-level
data. Each data element is assigned Regional Office resource responsibility.
3. Approving any changes to the data base and existing data element coding or
definitions.
4. Aggregating Forest reports generated from the data bases and submitting to the
Washington Office by the specified deadlines.
04.2 - Forest Supervisor.
Forest Supervisors are responsible for:
1. Training for and control of data collection. Forests may suggest changes as needed to
keep the system current with needs of field units.
2. Assigning a person to be responsible for use and operation of the vegetation data base.
This person should have a resource background with the ability to learn data processing and data
management techniques.
3. Aggregating District reports generated from the data base and submitting to the
Regional Office by the specified deadlines. The Forest Supervisor is also responsible for
ensuring accuracy of reported data.
04.3 - District Ranger.
District Rangers are responsible for:
1. Delineating the sites, collecting data, inputting data and maintaining the integrity of
the data base. Districts may suggest changes as needed to keep the system current with needs of
field units.
R3 AMENDMENT 2409.21e-98-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 04/21/1998
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSH 2409.21E - TIMBER MANAGEMENT CONTROL HANDBOOK
CHAPTER – ZERO CODE
2. Generation of reports from the data bases. The District Ranger is also responsible for
ensuring accuracy and completeness of data reported.
04.4 - Data Base Coordinator.
Each forest must have an RMRIS coordinator responsible for the coordination of the RMRIS
data base. This person should have a resource background combined with data management
skills.
Each District should have an RMRIS coordinator with similar background.
The responsibilities of the Data Base Coordinator are:
1. Editing, loading, and updating data.
2. Adhering to Regional standards for the components and the structure of the data and
data base.
3. Recovery of the data bases in the event of a failure.
4. Backing up the data bases when changes are made.
5. Training users.
6. Based on requests from other users, developing reports to summarize data from the
data base.
04.5 - Timber Director.
The Timber Director is responsible for:
1. Evaluating suggested changes in the data base or data elements and recommending
them to the Regional Forester for approval.
2. Support of hardware and software needed to operate the tabular data base.
3. I mplementation of changes in the data base structure needed to keep the data base
current with national direction.
05 - DEFINITIONS.
1. Location - A unique land area that has physiographic or man-made features that are
identifiable and "permanent" on the ground. Locations are used to find individual sites on a map
and for acreage accountability.
2. Site - A unit of land within a location exhibiting similar vegetation characteristics.
R3 AMENDMENT 2409.21e-98-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 04/21/1998
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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3. RMRIS - Rocky Mountain Resource Information System.
4. Area control - An area of a known size. The sum of the areas of all subdivisions of
the main area are required to total to the size of the main unit.