Chip Scott
Today’s Topics
 NIMAC Background
 States
 National Forest System
 International
 Toolkit
NIMAC Background
 National Inventory and Monitoring Applications
Center (NIMAC)
 Mission:
 To develop leading-edge forest ecosystem monitoring
methods and tools to help FIA and its customers
monitor forests, resulting in compatible results across
the landscape. Methods and software tools are designed
for use by land managers and across ownerships at
landscape to national scales, but will also provide added
flexibility to FIA.
States: Wisconsin
 Contract crews are in the second
panel of the second cycle of data
collection on their 514,000 ac.
 Data are processed by NIMAC and UNLV cooperators
 WisFIDO is operational, but waiting for FIA FIDO to
be upgraded first before additional enhancements:
http://wiscfi.fiatools.us/fido/index.html
 Data and estimates are being made available using PC
EVALIDator, including some P3 data.
States: Indiana
 State crews are completing the fifth panel on their 150,000
ac of state land.
 Plots are paneled by 1,000 ac compartments. We are using
this concept in the NFI of Peru.
 IN DNR expanded the system to 600,000
ac of private conservation lands.
 We prepared a PC version of NIMS so
they can process the data themselves.
 NIMAC is training IN DNR on
processing the data for use in PC
EVALIDator.
States: Missouri
 Missouri crews have finished the first season of
fieldwork on 600,000 ac of State Forest land.
Fieldwork is done during the “off season.”
 MDC is now adopting the Wisconsin model of
having NIMAC and UNLV do all the processing
with NIMS and provide the results using PC
EVALIDator.
States: Kansas
 Kansas has developed a proposal to intensify the
sample in forest land and in nonforest with trees in
order to evaluate commercial biomass production.
National Forest System
 NIMAC worked with R9 so that the sample on all
Forests is intensified (2X or 3X).
 Regions 8 and 9 funded a 1-year Term position within
NIMAC to provide analytical support for the two
Regions.
 NFS continues to fund the development of the Design
and Analysis Toolkit for Inventory and Monitoring
(DATIM).
 Cross-Deputy Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment
effort to make IM&A more cost-effective.
International: Growing need for
monitoring globally
 Primary factor is the financial incentives of REDD+
(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation Plus), but others include timber
production and conservation of biodiversity.
 USAID & State Dept. are funding the FS, USGS, NASA,
Smithsonian Inst., and EPA to provide technical
assistance to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Viet Nam and
Gabon
 Goal is to reduce carbon emissions and to encourage
sustainable use of forests to help keep them as forests.
What is FIA doing about it?
 FIA’s role is to provide technical assistance and
training, not to do the work.
 NIMAC coordinates the technical assistance for the FS.
 Skills Roster – about 60 folks have signed up on the
skills roster to provide technical assistance.
 Built an optimal plot design tool which factors in both
cost and precision.
Toolkit
 Developed portable data recorder program (modern
version of TALLY) which is being using in Honduras,
Peru and now Gabon. FAO is posting it for download.
 DATIM is almost done with Phase 1 of development.
 Web version of the Design Tool for Inventory and
Monitoring (DTIM) and will include NFS Planning
Rule and international modules.
 The Analytical Tool for Inventory and Monitoring
(ATIM) and the Spatial Intersection Tool (SIT) are
integrated to facilitate spatial analyses.
Summary
 NIMAC’s role is growing, especially in the




international arena
States – don’t anticipate additional states. Focus is on
providing compilation and reporting tools.
National Forest System – continue to partner with R8
and R9; work on the IM&A effort.
International – develop documentation, training and
tools
Toolkit – DATIM testing will begin January 2013; Phase
2 will be completed Fall 2013.
Questions / Comments
Chip Scott
FIA-NIMAC
USDA Forest Service
11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-557-4020
ctscott@fs.fed.us