SAF Supports US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
April 11, 2019
Continuing our focus on Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations, SAF and the American Forest and Paper Association led a coalition supporting an $83 million dollar funding level for the
US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The letter, signed by 46 diverse organizations, was sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. We expect to add more organizations to this list before sending the letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee at the end of this month.
FIA is the nation’s forest census providing the periodic updates on the current state of the nation’s forests. This critical information is needed to support sound policy and forest management decisions, both public and private, and is increasingly important for decisions regarding new and expanding markets. The requested funding increase is necessary to move the program toward providing more accurate and timely inventories and related data about America’s forests.