POSITION STATEMENTS

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) supports full funding and full implementation of the Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) Program. The FIA Program provides scientifically credible forest inventory data across all ownerships, and it is the only national inventory system that delivers current and consistent information about the status, condition, and trends of America’s forestland. SAF supports the full implementation of a national, annualized inventory system with 20% annual measurement consistently applied across all ownerships and reported for each state every five years. SAF also believes the base program must be responsive to stakeholder needs and be implemented prior to adding new components to the Program. Because the FIA Program is a nationwide science-based inventory and reporting program, SAF recommends the continuation of its operation under the direction of the USDA Forest Service.

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