FO:NAFC/2000/7(h)
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NORTH AMERICAN FOREST COMMISSION |
Item 5(h) of the Provisional Agenda |
TWENTIETH SESSION |
St. Andrews, New Brunswick,
Canada,
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STUDY GROUP ON FOREST
INVENTORY
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There is increasing recognition in Canada, the United States of America and Mexico that forest ecosystem inventory and monitoring is vital to the successful implementation of sustainable forest management. Reliable basic environmental information is needed for formulating effective land use and conservation policy; valuation of forest services and benefits; planning management activities; effectively implementing those activities; and following the results over time, to confirm the sustainability of present practices or to guide modification of activities toward a more sustainable use. This information directly supports reporting and assessing the status of criteria and indicators of sustainability and serves as a knowledge base for supporting research and development.
The three countries confirmed that the best approach to addressing common resource inventory, monitoring and assessment issues was to utilize the North American Forest Commission (NAFC). The Commission supports research and natural resource management activities through Study Groups that explore issues of concern to the three countries. The first meeting of the North American Forest Commission Study Group on Forest Inventory and Monitoring was held from 11 to 13 January 2000 at the World Trade Center in Portland, Oregon, USA. The objective of this group is to specifically explore opportunities to improve strategic inventory and monitoring at the North American scale by developing a better understanding of each country's current programs and future plans.
All three countries are currently revising their approaches to national scale forest inventory and an NAFC Study Group aimed at sharing research and information and taking advantage of opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange on forest inventory, monitoring and assessment could make a significant contribution. This Study Group would identify and take advantage of opportunities for increasing scientific and technical collaboration, foster compatible approaches to forest inventory, monitoring and assessment among the three countries, evaluate remote sensing and other technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of forest inventory, monitoring and assessment, sponsor and facilitate exchanges to build capacity and increase our understanding of different approaches to forest inventory, monitoring and assessment, and foster communication with other NAFC study groups.
Membership in the Study Group consists of up to four representatives from each country, to be appointed by the respective NAFC organizational bodies. Meetings may also include additional invitees as deemed appropriate by the permanent members. Next year's meeting will be hosted by Canada in late January in British Columbia, with a general theme of collaboration on remote sensing.
First year plans for the Study Group included finalizing and approving a Study Group Charter; holding a workshop to report on the state of national inventories in each country; document the current state of remote sensing technology in each country; and organize outreach to other NAFC Study Groups. The Charter and workshop have been completed.
NAFC Forest Inventory and Monitoring Study Group
CANADA | |
Mr. MARK GILLIS Manager, National Forest Inventory Canadian Forest Service 506 W. Burnside Road Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5 Tel. 250.363.0753 Fax. 250.363.0775 Email: [email protected] |
DR. BERNARD E. HERRERA Y HERRERA Profesor Investigador Universidad Aut�noma de Chapingo Divisi�n de Ciencias Forestales M�xico, Texcoco CP 56230 Tel. 595.2.1500 Ext. 5381/5790 Email: [email protected] |
DR. HARRY HIRVONEN Science Advisor - Forest Health SB/NCR/CFS Department of Natural Resources Canada 12-580 Booth Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4 Tel. 613.947.9015 Fax. 613.947.9090 Email: [email protected] |
ING. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ ROMERO Unidad del Inventario Nacional de Recursos Naturales Secretar�a de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP) Avenida Progreso No. 5 Col. del Carmen CP 04100, M�xico, DF Tel. 52.5658.3229 Email: [email protected] |
MR. JOE KAPRON Manager, Geomatics and Data Acquisition Natural Resources Information Branch Science and Information Resources Division Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 300 Water Street, P.O. Box 7000 Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5 Tel. 705.755.1616 Fax. 705.755.1640 Email: [email protected] |
ING. J�SUS CARRASCO G�MEZ Subdirector del Inventario Nacional de Recursos Naturales Secretar�a de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP) Avenida Progreso No. 5 Col. del Carmen CP 04100, M�xico, DF Tel. 52.5554.7120 Email: [email protected] |
MEXICO |
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ING. SERGIO VARELA HERN�NDEZ Director de la Unidad del Inventario Nacional de Recursos Naturales Secretar�a de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP) Avenida Progreso No. 5 Col. del Carmen CP 04100, M�xico, DF Tel. 52.5658.3229 Email: [email protected] |
DR. IGNACIO GALINDO ESTRADA Director del Centro Universitario de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Ambiente Universidad de Colima Bernal D�az del Castillo No. 340 Col. Las Viboras M�xico, Colima Tel. 52.331.3.1165 Email: [email protected] |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | |
DR. ALAN R. EK Head, Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota, 115C Green Hall 1530 Cleveland Ave. N St. Paul, MN 55108 Tel. 651.624.3400 Fax. 651.625.5212 Email: [email protected] |
DR. ANDREW GILLESPIE Forest Inventory and Monitoring National Program Leader USDA Forest Service 201 14th St. SW Washington, DC 20090-6090 Tel. 202.205.1507 Fax. 202.205.1551 Email: agillesp/[email protected] |
MS. SUSAN WILLITS Program Manager, Forest Inventory and Monitoring USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1221 SW Yamhill St. Suite 200 Portland, OR 98205 Tel. 503.808.2066 Fax. 503.808.2020 Email: swillits/[email protected] |
MR. W. BRAD SMITH Forest Inventory and Monitoring Associate National Program Leader USDA Forest Service 201 14th St. SW Washington, DC 20090-6090 Tel. 202.205.1507 Fax. 202.205.1551 Email: wbsmith/[email protected] |
1999-2000 NAFC Study Group
Workplan Forest Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Meeting January 11-13, 2000, World Trade Center, Portland, OR, USA |
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Task 1: |
Finalize and approve Study Group Charter |
Activity: |
Group review of draft and consensus. |
Product: | Charter approved January 12, 2000. |
Task 2: |
Orientation of members to status of inventory, monitoring, and assessment in North America |
Activity: |
Three day workshop consisting of: |
1. Presentations by Study Group members on inventory and monitoring activities in their respective countries. | |
2. Discussion to identify tasks and opportunities to collaborate on common issues. | |
Product: | |
1. A report on the state of national forest inventories in North America plus appendices (presentation materials from this meeting). | |
Due Date: | Reports due by March 2000. |
Task 3: |
Evaluate current and future use of remote sensing tools to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment |
Activity: |
Concurrent with the workshop described in Task 2, do the following: |
1. Document the current state of the art of remote sensing technology presently incorporated into operational, large area forest inventory in each of the three countries. | |
2. Identify top priority research and development areas which would foster the use of remote sensing in operational forest inventory. | |
Product: | |
1. A report (3-4 pages for each country) on the current incorporation of remote sensing into operational forest inventory using the format developed by Canada, but including forest health and showing links to examples of remote sensing applications in each country. | |
Due Date: | Reports due by March 2000. |
Task 4: |
Outreach to other NAFC study groups |
Activity: |
Inventory and Monitoring Study Group representatives will seek invitations to annual meetings for Atmospheric Change, Insects and Disease, and Fire Management Study groups. Inventory and Monitoring Study Group representatives will give overview presentation of what the Inventory and Monitoring Study Group is doing and will seek opportunities for further collaboration. |
Products: | |
1. A list of contacts, meetings, dates, and participants in collaborative meetings and activities. | |
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2. Improved cross-study group collaboration and communication for at least one area. | |
Due date: | Complete by fall 2000. |
Task 5: |
Implement Technical Exchange/Collaborative Work Priorities |
Activity: |
Short term priorities for needed technical exchanges will be identified at this first meeting of the Inventory and Monitoring Study Group. These exchanges will take place in 2000. Products variable; each technical exchange will deliver at least one product beyond general improved knowledge of other approaches to inventory. Likely products include reports, scientific manuscripts, documented methods for processing data, and tabular or spatial displays of data. |
Products: | |
1. Develop summary of land cover/land use classification systems and distribute to members for review and comparison. | |
2. Identify data and information in national digital inventory data bases for review and development of simple ecoregion summary database for North America. | |
3. Develop intranet site for technical exchange amongst study group members and for the development of study group reports. | |
4. Consider technical exchange of a personnel nature during the coming year for possible implementation in 2001. | |
Due date: | Exchanges and products should be completed by the end of 2000. |
Task 6: |
Business/planning Meeting |
Activity: |
Planning for the coming year. |
Products/ decisions: |
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1. Coming year host country is Canada. | |
2. Next meeting late January, 2001 in British Columbia. | |
3. Next meeting theme: Collaboration on remote sensing. | |
4. Next meeting format will be 2.5 days: 1day meeting, 1 day field trip, 1/2 day meeting, informal. | |
5. Host country will cover expenses for meeting facilities and associated field trip. | |
Wrapup: | Appreciation and thank you expressed by all participants. |
Report submitted by W. Brad Smith & Alan R. Ek |