Traditionally, inventories of U.S. forests have been conducted on a periodic basis based on on-the-ground measurement of thousands of permanent plots scattered across each state. The process involved periodic assembly of a large team of plot measurement workers, field supervisors, project scientists, and data processing specialists. The interval between successive inventories in any one state was typically 8 to 13 years, and sometimes longer depending upon availability of funds. This inventory process has long been a cooperative effort involving the US Forest Service and state governments, and has focused on measurement of forest area by species type, growth and removals of timber, the volume of wood in standing trees of certain species.

 

Dissatisfaction over the years regarding the length of time between inventories has led to periodic calls in a number of states for increased funding in order to increase the frequency of measurement. However, increasing competition for public funds often stymied such efforts. Instead, a new approach was devised by forestry scientists - to measure only a portion of the inventory plots, but to complete roughly the same number of plot measurements each year such that all plots would be re-measured over an 8 to 10 year period. The new approach provides continuous updating of data, gives continuity to

the survey effort, and improves the flow and predictability of survey-related costs. A number of states have embarked on this new approach to forest inventory while others will in the near term.

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