A not-so-final thought on the future of Indiana forests...

YOU play a vital part in what happens to Indiana’s forests! Each day people make decisions about where and how to live, what to buy, and how to have fun. These decisions, conscious or not, affect our forests; the products they provide; the quality of our air and water, and the animals who depend on the forests to live. Despite large population increases throughout the past century, Hoosiers have worked to care for and improve the forests while deriving its many benefits. The most recent inventory shows Indiana progressing towards balancing forest interests and uses. Data suggests Indiana’s trees are healthy and grow much faster than they are dying or being harvested. FIA information is being analyzed to examine more forest issues than ever before. This booklet is the first in a series of reports that examines and evaluates FIA information to address forest resource issues. In the past, inventory results focused on forest products and the effects on the forest industry. Forest products are very important, and are still very much a part of reporting the results. However, professional foresters and land managers now analyze all aspects of the information to identify trends, respond to forestry-related issues, and identify land-use pattern changes. The USDA Forest Service, Indiana Division of Forestry, and other organizations will continue to look to the past and stay focused on the future! Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) in Indiana will keep yearly records of how our forests fare in the future. In the past, FIA took only one snapshot of the forests every 10 to 20 years. Beginning in 1999, FIA began to measure a portion of the permanent inventory sites (plots) annually. Approximately one-fifth of the permanent plots will be visited and remeasured each year. The additional information will allow for a faster response at times when forests are threatened. Thank you for taking the time to become more acquainted with one of Indiana’s special natural resources.

Literature Cited

Birch, Thomas W. 1996. Private Forest-land Owners of the Northern United States, 1994. Resource Bulletin NE-136. [Newtown Square] Radnor, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station; 293 p. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife. 1996. Managed Lands. Indianapolis, IN; electronic database. Jackson, Marion T., ed. 1997. The Natural Heritage of Indiana. Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press; 482 p. Schmidt, T.L.; Hansen, M.H.; Solomakos, J.A. 2000. Indiana’s Forests in 1998. Resource Bulletin NC-196. St. Paul, MN: USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station; 139 p. Vogelmann, J.E.; Sohl, T.; Campbell, P.V.; Shaw, D.M. 1998. “Regional Land Cover Characterization Using Landsat Thematic Mapper Data and Ancillary Data Sources.” (MRLC) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 51: 415-428.

Acknowledgments

This publication was produced in partnership by the USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station; Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) – Division of Forestry; and the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. The content and strategy for development of this and subsequent reports generated from the 1998 Indiana Forest Inventory and Analysis data is guided by the following members of the Indiana FIA steering committee:

	Kenneth G. Day		USDA Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest, Forest Supervisor
	Glenn Durham		Frank Miller Lumber Company
	Burney Fischer		IDNR - Division of Forestry, State Forester
	Joey Gallion		IDNR - Division of Forestry, Products Specialist
	Phil Marshall		IDNR - Division of Forestry, Pest Specialist
	John Moser		Purdue University, Professor of Forestry
	George Parker		Purdue University, Professor of Forest Ecology
	Anna Radue		Indiana University - SPEA, GIS Laboratory Coordinator
	Julie Ramey		Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Director of Public Affairs
	J.C. Randolph		Indiana University - SPEA, Professor of Forest Ecology
	Tom Schmidt		USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station, Research Forester
	Barb Tormoehlen		USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Natural Resource Planner

A special thanks to:

Indiana FIA Steering Committee; IDNR Division of Forestry, Information Section, Natalie Himebaugh, Lisa Kocela, Theresa Henry and Daniel C.I. Dale, for layout design, graphics and editing; J.C. Randolph and Anna Radue, Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs for GIS mapping and dataset services and consultation; North Central Research Station FIA staff, for statistical data interpretation and analytical assistance.

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