Today, NASF and over 60 other organizations signed onto a letter to the leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in support the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program funded by the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service). The coalition members who signed this letter ask Congress to continue to support FIA with no less than $32.2 million in program dollars for FY24. Additionally, of the amount allocated for Salaries and Expenses (S&E) in Forest and Rangeland Research, the coalition urges Congress to direct $54.9 million for the FIA program.
We rely on the inventory, data, and analysis provided by the program, which make up the backbone of scientific knowledge on the current state of the nation’s forests. This critical information is needed to support sound policy and forest management decisions across all land ownerships and is increasingly important for decisions regarding forest carbon, sustainability, and existing and expanding markets.
Click the link below to read the letter in full.