Publication Year
2015
Brief Description
Overview of the Forest Inventory and Analysis program in Texas
Topics
Full Text
Forests Resource Status & Trends Texas has 63 million acres of forestland, all of which provide a myriad of economic, environmental and social benefits. The bulk of the commercially-productive forests is located in East Texas. Those commercial forests directly contribute $16 billion and 63,000 jobs to the Texas economy. Forest inventories provide information on the size, status and condition of our forests, as well as potential threats and projected changes. In Texas, these inventories have not been conducted regularly in the past. However, understanding the condition and projected changes of Texas forests is critical to supporting sustainable, environmentally-based, economic development. TFS Response:- In 2001, TFS began a continuous, intensive forest inventory program designed to provide up-to-date information about the state’s forest resources.
- Permanent plots are established throughout the state on a 3 x 3 mile grid, and measured every 5 to 10 years.
- A portion of the plots is measured annually, allowing for updated results each year.
- Objective, scientifically credible data is collected to provide insights into the growth, composition, and mortality of forest resources, as well as land-use changes.
- This uniform approach has established a benchmark for measuring sustainability, as well as the success of land management practices.
- Forest inventory data has shown areas where surplus wood volumes exist and could support additional forest product manufacturing.
- As a result of this information, several companies have either built or announced plans to build biomass-to-energy facilities, which could lead to the creation of a total of 1,492 jobs and a $166 million direct impact to the Texas economy.
- Utilizing biomass in bioenergy facilities could directly add more than $74 million to the economy through payroll and other employee compensations, as well as property taxes.
- TAMFS