The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC), in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, conducts ongoing forest inventory measurements throughout Georgia. The purpose is to periodically gather land and forest resource data from a series of permanent sample plots in order to assess current forest resource status and trends in Georgia.
What is Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data?
FIA data is a set of measurements that detail Georgia’s current forest resources. GFC staff use this information to provide guidance and assistance to the existing forest industry and prospective industries in sustainable utilization of Georgia’s renewable forest resources. FIA Data includes:
- species composition and diversity
- live wood and biomass volumes
- wood growth and removals
- forest health
- insect and disease impact
- past natural and human-caused disturbances
- land use changes
- forestland types
- age classes
What is the benefit of the data?
We collect the data so that we can assess trends and track current forest resource status. FIA data is valuable as a historic record and it provides documentation of current conditions and trends affecting Georgia’s forest resource. It also helps with decisions about timber supply and wood production.
How is the data collected?
Twelve GFC foresters work full time to collect FIA data. Data is periodically gathered from permanent randomly-selected sample plots. When selecting the plots, we do not consider current land use, ownership, location, or land use changes. Data is gathered from approximately one plot per 6,000 acres of forested land. Data queries for small areas should not be done. A good rule of thumb for Georgia is to examine a geographic area that includes at least 20 counties, or within a 50 mile radius of a given point.
How is the data used?
Municipal leaders and government agencies use FIA data to make decisions on development, commerce, wildlife and much more. Nationally, collected data is electronically compiled and forwarded to the U.S. Forest Service FIA program office in Knoxville, Tennessee. Based on a five-year rolling average for data parameters, the information is compiled into county, regional, and state summaries and is available through the U.S. Forest Service.
A special thanks to the USFS, our partner in conservation and protection, for providing funding.
Helpful Resources
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 FIA Data – Forest Inventory and Analysis Program: Trends for Georgia’s Forest Land | Collected information for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program, a cooperative program between the U.S. Forest Service and the states to provide estimates of the condition of the forest and forest trend data. | |
| 2018-2022 Georgia Forest Inventory & Analysis Fact Sheet | This fact sheet is adapted from the current Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data available for Georgia. The data for this report comes from the United States Forest Service and the USFS Evalidator database. | |
| FIA Statistics Report for Georgia (1997) | This report highlights the principal findings of the seventh forest survey of Georgia. Field work began in November 1995 and was completed in April 1998. Six previous surveys, completed in 1936, 1953, 1961, 1972, 1982, and 1989 provide statistics for measuring changes and trends over the previous 62 years. | |
| Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) National Program | As the Nation’s continuous forest census, the FIA program projects how forests are likely to appear 10 to 50 years from now. This enables us to evaluate whether current forest management practices are sustainable in the long run and to assess whether current policies will allow the next generation to enjoy America’s forests as we do today. | External Website |
| Forests of Georgia, 2020 | Overview of forest resources in Georgia based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, the Southern Research Station (SRS) in cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission. | |
| Georgia Pulpwood Production Fact Sheet – 2021 | This fact sheet is adapted from Southern Pulpwood Production, 2021. The full report presents the findings of a 100 percent canvass of pulp mills that drew roundwood or wood residues from the 13 Southern States during 2021 | |
| Georgia’s Forests – 5 Year Report (2019) | Inventories provide information needed to formulate sound forest policies, provide information for economic development, develop forest programs, and provide a scientific basis to monitor forest ecosystems. | |
| Historical trends of timber product output in the South | Historical data of periodic canvasses of primary wood-using plants are presented for the 13 Southern States. | External Website |
| Southern Pulpwood Production (2021) | A 2021 analysis of pulpwood production across the 13 Southern State. | External Website |
| Trends in Southern pulpwood production, 1953-2006 | An analysis of southern pulpwood production during a span of more than 50 years. | External Website |
| USFS FIA Hurricane Michael Assessment | Please click on this link for more information. | External Website |