The evolution of Wisconsin's urban FIA program—yesterday today and tomorrow
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In 2002, Wisconsin was part of two pilot projects in cooperation with the US Forest Service. The first was a street tree assessment, and the second was an urban FIA project. The data generated by these pilots changed the way that Wisconsin DNRs’ Urban Forestry Program conducts its business. Although there have been several urban FIA pilot projects throughout the U.S., in 2012, Wisconsin became the first state where those pilot FIA plots were re-measured. The results of this re-measurement demonstrate how urban foresters in Wisconsin have altered their tactics in recent years due to several factors, including the emergence of emerald ash borer. In recognition that good data leads to more effective management, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry recommended a major expansion of urban inventory data to better guide urban forest managers. This initiative is being implemented in 2015, and includes statewide continuous urban FIA plots, a repeatable remotely sensed urban tree canopy assessment, and the aggregation of existing inventories such as municipal street or park tree inventories.