Forest Landscape Assessment Tool (FLAT): rapid assessment for land management

The Forest Landscape Assessment Tool (FLAT) is a set of procedures and tools used to rapidly determine forest ecological conditions and potential threats. FLAT enables planners and managers to understand baseline conditions, determine and prioritize restoration needs across a landscape system, and conduct ongoing monitoring to achieve land management goals. The rapid assessment process presents a cost-effective opportunity for landowners that include local governments, private owners, and nongovernmental organizations to use ecological data to guide decisionmaking and improve environmental outcomes on their lands. This report is an introduction to FLAT, providing an overview of its purpose, methods, and implications for land management in diverse regions. FLAT is executed in three sequential phases: Phase 1—Forest Cover Type Mapping, Phase 2—Field Assessment, and Phase 3—Management Prioritization. Overall, FLAT consists of onsite visual estimation (aided by remote sensing) of ecological conditions by a trained field team to produce a forest inventory. In addition to providing baseline data and a framework to prioritize actions, FLAT can be used as a monitoring tool to evaluate changing conditions and inform adjustments in management strategies and priorities. To illustrate FLAT implementation, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks case study details a pilot project conducted on 24,700 of the more than 26,000 ac of county lands. King County is using the results from FLAT to develop and implement forest stewardship plans and target efforts of its volunteer restoration program. Although the tool was initially used in lowland forests in the Puget Sound region, in concept, FLAT could be expanded and adapted for use in a wide variety of ecosystem types.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Ciecko, L. 1423211766252, Forest Service, Portland, OR (USA). Pacific Northwest Research Station eng 403744, 1423211766253 Kimmett, D., 174378 Saunders, J., 1423211766254 Katz, R., 1423211766255 Wolf, K.L., 1423211766256 Bazinet, O., 186104 Richardson, J., 1423211766257 Brinkley, W., 1423211766258 Blahna, D.J.
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	Portland, OR (USA) Forest Service, PNRS 2016
Subjects:	forests, land use planning, land management, Environmental Impact Assessment, forest cover, cartography, forest inventories, monitoring,
Online Access:	https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr941.pdf
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