Cities and surrounding areas across the US are partnering with the Forest Service in a program called the Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (Urban FIA). This study of urban trees, green space, and ground cover uses data collected on public and private land to better understand how trees impact people’s lives in urban areas. 

Urban FIA research plots are selected randomly without regard to ownership to ensure that the inventory reflects the true condition of the entire urban area. Understanding what trees are present on all lands across the city helps make informed decisions about what to plant when planning for the future. Trees on both public and private land provide important benefits to people throughout the city! 

If you have been contacted by a field crew requesting access to your property, it is because one of these randomly selected research plots falls on your property, or because it is necessary to cross your property to access one of these research plots. The answers to some frequently asked questions are provided below, and you can find even more information about the program on this website. Your participation in this program matters! If you have further questions, please contact the employee who contacted you or use the “People” section of our website to reach out to one of the contacts listed there. 

Frequently asked questions: 

1. Why do you want to access MY property? The area we wish to access was selected randomly without regard to ownership. This process helps to ensure that the study is free from bias and that it reflects the true condition of all the urban forest resources. We strive to access every selected site, and in so doing, we are able to provide data that are as reliable as possible. While visiting this site, we will take numerous measurements and assess the condition of the forest within that area. 
2. When do you want to visit my property? The scheduling of our visit can be coordinated with our data collectors at a time that is convenient for you. Nothing beyond your permission is required of you, but if you would like us to work around planned activities, we are happy to do that. 
3. What do you need me to do? All we need is permission to access your property. Nothing else is required of you. Please simply use the response information provided to you by the field employee to notify them of your decision regarding permission to access your property. 
4. What is a plot? An Urban FIA research plot is a randomly selected location where we will collect data about trees and ground cover. It is a circle with a 48ft radius and covers about 1/6 of an acre. You can see a picture of the plot layout below and can find more information about the data collected in the next question. Once the random location is selected, field employees use public records to find out who owns the property so that they can request access to collect the necessary data. Sometimes this research plot stretches across more than one owner’s property. When that happens, we contact all the landowners involved to request permission. There are about 200 plots within the political boundaries of major cities and additional plots located in the urban areas across the US. 
5. What data will be collected on these plots?
   1. Tree species – What trees species exist and how abundant are they? 
   2. Tree numbers and tree size – Is the area losing or gaining trees? How quickly are trees growing? In urban areas, larger trees produce larger energy savings, filter more air and water pollutants, and provide more shade. In non-urban forests, larger trees also have bigger impacts and the surrounding plants and soil. 
   3. Tree survival and mortality – How well are trees surviving? 
   4. Tree crown condition – Tree crowns tell us a lot about the health of a tree, how well it’s growing, and its impact on plants growing underneath. 
   5. Tree Damage – Knowing which species show damage helps to develop effective management plans. 
   6. Invasive plants – We monitor their abundance, distribution, and effects. 
   7. Ground Cover – The existence of other plants, permeable (gravel, bare soil) surface, and impermeable surfaces (asphalt, cement) help us to learn more about water infiltration potential and runoff. 
   8. Ownership – Knowing who owns forests and trees help to integrate management strategies across ownerships, even when the management strategy applies only to public forests. 
6. What are you going to do with the data you collect? Although the data from individual sites and landowners is confidential, our data summaries are available to the public. Our research publications are also available on-line. Our data are used by city, state, and federal agencies, research universities and industry for a variety of purposes including tree health risk assessment, urban forest planning, wildlife habitat evaluation, fire risk assessments, estimating severity of natural disasters to the forest resource, estimating biomass supplies for fuel, estimating and monitoring carbon stocks, species distribution monitoring, forest growth and yield monitoring, and many other uses. 
7. Who will be visiting this site and how long does it take? Many of our data collectors are US Forest Service personnel. However, in some areas we also partner with state employees or contracted data collectors. One or two individuals will access the site and it will typically only take a few hours for them to collect the required data. A small percentage of the plots require a second visit for quality assurance reasons. This visit also only takes a few hours to complete at which point no further visits will be necessary until the plot is re-measured in 5-10 years. Employees will ensure that they have permission prior to entering private property. 
8. How often will the plot be visited? We typically revisit these sites on a 5, 7, or 10-year cycle depending upon which state the plot is in. We may contact you in approximately 5 to 10 years to again ask permission to access your property. Also, a small percentage of the sites will be revisited, usually within 30 days, to perform a quality assurance inspection. These inspections help us maintain high standards of data quality. We will ensure that we have permission from the current owners before revisiting a plot. 
9. What if I want to cut or plant trees within the research plot area? You should continue to manage your property as you see fit, planting or cutting trees as necessary, regardless of the location of the research plot. It is important to us that the presence of the plot does not influence the way you use your property. 
10. What if I plan to sell the land? You can provide permission for data collection staff to access your property even if you plan to sell the property in the future. When it is time for the plot to be revisited, employees will use public records to verify who the current landowner is and contact them to request permission. You do not need to disclose the presence of the research plot on your property to potential buyers since they will be able to decide whether to allow data collection staff on the property in the future. If a sale will occur within the year, please ensure that the field employee who contacted you is aware of the pending sale. They will adjust their work accordingly.
11.  What are the benefits of an urban forest inventory? Urban trees and natural spaces are critical to human health and well-being. A neighborhood’s trees moderate air and water pollution, reduce heating and cooling costs, and provide shade and shelter from the hot summer sun. Healthy trees can provide wildlife habitat and improve real estate values. Research shows that trees improve mental health, strengthen social connections, and reduce crime rates. The Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis provides critical data to city planners and urban foresters to help make well informed decisions. Will the data collected on my property be kept confidential? By law, the plot location and owner’s name will be kept confidential and data will be presented only in statistical summaries. Data collected on FIA plots and Urban FIA plots cannot be accessed through the Freedom of Information Act. Information from a single owner’s land will not be used for tax purposes, nor will it be used in regulation. At times, we may share information with individuals or organizations we work with. These partners are required to sign a non-disclosure document and are held to the same confidentiality requirements as employees under the law. 
12. Who is responsible if somebody gets hurt on my property? If a government employee is injured while conducting an inventory on private property, payment of the employee’s medical expenses and lost wages are the responsibility of the federal government through its Office of Worker’s Compensation Program. Federal contractors are required to have Workers’ Compensation and Liability Insurance. 
13. What if I have more questions? We would like to make sure we answer any questions you have! Please feel free to reach out to the field employee who contacted you with any further questions. If they don’t know the answer to your question, they can find someone who does. You can also review the information on this website for more details about the program or contact one of the leads or program managers listed in the People section of our website.