Summary

In 2012, the Forest Service Planning Rule set in motion a new way of designing and implementing National Forest Management Plans across the country. The Rule calls for increased collaboration with public stakeholders. Also attention to matters of scale, explicit recognition of ecosystem integrity. Furthermore, disturbance ecology and ecosystem stressors. Finally, addressing climate change and ecosystem resilience. The publication of the Agency handbook for implementation of the Planning Rule provides specific direction for Forest Service land managers and public stakeholders. Importantly, the Rule calls explicitly for an assessment of Timber Suitability. Also, Wilderness, and the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum, for each Forest undergoing Plan Revision.

In recent years, our team has collaborated with Ecosystem Management Coordination (EMC), the Planning Service Organization (PSO), the Geospatial Technology and Applications Center (GTAC), and various Natural Resource Programs. The goal being to develop and share online and desktop (ArcPro) applications. All of which rely on relevant authoritative geospatial enterprise data. The new PSO provides an exciting new opportunity for the agency to cultivate standard best practices, relying on standard tools and authoritative geospatial data. A key efficiency can be achieved by adopting a common vocabulary of authoritative geospatial data. Also, adopting shared workflows applied consistently among all National Forests. The new Planning Service Center (PSC) and its three constituent Planning Service Groups (PSGs), Eastern, Mountain, Pacific, can save the agency time and money historically spent on redundant efforts to find data, develop methods and tools independently.

Problem and Solution

Forest Service planning teams were required to document and justify land management decisions in alignment with the 2012 Planning Rule, yet implementation varied significantly across National Forests. Individual units developed their own data inventories, analytical methods, and interpretations of planning requirements, resulting in inconsistent outputs, duplicated effort, and limited ability to scale or compare results across regions. The absence of standardized workflows and authoritative data integration made it difficult to efficiently conduct assessments, support interdisciplinary collaboration, and communicate decisions to stakeholders.

Our team translated Timber Suitability requirements into a structured, repeatable geospatial framework. We did so by developing a suite of integrated ArcGIS-based tools and workflows. These tools operationalize key suitability criteria. This includes identification of lands legally or administratively withdrawn from timber production. Also, areas constrained by operability or environmental limitations. Finally, lands lacking reasonable assurance of regeneration.

Rather than functioning as isolated tools, components were designed as a coordinated workflow. This incrementally builds a comprehensive Timber Suitability dataset. Each step produces standardized outputs aligned with data standards for consistency across units. The solution integrates authoritative datasets, enforces repeatable logic based on policy and supports both desktop analysis and enterprise publication.  This allows planning teams to apply consistent methods while maintaining flexibility for local conditions.

Outcome and Benefit

This effort established a standardized approach based on authoritative data for Timber Suitability, Wilderness, and Recreation analysis. This replaced fragmented forest-specific methods through a consistent and scalable workflow. The resulting geospatial outputs are maintained within structured geodatabases. They are also published as authoritative map services accessible through ArcGIS Online and federal open data platforms. All of which improves data accessibility, transparency, and usability across planning teams.

By aligning outputs with automated processes for data ingestion and publication, the solution supports incremental adoption while maintaining consistency based on national standards. As additional units implement the workflow, the Timber Suitability dataset expands in coverage and reliability. This brings more efficient planning, minimize redundant effort. Furthermore, it provides leadership with a defensible, repeatable foundation for evaluation of these key planning components as part of plan revisions.