Canada's national forest inventory (responding to current information needs)

Canada's current National Forest Inventory is a periodic compilation of exi sting inventory material from across the country. While the current approac h has many advantages, it lacks information on the nature and rate of chang es to the resource, and does not permit projections or forecasts. Being a c ompilation of inventories of different dates, the current national forest i nventory cannot reflect the current state of the forests and therefore cann ot be used as a satisfactory baseline for monitoring change. The current fo rmat of Canada's National Forest Inventory has served its purpose by provid ing national statistical compilations and reporting. However, its useful li fe is coming to a conclusion. To meet new demands, Canada is considering a new National Forest Inventory design consisting of a plot-based system of p ermanent observational units located on a national grid. The objective of t he new inventory design is to assess and monitor the extent, state and sust ainability of Canada's forests in a timely and accurate manner. Details of the new inventory design are described. A strategy to respond to Canada's n ational and international forest reporting commitments through a National F orest Information System is also discussed.