Natural Resource Information System (NRIS)

The Forest Service Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) combines a standard corporate database and computer applications designed to support field-level users. NRIS databases contain basic natural resource data in standard formats built to run within the Forest Service computing environment. This system provides employees, our partners, and the public with access to essential natural resource data needed to support the management decisions that form the core business of the Forest Service.

NRIS provides the Forest Service with the resource information environment needed to respond to public concerns and address complex issues. NRIS focuses on the biological, physical, and human features that make up National Forest and Grassland landscapes. It provides a diverse range of basic and calculated information in standard formats that can be shared across administrative and ecological boundaries. NRIS improves decisions by providing advanced applications and tools to manage and analyze geographic information consistently throughout the Agency. Users can aggregate data across Forests and Regions, apply the best science to management decisions, develop consistent interpretations, and use advanced analytical models.