We monitor the forests of the United States to determine detrimental changes or improvements to forest health that occur over time.
National Forest Health Monitoring Program
The USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) is a national program designed to determine the status, changes, and trends in indicators of forest condition on an annual basis. The FHM program uses data from ground plots and surveys, aerial surveys, and other biotic and abiotic data sources and develops analytical approaches to address forest health issues that affect the sustainability of forest ecosystems.
Early Warning System
Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 specified the development of “...a comprehensive early warning system for potential catastrophic environmental threats to forests...”