Welcome to the Forest Service’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework!

What is the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework?

The National Forest System (NFS) has established a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to help Forest Service planners meet monitoring requirements. The framework focuses on the need to monitor progress toward desired conditions of key resources (biological diversity; land health and vitality; soil, water and air; social benefits; economic benefits; and infrastructure capacity). The framework is flexible and will accommodate shifting priorities over time. Properly applied, this tool can launch discussions about progress and emerging issues, inform the need for change, and increase the capacity of collaborative efforts with our neighbors and partners.

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FINAL – National Forest System Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

The NFS Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework responds to the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 USC 1600-1614). Through this law, Congress has directed the Forest Service to use monitoring and assessment to evaluate the effects of land management.

The NFS M&E Framework combines the consistency needed by the agency as a whole with the flexibility necessary to respond to local circumstances. Nine agency wide land management priorities are organized under six themes. Interdisciplinary teams are to use this guidance to organize desired conditions for monitoring and evaluation over the life of land management plans.

March 28, 2007 - CAT Analysis of Comments from Internal and External Review

The MET asked internal and external parties to review and comment on the framework (see archival material), and sent comments to the Forest Service’s Content Analysis Team (CAT) to summarize the information that came out of that review.

• Summary Document: Analysis of the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework - Content Analysis Team (CAT)(3/28/07 ver.)(PDF, 404 KB)

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework Materials: Supporting Information

Indicator References

Crosswalk of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework with the Local Unit Criterion and Indicator Development (LUCID) project results (7 pages). This document provides a sorted list of measures, indicators, and criterion arranged according to Themes within the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

• DOC (230 KB) PDF (178 KB)

The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework as an Integrating Tool

Slide presentation of relationships between Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and Forest Service Land Management Planning requirements, including Plan Components, Monitoring Program, Evaluation Reports, and Environmental Management System elements.

• PPT (2.9 MB) PDF (719 KB) HTML

Further Information

The following links provide additional information and interim products.

Please contact Peter Williams, USDA Forest Service, email: peterwilliams(at)fs.fed.us, or any MET member if you have additional questions, comments, or suggestions.