What's New?
		Emission Reduction Techniques for Oil and Gas Activities - 2011: This document provides techniques which may be applied to oil and gas operations to reduce or mitigate emissions from development and production operations. Watershed Condition Class Assessment - 2011: Forests conducting watershed condition assessments for 6th level HUCs will find condition ratings for the effects of air pollution to water quality, soil condition and forest health at the internal Watershed Condition Classification website. The Federal Land Managers’ Air Quality Related Values Work Group (FLAG) recently released their Phase I Report—Revised (2010), a revision of the FLAG 2000 report. This report focuses on those areas of FLAG 2000 that have received the most attention and concern from permit applicants and permitting authorities.

Air is an Integrating Resource

Air is inseparable from all other resources. It is the key component linking virtually all living and non-living components of the earth. The Forest Service works to protect air quality by working with industry and regulators, monitoring air and the resources affected by air pollution and by providing the public with information about air quality. Poor air quality decreases visibility, acidifies or disrupts the natural balance in lakes and streams, injures plant and animal communities and harms human health.

Progress has been made toward improving air quality across the United States since the enactment of the Clean Air Act in 1977. But air quality on Forest lands and even wilderness areas is far from pristine. As the human population with its resulting urbanization and industrialization continue to grow, the Forest Service Air Program must understand how air quality affects resources in order to work cooperatively with industry, state and federal groups to prevent and reduce air pollution and its effects to natural resources and human health.

The Forest Service monitors the effects of pollution that may impair visibility, harm human health, injure trees and other plants, acidify or cause unnatural fertilization of streams and lakes, leach nutrients from soils, and degrade cultural resources, like archeological sites and historical buildings. Forest activities that can affect air quality such as prescribed burning, ski areas, and mining are also monitored to ensure compliance with air regulations for human health and to monitor possible impacts to natural resources.

Vision and Mission Statement

The Air Program envisions a healthy environment for current and future generations where natural processes can occur. We believe that:

• the health of humans and ecosystems are inseparable;
• clean air is essential; and
• science is a foundation for taking action.

The Mission of the Air Program is to provide sound counsel on air quality issues to Forest Service decision makers.

Image Credits: Image used on this site are taken from the Wilderness.net image library. Individual credits include: Peter Druschke, Russ Finley, Tom Iraci, Tom Kaffine, C.S. Kvern, Michael Olwyler, Steve Peel, Nick Teague, Josh Whitmore.