What's New?
		The Greater Yellowstone Area Clean Air Partnership recently held its annual meeting. Follow this link to learn more about air monitoring, climate change, sustainability, and oil and gas activities in Wyoming: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/resources/air/gyacap/ Grenon, Jill; Story, Mark. 2009. U.S. Forest Service Region 1 Lake Chemistry, NADP, and IMPROVE air quality data analysis. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-230WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 42 p. This report was developed to address the need for comprehensive analysis of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Region 1 air quality monitoring data. The monitoring data includes Phase 3 (long-term data) lakes, National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE). Annual and seasonal data for the periods of record were evaluated for trends using non-parametric (SAS) protocols. The most significant trends were the consistent decrease in SO42- and increase in NH4+ at the NADP sites. Standard visual Range increased and extinction decreased at all the IMPROVE sites. Annual visibility was reduced during years of heavy wildland fire. In conclusion, considerations were listed regarding current and future monitoring and National Forest air quality protection including lake sampling protocols, and NADP and IMPROVE site continuation.

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.