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USDA Forest Service Research and State and Private Forestry
(S&PF) coordinate the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program. It is a
cooperative program with State forestry and agriculture agencies fully
participating in its implementation and maintenance. The implementation of the
program has been a successful effort. What started as an idea to annually
assess forest health issues in New England in 1990 has expanded into a
nationwide standardized program encompassing nearly every northeastern state by
1999.
One component of FHM is a set of plots distributed on a
systematic grid across the United States. Each plot represents approximately
160,000 acres. The northern program has 2,275 FHM plots currently in 18 states.
Various measurements are taken related to mensuration, crown condition, tree
damage, ozone, soils, lichens, and vegetation diversity. In addition, aerial
and ground surveys of damage complete the detection process. The survey
component of the program focuses upon regional standardization of survey
techniques and reporting. Intensive site monitoring and evaluation monitoring
for potential health issues detected from the plot system are also program
components.
Adding states to the FHM Program has been dependent upon
funding and securing state participation. Ohio and Iowa are the only remaining
states to complete implementation within the Northeastern Area. Implementation
in Ohio is dependent upon Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plans for
introducing the annualized survey. Iowa is very likely to be scheduled for
implementation in 2000 because annualized FIA surveys are already planned.
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Program Organization and
Participants
The Northern FHM Program has been coordinated by the USDA
Forest Service Northeastern Research Station and Northeastern Area State and
Private Forestry. Research is responsible for plot implementation and
reporting, while S&PF is responsible for obtaining the off-plot survey and
detection information to supplement plot data analysis. In addition, S&PF
personnel are responsible for and have been involved in a variety of functions
in support of the overall program including training field crews, data quality
control and assurance, indicator development, coordinating evaluation
monitoring, implementing pilot projects such as urban forest health monitoring,
and reporting.
There have been some recent changes in the
implementation of the program as a result of the Farm Bill mandate for
annualized Forest Inventory and Analysis surveys. As indicated in the 1999 FIA
Strategy Plan, the FHM plot network will now be considered a subset of the
extensive FIA plot network. Any activity related to the plots will be managed
jointly by FIA and FHM. This provides an opportunity to broaden the forest
health data analysis and reporting. |
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As proposed, FHM plots will be visited on a 5-year rotating
panel to better integrate with the FIA panel cycle. This will require adding
additional FHM plots within each state so as not to reduce the number of plots
visited each year. Along with the integration of FIA and FHM there will be a
change in the administration of the program in the north. The North Central
Research Station will now coordinate all plot funding and data collection in
their states.
The program is completely dependent upon state
participation and cooperation. Plots are installed and monitored either by
State personnel or contract crews managed through the State Forester's office.
Off-plot surveys are conducted through the State Cooperative Forest Health
Protection Program. In Maryland and West Virginia these surveys are conducted
by the State Department of Agriculture. In the fall of each year, issues,
concerns and problems from the previous field season are identified at plot
debriefing sessions. Initial planning for the next field season is begun each
fall. All state personnel involved in FHM are actively encouraged to
participate in FHM planning activities. |
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Funding
Funds for the program are
distributed through the Northeastern Research Station for detection plot
activities and through the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry for
off-plot surveys. Plots are funded through an 80:20 federal/state cost share.
The state costs do not need to be direct funds but can be the use of equipment,
reduction in overhead costs, or other resources. The off-plot survey funds are
cost-shared at 50 percent the first year, 100 percent the second year, and 50
percent per year thereafter.
Reporting
Annual reports
are developed summarizing results from the detection plots in combination with
results from surveys. Standardized aerial survey reporting is now in place
throughout the Northeastern Area, and damage maps have been produced. Reports
summarizing detection plot results for New England, mid-Atlantic states, and
the Lake States are available from 1990 through 1995. |
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| Other FHM results for 1995 to 1998 are available on the FHM
homepage: http://willow.ncfes.umn.edu/fhm/fhm_hp.htm
in a variety of formats including Forest Health Highlights, technical data
summaries, and raw data. In addition to FHM annual reports, forest health
reports, based in part upon FHM data, have included the following Northeastern
Area forest health reports: |
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Northeastern Area Forest Health Reports - 1991,
1992
Forest Health Assessment for the Northeastern Area - 1993
Is the
Forest Healthy? Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Lake States - 1997
Forest
Health in the North Central, Mid-Atlantic, and New England States - 1998
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| Contact Name and
Title |
Location |
| Chip
Scott, FIA Program Manager, North |
USDA FS
Northeast Research Station, Newtown Square, PA |
| Dennis
May, FIA Program Manager |
USDA FS North
Central Research Station, St. Paul, MN |
| Dan
Twardus, Forest Health Specialist |
USDA FS
S&PF, Morgantown, WV |
| Margaret
Miller-Weeks, Forest Health Specialist |
USDA FS
S&PF, Durham, NH |
| Manfred
Mielke, Forest Health Specialist |
USDA FS
S&PF, St. Paul, MN |
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