Cooperative Forest Health Protection

The Cooperative Forest Health Protection program (CFHP) provides federal financial and technical assistance to States to facilitate their survey and monitoring of forest health conditions and for the protection of forests and trees on State and private lands from insects, disease causing agents, and invasive plants.

States participation is voluntary and requires annual application for funding through the consolidated grant process. Within Region 8 all 13 States currently participate. The Forest Service qualifies states to participate if they have a program that:

• has at least one full-time professional entomologist or pathologist on staff (the Regional Forester may waive this requirement if the State can justify the waiver in writing)
• provides state and private land managers with technical assistance; to monitor the effects of insects, disease causing agents, and invasive plants
• evaluates the need for protecting forest and tree resources from insects , disease causing agents, and invasive plants, and
• provides an annual report to Regional Forester on the effects of forest insects and disease causing agents within the state

In 2007 the Washington Office in consultation with the National Association of State Foresters implemented a revised allocation formula for funding the CFHP. The formula is based in part on the number of forested acres within the state. For many years Region 8 was only able to fund about 70 percent of that target allocation. However, beginning in fiscal year 2004, a full allocation level was achieved, and this level of annualfunding has been maintained under the new allocation protocol.

FHP Contact:

Wes Nettleton
Forest Service-USDA
1720 Peachtree Road, NW, Room 846 N
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404-347-2719
Email: wnettleton@fs.fed.us

Updated: February 2010

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USDA Forest Service - Forest Health Protection, Southern Region
Last Modified: Monday, 14 January 2013 at 09:38:23 EST