Monitoring and Trend Analysis

The Forest Service, other agencies, and other government organizations collect and analyze forest and activity data to monitor ecosystem condition and related trends.

Forest Service

• Changing Economics of the National Forest Timber Sale Program - today's national forest timber sales program differs dramatically from the program that existed only a decade ago, and these changes have had a profound effect on the program's economics.
• Upper South Platte Watershed & Restoration Project - landscape assessment characterization of the watershed documents historic vegetative conditions versus current conditions.

Other Agencies and Governmental Organizations

• Congressional Research Service Report: Timber Harvesting and Forest Fires - the decline in timber harvesting within the national forests over the past 10 years is a significant factor contributing to the current severe fire season in timber harvesting and forest fires.

Non-Governmental Organizations

The Forest Service is also involved with non-governmental organizations to perform monitoring and trend analysis.

• Forest Products Industry Market Trends Information - a source of information for the wood products industry.
• Healthy Forests Healthy Communities (Socioeconomic Assessment and Monitoring Project) - a collaborative network dedicated to building rural economies based on forest restoration and ecosystem management, and to creating markets for the "by-products" of these activities.
• The Watershed Research and Training Center - the primary objective and purpose of this organization is to promote the sustainability of a healthy community economy in healthy forests through research, training, education and economic development.
• U.S. Nontimber Forest Product Management and Biodiversity Conservation - the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry (NCSSF) awarded the Institute for Culture and Ecology (IFCAE) an 18-month, $200,000 grant to assess the relationships between forest management practices, nontimber forest products (NTFPs), and biodiversity in the U.S.