America's Forests: 1994 Health Update

Excerpt from the report Introduction: About one-third of our Nation's land area is forested. These forests provide us with a wealth of economic, social, and environmental benefits. Healthy forests are forests capable of sustaining these benefits into the future. Yet, a healthy forest is not a static forest or one without dead and dying trees. Rather, forests are constantly changing as a result of natural forces, such as insects, disease, weather, fire, and human activities that affect them directly or indirectly. When these changes occur at a rate or in a direction that threaten the values we place on the forests, forest health concerns arise. This report highlights forest health concerns that the USDA Forest Service is closely watching at this time because of their current or potential ecological, economic, and social significance. In cooperation with State Foresters and others, the Forest Service is undertaking special management or research efforts to address many of these concerns.