Forest Health
What does Forest Health Protection (FHP) do?
We work in partnership with the National Forest System (NFS), other federal agencies, states, Native American tribes and the private sector, to provide assistance, technical expertise, and forest health information. Forest Health Protection (FHP) staff includes specialists in forest pathology, forest entomology, pesticide use and safety, remote sensing, and geographic information systems. We provide assistance in the following areas:
Insect and pathogen identification On-site forest health evaluations
Forest Health Monitoring Financial support for prevention and suppression projects
Detection surveys National Forest Management Plan Revision Hazard Tree Resources
Training tailored to specific needs Technology transfer Pesticide use and safety advice
NEPA document input and review Invasive Plants Management Financial support to states
Our work
Protecting campground trees from bark beetles
Forest Health Protection entomologists have a couple options for protecting campground trees: bark beetle pheromones or insecticides.
Forest Health Monitoring
Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) is a national program designed to determine the status, changes, and trends in indicators of forest condition on an annual basis.
Pesticide-Use Management
FHP staff are responsible for managing and coordinating the proper use of pesticides within the National Forest System.
Aerial Detection Survey
Tree mortality and other forest damage is detected by annual aerial surveys over forested lands.
Shared Service Areas
Forest Health expertise is provided across all lands (not limited to the National Forest System) by entomologist and plant pathologist teams located in four areas of the state.
Invasive Species
Invasive species have been identified by the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service as one of the four significant threats to our Nation’s forest and rangeland ecosystems.
Insects and Diseases
California is home to a number of forest insects and diseases.
FHP in Hawaiʻi & the US Affiliated Pacific Islands
Providing forest health technical assistance, training, sessions, and technology transfer to Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands.
Cooperators
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection California Department of Food and Agriculture California Invasive Plant Council Pacific Southwest Research Station Oregon Department of Forestry Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences California Forest Pest Council Bureau of Reclamation - Mid-Pacific Region
Resources
To keep you in the know, here are some resources about:
If you are interested in applying for a Forest Health Protection Grant for a project occurring in California or the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, please contact your local Forest Health Protection staff for support or Regional Forest Health Protection contacts (see below).
Evaluation Monitoring (EM)
This grant opportunity supports projects aimed at determining the extent, severity, and causes of undesirable changes in forest health identified through detection monitoring (DM), including ground plots and surveys, aerial surveys, and other data sources.
Regional contact: Phil Cannon
Special Technology Development (STDP)
This grant supports applied research by developing cutting edge technologies and field operation methods that improve the ability of field specialists to restore and protect America’s forests.
Regional contact: Stacy Hishinuma
Forest Service Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (FS-PIAP)
This grant opportunity supports projects aimed at determining the extent, severity, and causes of undesirable changes in forest health identified through detection monitoring (DM), including ground plots and surveys, aerial surveys, and other data sources.
Regional contact: Stacey Clark
Biological Control of Invasive Forest Pests (BCIFP)
This grant supports applied research by developing cutting edge technologies and field operation methods that improve the ability of field specialists to restore and protect America’s forests.
Regional contact: Stacey Clark
Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR)
The Landscape Scale Restoration Program is a Forest Service State and Private Forestry competitive grant program that promotes collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes and furthers priorities identified in State Forest Action plans or equivalent restoration strategy.
Regional contact: Stacey Clark
For more information about grant proposals and grant management, please visit our Funding page.
A variety of field guides, websites, reports, trainings, and more can be found on our Publications page.
Contact Us
Forest Health Protection
Features
Firewood Movement: Buy It Where You Burn It
The movement of firewood can be a source of introduction and dissemination of invasive forest insects and diseases into and around the United States.
Goldspotted Oak Borer in Southern California
The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) Agrilus coxalis, is a wood borer native to southeastern Arizona, southern Mexico, and northern Guatemala.