Forest Health

Forest health has been defined by the production of forest conditions which directly satisfy human needs and by resilience, recurrence, persistence, and biophysical processes which lead to sustainable ecological conditions. Our definitions and understanding of forest health are also dependent on spatial scale.

The health of national forests and grasslands is paramount to our mission of caring for the land and serving people. The Forest Service works to maintain, enhance, and restore healthy forest conditions on the national forests and grasslands. We partner with landowners and conduct forest insect, disease, and invasive plant surveys, monitor trends in forest health and benefits, and provide technical and financial assistance to prevent, suppress and control outbreaks threatening forest resources. We also conduct cutting-edge research and develops tools to help land managers better understand and manage forest health.