INTRODUCTION 



Purpose 



This plan sets forth the Forest Service's strategic goals to protect 

 the health of America's forests. It updates and supersedes the 

 1988 plan entitled Forest Health Through Silviculture and Integrated 

 Pest Management — A Strategic Plan. 



This current plan will further strengthen Forest Service policies 

 and direction for responding to forest health problems. Of niajor 

 concern are the forests in which ecological conditions have been 

 altered resulting in increased susceptibility to drought, pest epi- 

 demics, and wildfire. Other significant concerns are introduced 

 forest pests, and forest pest and wildfire problems in the urban- 

 wildland interface. 



This plan also represents the Forest Service response to congres- 

 sional and public interest in forest health, incorporates new 

 Forest Service emphasis on ecosystem management and an ex- 

 panded international forestry role, and renews the longstanding 

 Forest Service commitment to protect and restore forest health. 



Background 



Like the 1988 plan, this plan was developed in part because 

 of congressional concern about the health of forests. During the 

 1987 congressional appropriations hearings, members of Con- 

 gress were concerned about gypsy moth, southern pine beetle, 

 western spruce budworm, mountain pine beetle, root diseases, 

 and atmospheric deposition. Questions were raised about 

 whether a proper balance was being maintained between short- 

 term commodity-oriented pest suppression projects and long- 

 term investments in prevention and research. 



In 1990, due to congressional interest, the Cooperative Forestry 

 Assistance Act of 1978 was amended to strengthen Forest Service 

 programs concerned with forest health. The authorizing section 

 in the act for the Forest Health Protection program was amend- 

 ed specifically to include forest health monitoring, technology 

 development, and promotion of management measures to pro- 

 tect forest health. Protection of the health of forests and trees was 

 also authorized as part of the new Forest Stewardship and Urban 

 and Community Forestry Assistance Programs. 



In the last few years, damage due to drought, pest epidemics, and 

 wildfire has increased in some forest areas, particularly in the 



Healthy Forests for America 's Future — A Strategic Plan 



