Forest Monitoring and Assessment
We conduct fundamental and applied research to understand and predict changes in forest landscapes across all ownerships. We develop innovative techniques for long-term monitoring, detecting change, and predicting outcomes following forest management and disturbances.
Program Overview
The Forest Monitoring and Assessment (FMA) program helps to inform the consequences of decisions made that affect landscapes and ecosystem services, like water, recreation, and forest products. Our data and research are used to gauge progress toward forest restoration, the effects of disturbance and climate on forests, and help people understand how forests are changing through time. We measure forests in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands to provide the public, land managers, investors, and policy makers with timely, reliable, data-driven science to improve the condition of forests and rangelands. The inventory and monitoring component of FMA is part of a larger, national Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The Pacific Northwest FIA (PNW-FIA) program provides data and basic resource information needed to assess the current status and potential futures of America's forests.
Contact us with questions regarding inventory design or accessing FIA data.
Learn more about PNW-FIA through our interactive story map:
The Forest Monitoring and Assessment (FMA) program provides science and technical applications that can be readily used by land managers and decisionmakers to improve the quality of life for people in the Pacific Northwest, the Nation, and the world.
Our research focuses on landscape assessment, management, partnerships, as well as delivery of science and technology through education and outreach. The FMA program addresses current and future natural resource issues with applied research that produces tools that are of use to on-the-ground natural resource specialists and others. FMA scientists are based at the Forestry Sciences Laboratories in Anchorage, Corvallis, Portland, Olympia, and Seattle, but team scientists and staff conduct research projects across the range of Pacific Northwest (PNW)-FIA states (Alaska, California, Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, Oregon, and Washington), as well as on topics that are national and international in scope.
The Vegetation Monitoring Science and Application (VeMSA) team develops and applies comprehensive, regional-scale resource information to improve the management and understanding of forests and rangelands. Most of the team's research is focused on improving monitoring techniques and developing new applications for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA).
The Vegetation Monitoring and Remote Sensing (VMaRS) team uses state-of-the-art geospatial technologies with traditional forest inventory information to increase the accuracy and precision of resource monitoring systems over multiple spatial scales. Application of remote sensing can increase the efficiency of monitoring and enable near-term detection of changes in the condition of aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial ecosystems affected by management and natural disturbance. Research conducted by VMaRS scientists consists of a range of activities, from very focused and detailed explorations of narrowly defined problems to broad descriptions of vegetation and change processes and ecological consequences across large spatial scales.
Follow this link for a list of publications by FMA program scientists. All publications are fully downloadable.
The Pacific Northwest Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program measures and compiles data on plots in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and U.S.- affiliated Pacific Islands. Most data are available in SQLite databases and can be downloaded by clicking one of the links below.
Current data summaries for each state can be found on our State Stats page.
PNW-FIADB (Forest Inventory and Analysis Database): annual data for California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska beginning in 2001.
PNW-FIA Hawaii Inventory Database
PNW-FIA Pacific Islands Inventory Database
National FIA Data and Documentation
PNW-FIA data are combined with data from all states in the U.S. and stored in the national FIADB. Data for any state can be accessed on the national FIA Data and Tools website. Raw data are available via the FIA Data Mart and table generator tools such as EVALIDator provide a user-friendly interface for producing quick, customizable data summaries. The national FIADB User Guide provides comprehensive information on all fields in the database and is a good place to start when using the data.
Field Manuals
Detailed field manuals for each inventory and year and available on the PNW-FIA Field Manuals page.
Prior PNW-FIA Inventories
The PNW-FIA Program shifted from a periodic to an annual inventory system in 2001. Periodic inventories sampled primarily timberland plots outside of national forests and most reserved areas, in a single state within a 2- or 3-year window. Typically, re-assessments occurred every ten years in the West. For the annual inventory in the Pacific Northwest all forested plots are now sampled, with one-tenth of the plots in any given state being visited annually. A full annual inventory cycle is complete in ten years.
PNW-IDB Periodic Inventory Database
Pacific Northwest Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) measures and reports on forest conditions in coastal Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.
The PNW-FIA Field Manuals used for field data collection by the PNW-FIA region include detailed instructions for both core (nationally consistent) and regional data items. Manuals for annual inventory of California/Oregon/Washington, annual inventory of coastal Alaska, Interior Alaska, Pacific Islands, special studies, and historic (periodic) inventories and can be found in the sections below.
National FIA field manuals and FIADB database documentation can be found on the national FIA website. These documents contain all items which are collected consistently across all 50 states and U.S. territories, and they serve as the basis for each of the regional manuals listed below.
Field Manuals
CA/OR/WA Annual Inventory:
2026 Annual Inventory (PDF - 20.7 MB)
2025 Annual Inventory (PDF - 18.7 MB)
2024 Annual Inventory (PDF - 18.4 MB)
2023 Annual Inventory (PDF - 7.7 MB)
2022 Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.4 MB)
2021 Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.4 MB)
2020 Annual Inventory (PDF - 5.8 MB)
2019 Annual Inventory (PDF - 5.8 MB)
2018 Annual Inventory (PDF - 4.5 MB)
2017 Annual Inventory (PDF - 3.5 MB)
2016 Annual Inventory (PDF - 3.5 MB)
2015 Annual Inventory (PDF - 3.3 MB)
2014 Annual Inventory (PDF - 3.3 MB)
2013 Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.7 MB)
2012 Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.9 MB)
2011 Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.8 MB)
2010 Annual Inventory (PDF - 7.1 MB)
2009 Annual Inventory (PDF - 9.4 MB)
2008 Annual Inventory (PDF - 9.6 MB)
2007 Annual Inventory (PDF - 7.1 MB)
2006 Annual Inventory (PDF - 7.9 MB)
2005 Annual Inventory (PDF - 8.4 MB)
2004 Annual Inventory (PDF - 8.2 MB)
2003 Annual Inventory (PDF - 8.0 MB)
2002 Annual Inventory (PDF - 5.6 MB)
2001 Annual Inventory of Oregon and California (PDF - 8.4 MB)
Alaska Annual Inventory:
2026 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 13.6 MB)
2025 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 13.5 MB)
2024 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 11.7 MB)
2023 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.1 MB)
2022 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 4.9 MB)
2021 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 6.6 MB)
2020 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 4.6 MB)
2019 Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 4.7 MB)
Coastal Alaska Annual Inventory:
Note - Alaska field crews used the Coastal Alaska field guide plus an Interior Alaska supplement through the 2018 field season. In 2019 the Alaska inventory field guides were combined.
2018 Coastal Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.9 MB)
2017 Coastal Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.5 MB)
2016 Coastal Alaska Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.5 MB)
2015 Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.5 MB)
2014 Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.4 MB)
2013 Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.5 MB)
2012 Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.0 MB)
2011 Annual Inventory (PDF - 5.9 MB)
2010 Annual Inventory (PDF - 2.3 MB)
2009 Annual Inventory (PDF - 1.3 MB)
2008 Annual Inventory (PDF - 1.6 MB)
2007 Annual Inventory (PDF - 1.5 MB)
2006 Annual Inventory (PDF - 1.7 MB)
2005 Annual Inventory (PDF - 1.6 MB)
2004 Annual Inventory (PDF - 3.0 MB)
Interior Alaska Inventory:
Note - Interior Alaska field crews use the Coastal Alaska field guide plus an Interior Alaska supplement through the 2018 field season. In 2019 the Alaska inventory field guides were combined.
2018 Interior Alaska Supplement (PDF - 611 KB)
2017 Interior Alaska Supplement (PDF - 623 KB)
2016 Interior Alaska Supplement (PDF - 1.1 MB)
Hawaii and Pacific Islands:
2026 Commonwealth of The Northern Mariana Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 11.1 MB)
2025 Palau Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 11.9 MB)
2024 Guam Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 9.1 MB)
2022 American Samoa Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 7.0 MB)
2019 Hawaiian Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 6.6 MB)
2018 Marshall Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 2.8 MB)
2016 Federated States Of Micronesia Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 2.8 MB)
2015 Commonwealth of The Northern Mariana Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 2.7 MB)
2014 Republic of Palau Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 9.3 MB)
2013 Guam Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 8.2 MB)
2013 Hawaiian Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 9.2 MB)
2012 American Samoa Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 8.6 MB)
2012 Hawaiian Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 6.7 MB)
2011 Hawaiian Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 9.8 MB)
2009-2010 Hawaiian Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 9.3 MB)
2008 Marshall Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 5.9 MB)
2005-2006 Pacific Islands Inventory Field Manual (PDF - 6.0 MB)
Special studies:
2026 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon, San Diego, California, and the State of Washington (PDF - 17.2 MB)
2025 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon, San Diego, California, and the State of Washington (PDF - 16.1 MB)
2024 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 13.9 MB)
2023 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 6.6 MB)
2022 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 5.9 MB)
2020 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 5.6 MB)
2019 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 5.6 MB)
2018 Urban Inventory of Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California (PDF - 5.0 MB)
2017 Urban Inventory of San Diego, California (PDF - 4.6 MB)
2021 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 765 KB)
2019 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 873 KB)
2018 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 295 MB)
2017 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 296 KB)
2016 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 1.1 MB)
2013 Fire Effects and Recovery Manual (PDF - 263 KB)
Historical (periodic) Inventory:
2003 South-Central Alaska Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 4.4 MB)
2001 Eastern Washington Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 2.3 MB)
2000 Southeast Alaska Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 8.7 MB)
2000 Western Washington Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 3.2 MB)
1999 Eastern Oregon Juniper Inventory (PDF - 1.1 MB)
1998 Eastern Oregon Periodic Inventory (PDF - 3.6 MB)
1995-1997 Western Oregon Periodic Inventory (PDF - 1.2 MB)
1995 R6 & BLM Current Vegetation Survey (CVS) Manual (PDF - 361 KB)
1992-1994 California Periodic Inventory (PDF - 555 KB)
1991 Eastern Washington Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 7.5 MB)
1990's California Inventory Techniques Manual (PDF - 314 KB)
1988-1989 Western Washington Periodic Field Manual (PDF - 6.2 MB)
Key Personnel
Program Manager
Deputy Program Manager
Team Leaders
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Person
Hans Andersen, PhD
Research Forester/VMaRS Team Leaderhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/hans.andersen -
Person
Jonathan Beals-Nesmith
Data Collection Team Leaderhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jonathan.beals-nesmith -
Person
Andrew Gray, PhD
Research Ecologist, Team Leaderhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/andrew.gray -
Person
Daniel Irvine
Data Collection Team Leader - FIA - Alaska, Hawaii, Pacific Islandshttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/daniel.r.irvine -
Person
Jane Terzibashian
Supervisory Biological Scientist - IRAM Team Leaderhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jane.terzibashian
Staff
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Person
Nicholas Affleck
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/nicholas.w.affleck -
Person
Christine Aldrete
Project Managerhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/christine.p.aldrete -
Person
Dean Anderson, PhD
Research Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/deananderson -
Person
Joseph Ardent
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/joseph.ardent -
Person
Michael Ausman
Biologist Scientist -
Person
Kathryn C. Baer, PhD
Research Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/kathryn.baer -
Person
Patrick Baird
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/patrick.baird -
Person
Julia Bartley
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/julia.bartley -
Person
Lucas Behler
Biological Scientist -
Person
David M. Bell, PhD
Research Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/david.bell -
Person
Victor J. Biasotti
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/victor.biasotti -
Person
Hannah Bohn
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/hannah.bohn -
Person
Matthew Brown
Botanisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/matthew.brown3 -
Person
Sebastian Busby
Post Graduate Researcherhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sebastian.busby -
Person
Shannon Busby
QA/QC Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/shannon.busby -
Person
Sean MP. Cahoon, PhD
Research Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sean.cahoon -
Person
Karen Carlson
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/karen.carlson2 -
Person
Johnny H. Carson
Biological Scientist- QAhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/johnny.carson -
Person
Deryn Carter
Biological Scientist -
Person
Gwyn Case
Forestry Technician -
Personhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/oriana.chafe
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Person
John M. Chase
Natural Resource and GIS/Remote Sensing Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/john.chase -
Person
Glenn Christensen
Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/glenn.christensen -
Person
Daniel Coles
Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/daniel.coles -
Person
Janelle Cossey
Gear, Fleet, Safety Managerhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/janelle.cossey -
Person
Casey Croshaw
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/casey.croshaw -
Person
Brett H. Davis
Biological Science Information Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/brett.davis -
Person
Jessica Deans
Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jessica.m.deans -
Person
Julian Dendy
Natural Resource Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/julian.dendy -
Person
Sarah Ellison
Alaska Analysthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sarah.ellison -
Person
Joshua Feinberg
Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/joshua.feinberg -
Person
Matthew Ferrante
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/matthew.ferrante -
Person
Jeffrey Firman
Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jeffrey.firman -
Person
Walter Foss
Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/walter.p.foss -
Person
Bryce Frank
Research Mathematical Statisticianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/bryce.frank -
Person
Paul David Fredrickson
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/paul.fredrickson -
Person
Jeremy S. Fried, PhD
Research Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jeremy.s.fried -
Person
Elizabeth Garvey
Natural Resource Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/elizabeth.garvey -
Person
Mark Gasser
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/mark.gasser -
Person
Demetrios Gatziolis
Research Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/demetrios.gatziolis -
Person
Emily Giovannozzi
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/emily.giovannozzi -
Person
Alex Gould
Biological Scientist -
Person
Melissa Gray
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/melissa.gray -
Person
Christopher Hall
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/christopher.hall -
Person
Michelle Hansen
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/michelle..hansen -
Person
Alexa Bronte Helms
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/alexa.helms -
Person
Andrew Hoff
Ecologist -
Person
Hannah Hoff
Supervisory Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/hannah.hoff -
Person
Danielle Jackson
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/danielle.jackson2 -
Person
Michael Jonsson
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/michael.jonsson -
Person
Sarah Jovan, PhD
Research Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sarah.jovan -
Person
Megan Keville
Science Delivery Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/megan.keville -
Person
Poonam Khatri, PhD
ORISE Postdoctoral Fellowhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/poonam.khatri -
Person
Ian Kottke
Biologist -
Person
Stephen Kraft
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/stephen.kraft -
Person
Olaf Kuegler
Mathematical Statisticianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/olaf.kuegler -
Person
Ashley Lehman
Pacific Island/Hawaii Coordinatorhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/ashley.d.lehman -
Person
Alexa Bronte Helms
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/alexa.helms -
Person
Jonathan D. Marshall
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jonathan.marshall -
Person
Bailey Matthys
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/bailey.matthys -
Person
Jacob McClure
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jacob.mcclure -
Person
Robert McGaughey
Research Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/bob.mcgaughey -
Person
Taylan Morcol, PhD
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/taylan.morcol -
Person
Jonathon Newman
Supervisory Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jonathon.newman -
Person
Suzanne M. Owen, PhD
Natural Resources Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/suzanne.m.owen -
Person
Melissa Patterson
Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/melissa.patterson -
Person
Daniel Perret
ORISE Research Fellowhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/daniel.perret -
Person
Scott Rash
Supervisory Ecologist -
Person
Katie Rigsby
Supervisory Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/kathryn..rigsby -
Person
Richard Ruhe
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/richard.ruhe -
Person
Lindsey Salmonson
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/lindsey.salmonson -
Person
Jakub Serwatka
Supervisory Biological Scientist (Research)https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jakub.serwatka -
Person
Richard Smith
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/richard.smith -
Person
Luke Steiner
Forestry Technician -
Person
Jacob L. Strunk, PhD
Research Statisticianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/jacob.strunk -
Person
Daniel Swann
ORISE Research Fellowhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/daniel.swann -
Person
Teresa Swanson
Interior Alaska Data Collection Coordinatorhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/teresa.swanson -
Person
Thomas Thompson
GIS Specialisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/thomas.g.thompson -
Person
Aaron Teets
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/aaron.teets -
Person
Ana Tobio
Forestry Technician -
Person
Kaitlyn Toledo
Forestry Technician (Research)https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/kaitlyn.toledo -
Person
Steven Trimble
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/steven.trimble -
Person
Allison Trudgeon
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/allison.trudgeon -
Person
Chuck Veneklase
IM Team Leader -
Person
Luke Vroegop
Forestry Technicianhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/luke.vroegop -
Person
Nathan Wesely
Biological Scientist -
Person
Mikhail Yatskov
Foresterhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/mikhail..yatskov -
Person
Ian Zacher
Biologist -
Person
Harold Zald, PhD
Research Ecologisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/harold.zald -
Person
Emily Zetkulic
SCA -
Person
Graham Zimmerman
Biological Scientisthttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/graham.zimmerman