Inventory and monitoring research addresses a wide array of resource issues facing forest managers and policy makers. Managers, policy makers, and scientists need to be better able to prioritize needs with a sound understanding of the scope of many of these problems, and with tools for measuring change. Problems whose solutions depend on inventory and monitoring research results are numerous. Regions in close proximity to urban and suburban areas are undergoing fragmentation and loss of forest acreage. Problems with regeneration are hindering our ability to maintain forest cover in deciduous forests that cover much of the Northeast.
Forest decline is noticed in some forest types.
In parts of the Northeast, harvest exceeds sustainable levels for some species. In addition, research results indicate that some forest management practices have long-term effects on forest productivity. Knowledge of how these factors interrelate and what linkages exist between forests and other ecosystems is vital for describing the sustainability of northeastern forest ecosystems. The Forest Service is uniquely qualified to provide inventory and monitoring of forest ecosystems in the Northeast. With more than a half century of experience in conducting inventories, the Northeastern Station is the only organization with the necessary infrastructure and coordination to plan and conduct resource inventories.