Forest Monitoring

Our volunteers monitor about 200 new plots each season. Plots are chosen by the U.S. Forest Service in locations were cutting or thinning is under consideration for purposes of forest health and wildfire hazardous mitigation. Volunteers conduct a variety of measurements depending on plot locations and objectives. Species type, number, size, age and condition are among the characteristics measured. 

In locations logged within the last 10-20 years volunteers measure regeneration rates, mortality and volume of ground fuels.

We have also established long-term plots where volunteers monitor an assortment of variables to assess long-term changes in forest condition and identify trends. Also known as the Summit County Volunteer Forest Monitoring Program, this is a community-based effort engaging “citizen scientists” to monitor evolving forest conditions over a period of decades. Project goals are to: Involve community members in the management of our natural landscape, provide credible data for U.S. Forest Service forest managers and academic researchers, and foster more resilient future forest conditions through citizen scientific research.