Monitoring Reports

Monitoring the Implementation of State Forest Master Plans

Monitoring is an essential component of the Department's integrated ecosystem management system as well as monitoring the implementation of Master Plans.

New or revised master plans are required to set goals and objectives describing desired future conditions for each state forest. An annual monitoring program is in place for each state forest as part of master plan implementation.

Why Monitor?

Master plans set goals and objectives describing desired future conditions for each state forest. An on-going monitoring program is essential if managers are to know whether the plan is achieving the desired results. A monitoring program provides essential data for adaptive management. That is, checking results and making management corrections when needed so as to stay on the best path to achieve the desired result and minimize adverse or undesirable impacts. On a broader scale, some master plan related monitoring data will also contribute to the Department's statewide and regional ecosystem and environmental monitoring programs.

Monitoring can be used to improve management results or efficiency, build and maintain credibility with public, validate past decisions and build better decisions in the future , and build certainty where uncertainty exists regarding the impact of management actions or uses. A monitoring program will allow the plan to be kept up to date through adaptive management and substantially reduce the need for a major plan revision process every 15 years.