Every few years the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) prepares a report detailing the conditions in California's forest and range ecosystems and working landscapes. The Forests and Rangelands Assessment links together state requirements for natural resource inventories and strategies, and the federal government's desire to rely more heavily on these state programs in determining priorities for funding.
- California's Forests and Rangelands: 2017 Assessment – This assessment by CAL FIRE describes California’s forest and rangeland conditions and trends, and the priority landscapes in need of protection from climate change, wildfire, development, pests and diseases.
The USFS Pacific Southwest Region (R5) also frequently prepares evaluations of the status and trend of social, economic, and ecological conditions on the more than 20 million acres of public forests and grasslands across California. Monitoring efforts have results show that national forests in California have been weakened by chronic stress from climate change as well as climate-amplified disturbances like insect infestation, disease, and wildfire. Of note, effective 06/04/2025, many websites under the control of the USFS was placed under review and content may change or be unavailable. The results and data from these efforts may be found via interactive features such as dashboards and searchable maps.
- California's Forest Resources 2001-2010 – This report describes the status of California’s forest resources based upon Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots throughout the state.
The USFS State and Private Forestry Forest Stewardship Program and California Society of American Foresters prepared a webinar series to summarize some of the information included in the 2016 FIA Assessment.
Forest Inventory and Management - This webinar session will focus on description of the forest resources in the state with emphasis on commercial forest types, ownership patterns in California forests, timber harvest trends over the past 18 years, the management landscape, and third-party certification of forest management
Keith Gilless, Chairman of the State Board of Forestry and Dean of the College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley “Perspective on the State of California’s Forests and Forest Industry”
(PowerPoint Presentation)
Richard Harris, Northern California Society of American Foresters “California Forest Industry and Management”
(PowerPoint Presentation)
Status of the Forest Industry - This session focuses on trends in forest products, existing mills, employment in timber harvesting and wood products manufacturing, the biomass energy industry and regulation of the forest industry
Steve Brink, California Forestry Association “The Forest Products and Biomass Energy Industries in California”
(PowerPoint Presentation)
George Gentry, California Forestry Association “Regulation of Forest Management on Private Land in California”
(Power Point Presentation)
Forest Health - This session will focus on mortality in California forests, the effects of drought, insects and disease and the ecological effects of forest mortality
Jeffrey Moore, US Forest Service “Aerial Surveys of Forest Mortality in California”
(Power Point Presentation)
Nathan Stephenson, Adrian Das, and Phillip van Mantgem, US Geological Survey “Lessons from the Drought: Forest Vulnerability, Causes of Mortality, and Management to Increase Forest Resiliency”
Nathan Stephenson (Power Point Presentation)
Adrian Das (Power Point Presentation)
Phillip Van Mantgem (Power Point Presentation)
Glenn Barley, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection “The Tree Mortality Task Force”
(Power Point Presentation)
Matthew Bokach, US Forest Service “Forest Service Response to Elevated Tree Mortality in the Sierra Nevada”
(Power Point Presentation)