Insect & Disease Surveys

Photograph of high-wing aircraft used for aerial surveys

With the assistance of our state forestry cooperative partners, we annually survey the forested areas of Arizona and New Mexico for forest health conditions. We conduct our surveys from aircraft to enable us to cover such a large area each year.

Aerial surveying enables us to monitor forest health conditions more efficiently and economically than other methods. During the surveys, we look for areas with dying trees (from bark beetles, drought, other factors), various types of defoliation, and abiotic impacts such as from storms and weather patterns.

The observer in the aircraft records the survey either by drawing the affected area on a map or using a digital sketchmapping system (Digital Mobile Sketch Mapping site).

Pictured here is an aerial photograph of Douglas-fir beetle infected trees.

The results of our surveys are distributed in the fall to land managers in the region, summarized, and used for analysis. Summary information is part of our annual Forest Insect and Disease Conditions Report.

For a comprehensive report of insect and disease activity in the region, please review our latest 2022 Conditions Report.

Forest health aerial surveys are also conducted by Forest Service and State partners throughout other parts of the country.

For information on our overall survey program please visit our national Forest Health Protection aviation site. Our national Forest Health Protection Mapping & Reporting site has applications to view and interact with forest health related data, including the ability to download ADS data.

Our current data are available for viewing through our ArcGIS Online Map Application.

GIS Data

GIS (Geographic Information System) data containing the results of our aerial surveys are available for download from the National Portal

Please Note:

U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection (FHP) along with the Arizona State and New Mexico State Forestry Divisions strive to maintain an accurate Aerial Detection Survey (ADS) Dataset, but due to the conditions under which the data are collected, FHP and its partners shall not be held responsible for missing or inaccurate data. ADS are not intended to replace more specific information. An accuracy assessment has not been done for this dataset; however, ground checks are completed in accordance with local and national guidelines. Maps and data may be updated without notice. Please cite “USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Arizona State Forestry Division, and New Mexico State Forestry Division” as the source of this data in maps and publications.

Access ADS data by Forest Service Region from the National Program Page