Tree Risk Management Program

The Forest Service inspects campgrounds and other developed sites for tree hazards in order to provide a safe environment for forest visitors. Insects and diseases that infest trees are a natural part of the ecosystem, providing food and habitat for wildlife. However, in developed sites, dead, decaying, or otherwise defective trees with a potential to fail and cause injury to people or property are identified and removed.

Forest Health Protection staff is available to provide training to federal land manager partners in tree risk assessment and mitigation. Record keeping is a very important aspect of the tree risk evaluation process. The assessment form provided below can be used or adapted by Forest Service personnel for their respective forest/district. An electronic version using ArcGIS Online and Survey123 is also available. Contact your respective Forest Health Protection zone for an Excel file that can be used develop a survey for each forest/district. The following additional resources are available for land managers.

• Email the Forest Health Tree Risk Program Managers

Resources for the Professional Land Manager

Field Guides

• Tree Risk Assessment and Hazard Tree Mitigation in the Southwestern Region (PDF, 20.4 mb)
  USDA Forest Service, 2024. Southwestern Region, TP-R3-16-37.
• Field Guide for Hazard-Tree Identification and Mitigation on Developed Sites in Oregon and Washington Forests (PDF, 1.7 mb)
  USDA Forest Service, 2014 Pacific Northwest Region, R6-NR-TP-021-2013.
• A Guide to Identifying, Assessing, and Managing Hazard Trees in Developed Recreational Sites of the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Intermountain West (PDF, 12.9 mb)
  USDA Forest Service, 2017. Northern Region, R1-17-31

Forms

• Tree Risk Assessment Form (PDF, 154 kb)
  Form for documenting tree risk inspections.

Other Resources

• Hazard Tree Guidelines for Forest Service Facilities and Roads in the Pacific Southwest Region (PDF, 1.5 mb)
  Angwin, P.A., Cluck, D.R., Zambino, P.J., Oblinger, B.W., and Woodruff, W.C. 2012. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Report RO-12-01.
• How to Prune Trees
  Bedker, P.J., O’Brien, J.G., and Mielke, M.E. 2012. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry NA-FR-01-95.
• Urban Forest Connections Webinar Presentations
  • Tree Risk Assessments: Cutting Edge Science Meets Practical Applications
  • Tree Risk Assessments for Municipalities
• Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program Design and Implementation (PDF, 8.1 mb)
  Pokorny, J.D. 2003. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry, Report NA-TP-03-03.