ARNEWS ASSESSES THE HEALTH OF CANADA FORESTS

In 1984 the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) established the Acid Rain Na tional Early Warning System (ARNEWS) to monitor the state of health of Canada's forests. This program was implemented by the CFS Forest inse ct and Disease Survey (FIDS) who survey the plots annually and determi ne the causes of observed damage. For the period, 1984-1994 the survey indicates that there has been no large-scale decline in the health of Canada's forests. Insects, diseases and abiotic conditions have impac ted forests, and isolated cases of damage caused by air pollution have been observed. The presence of unknown damage is also being investiga ted to determine if pollution is involved. The results of this survey support the need for a national forest health monitoring network as pa rt of sustainable management of Canadian forests.