Health of U.S. Forests

Exploring patterns of forest disturbance and restoration needs

Map Information

About the Map

This interactive map visualizes percent forest cover across the contiguous United States from 2020–2024. Forest cover is summarized at both the state and county levels to highlight spatial patterns in forest distribution and potential areas where restoration may be beneficial.

How to Use

Select States or Counties to change the spatial scale.
Select a Year from the dropdown menu.
Click on a state or county to view the percent forest cover.
Use the map controls to zoom and pan.

Data Source

Forest cover data were derived from the Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD) produced by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium using Landsat satellite imagery.

Method Summary

Forest cover was calculated by extracting NLCD classes for deciduous, evergreen, and mixed forests. Zonal statistics were used to calculate the percentage of forest cover within each state and county.

Map Legend

Darker green colors represent higher percentages of forest cover, while lighter green colors represent lower forest cover.

Authored by Christina Kieffer
Date Created: 3/5/2026
Data Source: https://www.mrlc.gov/data