Any projection of future forest conditions needs an assessment of current forest conditions as a basis for comparison. This section describes current forest conditions and trends for the 20 Northern States through selected characteristics associated with forest sustainability. The chosen characteristics come from the internationally recognized Montréal Process Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests, a set of 64 indicators within seven broad criteria for sustainability. To these, we have added an eighth criterion focused on the urban and community forests in the northern United States. To get started, select of the criteria from the navigation list on the right.