Piņon-juniper is the most widespread forest type in the western United States. In recent years, drought conditions have weakened the defenses of piņon pines, making them highly susceptible to attack by piņon ips beetles (Ips confusus (LeConte)). As a result, severe and widespread piņon mortality has occurred. Forest managers, wildlife specialists, hydrologists, the public, and others are concerned about the ecological and social impact of the piņon decline. Piņon-juniper woodlands provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species, provide recreation opportunities, have spiritual and cultural significance for native Americans, stabilize the soil, and are important components of watersheds. Assessing the impact of the piņon decline is difficult because the extent and severity of mortality is unknown. A pilot study was conducted near Flagstaff, Arizona to develop a multi-stage sampling technique, using multiple resolutions of satellite and digital aerial imagery, to estimate and map piņon mortality across large geographic areas. The technique developed may provide an accurate and cost-effective method to estimate and map mortality across large regions of the piņon range.