This publication, a compilation of 28 technical articles on various aspects of forest nursery management in western North America, consists of two sections. The first 10 papers comprise the Target Seedling Symposium, and discuss the latest methods of describing and measuring the ideal seedling for reforestation purposes. Morphological characteristics such as height, diameter, stocktype, root system size, and mycorrnizae are covered. Considerable attention is paid to physiological tests such as root growth potential, hydraulic conductivity, cold-hardiness, mineral nutrition, seedling moisture status, and mitotic index. Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fvar), stress-induced volatile emissions (SIVE), and electrolyte conductivity (EC) are also discussed. The remaining papers deal with operational aspects of growing forest tree seedlings in bareroot or container nurseries.