One of the more recent analysis products for clarifying how drought is affecting vegetation in the contiguous U.S. is the Vegetation Drought Response Index, or VegDRI. This index was developed with sponsorship from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), and NASA. The index is produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) in collaboration with the USGS and the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC). Production of the VegDRI maps began in 2006 with coverage of seven states in the northern Great Plains and has since expanded to include all the lower 48 states.

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