1 Trista Patterson was an ecological economist and David Nicholls is a forest products 

technologist, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Alaska Wood Utilization and Development Center, 204 Siginaka Way, Sitka, AK 99835. Jonathan Long is an ecologist, Pacific 

Southwest Research Station, Ecosystem Function and Health Program, 1731 Research Park 

Drive, Davis, CA 95618. Patterson is now with GRID, Arendal, Norway.

Abstract

The Sustainability Science Team (SST) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) Forest Service Sustainable Operations Initiative is a 18-member virtual 

research and development team, located across five regions and four research 

stations of the USDA Forest Service. The team provides research, publication, 

systems analysis, and decision support to the Sustainable Operations program of 

USDA Forest Service Business Operations. This report examines the role of the 

SST in supporting ongoing agency developments in the emerging field of sustainability science. We provide an overview of current areas of research, including 

the broad themes of resource consumption, energy efficiency, and organizational 

change to promote sustainability. We review the mandates and structure of current programs and identify future opportunities. Six environmental footprint 

areas have been identified to guide activities of the SST: energy, water, waste, 

transportation, purchasing, and leadership. These six areas have been incorporated 

into the team’s research on life-cycle analysis, footprinting, cost-benefit analysis, 

return-on-investment analysis, assessment protocols, systems analysis, knowledge 

management strategies, and behavior-change impact analysis.

Keywords: Sustainable Operations, USDA Forest Service, greenhouse gas 

emissions, biomimicry, energy efficiency.

Research and Development Portfolio 

of the Sustainability Science Team 

National Sustainable Operations 

USDA Forest Service

Trista Patterson, David Nicholls, and Jonathan Long1

DEPAR TMENT OF AGRICULT URE

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest

Service

Pacific Northwest 

Research Station

Research Note

PNW-RN-572

May

2015
2

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

Introduction

Why Sustainability Matters

Sustainable development is the overriding challenge of the 21st century, according 

to a United Nations report calling upon nations, private businesses, nongovernmental organizations, universities and research centers, and all other stakeholders to 

address extreme poverty, economic instability, social inequality, and environmental 

degradation (Jeremić and Sachs 2013). In a related action, President Obama issued 

Executive Order 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance,” which broadly defined sustainability as “conditions under 

which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling 

the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.” 

Executive Order 13514 will have far-reaching implications; for example, it specifies 

stringent ramifications for buildings starting in 2020.

In a similar initiative, Executive Order 13423 requires energy consumption 

reductions in federal facilities of 30 percent from a baseline year of 2003 by the 

year 2015, and sets requirements for renewable energy use. This order instructs 

federal agencies to

...conduct their environmental, transportation, and energy-related activities 

under the law in support of their respective missions in an environmentally, 

economically and fiscally sound, integrated, continuously improving, 

efficient, and sustainable manner.

This is significant because the federal government is one of the main consumers 

of resources in the Nation, and its purchasing power has potential to induce farreaching changes in government and other sectors.

Sustainability in the Federal Government

The federal government is the largest consumer of energy products and services in 

the United States, and its actions and policies can directly influence these markets. 

The Federal Energy Management Program was established in the U.S. Department 

of Energy in 1973 to encourage effective energy management through several 

measures including energy efficiency investments, technical assistance, and energy 

audits. Thus, sustainable operations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Forest Service draws upon a long history of policies to guide energy efficiency 

purchasing decisions.

Federal government initiatives in sustainability are showing encouraging results 

over periods of decades. For example, the energy intensity of government buildings 

has decreased by 23 percent between fiscal years 1985 and 2001 (Gillingham et 

Executive Order 

13423 requires 

energy consumption 

reductions in federal 

facilities of 30 percent 

from a baseline year of 

2003 by the year 2015.
3

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

al. 2006). However, it is estimated that federal agencies still could save more than 

$200 million per year through additional use of energy-efficient products (US DOE 

2008), while reducing carbon emissions by up to 8.6 million metric tons per year 

(Gillingham et al. 2006). Federal agencies are required to purchase either ENERGY 

STAR products, or if ENERGY STAR® labels do not apply, to purchase products 

in the upper 25 percent energy efficiency range. This is significant in that federal 

agencies collectively purchase more than 10 percent of all energy-using products in 

the United States.

The USDA is tracking its greenhouse gasses (GHGs) under a Strategic 

Sustainability Performance Plan that requires annual reporting. Three scopes of 

GHG emissions are being tracked through 2020. Since 2008, GHG emissions have 

been reduced between 5.5 and 17.9 percent (USDA 2013). This report also states 

that of the agency’s total electrical use, 7.3 percent came from renewable sources.

Sustainability in the USDA Forest Service

The USDA Forest Service has a desire to proactively mitigate climate change 

impacts, and created several initiatives developed in the Office of the Climate 

Change Advisor. Included among these initiatives are the Climate Change Strategic 

Framework (USDA Forest Service 2008) and the Climate Change Performance 

Scorecard (USDA Forest Service 2010). Using the scorecard approach, national 

forests are working toward attainment measures in 10 elements within four broader 

themes. Performance areas include integrating climate change into program work, 

assessing vulnerability of key resources, performing a baseline assessment of carbon stocks and flows, and progressing toward targeted reductions in resource use. 

The performance scorecard will be a useful planning document to gauge energy 

efficiency improvements and will dovetail with the mission of the Forest Service 

Sustainable Operations program.

Also within the Forest Service, the Sustainable Operations Collective Executive 

Board is a chartered organization representing 12 Deputy Regional Foresters and 

Assistant Station Directors. Their actions and reporting requirements are responsive 

to Executive orders, the Environmental Management System, and the Office of 

Management and Budget.

The Forest Service Sustainability Operations Collective has focused on three 

“critical flows” (energy, water, and solid waste) among three activities known 

to generate GHGs (transportation, purchasing, and buildings). Leadership is 

another central theme, given the importance of ensuring the science findings are 

ultimately translated into organizational change. One of the strong motivations 

behind this effort concerns efficiency—ways for the agency to “do more with 

It is estimated that 

federal agencies still 

could save more than 

$200 million per year 

through additional 

use of energy-efficient 

products, while 

reducing carbon 

emissions by up to 

8.6 million metric tons 

per year.
4

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

less.” The approach relies heavily upon collaboration across regions, stations, and 

disciplines. The Forest Service Research Executive Team (FSRET), which consists 

of the Deputy Chief, Station Directors, and Washington Office Program Directors, 

formally adopted the Sustainability Operations Charter in 2013. This action is 

expected to strengthen the link between local and national efforts.

The Forest Service activities described above demonstrate clear “top-down” 

support for sustainable operations within the agency to reduce emissions in 11 

key areas (table 1). However, to achieve sustainability goals, managers must make 

informed decisions using the best science possible.

Introducing the Sustainability Science Team

The Sustainability Science Team (SST) is a virtual, national team of researchers 

(currently numbering 18 members; see box p. 5) distributed across Forest Service 

regions and research stations throughout the Nation. The team works to share learning within the Forest Service both regionally and nationally, as well as with other 

federal agencies, host communities, nonprofit cooperators, and the private sector. 

Their charter has identified three primary objectives:

• Contribute to quantitative and analytical methods needed for the Forest 

Service to accurately report sustainability accomplishments, which in 

turn lead to improved operations.

• Build learning networks within the Sustainable Operations community 

by conducting research studies and case study syntheses.

• Ensure that research findings are translated into policy, planning, 

and decisions.

Quantification and analysis provided by the SST plays an important role in 

agency accomplishment reporting, cost savings, and decision support. The SST supports Sustainable Operations efforts including return on investment from agency 

operations, synthesizing, comparing, and publishing results. Integration of research 

findings are often incorporated into a wide range of outlets, including regional 

scientific assessments, planning documents, and employee policies and initiatives.

The SST engages in a portfolio of research and technology transfer projects to 

help reduce the environmental impacts of the USDA Forest Service. The team relies 

on the comparative advantages and research strengths of its members to address 

relevant issues that can be directly used by Forest Service managers. Research 

themes include energy efficiency, water footprinting, biomimicry, and community 

energy management (described in more detail in the next section).

The Forest Service 

activities described 

above demonstrate 

clear “top-down” 

support for sustainable 

operations within 

the agency to reduce 

emissions in 11 

key areas.
5

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

The Sustainability Science Team (SST):

• Initiates, coordinates, and publishes Forest Service research on the environmental impacts of agency operations

• Coordinates reliable data and accounting methods to facilitate operating 

efficiency

• Hosts webinars and summits featuring studies and scientists, emerging 

technologies, and decision support tools

• Contributes to quantitative and analytical rigor of Sustainable Operations 

reporting

• Increases studies and networked Sustainable Operations research

• Increases the uptake of findings in policy, planning, and decision support

• Synthesizes publications on current knowledge and future research needs

• Engages a national scientist network to help managers access the science 

and decision support

• Monitors best available science for planning documents

Table 1—USDA Forest Service fiscal year 2010 total emissions 

(metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) by category

Metric tons of 

carbon dioxide

Category equivalent per year Percent of total

Purchased electricity 99,000 34

Transmission and distribution losses 6,500 2

Federal employee business air travel 4,000 2

Federal employee business ground travel 2,600 1

Federal employee commuting 11,100 4

Contracted wastewater treatment 200 0

Building energy consumption 35,300 12

Mobile emissions: vehicles and equipment 11,900 4

Mobile emissions: FAST 119,900 41

Fugitive fluorinated gases and other 100 0

 fugitive emissions

Onsite wastewater treatment 500 0
6

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

Sustainability Science Team Emphasis Areas

In the 4 years since its founding, the SST has developed an ambitious research 

portfolio covering wide-ranging topics. Although our research topics and the 

overall nature of our work have evolved over the past 4 years, much of our research 

has been “applied” in nature so that it can quickly be adapted by Forest Service 

managers. The following summaries describe key areas of our work and research 

topics under those areas.

AREA I—Applied Research

Water footprinting analysis—

The potential for water demand to outstrip supply is likely to increase in certain 

parts of the country under projected climate change and population growth scenarios. Addressing these shortages holistically requires balancing the water deficits 

from the supply side against the demands of industry, agriculture, and other uses. 

However, most hydrological analysis in the Forest Service ends at the forest borders, 

and few quantitative efforts characterize this ecosystem service in terms of supply 

and demand.

Using a geographic water footprint analysis, which delineates demand drivers 

and outlines water supply and demand together, we address the water footprint of 

public land under Forest Service management on the Helena National Forest. This 

is one of the first case studies to consider the demand for ecosystem services such 

as water supply. The objective is to use quantified indices to support water management strategies that incorporate both water sources and sinks within national 

forest boundaries, as well as downstream regions. Results showed “hydrological 

overshoot” (blue-water footprints exceeded blue-water availability2) occurred in 4 

out of 12 months annually. Over time, hydrological overshoot can reduce the health, 

diversity, and resilience of watersheds, which in turn affects other ecosystem services. Land managers can lead water conservation efforts within forest boundaries, 

and cooperate with municipalities and water management boards downstream to 

better manage hydrological overshoot. Research activities by SST scientists support 

a more cohesive understanding of water-related ecosystem services and increased 

participation of forest hydrologists, land managers, state and local authorities, and 

other federal agencies.

Addressing Energy Efficiency Barriers Within the Forest Service—

This publication reviews energy efficiency measures in facilities across the USDA 

Forest Service to examine opportunities and obstacles, as well as identify success 

factors (Meyer et al. 2013).

2 “Blue” water is water withdrawn for irrigation from rivers, lakes, and aquifers, while 

“green” water is precipitation (Rost et al. 2008).
7

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

Adoption of energy efficiency measures at Forest Service sites was found to 

have the greatest chances of success when decision control was local to the site, 

when budget timing and structures were familiar to decisionmakers, and when 

measures were planned for in advance. For example, projects already implemented 

on national forests include the use of hand-crank flashlights, energy-efficient office 

improvements, use of rechargeable lithium batteries, “waterwise” landscaping 

projects, and small-scale solar energy upgrades (Meyer et al. 2013). These research 

findings and others can help other Forest Service units and other governmental 

agencies reach the ambitious energy reduction goals stated in Executive Orders 

13423 and 13514.

Although many of the efforts summarized in this paper address smaller 

purchasing decisions and energy-saving equipment, future developments include 

larger scale projects including new construction of Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings and renewable energy facilities. 

Solutions that join technical innovation with pragmatic budget planning (such as 

breaking a larger project down into preapproved, easier to fund steps) can support 

more ambitious planning. Within-government zero-interest loans to fund infrastructure projects (repaid via cost savings) are anticipated to have a long-run public 

benefit if the correct structures and incentives are established.

Environmental footprint of the Tongass National Forest, Alaska—

The Tongass National Forest (TNF) is a pioneer in the Sustainable Operations 

arena. In 2013, the second environmental footprint report was completed, detailing measures to reduce environmental impact from each footprint area (including 

energy, water, fleet, waste reduction, and green purchasing). The TNF is one of the 

four pilot forests to report GHGs at the national level and is part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leader Project. The General Services 

Administration carbon footprint tool documents GHG emission from fiscal years 

2008 through 2011, generating a rich data set and providing the foundation for 

sustainable science principles to enter into forest management planning. This report 

describes TNF green team case studies, reviews literature related to TNF projects, 

and summarizes interview responses from key Forest Service staff.

Biomimicry within the Forest Service—

Biomimicry, or imitation of nature, can be defined as, “copying or adaptation or 

derivation from biology” (Vincent et al. 2006). Biomimicry provides solutions for 

sustainability by emulating principles found in nature. The SST researchers have 

provided an overview of biomimicry approaches to problemsolving for 12 Forest 

Service applications and case studies. Workshops led by EPA professionals have 

helped guide participants in using their knowledge of local organisms and culture to 
8

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

solve management problems. Examples ranged from solving the problem of excessive plastic drink bottle waste to managing eroding shorelines. Inspired by nature, 

the workshop team made recommendations to update public information, revise 

locations of drinking water stations, improve recycling containers and signage, and 

offer reusable aluminum drinking bottles for sale.

Use of biomimicry by federal agencies can inspire innovation while reducing 

the pollution associated with well-known products. For example, the potential 

harmful impacts of toxic chemicals used in thermal and carbonless paper can be 

reduced by identifying natural pigments. Areas such as packaging, transportation, engineering, energy, and agriculture also have the potential to benefit from 

biomimicry. We provide current information and examples of how we have solved 

problems in many areas by emulating and taking inspiration from nature, and how 

this information in turn reinforces culture and efficiency in sustainability efforts 

within federal agencies (fig. 1). 

Figure 1—The Bullitt Center, Seattle, Washington. Some of the features of this building 

include net zero energy, net zero water, net zero carbon, composting toilets, toxic-free 

materials, and enhanced day lighting using high-performance windows. Even the shape of 

the roof appears to imitate a tree canopy.

© John Stamets, Bullitt Foundation
9

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

Community Energy Management in Sitka, Alaska—

This paper summarizes practical energy management strategies that could help 

communities in southeast Alaska move closer to energy independence, while utilizing local resources more effectively (Nicholls and Patterson 2013). Our analysis 

focuses primarily on Sitka, Alaska, yet could be relevant to other communities having similar energy structures that rely primarily on hydroelectric power. We consider how locally abundant resources can help communities build their capacities 

to generate renewable energy while moving towards greater energy independence. 

Our recommendations focus on energy conservation, appropriate-scaled renewable 

energy project development, and adoption of new technologies, including electric 

vehicles. We also identify key stakeholder elements that could be important for 

successful collaborative projects in southeast Alaska. Lastly, we consider broader 

implications for southeast Alaska, including communities having energy resources 

different from those of Sitka.

Sustainable operations planning documents—

Planning documents are essential tools in helping operations become more sustainable. We review the need for standard language in National Environmental Policy 

Act documents regarding sustainable operations, defined as being related to energy 

or water conservation, fleet and transportation, waste prevention and recycling, 

and green purchasing. We accomplish this via a synthesis of interviews with Forest 

Service Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6) environmental coordinators. Results 

focus on the current use or need for standardized language or mechanisms to 

transfer language from one plan to another, as well as specific areas of planning that 

integrate well within sustainable operations.

AREA II: Technology Transfer

Findings of the SST are communicated to end users through multiple technology 

transfer outlets. Team members have presented research findings on a variety of 

topics at regional and national conferences (Meyer et al. 2013; Nicholls and Patterson 2012a, 2012b). Within the Forest Service, technology transfer efforts are 

facilitated through “green teams,” often based in a ranger district or research lab. 

Green team members act as liaisons to coordinate environmental actions at the 

facility (i.e., local) level. The SST adopts sustainable practices for its own operation 

as well. Most meetings are conducted using webinars or conference calls so that 

travel is minimized. Virtual summits have been conducted in Atlanta (2010) and in 

Sacramento (2012), providing venues for professionals to interact nationally without 

the need to travel to the conference site.

Findings of the SST are 

communicated to end 

users through multiple 

technology transfer 

outlets. Team members 

have presented 

research findings on 

a variety of topics at 

regional and national 

conferences.
10

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

A primary technology transfer goal is to provide key findings of the SST to Forest Service managers in a practical and timely manner, some of which are described 

in the following activities:

GreenGov forum in Washington, DC: establishing the Research 

and Development science tracks—

This annual government forum often focuses on products and purchasing. It has 

high visibility across all government agencies and is therefore a valuable tool to 

facilitate knowledge transfer and research impact across agencies. This effort will 

promote a science forum as part of the GreenGov conference, offering significant 

opportunities for technology transfer. Sustainability science team members will 

take the lead in outlining sessions, inviting counterparts to present findings, and 

following policy developments and research agendas. Other federal agencies will be 

invited to contribute and share their scientific findings and to coordinate initiatives 

for shared learning and reporting across agencies.

The big “rethink”: action planning for renewable energy—

Progress toward sustainable operations can require rethinking basic operating 

principles, while successful models of organizational change often require retaining 

familiar organizational structures and modes of business. Our team has examined 

several of these ideas such as “Net Zero” energy, carbon-neutral operations, among 

others. This activity explores broad conceptual rethinking and a framework to 

support the shift of federal operations to nearly 100 percent renewable energy. The 

approach uses a framework that is familiar to that used by wildland fire managers, specifically the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which allows 

priorities to be assigned based on expected impacts, including loss of life, property 

damage, or mission disruption. The overall objective of this effort is to outline the 

necessary characteristics of a hypothetical “Voluntary Sustainability Directive,” 

which dovetails with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 and NIMS. This 

presentation may also be of interest to municipalities or adopted by local business 

units.

Science delivery—

This deliverable creates a platform for publishing SST findings. This task develops 

and implements a publication process that will make science findings available outside of the scope of conventional journal articles. These on-line articles draw upon 

case studies and other analyses to help quantify the impact of particular initiatives 

in terms of cost savings and environmental benefits (e.g., Meyer et al. 2013, Nicholls 

and Patterson 2013). This deliverable creates an outlet for participating scientists to 

analyze and share outcomes from sustainability initiatives.
11

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

AREA III-Return-On-Investment Studies

These studies quantify and describe sustainable operations impact on the agency, 

using the accomplishment report and overlaying the financial data of the current 

and historical budgets. We have focused our efforts in the following areas:

Energy bill cleanup—

As more energy mandates are developed and budgets become tighter, the USDA 

Forest Service Sustainable Operations program is mindful of the need to use energy 

funds wisely. This activity describes a systems approach to agency cost savings 

through more efficient payment of energy bills. The “energy-bill clean up” initiative 

is one of the most successful agency cost-reduction efforts in history, and creates a 

model for tackling similar change in other agencies and cost areas.

In the energy-bill cleanup model, costs were reduced by using experts trained 

in diagnosing and addressing waste in utilities, accounts, and billing. Bills are 

processed, paid, analyzed, and tracked; savings opportunities are targeted and 

implemented. Monitoring systems create awareness of anomalies, such as an 

unexplained increase in an individual bill, or a water line break in a remote facility. 

The return-on-investment analysis reports on achievements and savings from units 

using the cleanup process, and characterizes potential for other forests and regions 

to realize similar savings. Despite the highly positive outcome, ad hoc interviews 

suggest widespread use remains a challenge—energy bills are typically paid out of 

cost pool dollars, and any savings is not directly seen on the ground. This suggests a need to create positive feedback loops to incentivize and reward savings by 

individual units.

Sustainable operations: initiative investments, growth, and sustained finance—

Sustainable operations can be both tactical and strategic in nature. A critical step in 

strategic investments is cultivating opportunities for evaluating past success, as well 

as including feedback mechanisms to address and correct weaknesses. The budget 

allocation for sustainable operations began informally in 2006, and formally with 

the charter in 2009, yet the impact of savings and workforce involvement is often 

obscured because of in-kind contributions from units, forests, and regions. These 

actions increase integrated benefits and cost savings but detract from the ability to 

report on specific line items or support budget stability over time.

Returns-on-investment and the micro grant program—

When evaluating return on investments of sustainability measures, a combined 

approach that considers both top-down support and bottom-up change is often 

needed. To this end, Sustainable Operations created a micro grant program to 

assist and promote sustainable improvements to projects and facilities in each 
12

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

Forest Service region. Employees nominate actions to receive micro grant funding, 

capitalizing on the creativity and “hidden talents” of the workforce. As a bottom-up 

initiative, solutions are tailored to local energy, climatic, and operational needs. A 

primary goal of the micro grant program is to demonstrate outcomes, learning, and 

benefits, often through simple return-on-investment methods, encouraging more 

widespread use of the program. Information on the micro grant program is available 

by Forest Service region (Sustainable Operations 2014), including micro grants in 

the southwest region, and other success stories.

Future Directions for Sustainable Operations Research

Guiding Principles for Future Work

Identifying agents of change—

A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences suggests that federal agencies should nurture “change agents” at various levels by revising performance 

plans, rewards, and training, and enable cross-agency management and funding 

of sustainability activities (Committee on Sustainability Linkages in the Federal 

Government 2013). These recommendations were consistent with findings from a 

“Greening from the Ground Up” report, which emphasized distributing responsibility for sustainable operations throughout field-level agency as a means of facilitating local actions (Jones-Crabtree et al. 2008). In particular, it cited the success of 

“green teams” in sharing success stories, maintaining a forum to discuss important 

issues, and experimenting with new consumption behaviors. It also noted the 

importance of rewarding successes in reporting and changing consumption patterns. However, the report also noted several weaknesses in the current Sustainable 

Operations program, including the lack of consensus that sustainable operations is 

integral to delivering the agency mission at all levels, and the limited integration of 

research and development into sustainable operations efforts by managers.

Assessing and responding to research needs—

Scientists have recognized the need to integrate decisionmaking and transparency of scientific information into decisionmaking that promotes sustainable and 

equitable use of resources (Kasemir et al. 2003). Measurements of sustainability 

have relied on survey methods that can become quickly outdated. However, the rise 

of real-time data sources based upon remote sensing, crowdsourcing, and smart 

devices will revolutionize efforts to promote sustainability across many fields 

(Aman et al. 2013, Boulos et al. 2011, Havlik et al. 2011). The adoption of such 

methods can serve to expand public participation in sustainability by helping people 

collect data and observe their contributions to larger efforts. Research to evaluate 

the effects of these methods will require scientists with skills using these rapidly 

evolving sources of data.
13

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

Practical Aspects of Future Work

The SST successfully addresses a wide range of issues throughout all geographic 

regions of the Forest Service. The diversity of our staff and our broad set of interests and technical skills allows us to successfully address problems on a national 

scale. Energy efficiency and renewable energy project development are expected to 

remain key national issues, and the Sustainable Operations team has an important 

role to play in this effort.

Although significant strides have been made, the potential for energy efficiency savings throughout the Forest Service is still substantial, and the resulting 

environmental and economic benefits great. However, further improvements will 

require ongoing monitoring, documentation, and analysis as well as effective use of 

feedback and lessons learned. In addition to energy efficiency improvements, future 

work could include more detailed evaluations of renewable energy projects, including small-scale solar, wind, and biomass. For example several wood energy facilities have recently come on-line at Forest Service buildings (Anon. 2013, Groom and 

Elder 2009) and are making positive contributions toward energy savings. Future 

work will include detailed evaluations of operating conditions, project economics, 

and life-cycle analysis. Thus, the combined effect of energy efficiency projects and 

renewable energy generation will help substantiate the Forest Service’s commitment 

to reducing GHG emissions, helping the agency to comply with Executive orders 

and other statutory mandates.

A key part of monitoring efforts will be for consistent measurement and 

analysis procedures to be established across Forest Service regions. Topics as 

diverse as energy use modeling, GHG emissions analysis, economic analysis, 

life-cycle inventory and assessment, and others will be addressed by the Sustainable 

Operations team. Because new technologies and monitoring methods are quickly 

emerging, it will be important for Sustainable Operations members to stay abreast 

of these developments.

Green building will likely play an important role in future Forest Service 

efforts. New construction and renovation will take advantage of green building 

practices to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints. Examples 

include a newly renovated Forest Service building in downtown Portland, Oregon 

(Malone 2013), a net-zero office building on the National Renewable Energy Lab 

campus in Golden, Colorado (Dillow 2010), and others. In other arenas, new woodbased building techniques are utilizing cross-laminated timber to enter construction 

markets yet unrealized by bio-based materials—e.g., high buildings built entirely 

from wood. As more and more LEED-certified Forest Service buildings are 

constructed, research could also play a role in shaping these decisions. Life-cycle 

Energy efficiency and 

renewable energy 

project development 

are expected to remain 

key national issues, 

and the Sustainable 

Operations team has 

an important role to 

play in this effort.
14

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

analysis is expected to become an integral part of the team’s future research efforts. 

It will be critical to look at energy savings and environmental burdens and footprints from a “cradle-to-grave” perspective to accurately characterize all environmental burdens and benefits.

Lastly, the Sustainable Operations science team will continue to identify the 

most important “knowledge gaps” and transmit information to the Forest Service 

managers who can benefit most. As Forest Service facilities adopt new energy 

technologies and implement new practices, it will be essential that these be communicated and demonstrated within the agency, to reach managers and planners 

who may be considering similar measures. This technology transfer role will be a 

vital part of our team’s success as well as help meet agency mandates. An overarching goal of our science and technology transfer efforts will be to reduce the carbon 

footprint, and increase energy efficiency and sustainability in all areas of Forest 

Service operations.

Conclusions

For more than a century, the USDA Forest Service has had a strong conservation 

and stewardship ethic, and this is translating into actions to make the agency more 

sustainable. The focus of sustainable operations in organizations has typically been 

on evaluating organizational efficiency and is often evaluated on purely financial 

terms, including payback periods and returns on investment. However, in the larger 

framework of sustainability science, the focus is ultimately on societal benefits. 

The SST has used these guiding principles to initiate a broad-based research and 

technology transfer program engineered to be of practical value to Forest Service 

managers. During its first 5 years, the SST has made significant strides in the areas 

of energy efficiency, water footprinting, biomimicry, community energy management, and carbon footprinting. This research is expected to guide decisionmaking 

in the USDA Forest Service by providing managers with practical information, 

allowing them to pursue economically feasible avenues for increasing their sustainability. The Forest Service and the USDA can lead by example, to the benefit of 

other government agencies.
15

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

Literature Cited

Anon. 2013. Woody biomass energy in Alaska—position paper. http://www.fs.usda.

gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5416486.pdf. (5 April 2014).

Aman, S.; Simmhan, Y.; Prasanna, V.K. 2013. Energy management systems: 

state of the art and emerging trends. IEEE Communications Magazine. 

51(1): 114–119.

Baumgärtner, S.; Quaas, M. 2010. What is sustainability economics? Ecological 

Economics. 69(3): 445–450.

Boulos, M.N.K.; Resch, B.; Crowley, D.N.; Breslin, J.G.; Sohn, G.; Burtner, 

R.; Pike, W.A.; Jezierski, E.; Chuang, K.Y.S. 2011. Crowdsourcing, citizen 

sensing and sensor web technologies for public and environmental health 

surveillance and crisis management: trends, OGC standards and application 

examples. International Journal of Health Geographics. 10.

Brouha, P.; Grinspoon, E. 2006. Strategic planning for sustainable forests: the 

plan drives the budgets which drive results. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, P.J.; 

Burns, D.P.; Draggan, S., eds. Monitoring science and technology symposium: 

unifying knowledge for sustainability in the Western Hemisphere. Proceedings 

RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 902–908.

Clark, W.C. 2007. Sustainability science: a room of its own. Proceedings of 

the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 

104(6): 1737–1738.

Committee on Sustainability Linkages in the Federal Government. 2013. 

Sustainability for the Nation: resource connections and governance linkages. 

Washington, DC: Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Policy and 

Global Affairs; National Research Council. 124 p.

Acknowledgments 

We thank the following members of the Sustainability Science Team for their 

contribution to this publication: Trista Patterson (co-leader), Katie Newcomb 

(co-leader), Jennifer Bakken, Cyndi Black, Chinling Chen, Justin Freeman, 

Jonathan Long, Jamey Lowdermilk, Dave Nicholls, Bryce Nordgren, Rachelle 

Meyer, Ryan Murdoff, Marina O’Boyle, Robin Vora, Kathleen Ward, Elizabeth Yo, 

and Marie Zanowik.
16

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

Dillow, C. 2010. NREL’s zero-energy research building, largest in Nation, 

generates as much power as it uses. Popular Science. http://www.popsci.com/

technology/article/2010-07/nrel-finishes-net-zero-research-facility-generatesmuch-power-it-uses. (12 March 2014).

Gillingham, K.; Newell, R.; Palmer, K. 2006. Energy efficiency policies: a 

retrospective examination. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 

31: 161–192.

Groom, L.; Elder, T. 2009. Biomax gasification project: bioenergy from wood. 

http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/usfr/Gasification_Unit_Overview_Presentation.pdf. 

(3 March 2014).

Havlik, D.; Schade, S.; Sabeur, Z.A.; Mazzetti, P.; Watson, K.; Berre, A.J.; 

Mon, J.L. 2011. From sensor to observation Web with environmental enablers 

in the future Internet. Sensors. 11(4): 3874–3907.

Jeremić, V.; Sachs, J. 2013. The United Nations in the age of sustainable 

development. In Panel, H.-L.A., ed. Geneva: Office of the President of the 

General Assembly of the United Nations: 35.

Jerneck, A.; Olsson, L.; Ness, B.; Anderberg, S.; Baier, M.; Clark, E.; Hickler, 

T.; Hornborg, A.; Kronsell, A.; Lövbrand, E.; Persson, J. 2011. Structuring 

sustainability science. Sustainability Science. 6(1): 69–82.

Jones-Crabtree, A.; Wilson, G.; McWilliams, R.; Patterson, T.; Baker, S.; 

Zanowick, M.; Horsch, L. 2008. Greening from the ground up: sustainable 

operationsoperations in the Forest Service-a report on the 3-yr investment 

between the Forest Service Washington Office and the Rocky Mountain Region 

(R2). http://www.fs.fed.us/sustainableoperations/documents/200810-GreeningFro

mTheGroundUpSustainableOperationsInTheForestService.pdf. (8 May 2014).

Kasemir, B.; Jäger, J.; Jaeger, C.; Gardner, M.T. 2003. Public participation in 

sustainability science—a handbook. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge 

University Press. 281 p.

Malone, A. 2013. Fiscal makeover: the revamp of a 1974 GSA building is a 

critical example of the government’s commitment to green. http://greensource.

construction.com/green_building_projects/2013/1301-egww-federal-sera-cutleranderson.asp. (6 March 2014).
17

Research and Development Portfolio of the Sustainability Science Team

Meyer, R.S.; Nicholls, D.L.; Patterson, T.M.; White, R.E. 2013. Energy 

efficiency in U.S. Forest Service facilities: a multiregion review. Gen. Tech. Rep. 

PNW-GTR-886. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Pacific Northwest Research Station. 28 p.

Meyer, R.S.; Nicholls, D.L.; Patterson, T.M.; White, R.E. 2013. Energy 

efficiency in U.S. Forest Service facilities: a multiregion review. Poster 

presentation. Forest Products Society conference. Austin, TX. June 2013.

Monserud, R.A.; Lowell, E.C.; Becker, D.R.; Hummel, S.S.; Donoghue, E.M.; 

Barbour, R. J.; Kilborn, K.A.; Nicholls, D.L.; Roos, J.; Cantrell, R.A. 2004. 

Contemporary wood utilization research needs in the Western United States. 

Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-616. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 49 p.

Nicholls, D.; Patterson, T. 2012. Community energy management in Sitka, 

Alaska: What strategies can help increase energy independence? [Poster 

presentation]. Flagstaff, AZ. 2011 May. 

Nicholls, D.; Patterson, T. 2013. Community energy management in Sitka, Alaska: 

What strategies can help increase energy independence? Gen. Tech. Rep. PNWGTR-882. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific 

Northwest Research Station. 20 p.

Rost, S.; Gerten, D.; Bondeau, A.; Lucht, W.; Rohwer, J.; Schaphoff, S. 2008. 

Agricultural green and blue water consumption and its influence on the global 

water system. Water Resources Research. 44. W09405. 17 p. http://onlinelibrary.

wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2007WR006331/pdf. (8 May 2014)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service [USDA FS]. 2008. Forest 

Service Strategic Framework for responding to climate change. 21 p. http://www.

fs.fed.us/climatechange/documents/strategic-framework-climate-change-1-0.pdf. 

(7 May 2014).

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service [USDA FS]. 2010. The 

Forest Service Climate Change Performance Scorecard. http://www.fs.fed.us/

climatechange/pdf/Scorecard.pdf. (7 May 2014).

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service [USDA FS]. 2011. Greenhouse 

gas inventory report. 20 p. http://dvspdevpoc/sites/sus-ops/Resources%20

and%20Tools/ghg-inventory-executive-summary.pdf. (5 February 2014).
18

RESEARCH NOTE PNW-RN-572

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2012. Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan

http://www.dm.usda.gov/emd/docs/USDA%20SSPP%20Main%20Document.pdf. 

(include date accessed). 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2013. Strategic Sustainability Performance 

Plan. http://www.dm.usda.gov/emd/docs/2013%20USDA%20Strategic%20

Sustainability%20Performance%20Plan.pdf. (7 May 2014).

U.S. Department of Energy. 2008. Selling energy-efficient products to the federal 

government. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/selling_eeproducts_to_gov.

pdf. (17 December 2012).

Vincent, J.F.V.; Bogatyreva, O.A.; Bogatyrev, N.R.; Bowyer, A.; Pahl, A.K. 

2006. Biomimetics: its practice and theory. Journal of the Royal Society 

Interface. 3: 471–482. 
Pacific Northwest Research Station

Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/

Telephone (503) 808–2592

Publication requests (503) 808–2138

FAX (503) 808–2130

E-mail pnw_pnwpubs@fs.fed.us

Mailing address Publications Distribution

Pacific Northwest Research Station

P.O. Box 3890

 Portland, OR 97208–3890

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, 

write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free 

Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice 

users).
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Pacific Northwest Research Station

1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 1400 

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208–3890

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use, $300