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United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service FS-1059 September 2015 

Service

A Century of 

Innovation and 1915–2015

Forest Service Research and Development: 

2015 Overview
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your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-

9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Cover Images: Black-and-white image of a Forest Service employee working at Kenai Lake in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, 1947. (Forest Service)

Color image of Forest Service ecologist Tamara Heartsill Scalley conducting recent research in Puerto Rico. (Forest Service) Note: This image, as well as the other 

scientists’ images featured in the scientist profile insets, are Forest Service images courtesy of the “Natural Inquirer” Library.

Editor: Carlos J. Milán

Publication Design: Mara C. Santana
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Research and Development Deputy Area

Acting Deputy Chief: 

Carlos Rodriguez-Franco, Ph.D.

Associate Deputy Chief: Cynthia D. West, Ph.D.

Associate Deputy Chief: Felipe Sanchez, Ph.D.

USDA Forest Service

201 14th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20024

http://www.fs.fed.us/research

Landscape Restoration and Ecosystem 

Services Research

Staff Director: Carl F. Lucero

Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment 

Research

Acting Staff Director: Greg Reams, Ph.D.

 

Sustainable Forest Management Research 

Staff Director: Toral Patel-Weynand, Ph.D.

Knowledge Management and 

Communications

Staff Director: Vacant

Policy Analysis

Staff Director: William J. Lange, Ph.D.

Forest Products Laboratory

Director: Michael T. Rains

One Gifford Pinchot Drive

Madison, WI 53726-2398

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us

Northern Research Station

Director: Michael T. Rains

11 Campus Boulevard

Suite 100

Newtown Square, PA 19073

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us

International Institute of Tropical Forestry

Director: Ariel E. Lugo, Ph.D.

Jardin Botanico Sur

1201 Calle Ceiba

San Juan, PR 00926-1119

http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Station Director: Robert Mangold, Ph.D.

1220 SW 3rd Avenue

Portland, OR 97204

or

P.O. Box 2890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

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

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Director: Alexander Friend, Ph.D.

800 Buchanan Street

West Annex Building

Albany, CA 94710-0011

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Director: John Phipps

240 West Prospect

Fort Collins, CO 80526

http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs

Southern Research Station

Director: Robert L. Doudrick, Ph.D.

200 W.T. Weaver Blvd

Asheville, NC 28804

http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov

For more detailed contact information, 

visit the Web sites listed above. 

Contact Information
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The Research and Development (R&D) Deputy Area of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), works at the forefront of science to improve the health and use of our Nation’s forests and 

grasslands. Research has been part of the Forest Service mission since the agency’s inception in 1905. Today, 

about 500 Forest Service researchers work in a range of biological, physical, and social science fields to promote the sustainable management of the Nation’s diverse forests and grasslands. Their research covers a lot of 

territory, with programs in all 50 States, U.S. territories, and commonwealths.

Forest Service research supports the agency’s priorities and has a steady focus on informing policy and 

land-management decisions. People have a growing recognition of the critical services that forests provide, including clean air and water, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for outdoor recreation. But 

forests are threatened by a multitude of stressors, even as demand for them grows. As a result, the Forest Service has placed great emphasis on functional restoration: the cultivation of healthy, resilient forests capable of 

delivering all the benefits that people appreciate and have come to expect. Forest Service scientists are actively 

finding ways to address these challenges, whether by managing for invasive insects and diseases, restoring degraded river ecosystems, or developing sustainable ways to harvest forest products. The information and technology produced through basic and applied research programs are available to the public for its benefit and use.

Forest Service research is carried out through seven regional research stations, including the Forest Products 

Laboratory in Madison, WI, and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry in San Juan, PR. Forest Service 

scientists partner with colleagues in the agency’s other mission areas and with other USDA agencies, including 

the Agricultural Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service. Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) also partners with other Federal agencies, 

industry, academia, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations.

Science Serving Society
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As the research arm within a land management agency, 

Forest Service R&D has an intimate connection to the 

land and an opportunity to inform land management 

decisions through the application of science. Longterm research is the foundation of Forest Service R&D. 

Two critical resources help to make this longstanding 

research possible: (1) a vast network of experimental 

forests and rangelands and (2) the Forest Inventory and 

Analysis (FIA) program, an annual census of the Nation’s forests.

The Forest Service maintains a network of 81 experimental forests and rangelands that extends from St. 

Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, up to Alaska, all the 

way over to Hawaii, and down to the Deep South. 

This broad spread includes nearly 50 degrees of latitude, which results in a wide range of temperature and 

precipitation conditions. Ecosystems vary from a boreal 

forest in Alaska to a tropical forest in Puerto Rico and 

a dry desert range in Utah. These living laboratories 

support a diverse portfolio of applied and basic studies 

with short- and long-term planning horizons. These 

studies use a range of approaches, including manipulating the environment, making long-term observations, 

conducting simulation modeling, and studying life 

history. The dominant research themes have focused 

on timely issues related to the use and conservation of 

natural resources. Today, the focus is on water, wildland fire, wildlife habitat, and the impacts of a changing 

climate on natural resources.

The FIA program provides information about the 

condition of and trends in forest health. The McSweeney-McNary Act of 1928, which formally established a 

research organization in the Forest Service, also provided a legal mandate for the FIA program. It directed the 

USDA Secretary to conduct and keep current a comprehensive survey of the present and prospective requirements for timber and other forest products in the United 

States and of timber supplies.

The Research and Development mission of the 

Forest Service is to develop and deliver 

knowledge and innovative technology to improve 

the health and use of the Nation’s forests and 

grasslands—both public and private. 

Mission

For example, Forest Service scientists tracked the 

response and recovery of tropical forest herb, shrub, 

and vine communities to multiple hurricanes spanning 21 years across the Luquillo Experimental 

Forest in Puerto Rico. This remarkable, long-term 

study provided evidence that hurricanes alter the 

composition of nontree species by promoting the 

dominance of rapidly spreading ferns and vines. 

These big datasets also draw in external individuals 

and groups conducting ecological research. In the 

past few decades, the Forest Service has moved a 

subset of its experimental forests and rangelands 

into a system of ecological observatories by cooperating with other networks, such as the Long Term 

Ecological Research Network, National Ecological 

Observatory Network, and the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration, and by collaborating with 

other agencies and external scientists, many of whom 

are supported by the National Science Foundation.

The Foundation of Forest Service R&D

FIA reports on the status and trends in forest area 

and location; species, size, and health of trees; total 

tree growth, mortality, and removals by harvest; 

wood production and utilization rates by various 

products; and forest land ownership. The report also 

projects how forests will appear 10 to 15 years from 

now, which helps determine whether current forest 

management practices can sustain forests in the long 

run. Forest Service R&D manages FIA in cooperation with the agency’s State and Private Forestry 

(S&PF) and National Forest System (NFS) Deputy 

Areas.

The experimental forests and rangelands and the FIA 

program have generated huge datasets that go back 

decades. The size and richness of these datasets mean 

that Forest Service scientists have documented a 

long history of changing disturbance regimes such as 

droughts, hurricanes, and wildland fires. 

This knowledge enables them to assist land managers 

inside the Forest Service and beyond in management 

and restoration efforts. Because so much of the land 

serves as habitat for wildlife and fish, Forest Service 

efforts aid threatened and endangered species as well.
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Forest Service R&D focuses the bulk of its research capacity on areas of national importance, including wildland fire and fuels; water, air, and soil; wildlife and fish; invasive species; outdoor recreation; forest inventory 

and monitoring; and resource management and use. The fiscal year (FY) 2015 enacted budget provides $296 

million for the Forest and Rangeland Research appropriation, which includes $70 million for the FIA program. 

Some research projects that highlight the depth and breadth of Forest Service R&D are presented in the following sections.

Forest Service R&D is enhancing and integrating science capabilities and results across disciplines to inform 

functional restoration efforts and make them more effective and efficient. Functional restoration emphasizes 

the restoration of abiotic and biotic processes in degraded ecosystems through management actions designed to 

achieve desired functions and address changing climate 

conditions. 

Forest Service research addresses key questions surrounding functional restoration for diverse ecosystems, 

including grasslands, forests, and watersheds, in response to disturbances such as fire, pests, and diseases. 

Quantify realistic expectations and outcomes 

for restored systems by evaluating tradeoffs and 

synergies.

Determine what changes in structure, functions, 

and processes are needed to accomplish the 

necessary changes.

Develop and test management options, systems, 

practices (e.g., fuels reduction treatments), and 

products (e.g., bioenergy) for sustainably delivering intended outcomes at the desired spatial 

and temporal scales.

Provide science and landscape-scale decision-support tools to help landowners and managers ensure that restoration activities will yield 

a meaningful return on investment.

Develop growing stock that will be adapted for 

restoration efforts, anticipating for expected 

environmental conditions, human needs, pests, 

and diseases.

Work with stakeholders to establish realistic 

goals that are adapted to future conditions. 

Forest Restoration Efforts Yield Climate Benefits

In Douglas-fir and true-fir dominated dry mixed-conifer forests of the Northwest, implementing selective harvest and surface fuel treatments generates 

greater climate benefits when accounting for in- and 

out-of-forest effects on greenhouse gases.

Restoration

National Research Focus Areas

A stand of grand fir and Douglas-fir in eastern Oregon. (Photo by 

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service)

Forest Service restoration science activities 

help do the following:
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Provisional Seed Zones Developed To Guide Seed 

Source Decisions for Restoration of Native Species

Forest Service scientists developed generalized 

provisional seed zones that can be applied to any 

plant species in the United States to help guide seed 

movement. The proposed provisional seed zones 

delineate areas of climatic similarity, which when 

combined with areas of general ecological similarity 

as delineated by ecoregions, may be effective as a 

starting point for guiding seed transfer of species 

used in restoration.

Using a Landscape Model for Planning Red 

Spruce Restoration in West Virginia

Forest Service scientists developed a model to 

answer specific questions about meeting restoration 

goals for red spruce while protecting habitat for the 

Virginia northern flying squirrel. Scientists designed 

the patch cuts modeled in this experiment to be 

close to the intended restoration actions. The harvests modeled show that hands-off approaches to 

threatened or endangered species habitat can delay 

progress on restoration goals in this red spruce-dominated landscape.

A volunteer collects seed from bluebunch wheatgrass in the Blue 

Mountains, WA, as part of a study to develop seed zones and population movement guidelines. Bluebunch wheatgrass is often used to 

restore rangeland and burned forested areas. 

(Photo by Brad St. Clair, USDA Forest Service)

Changes in age classes for red spruce and red spruce-northern hardwood forest types combined for a section of the study area (about 

13,000 acres) at three time steps. (Photo by Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy, USDA Forest Service)

Many Bird Species Benefit From Oak Savanna 

Woodland Restoration

Many bird species of conservation concern in the 

Midwestern United States are associated with early 

successional or open forest conditions that are maintained by disturbance, such as fire or timber harvest. 

Growing interest in restoring savannas and woodlands in the Midwest for a variety of objectives can 

benefit many of these bird species.

Oak savanna and woodlands are being restored through the use of 

prescribed fire and tree thinning and provide habitat for many birds 

of conservation concern. (Photo by Jennifer Reidy, University of 

Missouri)
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The mission of this research is to provide the resource data, analysis, and tools needed to effectively identify 

current status and trends, management options and impacts, threats, and other natural processes to enhance the 

use and value of our Nation’s natural resources.

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

FIA uses remote sensing and sampling to track 

forest health and productivity on all U.S. lands, 

public and private. The information gathered 

includes tree cover; species ranges and diversity; 

forest land uses; and tree age, size, growth, mortality, and harvest. FIA tracks the forest products sector by surveying all mills on wood consumption 

and production. This information is vital to the 

forest sector for infrastructure planning and maintaining global competitiveness. The FIA program 

also provides the national forest carbon estimates 

required by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency and the U.S. State Department to satisfy 

international reporting requirements. The program 

monitors and reports on health and sustainability 

indicators of U.S. forests for the United Nations 

and for global reporting mechanisms.

Some accomplishments follow—

FIA data have underpinned hundreds of millions 

of dollars in economic development in the forest sector and homebuilding industries that has 

provided tens of thousands of jobs and millions 

of homes for Americans (a more than thirtyfold 

return on investment).

Of the Nation’s forests, 58 percent are in private 

ownerships that supply 92 percent of the Nation’s 

forest products. FIA monitors the forest health and 

productivity and the attitudes and objectives of 

private forest landowners to support development 

of sound policies. These forests also provide key 

measures of watershed conditions, wildlife habitat, and the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

The Resources Planning Act Assessment

The Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment, 

published most recently for 2010 and updated 

in 2012, reports on the status and trends of the 

Nation’s renewable resources on all forest and 

rangelands, as required by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. 

The RPA Assessment is nationally consistent, 

spatially explicit, and multifaceted, and it includes 

analyses of forests, rangelands, wildlife and fish, 

biodiversity, water, outdoor recreation, wilderness, 

urban forests, and the effects of climate change on 

these resources. The 2010 RPA Assessment uses a 

scenario approach to look at the major drivers of 

change on renewable resources: economic development, population growth, climate change, and 

land use change. The assessment also looks at the 

potential vulnerability of water supplies, wildlife 

habitat, recreation, and forest and range resources.

National Report on Sustainable Forests

This periodic report provides a comprehensive 

overview of U.S. forest conditions regarding the 

ecological, social, and economic dimensions of 

sustainability. The report is designed to inform 

and facilitate public dialogue and decisionmaking 

about moving the United States toward the goal of 

sustainable forest management. A 2015 update of 

this report is being prepared.

Inventory, Monitoring, and Analysis 

In FY 2014, Forest Service R&D 

implemented FIA annual forest sampling in 

all 50 States in response to strong support 

from State foresters, firefighters, and the forest industry. The recent Farm Bill legislation 

expands the FIA program’s mandate to monitor urban areas, which will provide seamless 

WUI data to improve fire risk management 

efforts and our understanding of land use 

change trends.
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This research provides the scientific basis and specialized tools needed by natural resource managers and 

landowners to understand the likely effects of their decisions on the Nation’s water, air, and soil resources on 

forests and rangelands. The applied research conducted 

by Forest Service R&D contributes to a better understanding of the interactions among changing land uses, 

weather patterns, and pollution levels.

Water Quantity and Quality

Upon the founding of the Forest Service, one of the 

new agency’s missions was to protect our Nation’s 

headwaters. Today, the provisioning of water of 

sufficient quality and quantity remains integral to 

our work. Forested regions are a significant source 

of public drinking water. The quality of that water is 

controlled by hydrologic pathways from the atmosphere to the faucet. These pathways, and therefore 

water quality, are altered through changes in land 

management, use, and disturbance. Forest Service 

researchers conduct long-term water quality studies 

at scales from plots to watersheds, allowing us to 

understand these processes.

Quantifying the Role of NFS Lands in Providing 

Surface Drinking Water Supply for the Southern 

United States

In the South, as in the rest of the United States, 

people and communities depend on forests as the 

headwaters for a clean and dependable water supply. 

A new publication, Quantifying the Role of National 

Forest System Lands in Providing Surface Drinking 

Water Supply for the Southern United States, by 

Forest Service researchers provides details at the 

landscape level on the quantity of water southern 

communities receive from Federal, State, and private forest lands. The report provides, for the first 

time, scientifically credible information on the exact 

extent and importance of forests to drinking water in 

the South.

Forests and water are inextricably linked, and forested watersheds 

provide clean and dependable water supplies to downstream communities. (Photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service)

Lichens Indicate Air Quality Near Natural Gas 

Wells

Nitrogen in lichen tissues closely correlates with measured nitrogen deposition in forests near natural gas 

wells in the Bridger Wilderness, WY. The Clean Air 

Act mandates that Federal land managers protect air 

quality-related values for Federal Class I parks and 

wilderness. The mandate involves assessing the impact 

of new pollution sources and reporting it to local regulators. This Forest Service study was the first to validate 

use of lichen tissue indicators for assessing nitrogen in 

dry interior forests and for detecting low-level nitrogen 

inputs from oil and gas operations.

Wolf lichen (Letharia spp.) is a species frequently used to estimate nitrogen deposition in western forests. (Photo by Jason Hollinger, Wikimedia 

Commons)

Water, Air and Soil 

Forest Service biological scientist Johnny Boggs studies the 

impacts of nitrogen deposition on nutrient cycling and forest 

productivity in eastern U.S. forests.
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Resource Management and Use

This research focus area provides science and technology that help sustain forests and grasslands in the 

United States and keep them economically and environmentally productive. This research seeks to maximize the environmental benefits provided by forests 

and grasslands by enhancing land values, supporting 

traditional and emerging forest products that contribute to the U.S. economy and American quality of 

life, and encouraging rural development through local 

business growth and job creation.

Ecological Limits to Biomass Harvesting

Removing forest biomass for fuel can provide an 

alternative to fossil fuels and may mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, but it may change 

ecosystem functions. Forest Service scientists and 

their research partners showed that different levels 

of removal of forest biomass affect soil and tree 

productivity. The project provides managers with the 

information needed to prevent or mitigate negative 

effects of biomass harvesting.

In 2014, Forest Service scientists examined a method to improve biomass quality using a simple drying 

technique. Results indicate that the final moisture 

content measured in a plantation of young southern 

loblolly pine trees studied was lower in the smaller 

scattered bunches than in a large pile. To translate 

this to a real-world application, a logging contractor 

could increase the value of biomass deliveries by 

felling and bunching trees, then delaying the skidding and processing phase for a number of weeks to 

allow natural drying.

Loblolly pine is frequently harvested for use as a biofuel. (Photo by 

Erich Vallery, USDA Forest Service)

A Simple Technique To Improve Woody Biomass 

Quality

The commercial markets for biofuels and biobased 

products will require cost-competitive raw materials 

to compete with rival energy sources. The Forest 

Service continues to work on identifying ways to 

improve feedstock logistics. 

Forest Service research economist Evan Mercer conducts economic and policy analyses of the effects of government policies, market factors, and societal values on forest resources. His research 

focuses on the United States, as well as developing countries like 

Lesotho, Africa, where he analyzed the value of preserving alpine 

wetlands.

Harvest for woody biofuels. (Photo by Anthony D’Amato, University 

of Minnesota)
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Adaptation Demonstrations Provide Real-World 

Examples of Climate Change Response

Climate change will have long-term effects on forest 

ecosystems and the services they provide. High-quality 

scientific information is critical, but this information 

also needs to be integrated into natural resource management. The Northern Institute of Applied Climate 

Science, a multi-institutional effort led by the Forest 

Service, worked with partners to create adaptation 

demonstrations of real-world examples of how forest landowners and natural resource professionals are 

adapting forests to changing conditions.

Science teachers visit an adaptation demonstration project developed by 

the Bad River Natural Resources Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science. (Photo courtesy of 

G-WOW team, Eli Sagor, Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative)

Novel Technology Uses Waste Wood To Make 

Bioenergy While Sequestering Carbon

Wood companies need high-value uses for wood 

residues. A new technology developed by Forest 

Service researchers and their partners converts wood 

residues into high-value products such as biochar—a 

solid material obtained from the carbonization of 

biomass while producing bioenergy. The researchers 

are measuring the environmental impacts of this new 

wood technology compared with current fossil-fuel 

technologies.

The Tucker Renewable Natural Gas unit is a new bioenergy technology that uses wood such as forest biomass as its fuel source. (Photo by 

Richard Bergman, USDA Forest Service)

Effects

Climate 

Change 

Climate change will have 

long-term effects on forest 

ecosystems and the services 

they provide. 
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Agroforestry 

Agroforestry is a land management approach that blends 

agriculture and forestry, where appropriate, to build 

healthier, more profitable, and more climate-resilient 

farms, ranches, and communities.

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a 

three-way partnership between two arms of the Forest 

Service—R&D and S&PF—and the USDA Natural 

Resources Conservation Service. Its mission is to accelerate the application of agroforestry through a national 

network of partners. Through research, technology 

development, tools, training, and outreach activities, the 

NAC team provides useful products and services for 

the advancement of agroforestry. Key customers are the 

natural resource professionals who work with farmers, 

ranchers, woodland owners, tribes, and communities.

A Win-Win on Agricultural Lands: Creating Wildlife 

Habitat Through Agroforestry

More than 50 percent of land use in the United States is 

dedicated to agricultural production. Farms and ranches, 

therefore, are a critical piece in the conservation puzzle, because actions taken on these working landscapes 

affect wildlife and the health of ecosystems. Agroforestry is one option for creating benefits for landowners and 

wildlife.

Blue blooms of native California lilac and other native shrubs form part 

of a 1-mile hedgerow in Yolo County, CA. Hedgerows, an agroforestry 

practice, increase pollination activity from native bees and provide crop 

protection by harboring beneficial native insects over crop pests by a margin of three to one. (Photo by Jessa Cruz, Xerces Society)

Biomass Equations for Agroforestry’s Working 

Trees

A collaboration between the Forest Service and 

the University of Nebraska is providing a basis for 

determining the most efficient and accurate way to 

account for the immense carbon (C) contributions 

made by agroforestry’s Working Trees concept, 

which was developed by the Forest Service to 

communicate the role that trees play in agricultural 

systems. One of the first such efforts in the United 

States, this project will help landowners participate 

in voluntary reporting and future C markets.

An established windbreak on a farm in Colorado. (Photo courtesy of 

USDA Forest Service)

Precision Design for Improving Buffers and 

Water Quality

The effectiveness of vegetative buffers, conventionally designed to have uniform width along field 

margins and riparian areas, can be improved by 

placing a relatively wider buffer at locations where 

pollutant loads are greater. Forest Service scientists 

developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) 

tool that accounts for nonuniform flow and produces variable-width designs that are more effective. Case studies using this GIS tool showed that 

precision design could double the effectiveness of 

buffers over traditional constant-width designs. 

Through terrain analysis, this GIS tool produces 

designs that can substantially improve the water 

quality performance of vegetative buffers.

Riparian forest buffer planting along streambank in Bear Creek, IA. 

(Photo by Richard Straight, USDA Forest Service)
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Urban Natural Resources Stewardship

Improving the sustainability and livability of 

cities is a long-term challenge and goal across 

the United States and internationally. Municipal leaders are embracing nature as a critical 

component of the urban environment and of 

the health and well-being of a city’s residents. 

Forest Service scientists are at the forefront of 

urban forestry and watershed research, providing science that helps communities improve 

their natural resources and facilitate a transition 

to a more sustainable future.

Some accomplishments follow—

Forest Service R&D continues to refine the 

i-Tree software suite, an internationally 

recognized application tool for valuing urban tree benefits. i-Tree is now used in more 

than 110 countries.

In FY 2014, the Forest Service FIA program 

teamed up with i-Tree to expand FIA to 

urban areas, beginning in Baltimore, MD, 

and Austin, TX. This strategic urban forest 

inventory will monitor urban forest status 

and trends across the United States and 

assess urban ecosystem services and values, 

tree health, and risk from pests and disease.

The Forest Service continues to advance 

knowledge of cities as socio-ecological 

systems. In FY 2014, Forest Service scientists published a special research synthesis in 

the journal Ecology and Society, presenting 

new findings on the vulnerability and sustainability of the city of San Juan, PR, and 

expanding current knowledge of tropical 

urban systems.

Forest Service scientists developed the first processbased carbon dioxide life-cycle inventory 

to assess the effectiveness of municipal tree-planting 

campaigns in climate mitigation. Research methods were 

used to assess Million Trees LA, one of the Nation’s 

largest tree-planting initiatives, and provide recommendations for ensuring that the initiative remains a net 

carbon sink.

Forest Service urban ecology research efforts in New 

York City were featured in a New York Times article 

(12/2/2014) on the role of data in informing land management, climate change policy, and resilience planning.

Cassandra Johnson Gaither, a natural resource social scientist, found that, 

in the South, socially vulnerable populations are less likely to have programs that help reduce the severity of wildfires than populations in more 

affluent communities living in high wildfire risk areas.
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Highly Dynamic Urban Forest in San Juan, PR

Between 2001 and 2010, the urban forest in the San Juan 

Watershed in Puerto Rico was highly dynamic. Nearly 

50 percent of trees originally sampled in 2001 in several 

permanent plots across the watershed had been removed 

or had died. Growth of new trees exceeded mortality, 

however, and resulted in an average increase of 40 trees 

per acre. The urban forest had a mean diameter growth 

rate of 0.39 inches per year. Overall, growth of nonnative and invasive species was best correlated with human 

population density, whereas growth of native species 

was best correlated with tree density. Much of vegetation 

dynamics observed in the San Juan Watershed can be 

attributed to human activities.

The southern part of the San Juan Bay Estuary in Puerto Rico, a hilly area 

derived from volcanic soils, is less densely developed and has higher tree 

cover than other parts of the watershed. (Photo by Tom Brandeis, USDA 

Forest Service)

Managing Wood Decay in the Urban Forest

Arborists need tools to help identify patterns of wood 

decay as part of tree risk analysis and decisions regarding the proper care of urban and community trees. Forest 

Service scientists prepared a series of articles to introduce arborists to frequently encountered decay fungi 

and patterns of decay in common oak and riparian tree 

species.

Tree failure resulting in damage to a house in Kennebunkport, ME. (Photo 

courtesy of USDA Forest Service)

Trees in Los Angeles: Carbon Dioxide Sink or 

Source

Tree planting is considered to be among the most 

effective approaches to cooling urban environments and mitigating carbon dioxide emissions. 

The Los Angeles tree program, known as “City 

Plants,” is one of several mayoral tree-planting 

initiatives launched in the largest U.S. cities. 

Altogether, the largest cities have pledged to plant 

nearly 20 million trees, in most cases, for climate 

protection. Research findings suggest that this 

tree-planting initiative, and possibly others, can 

be net carbon dioxide sinks, especially if trees are 

strategically located to reduce energy consumed 

for air-conditioning and heating. Forest Service 

scientists also found ample opportunities to further reduce emissions. Examples include selecting drought-tolerant trees and utilizing wood for 

wood products to generate electricity instead of 

for producing mulch.

Two members from the Los Angeles Conservation Corps plant 

a tree. The Los Angeles tree program, known as “City Plants,” 

stressed creating jobs, particularly for underserved youth and 

young adults in Los Angeles. Through its partnership with the Los 

Angeles Conservation Corps, 208 young people earned their high 

school diplomas while working on the program. (Photo by Elizabeth Skrzat, City Plants)
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Outdoor Recreation

National forests and grasslands offer the largest source 

of outdoor recreation opportunities in the United States. 

Forest Service scientists provide science and technology that recreation and wilderness managers can use 

to balance the demand by people for recreation and 

rejuvenation from the outdoors with the need to sustain 

healthy ecosystems.

Federal Outdoor Recreation Trends: Effects on Economic Opportunities

Outdoor recreation holds a significant place in American lives and culture. It inspires interest and appreciation of the natural world and contributes to the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of individuals. 

Federal lands provide recreation opportunities and also 

generate positive economic effects for nearby communities. Visitors to Federal lands spend money in these 

communities, supporting local businesses that provide 

facilities, products, and services related to recreation. 

This business activity creates jobs and sustains incomes, broadens local tax bases, and helps diversify 

the economy of many rural areas. In 2012, Americans 

spent about $51 billion for recreation-related purchases 

in communities near Federal lands and waters managed 

by Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation 

(FICOR) agencies, supporting nearly 880,000 jobs 

nationwide.

The Forest Service National Center for Natural Resources Economics Research, a virtual center designed 

to respond to emerging natural resource economic 

issues of national significance, is assisting the FICOR 

in understanding the likely impact of future recreation 

trends on recreation-related economic opportunities.

Population growth will drive increases in both recreation participation and total days of participation. 

With a stable Federal land base of approximately 640 

million acres, nearly all of which is available for public recreation, areas of greatest population growth will 

experience the most pressure. Rural communities and 

enterprises within and around Federal lands will see 

expanded opportunities with growth in demand through 

2030 for all types of recreation activities. 

The greatest increase in total days of use will occur in 

visits to developed sites for activities such as picnicking 

and visiting nature centers, viewing and photographing 

nature, hiking, and swimming. 

Expenditures for lodging; food in restaurants, bars, 

and grocery stores; and fuel account for the majority 

of recreation trip spending. Communities, however, 

may increase visitor spending by offering complementary attractions, guides, and other experiences 

to lengthen visitor stays and encourage return visits. 

Knowing that the clientele will be increasingly 

urban, older, and more ethnically diverse is key 

to designing experiences that attract participants. 

Attention to sustaining public lands as high-quality 

recreation destinations is also critical. Degraded 

resource quality, congestion, and development 

encroachment can be anticipated and mitigated by 

increasing investments in Federal lands to support 

recreational options for the public and economic 

opportunities for rural communities. 

FICOR is made up of agencies whose missions 

or programs include providing outdoor recreation 

and conserving or managing natural and cultural 

resources. These agencies include the Bureau of 

Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Forest 

Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Forest Service social scientist Linda Kruger works 

to enhance opportunities in the development of 

recreation and tourism and to identify meaningful 

ways to engage the public and generate an understanding of these activities and their role in community well-being. Her projects include studying 

the effects of climate change and social change on 

Alaska Native populations.
16

Benefits and Losses of Wildfires on the San 

Jacinto Wilderness

Forest Service scientists discovered that recently 

burned landscapes are attractive to forest recreationalists. This information can help fire managers understand recreational use and strategically 

place existing resources to help protect high-value 

areas.

Results suggest that recreationists are attracted to 

sites with recent wildfires that can be viewed up 

close. Societal benefits from recreational activity 

increased for sites that were partially affected by 

different types of wildfires, with the greatest gains 

observed for the most recent wildfires. Wildfires 

that caused trail closures, however, created societal losses. Estimated total seasonal losses for complete closure of five trails, which excluded users 

from the land, ranged from $29,600 to 

$2.9 million.

Forest Service Scientists Help Turkish Foresters Cultivate Truffle Species

Forest Service scientists provided training to Turkish 

Ministry of Forestry personnel in the importance of ectomycorrhizal fungi to forest productivity. They created a 

framework for assessing and monitoring ectomycorrhizal 

truffle diversity in Turkish forests in the hope of developing a commercial (culinary) truffle harvest in Turkey.

James Trappe (Forest Service, emeritus scientist) and Turgut Keskin (Turkish 

entrepreneur interested in developing a commercial truffle industry in Turkey) 

enjoy the aroma of Tuber aestivum near Denizli, Turkey. (Photo by Michael 

Castellano, USDA Forest Service)

Scenic views from San Jacinto Wilderness, San Bernardino National Forest. (Photo by José J. Sánchez, USDA Forest Service)
17

Each year, tens of thousands of wildland fires cover 

millions of acres across the United States, causing 

billions of dollars in damage. Forest Service scientists conduct cutting-edge work in wildland fire 

research and develop tools, methods, and applications to improve our understanding and management of fire, fuel, and smoke.

Firebusting Weather Forecasts

During fire incidents, detailed, site-specific, and 

timely weather projections are critical for firefighting efforts. Forest Service scientists developed an 

experimental system called FireBuster that can 

produce a forecast with a 3-mile resolution. A field 

forecaster can also request a more detailed (0.6-

mile resolution) 72-hour forecast with only a few 

clicks on a Google map, and, then, retrieve the results through a Web interface. FireBuster provides 

firefighters with location-specific, detailed weather 

forecasts, including winds, and could help save 

lives and protect communities.

A screenshot of FireBuster 1-kilometer run results showing surface wind 

speed (in color) and wind vector forecast for the area around Bernardo Fire 

on August 13, 2014 (lower left of the map), about 5 miles south of Escondido, CA. The map shows the 38th hour forecasted weather validated at 7 

p.m. Pacific Standard Time, August 14, 2014. Signature Santa Ana wind was 

from the east and modified by the terrain. The forecasted weather and wind 

were validated well against those corresponding Remote Automatic Weather 

Stations of San Pasqual (near the center of the map) and Goose Valley 

(right), respectively, at this particular hour, as well as during the entire 72-

hour forecast. (Photo by John Benoit, USDA Forest Service)

Wildland Fire and Fuels

David Weise, a research forester, studies prescribed fire and 

how it can be used as a tool to manage U.S. forests and wildlands.
18

Analyzing How To Increase Fireline Production 

Efficiency

Operational data on fireline—a strip of land cleared of 

flammable materials and dug down to mineral soil—

production rates in general are lower than the rates 

identified by expert panel estimates. This study found 

the lower operational rates can be linked to excessive 

firefighter fatigue, safety considerations, and likely suboptimal managerial decisionmaking.

Economic costs of fighting the largest fires are increasing. (Photo courtesy 

of Georgia Forestry Commission)

Climate Regulates Sagebrush Recovery After Fire

Wildland fire plays a key role in shaping natural communities on semiarid landscapes around the world. 

The composition and structure of plant communities 

are often tied to specific patterns of fire frequency and 

size. Knowledge of fire characteristics compatible with 

sagebrush-dominated communities of the U.S. Intermountain West is critical for maintaining habitat crucial for sagebrush-dependent wildlife, such as greater 

sage grouse. In recent studies, Forest Service scientists 

investigated natural recovery of mountain big sagebrush 

for 36 fires in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau 

ecoregions.

Examining Trade-Offs in Wildland Fire

Management Decisions

Reducing or mitigating the negative effects of 

wildland fire is a major priority in communities all across the United States and must be 

addressed across agencies and jurisdictional 

boundaries. The National Cohesive Wildland 

Fire Management Strategy is a multiyear effort 

by Federal agencies working with States, tribal 

governments, and other interested public entities 

to develop an integrated and comprehensive plan 

to collaboratively reduce human and ecological 

losses from wildfire.

Wildland fire can have destructive ecological and social effects. 

(Photo courtesy of Georgia Forestry Commission)

Forest Service Researchers Focus on Firefighter Safety

Wildland firefighters continue to be injured 

or killed in fire entrapments. Past entrapment 

data indicate that policy changes, improved 

work practices, and new technology can reduce 

entrapments. For the past 6 years, Forest Service scientists at the agency’s Rocky Mountain 

Research Station have worked to develop new 

information on safety zones and escape routes 

that can help keep firefighters safe.

Firefighters exit area where safety zone sensors were deployed on 

a fire in Nevada in 2014. (Photo by Dan Jimenez, USDA Forest 

Service)

View of vegetative recovery 5 years after a fire on a Colorado Plateau site 

includes scattered mountain big sagebrush plants that grew from seeds 

that survived the fire. These young plants are just large enough to begin 

producing seeds. Plant density on this site is sufficient to support a prediction of full sagebrush recovery in 25 to 35 years after the fire. (Photo by 

Stanley G Kitchen, USDA Forest Service)
19

Led by the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), the 

Forest Service identifies ways to innovatively use 

wood and fiber, contributing to the conservation 

and productivity of forest resources and leading to 

sustainability for forests, the economy, and quality of life. Among FPL’s focus areas are advanced 

structures that use technology to change a building’s affordability, durability, quality, energy use, 

and disaster resilience and that use nanotechnology 

that advances knowledge about the fundamental 

components of wood at atomic and molecular 

scales.

Cellulose Nano-Enabled Products: Applications 

and Volume Estimates

Cellulose nanomaterials are the next big (albeit, 

small) thing in wood. They can be combined in 

numerous ways to change the way many products 

work. FPL research identified potential end-product markets and provided estimates of the potential 

demand for wood-based cellulose nanomaterial. 

The greatest volume potential for use of cellulose 

nanomaterials is currently in paper and packaging applications. Other potentially high-volume 

cellulose nanomaterial uses are in the automotive, 

construction, personal care, and textile sectors.

Cellulose nanofibril smart sponge absorbs oil that is floating on the top 

of the water. (Photo by Bryce Richter, University of Wisconsin)

Forest Service scientists Alan Rudie (left) and Richard Reiner stand 

with cellulose nanocrystals manufactured at the Forest Products Laboratory. (Photo by Steve Schmieding, USDA Forest Service)

Forest Products 

J.Y. Zhu, a research general engineer, developed a chemical process 

that can use a paper mill pulping digester to treat unusable wood pieces. These pieces are then converted to simple sugar and biofuel through 

bioconversion, a process using enzymes and microorganisms to carry 

out biochemical reactions with wood.

Forest Service scientists developed a series of CNFbased organic aerogels that may be used for a number 

of applications including superabsorbents, thermal 

insulation, polymer nanocomposites, and supercapacitors. As superabsorbents, these renewable resources-based aerogels may be used in environmental 

cleanup efforts after chemical or oil spills.

A Smart Sponge Soaks Up Pollutants

The “smart sponge” is one of a number of applications under development for the tiny wood fibers 

known as cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The fibers 

possess a number of unique properties including 

renewability, high surface areas, high aspect ratios, 

and excellent mechanical properties. 
20

The Xylotron: A Field-Deployable Machine-Vision-Based 

Wood Identification System

The Xylotron is a machine-vision-based wood identification 

system that uses a custom-designed wood imaging device 

(Xyloscope), an image analysis, and statistical processing software run from a laptop/netbook. With the Xylotron, users can 

identify more than 150 species of wood more accurately than 

trained law enforcement personnel. The technology could help 

combat the global problem of illegal logging by empowering 

law enforcement agents to identify wood species in the field.

3D Engineered Panels From Laminated Paper Composites 

Have Broad Potential

Forest Service researchers are studying the use of highstrength laminated paper composite material as a low-cost 

replacement for aluminum and synthetic fiber-based composite 

panels for a variety of applications. Using proper three-dimensional (3D) engineered placement and design, panels made 

from wood-based composite materials show high-strength 

potential, including water and limited fire resistance. The 

researchers are studying the core geometry to improve performance through optimized multiaxis orientation and material 

alignment.

The Xylotron uses machine-visioning technology to 

identify wood species. (Photo by John Hermanson, USDA 

Forest Service)

Tactical shelter door made using three-dimensional engineered fiberboard made 

from laminated paper. (Photo by John Hunt, USDA Forest Service)
21

Invasive species have significantly impacted U.S. ecosystems and cost millions of dollars to prevent, detect, and 

control. Forest Service R&D provides the scientific information, tools, and methods that regulators, managers, 

and the public need to address invasive species.

Forest Service scientists observed that soils under 

the invasive plant Chinese privet, which has invaded 80 percent of available riparian floodplain forest 

habitat in Southeastern forests, had higher numbers 

of nonnative invasive earthworms than soils without 

the privet. The most abundant nonnative earthworm 

species were reduced and promoted the recovery of 

a North American native earthworm species 5 years 

after the removal of the Chinese privet. After removal of Chinese privet, the soil acidity level increased 

nearly to that of soils without privet invasion. The 

acidity changes may favor the native species. Thus, 

removal of one invasive species may result in the 

control of another, short circuiting the invasion meltdown that the expansion of Chinese privet causes.

Forest Service scientists and their colleagues found 

up to a 52-percent drop in the infestation rate of 

wood packaging material associated with international imports on crates and pallets entering the United 

States after the 2005 implementation of International 

Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 

15). The ISPM 15 stipulates how wood packaging 

material should be treated before use in packing 

goods for export. Many invasive bark- and wood-infesting insects, such as the Asian longhorned beetle 

and the emerald ash borer, likely entered the United 

States as stowaways in untreated wood packaging 

from foreign ports. The study shows that regulatory 

solutions such as phytosanitary standards can have a 

major impact on the biological security of the United 

States.

In Hawaii, relative dominance of native and 

nonnative tree species influences patterns of 

forest carbon and biodiversity. Forest Service 

scientists determined aboveground carbon in 

wet lowland forests of Hawaii by collecting 

Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, data 

and developed relationships between LiDAR 

metrics and field-based estimates of forest 

carbon. This approach allowed for the inventory of entire forest regions. Forest carbon 

mass increased with lava flow age but differed 

between native and nonnative forest stands 

due to the presence of the nonnative nitrogen-fixing trees. After 500 years of primary 

succession, both forest types averaged the 

same carbon stock, although nonnative forests achieved those levels in only 75 years. 

Given the large areas of early successional 

native forest on young lava flows, further 

spread of nonnative nitrogen-fixing trees may 

increase carbon storage, but it would reduce 

the invaluable contribution of Hawaii’s native 

ecosystems to global biodiversity.

Invasive Species

Some accomplishments follow—
22

A Suite of Introduced and Native Enemies Reduces 

Populations of the Emerald Ash Borer

Originally from Asia, the emerald ash borer (EAB) is an 

invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks and kills ash 

trees in the United States. The long-term and sustainable management of this destructive pest involves the 

release of specialized insect natural enemies from Asia 

into our EAB-infested forests. At study sites in Michigan forests, Forest Service scientists and their research 

partners have found a suite of introduced and native 

natural enemies working in tandem to reduce populations of EAB.

Biocontrol Agent for the Invasive Ailanthus Tree To 

Be Tested

Forest Service scientists are studying a North American 

fungus that selectively kills Ailanthus trees, a nonnative invasive tree from Asia difficult to control with 

herbicides or cutting. Test sites were selected in Ohio 

forests and trials will begin in the spring of 2015 to test 

the effectiveness of a soil-borne fungus on controlling 

Ailanthus.

An emerald ash borer larva feeding under the bark of an ash tree. 

(Photo by Leah Bauer, USDA Forest Service)

Ailanthus tree inoculated with wilt fungus. Note drooping and wilting 

foliage. (Photo by Joanne Rebbeck, USDA Forest Service)

Female Asian Longhorned Beetles Lure Mates 

With a Trail of Sex Pheromone

The Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive pest 

attacking about 25 tree species in the United States. 

Forest Service researchers and partners have found 

that female Asian longhorned beetles lure males to 

their locations by laying down a sex-specific pheromone trail on the surfaces of trees. This finding could 

lead to the development of a tool to manage this invasive pest.

Wood Heat Treatment Reduces the Risk of 

Spreading Thousand Cankers Disease

Black walnut, one of the most valuable hardwood 

timber species in the United States, is being killed 

by “thousand cankers disease,” which is caused by 

a tiny bark beetle and an associated fungus. The 

disease organisms can spread to new areas through 

the movement of infested walnut logs, firewood, or 

other unprocessed wood products that are commonly transported for commercial trade. Forest Service 

scientists and their research partners developed a heat 

treatment schedule that eliminates the bark beetle and 

the fungus from infested walnut logs to help slow 

the spread of thousand cankers disease in the United 

States and abroad.

Male Asian longhorned beetle choosing the branch with the sex-specific pheromone trail. (Photo by Melody Keena, USDA Forest Service)

Forest Service entomologists Bud Mayfield (left) and Paul Merten 

(right) examine the bark of a black walnut branch for evidence of the 

walnut twig beetle, the vector of the fungus that causes thousand cankers disease. (Photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service)
23

Forest Service research provides managers and decisionmakers with the tools and knowledge necessary 

to help protect, enhance, and restore fish and wildlife habitats and minimize the effects of disturbances such as fire, urbanization, disease, and climate 

change.

Using New Technology To Track a Rare Songbird 

During Migration

The cerulean warbler is a tiny forest bird in big 

trouble. To better understand where these birds go 

when they migrate out of their Appalachian breeding 

grounds, Forest Service scientists and their university 

partners have begun using light detecting geolocators: 

tiny backpacks that record the birds’ locations. When 

recovered next spring, these geolocators will reveal 

where the birds traveled, which will help inform 

where to focus conservation efforts.

Resilience of Sagebrush Ecosystems Used for

Improving Sage-Grouse Habitat

New research from the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station on sagebrush ecosystems is 

being put to use to benefit greater sage-grouse habitat 

on Federal lands across the Intermountain West. An 

interagency effort initiated by the Western Association 

of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, led by the Forest Service, developed a strategy for decreasing the impacts 

of invasive grasses and wildland fire on sage-grouse 

habitat. 

A male cerulean warbler gets fitted with a light-detecting geolocator, 

which will record its location as the bird migrates to its wintering 

grounds. (Photo by Nathan Weyandt, USDA Forest Service)

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). (Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

Wildlife and Fish

Roy Lopez, a wildlife biologist, holds a bald eagle while studying 

wintering eagles near Morman Lake, Arizona. The study revealed 

that a spike in the number of wintering bald eagles one year was 

due to fathead minnows frozen into the ice during low water levels. 

Instead of 10 to 15 wintering birds, this food source caused a weekly high of about 120 eagles.

In August 2014, the Bureau of Land Management 

issued guidance through an instructional memorandum to its offices across California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah to begin implementing the 

report’s findings.
24

Bird Monitoring in the Western Great Lakes 

National Forests Shows Stabilized Breeding 

Bird Populations

The results from 20 years of forest bird monitoring in four national forests in Minnesota and 

Wisconsin show positive trends in breeding bird 

population stability. A new report by Forest Service 

scientists and their research partners represents the 

most comprehensive volume of quantitative information ever compiled on the trends, habitat use, 

and community assemblages of breeding forest 

birds of the western Great Lakes region.

Study findings showed the ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) has 

had significantly increasing numbers since 1995 in the Chippewa, Superior, and Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests. 

In addition, the ovenbird and red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 

were the two most abundantly recorded species in the Chippewa 

and Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests. Common species 

such as the ovenbird tended to occur in many forest cover types, 

but they most commonly occurred in upland hardwood forests. 

(Photo by Jon Swanson)

A radio-collared Carolina northern flying squirrel. (Photo by Corrine 

A. Diggins, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Elusive Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in 

Red Spruce Forests Face Survival Challenges

The endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel is a secretive, nocturnal species and not much 

is known about its behavior and ecology. Forest 

Service researchers were part of a team that studied 

habitat preferences of this species. Study results 

showed that red spruce is vital to assuring suitable 

habitat for the Carolina northern flying squirrel and 

protecting it from competition and the parasites associated with the more aggressive southern flying 

squirrel.
25

Tracking the Decline of Bats in North America

Although it is well known that bat populations in North 

America are declining rapidly from white-nose syndrome (WNS), wind energy development, and other 

causes, the full extent of the decline has only been estimated. The North American Bat Monitoring Program 

(NABat) provides the statistical and logistical architecture for coordinated bat monitoring to support local, 

regional, and rangewide inferences about trends in 

bat distributions and abundances in response to WNS, 

climate change, wind energy development, and habitat 

loss. Results from this program will provide managers 

and policymakers with the information they need about 

bat population trends to effectively manage bat populations, detect early warning signs of population declines, 

and estimate extinction risk.

The Malone jumping slug (Hemphillia malonei) is one of seven 

species of jumping slugs found in the Pacific Northwest. (Photo by 

Robin Malone, USDA Forest Service)

A little brown bat is infected with white-nose syndrome. (Photo by 

Nancy Heaslip, New York Department of Environmental Conservation)

Terrestrial Mollusks Respond to Logging in Riparian Areas

Little is known about the biology and response to 

environmental change of native, terrestrial mollusks 

(i.e., slugs and snails) in the Pacific Northwest. 

Because of mollusk affinities to moist environments, 

the effect of human-caused habitat alteration from 

logging is assumed to be detrimental but is largely 

unknown. This study illustrates that site differences 

can affect mollusk community structure and influence resiliency to disturbances such as logging. 

This research contributes to our understanding of 

a little-studied but important component of Pacific 

Northwest forest biodiversity.
26

Performance and Future Outlook

FYs 2012–2014 Performance

Performance Measure FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

Customer satisfaction index score 79 79 79

Articles published in journals and other publications 3,699 3,460 2,474

New inventions disclosed 23 25 19

Patent applications filed 8 7 10

Patents granted 3 4 4

Invasive species tools developed, delivered, and used 169 193 168

Percent of States for which FIA data are current and 

accessible

 92% 96% 98%

Forest Service R&D reports a variety of metrics at periodic times of the year to assist internal managers and 

external partners in decisionmaking and to meet the requirements of Congress, the Office of Management and 

Budget, and USDA on performance accountability (table 1).

Accomplishment reporting is critical to achieving Forest Service goals and objectives and to supporting performance-driven management and budget decisions. To be effective, data must be accurate and reliable. They must 

also meet the Government standards for quality and accountability.

Table 1. Forest Service R&D Performance in Key Metrics

FIA = Forest Inventory and Analysis. FY = fiscal year. R&D = Research and Development.

Future Outlook

The FY 2016 President’s Budget proposes $291,982,000 for forest and rangeland research, a decrease of 

$4,018,000 from the FY 2015 enacted level. The request provides $83 million for the FIA program.

The Forest Service R&D program structure has two integrated components: priority research areas and strategic 

program areas. To address emerging needs and agency priorities, Forest Service R&D funds the priority research areas from across the strategic program areas (table 2). The FY 2016 President’s Budget will continue to 

focus on key research in these two components.

R&D Strategic Program Areas FY 2014 Enacted FY 2015 Enacted FY 2016 President’s Budget

(dollars in thousands)

Wildland Fire and Fuels 22,160 22,160 20,524

Invasive Species 35,106 35,106 32,451

Recreation 4,423 4,423 4,111

Resource Management and Use 93,382 93,382 86,249

Water, Air, and Soil 35,389 35,389 32,730

Wildlife and Fish 27,126 27,126 25,076

Inventory and Monitoring 75,217 78,412 90,841

Total 292,805 296,000 291,982

FY = fiscal year. R&D = Research and Development.

Table 2. Enacted and Proposed Funding for R&D Strategic Program Areas
27

Funding Source FY 2014 Enacted FY 2015 Enacted FY 2016 Pres. Budget

 ---------------Dollars in Millions---------------

Research $226 $226 $209

FIA $67 $70 $83

Total FRRE $293 $296 $292

Other Services

National Fire Plan $20 $20 $20

Joint Fire Science 

Program

$7 $7 $7

Total $320 $323 $319

FIA = Forest Inventory and Analysis. FRRE = Forest and Rangeland Research. FY = fiscal year. 

R&D = Research and Development.
28

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