Rocky Mountain

Research Station

Rocky Mountain

Research Station

2002 Research Accomplishments

Contents

A Look at RMRS ............................................................................................................................... 1

Rangeland Research in the Interior West ......................................................................................... 3

National Fire Plan Research Update ................................................................................................ 9

2002 Accomplishments ................................................................................................................... 12

2002 Research Highlights ............................................................................................................... 16

The Ecological Impacts of Exotic Plants .................................................................................... 16

Measuring and Estimating Erosion Following Wildfire ............................................................... 18

Climate Change and Forest Insects ........................................................................................... 19

Spatial Optimization in Ecological Applications .......................................................................... 21

Restoring White Pine Ecosystems ............................................................................................. 22

Fire Suppression Expenditure Forecasts ................................................................................... 24

Improving Methods and Prioritization for Forest Road Decommissioning ................................. 25

Fire Frequency Decreases with Latitude – At Least It Used To!................................................. 27

A New Approach for Measuring Belowground Carbon Allocation in Forests .............................. 28

Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire: 2001 Edition ............................. 29

The Role of Fire in Ecosystem Processes and Sensitive Species in Southwestern Grasslands 30

How Will Climate Change Affect Forests?.................................................................................. 31

Biological Control of Noxious Weeds ......................................................................................... 32

Our Research Programs ................................................................................................................. 34

Forest Service Research and Development in:

Arizona .................................................................................................................................. 34

Colorado ................................................................................................................................ 37

Idaho...................................................................................................................................... 40

Montana................................................................................................................................. 43

Nebraska ............................................................................................................................... 48

Nevada .................................................................................................................................. 49

New Mexico ........................................................................................................................... 50

North Dakota ......................................................................................................................... 52

South Dakota ......................................................................................................................... 52

Utah ....................................................................................................................................... 54

Wyoming................................................................................................................................ 57

Honors and Awards ......................................................................................................................... 58

RMRS Partnerships ........................................................................................................................ 62

Grants and Agreements .................................................................................................................. 64

Universities and Cooperative Research ..................................................................................... 64

Community Involvement ................................................................................................................. 64

Outreach to Under-represented Segments of Society ............................................................... 65

Natural Resources Conservation Education Program ............................................................... 67

To find out more about the Rocky Mountain Research Station: ...................................................... 68
1

A Look at

RMRS

The Rocky Mountain Research Station is one of six

regional units that make up the USDA Forest Service

Research and Development organization – the most

extensive natural resources research organization in the

world. We maintain 12 field laboratories throughout a

14-state territory encompassing the Great Basin,

Southwest, Rocky Mountains and parts of the Great

Plains. The Station employs 443 permanent full-time

employees, of which 112 are scientists.

We administer and conduct research on 14

experimental forests, ranges and watersheds while

maintaining long-term databases for these areas. We also

oversee activities on more than 260 Research Natural

Areas (http://rna.nris.state.mt.us) and lead five

ecosystem management and research partnership

projects in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico

and Nevada.

Our research program serves the Forest Service as

well as other federal agencies, state agencies,

international organizations, private groups and

individuals. Research results are made available through

a variety of technical reports, journals, publications,

seminars, symposia, demonstrations, exhibits and

personal consultations. These help resource managers

and planners balance economic and environmental

demands for forest and rangeland resources worldwide.

Our work is guided by the following:

• We seek to be an unbiased source of scientific

information.

• We provide tools that consider the multidisciplinary

nature of natural resource decisions.

• We recognize that resource managers need scientific

information that is integrated and developed for

application.

Our scientists are working to:

• Continually improve resource management through

research and monitoring

• Reduce costs and expand the value of resource

inventory programs

• Develop restoration techniques for land disturbed by

mining, overgrazing, fire and other activities

• Study how changes in riparian and aquatic

ecosystems affect the quantity and quality of water

and native fisheries

• Help land managers understand the diversity,

productivity and sustainability of native plant

communities

• Investigate the relationships between people and

natural resources, and the role human culture has

played in ecosystems

• Anticipate and manage weeds, insects, diseases, fire

and other disturbances

Missoula, MT

Bozeman, MT

Reno, NV

Flagstaff, AZ

Logan, UT Laramie, WY

Rapid City, SD

Lincoln, NE

Boise, ID

Moscow, ID

Provo, UT

Fort Collins, CO

(Headquarters)

Albuquerque, NM

Ogden, UT
2

• Develop new technology and fire behavior models

to help save lives, property and forest resources

• Provide information needed to sustain wildlife

populations

• Continue developing a scientific basis for protecting

and restoring wilderness ecosystems

• Determine how forest ecosystems respond to

atmospheric factors such as air pollution and how

smoke from forest and range fires may affect

global change

Administration and Support Services Staff

Station scientists rely on a contingent of

administrative and technical personnel who support the

Station’s research program. Most are located at Station

headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado and at the Ogden,

Utah Service Center; others work at laboratory

locations. These staffs include: Operations, Computer

Systems, Facilities Management, Financial

Management, Library Services, Human Resources,

Public Affairs, Publishing Services, Safety/Health/

Environment, Civil Rights, Statistics, Budget, Grants

and Agreements, Procurement and Purchasing.

Director’s Office Staff

Station Director: Marcia Patton-Mallory

Deputy Station Director: John Toliver

Assistant Station Directors for Research:

Jim Saveland

Janine Powell

Thomas Quigley

Alison Hill

Assistant Station Director for Operations:

Jim Haskell
3

Written and compiled by Rick Fletcher

When the Forest Service was established in 1905, few

guidelines existed for managing our Nation’s forests and

rangelands. One of the earliest uses of these public

lands, especially in the West, was for domestic livestock

grazing. In the early 1900’s, about 1.5 million cattle and

horses and 6 million sheep grazed rangelands throughout

the western U.S. However, without good management

guidelines, this resource quickly became overgrazed.

Herds suffered heavy losses during droughts and

blizzards, and many areas experienced flooding and

erosion.

In 1910, to help address these rangeland issues, the

Forest Service established an Office of Grazing Studies

in Washington, D.C. By 1911 regional offices were

operating in the Southwest (Albuquerque) and Rocky

Mountain (Denver) regions. These offices had three

main assignments: 1) range reconnaissance and

management plan development; 2) technical range

administration; and 3) grazing studies. Work soon

expanded to include plant identification, plant growth

and development, poisonous plants, natural revegetation,

reseeding, forage production and utilization, degree and

seasons of use, livestock handling and wildlife

observations.

Two early experimental areas that helped lay the

foundation for rangeland studies were the 51,000-acre

Santa Rita Range Reserve, established in southern

Arizona in 1903, and the 193,000-acre Jornada Range

Reserve, established in 1911 in southern New Mexico

(they were both transferred from the Bureau of Plant

Industry to the Forest Service in 1915 and later called

experimental ranges).

Early work at these sites focused on: 1) determining

the best way to manage the lands in order to restore,

improve and maintain them at a sustained basis for

productivity; and 2) determining methods for handling

Rangeland Research in

the Interior West

Studying fenced, ungrazed plots on the Jornada Range Reserve in New Mexico, 1916.
4

cattle to obtain the best returns over a period of time.

These studies helped develop important rest-rotation

grazing systems for desert grasslands.

By 1900, central Utah was the locale for heavy sheep

grazing, typical of a number of areas in the

Intermountain West where high, cold desert valleys were

not suitable for crop agriculture. Livestock, particularly

sheep, were grazed in the valleys and Great Basin desert

in the winter and moved to mountain ranges in the

summer. However, overgrazing resulted in devastating

floods coming out of the canyons along the Wasatch

Plateau and Wasatch Front. These floods caused great

and repeated damage to communities located in the

valleys. It was this flooding that provided the impetus

for establishing the Utah Experiment Station in 1912

(later named the Great Basin Experiment Station) where

researchers worked to develop guidelines for managing

mountain ranges to control erosion and flooding.

Around this time, another story was unfolding in the

Great Plains grasslands. The Enlarged Homestead Act of

1909 offered free land to those who would cultivate this

massive region of “as-far-as-the-eye-can-see” rolling

grasses. The Act, combined with a growing market

demand for wheat during and after World War I,

motivated “sodbusters” to settle previously bypassed

grasslands and plow them for cultivation.

In 1917, with the United States entry into WWI, the

number of animals that grazed on the national forests

and rangelands increased dramatically. Studies of the

increasing numbers of sheep and cattle being grazed on

national forests soon showed severe overgrazing. Range

conditions were so poor that sheep permittees were unable

to produce the amount of lamb meat that they expected.

The term “carrying capacity” of the range surfaced and

became a controversial issue because it determined how

many animals a rancher could place on Government land.

This controversy resulted in a 1924 Forest Service report

on public and private fees. Stock owners immediately

expressed objections to the study, leading to

congressional hearings and passage of the McSweeneyMcNary Act of 1928, which called for enhanced

research activities on public forests and rangelands.

As the need for range research increased, two

important sites were established in Colorado: the

Manitou Experimental Forest (1936), near Colorado

Springs, and the Central Plains Experimental Range

(1939) near Nunn. At Manitou, extensive studies were

undertaken on plant species and methods of reseeding,

along with pasture tests of the intensity, seasons and

systems of cattle grazing to develop guides for range

cattle management for the ponderosa pine Front Range

area. The Central Plains Experimental Range was a

center of grazing studies until it was transferred to the

Agricultural Research Service in 1954. Throughout the

next five decades, the importance of rangeland and

grassland research intensified.

Today, public and private rangelands and grasslands

comprise 80 percent of the western U.S. Controversy

continues to surround these lands that are fragile and

difficult to manage under the best of circumstances. The

Rocky Mountain Research Station’s research program

has a multi-faceted, widespread focus on rangeland and

grassland issues that are critical to land managers and

planners throughout the West. The following represent

those efforts.

• A portion of the Station’s rangeland research in the

Southwestern U.S. is based out of the Forestry Sciences

Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M. (http://www.fs.fed.us/

rm/albuq/). Several studies are underway. One is focused

on the impacts of livestock and wildlife grazing on

terrestrial vertebrate species. Work is: 1) describing and

classifying habitat types on grazed lands in the

Southwest; 2) determining species which are sensitive to

Early range studies at the Utah Experiment Station.
5

grazing and their source habitats; 3) developing

ecological/life history summaries for each species; 4)

characterizing regional patterns of biodiversity; and 5)

developing models of species occupancy for different

land covers and land use areas. The final product will be

a multi-volume report which examines all species of

terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate in the Southwest, and

select plant species.

Researchers are also studying the spread of the

yellow starthistle weed. Once established, it outcompetes native vegetation and makes pastureland and

rangeland unusable. Scientists are evaluating control

methods using different treatment combinations of fire,

herbicide use and reseeding with perennial grasses.

Many threatened and endangered species (e.g., blackfooted ferret, burrowing owl, Aplomado falcon, swift

fox) depend on prairie dog colonies. In the Chihuahua

Desert grasslands of the Southwest, Station scientists are

studying how experimental fire and mowing treatments,

in combination with bison grazing, affect black-tailed

prairie dogs, and if fire can facilitate the expansion and

movement of established prairie dog colonies into areas

from which they have been extirpated.

Other efforts at our Albuquerque facility focus on: 1)

the feasibility and cost effectiveness of using improved

road building techniques and stream channel

realignment to restore riparian conditions to rangeland

meadows; and 2) grazing impacts on the southwestern

willow flycatcher (federally listed under the Endangered

Species Act). Results are being used to provide specific

habitat guidelines for riparian management and

In 1936, plots were

established on the Manitou

Experimental Forest, CO, to

study the kinds and amounts

of vegetation effective for

controlling rangeland

erosion.

Researchers in New Mexico are investigating the use of fire as

a tool for managing yellow starthistle.
6

restoration efforts. This cooperative work was awarded

the first Clarence Burch Award by the Quivira Coalition

– a non-government organization focused on resolving

grazing conflicts.

• At our Flagstaff, AZ laboratory (http://

www.rmrs.nau.edu/lab/), work is underway in oak

savanna ecosystems of the Mexico/U.S. borderlands.

Researchers are studying the use of prescribed fire to

restore degraded rangelands and improve wildlife

habitat. Related studies focus on the effects of season of

burning and grazing interactions on watersheds.

Scientists are also evaluating the effects of grazing and

other disturbances on threatened, endangered and

sensitive fish species in southwestern riparian

ecosystems.

• Several projects at our Utah laboratories focus on

rangeland studies. The Shrub Sciences Laboratory in

Provo (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/provo/) recently

celebrated its 25th anniversary by hosting the symposium

“Shrubland Ecosystem Genetics and Biodiversity,” and

published the proceedings. Over the years, dozens of

scientists have conducted research and development,

centered on shrubland ecosystem ecology and

experimental range management.

 Methods to control cheatgrass, an exotic, invasive

annual grass that dominates millions of hectares of

degraded rangeland in the West, are underway at our

Provo facility. Scientists have documented seed

germination and studied the biological control of

cheatgrass by the naturally occurring fungal disease

head smut. Work has been completed on the effects of

seeding perennial grasses after wildfires to increase the

cover and density of perennial plants. Studies are also

underway on using seed mixes of traditional adapted but

introduced species, native species and a combination of

both to provide maximum forage value and cover.

Scientists and cooperators are also developing

guidelines for maintaining and increasing sage grouse

populations on public lands.

Work continues on seed quality and seed germination

for a wide variety of shrubs, grasses and forbs that are

useful in land rehabilitation and restoration. These seed

tests are facilitating the use of a wide array of plant

materials in rehabilitation and restoration efforts. Work

is also underway on native grass and forb species

collection, culture and use for rehabilitation after

disturbances, such as wildfires.

• The Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis unit in

Ogden (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/ogden/) is evaluating

indicators for monitoring rangelands. The result will be

a paper that describes four rangeland health indicators

and interpretation criteria that can be used to

characterize rangeland health and functionality.

• At our Reno, NV laboratory (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

main/labs/reno.html), research centers on restoring and

maintaining the integrity of Great Basin riparian

ecosystems and watersheds. For instance, scientists are

studying the effects of sagebrush encroachment and

water table depths on meadow ecosystems. Results will

help managers create a mosaic of ecosystem types with

riparian corridors that more closely resemble

predisturbance conditions.

• Scientists at our Boise, ID laboratory (http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/) conducted research on Idaho’s

Snake River Plain to examine the efficacy of OustTM

Methods and procedures are being developed to test and

evaluate indicators for assessing rangeland health.
7

herbicide applied at low rates to control highly

competitive annual grasses (cheatgrass and

medusahead), thereby helping establish fuel breaks,

recover remnant native perennials in degraded

communities, and establish seeded native species in

annual grasslands following fire. In a related study,

carbon application to increase nitrogen sequestration by

soil microorganisms is being studied as a nonherbicidal

approach to cheatgrass control. Reductions of up to 77

percent in cheatgrass biomass have been obtained.

Finally, scientists are studying the seed biology of

skeletonweed, the major perennial noxious weed

invading southwestern Idaho rangelands. Research

results attribute its ability to spread rapidly following

wildfire to its prolific seed production, wide seed

dispersal, ability to germinate under a variety of

environmental conditions, and secondary dormancy in

some seeds. Results of this work will help facilitate

recovery processes, stem the loss of shrub steppe species

and communities, protect restoration efforts, and reduce

wildfire size and frequency.

• Work at our Missoula, MT Forestry Sciences

Laboratory (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/wildlife/genetics/)

is examining how invading weeds affect insects, small

mammals, birds, deer and elk – all of which depend

upon native plants for habitat needs. Studies are

underway on the effects of biological and chemical

control of weeds. Results will help land managers

control exotic plants and improve wildlife habitat.

• Biological control is an important tool for managing

noxious weeds in western forests and rangelands.

Scientists in Bozeman, MT are cooperating with

researchers in Eurasia to understand the natural history

of weeds, and develop biological control methods.

• At our Center for Great Plains Ecosystem Research in

Rapid City, SD (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/sd/), Station

scientists, in cooperation with those in Fort Collins,

examined Great Plains biodiversity trends in two journal

papers: “Recent Biodiversity Patterns in the Great

Plains: Implications for Restoration and Management”

(Great Plains Research 9:277-313), and “Applicability

of Montreal Process Criterion I: Conservation of

Biological Diversity to Rangeland Sustainability”

(International Journal of Sustainable Development and

World Ecology 7:81-96). They found evidence that

increasing land use intensity has actually benefited those

species adapted to cultivation and humans. Areas of

intense land use have become hot spots for exotic bird

species such as rock doves, European starlings and

house sparrows. In contrast, over a third of the native

bird species associated with grasslands have decreased

over the last 30 years. Results from this work are being

used to develop and evaluate indicators of sustainable

rangeland management and may serve as a model for

other countries with significant rangeland resources.

Researchers have also developed new tools that

evaluate and monitor the health of rangelands. One is

the Seral Stage Classification and Monitoring Model,

which helps land managers determine the effects of land

management actions on rangeland vegetation. For

instance, it can measure the impact of grazing on plant

succession and help set grazing guidelines. It also

provides information on wildlife habitats, livestockwildlife interactions and their relationships to plant

communities. Another beneficial tool is the Robel pole

that helps predict the average amounts of standing

vegetation, such as grass, for livestock management and

wildlife habitat. This monitoring technique is saving

range specialists precious time and resources over

previous methods.

Leafy spurge is one of the more serious invasive

plants throughout much of the Northern Great Plains.

Researchers at Rapid City are part of the TEAM Leafy

Spurge, in cooperation with the Agricultural Research

Service, that is evaluating the use of the flea beetle to

control leafy spurge. Results so far are very promising.

Significant reductions in leafy spurge cover and density

occurred concomitantly with an increasing abundance of

beetles, with several study sites experiencing 100

percent reductions in leafy spurge, and a simultaneous

increase in cover and diversity of natural vegetation.

On the Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado,

scientists are studying habitat characteristics of nesting
8

sites of the Mountain Plover, a bird proposed to be listed

under the Endangered Species Act. Research shows that

plant structure and bare ground patches are important to

nest site selection, as are areas mowed or burned during

early spring. Results will help wildlife managers use

grazing and/or prescribed burning to manipulate prairie

habitats to attract nesting plovers.

Scientists at Rapid City are also evaluating plant

production on the Dakota Prairie National Grassland.

This study will provide invaluable information on longand short-term effects of drought on grazing resources

for livestock and wildlife.

Finally, research in the Badlands National Park and

Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota is

helping to identify and improve habitat for the blacktailed prairie dog. Studies on the Sheyenne National

Grassland in North Dakota are focusing on the western

prairie fringed orchid, a federally listed threatened plant.

Models are identifying soil characteristics important to

the orchid, which will assist land managers in providing

critical habitat.

• At our Fort Collins, CO headquarters, scientists used

scenario analysis techniques, involving input from

forage experts, to project use of grazed forages in the

U.S. from 2000 to 2050. These data, useful to managers

throughout the U.S., estimate future forage demand

scenarios and examine factors that are anticipated to

impact the use of grazed forages in the South, North and

West regions of the Nation.

Scientists also conducted a technical assessment of

the Montreal Process criteria and indicators (C&I) for

sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests,

formalized in the Santiago Declaration of 1995 (see:

http://www.mpci.org/home_e.html), by evaluating their

applicability to rangelands. These C&I consider

sustainability from a triad of economic, ecological and

legal-social factors. The Station assessment formed the

scientific basis for the ensuing work of the Sustainable

Rangelands Roundtable (see next paragraph), and has a

central objective – develop protocols that monitor the

contributions of rangelands to the long-term sustainable

development of the United States.

The Station is a participant in the Sustainable

Rangelands Roundtable – a group of stakeholders

representing conservation groups, the livestock industry,

local, state and federal government, and universities,

committed to the task of identifying a common set of

factors for assessing rangeland sustainability. A series of

meetings have been conducted to distinguish a set of

criteria and indicators embodying social, economic and

ecological factors that will form a framework for multiscale assessments of rangelands and rangeland use in the

United States. Availability of such information on a

national scale will foster informed, sound decisionmaking relative to the sustainability of benefits derived

from rangelands. More information is available at http://

www.cnr.colostate.edu/RES/srr/index.html.

Plant production studies on the Dakota Prairie National

Grassland are providing invaluable information on long- and

short-term effects of drought on grazing resources for livestock

and wildlife.
9

Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) has

sustained an active program of research since the 1920’s

and remains the world’s leader in wildland fire science

and related fields. In Fiscal Year 2002, R&D received

$26.4 million through the National Fire Plan to continue

to address four strategic goals: firefighting capacity,

rehabilitation and restoration, hazardous fuels reduction

and community assistance. With this funding, R&D

initiated 285 studies (new or continued) in all 50 states,

hired 55 new scientists (15 permanent) and 170

technicians (4 permanent), and established 162 new

cooperative studies and contracts with universities and

other research partners totaling $8.3 million. The Rocky

Mountain Research Station receives nearly one-third of

the National Fire Plan funds for R&D.

Firefighting Capacity

National Fire Plan research in the area of Firefighting

Capacity is producing new tools to improve firefighting

preparedness through better risk assessment

methodology, better tools for resource allocation, and

improved fire weather and smoke dispersion modeling.

Researchers are working in partnership with fire

managers to apply these tools and make them widely

available to firefighters. For instance, Station scientists

installed an antenna on the roof of the Fire Sciences

Laboratory in Missoula, MT, to receive data from

NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging

Spectroradiometer) instrument onboard the Terra

satellite. Since May 2002, researchers have produced

daily images of fires nationwide, in collaboration with

the NASA Goddard Flight Center, the University of

Maryland and the Forest Service Remote Sensing

Applications Center. The satellite receiving station

supports research that will help improve the ability to

detect fires in real time and enhance smoke forecasting

capabilities. Information gathered through satellite

imagery can be used to map out burn scars to more

accurately estimate the amount of pollutants emitted by

fires, and help track smoke plumes and improve smoke

forecasts. Eventually, the data will be useful in

monitoring health hazards due to smoke plumes and aid

in determining ideal conditions for prescribed burns. The

receiving station’s quick turn around time will ultimately

make this space-age tool a real-time, on–the-ground tool

for fire operations managers.

Rehabilitation and

Restoration

Minimizing postfire erosion and flooding damage and

helping native vegetation recover in burned areas are

topics actively being investigated by 12 teams of

National Fire Plan researchers. Scientists at the Station’s

Aquatic Sciences Laboratory in Boise, ID, recently

National Fire Plan

Research Update

NASA satellite image.
10

hosted a workshop to summarize the potential risks and

benefits of wildfire on aquatic ecosystems. As a result of

the workshop, Forest Service scientists and cooperators

are gathering information on the linkages between fire

history and stream channel characteristics, the

relationships between fire disturbances and fish

populations, and methods of quantifying the physical

and biological responses of streams to fire. More about

the workshop is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

boise/teams/fisheries/fire/workshopdescription.htm.

Funds provided for research on restoration and

rehabilitation of fire-adapted ecosystems through the

National Fire Plan have also provided the needed boost

to tackle the far-reaching and intractable problem of

exotic and invasive weeds.

In the sagebrush-grass and pinyon-juniper woodlands

of the Southwest, the increased dominance of exotic

fire-adapted annual weeds is a big problem. Once weeds

such as cheatgrass get a toe-hold, the ecosystem is often

propelled into a downward spiral of increased fire

frequency, fewer native herbs and shrubs, and even more

cheatgrass. Scientists at the Shrub Sciences Laboratory

in Provo, UT, are looking at the genetic structure of

populations of several forb, grass and shrub species to

see where the native plants’ strengths and weaknesses lie

in the competition against exotic weeds. They are also

evaluating the possibility of using a naturally occurring

smut fungus as a biological control for cheatgrass. In

addition, researchers are learning about the importance

of a proper seedbed for the successful establishment of

seeded plants after fire. Results of this work will provide

managers with more effective means of controlling

cheatgrass and the added option of using native plants to

restore these fire-ravaged ecosystems.

 Since 1998, Station scientists, in collaboration with

other Forest Service researchers and forest managers,

have been installing paired watershed studies following

wildfires to evaluate the effectiveness of burned area

rehabilitation efforts. Results will help design treatments

that reduce hillside erosion and stream sedimentation.

Hazardous Fuels Reduction

New investigations are underway to facilitate fire risk

assessment, anticipate treatment impacts, and develop

new uses and systems for harvesting forest undergrowth

and small diameter trees. Modeling and mapping efforts

are helping determine where the most dangerous fuel

buildups currently occur and predict where they will

occur in the future.

The Rocky Mountain Research Station has entered

into a collaborative interagency agreement with the

Department of Energy at Los Alamos National

Laboratory (NM) to conduct research and development

of predictive models of fire behavior needed to support

fuels reduction thinning treatments, wildfire mitigation

efforts, planning for prescribed burns, and evaluating

potential fire behavior. With further validation and

development, these models can be used as training,

planning and risk assessment tools. Outputs expected

from this research will contribute significantly to the

development of simpler, more efficient models.

At the Station’s Fire Sciences Lab, researchers have

developed sets of coarse-scale fire regime condition

class data tables and maps that are being utilized for

planning on a national scale.

As part of the Landfire Project, scientists are

developing a comprehensive package of spatial data Counting cheatgrass seedlings on a burned plot.
11

layers, models and tools in support of analyses for

prioritization and planning to initiate the implementation

of the National Fire Plan, both nationally and locally.

Community Assistance

Station researchers are working to provide managers

with information they can use in helping communities

increase their wildfire preparedness. Other research is

focused on understanding individuals’ beliefs, attitudes

and knowledge related to fire and fuels management

treatments.

Studies have helped define how homes in the

wildland-urban interface ignite during wildfires.

Through a combination of computational modeling,

quantitative experiments and examination of case

studies, researchers have discovered that characteristics

of the home ignition zone (exterior characteristics and

immediate surroundings) are key to whether or not the

home will burn. Research indicates that, in most cases,

the big flames of high intensity fires do not occur close

enough to homes to directly cause ignitions. Instead,

homes ignite from lower intensity surface fires

spreading to a home and/or from firebrands (lofted

burning embers) igniting the homes directly. Findings

are featured in a new video, “Wildfire: Preventing Home

Ignitions,” sponsored by the Firewise Communities USA

Project.

Technical Assistance

The Station assembled a team of scientists and

professionals to conduct a case study analysis of the

2002 Hayman Fire in Colorado’s Front Range. These

efforts will improve our understanding of extreme fire

events and the effectiveness of fuel treatments and

suppression. The Hayman Fire Case Study Analysis is

available at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/hayman_fire.

Joint Fire Sciences Program

In addition to supporting the National Fire Plan,

Station scientists have also been awarded numerous

projects from the Forest Service/Bureau of Land

Management co-funded Joint Fire Sciences Program.

The support for fire research provided through the

National Fire Plan in Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002 has

enabled the Forest Service R&D branch and its

cooperators to accelerate research efforts and speed

development and delivery of technology transfer

products and tools to the field. Plans are underway for a

formal evaluation of the Forest Service National Fire

Plan Research Program at the end of Fiscal Year 2003 or

early in 2004 to determine the need for future

adjustments.

For more information on the Rocky Mountain

Research Station’s involvement in the National Fire

Plan, select from the “Fire” menu at http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm.

Researchers are studying how homes ignite

during wildfires.
12

During 2002, The Rocky Mountain Research Station:

• Produced 598 technical publications and journal

articles (a partial listing is available on the

Station’s website at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/

pubs.html).

• Provided 196 tours to educational and professional

groups.

• Presented 176 short courses and training sessions to

educational and professional groups.

• Offered 198 invited presentations before scientific

organizations.

• Presented 417 audiovisual presentations on research

findings.

• Gave 167 presentations to lay audiences.

Examples of Other accomplishments include:

• Scientists organized workshops in Mexico that

provided scientific and technical support for a

study to inventory and monitor ecosystem

resources in that country through CAMESA

(Consortium for Advancing the Monitoring of

Ecosystem Sustainability in the Americas).

• A Fort Collins scientist spent two months in

Guadalajara and Colima, Mexico teaching

statistical methods for forest inventory and

consulting on the design of Mexico’s national

forest inventory and monitoring systems.

• The Station helped organize the conference “Fire,

Fuels Treatment and Ecological Restoration:

Proper Place, Appropriate Time,” held in Fort

Collins, CO, and will publish the proceedings.

• The National Agroforestry Center (NAC) cosponsored and co-organized the International

Association for Landscape Ecology – United States

Regional Association annual symposium. The

event provided a comprehensive forum for

discussing the integration of socio-economic and

socio-political perspectives in the theory and

practice of landscape ecology.

• The NAC conducted its 3rd Annual 1890 Faculty

Training Workshop in Agroforestry at Alabama

A&M University. The event was designed to help

1890 university faculty incorporate information on

agroforestry practices into their teaching and

extension efforts.

• Scientists with the NAC hosted members of the

Chinese Environmental Protection Bureau and the

China Environmental Protection Foundation. The

technical exchange introduced the Chinese officials

to agricultural techniques used in the conditions,

and how to select, locate and design conservation

buffers to solve problems and meet landowner

objectives.

• The NAC supported the Specialty Forest Product

Production and Marketing workshop, which took

place in Nebraska City, NE and covered the

production, processing and marketing of specialty

forest products.

• Scientists at our Boise, ID laboratory hosted a major

workshop on Fire and Aquatic Ecosystems. The

event focused on fire history and management; fire

and physical processes structuring aquatic habitats;

and fire and biological processes structuring

aquatic communities (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

boise/teams/fisheries/fire/

workshopdescription.htm).

Accomplishments
13

• Our Flagstaff, AZ laboratory hosted a Watershed

Restoration Practices workshop for resource

specialists from the state of Guanuajuato, Mexico.

The event was part of an international cooperative

effort to provide information on watershed

condition assessment, restoration technologies and

range management.

• Scientists at Flagstaff also co-sponsored the

International Union of Forestry Research

Organizations Working Party 7.01.02 “Tree

Resistance to Insects” meeting in Flagstaff.

Representatives from 10 countries attended.

• A Flagstaff laboratory scientist is a co-editor and

chapter author of a new book titled Mechanisms

and Deployment of Resistance in Trees to Insects.

The book reviews the major worldwide literature

on mechanisms and deployment of resistance in

trees to insects (http://www.wkap.nl/prod/b/1-

4020-0618-7).

• Albuquerque scientists helped author UNESCO’s

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS) – a

Living Body of Knowledge on Sustainable

Assessment of forage growth

under tree cover was one of the

field exercises from the 1890

University Faculty Agroforestry

Workshop.

“Our reclamation staff has been working with Station fishery

scientists on the Boise River Project since 1999. Your researchers

have been incredibly helpful to our management and technical staff by

providing study design guidance, pertinent technical literature, and

management and conservation recommendations for federally listed

species in reclamation projects. Information and assistance provided

by your fisheries staff has been essential in the development of our

work and management plans.” (Tammy Salow, Fishery Biologist, US

Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, ID)
14

Development. The publication, which has

contributions from over 6,000 of the world’s

foremost scholars, experts and policy-makers in all

major fields, from over 100 countries, presents

current knowledge of global relevance for decision

support towards sustainable development and

global security.

• Scientists from Logan, UT, Boise, ID and Bozeman,

MT spent eight days in Jalisco, Mexico working

with biologists on how best to manage that

country’s Natural Protected Areas. They also

hosted a week-long field tour for natural resource

managers, biologists and students from Jalisco. The

group discussed land management and research

issues common to both countries.

• Logan, UT and Fort Collins, CO-based research

foresters presented a 2-day workshop on aspen

ecology and management to 45 land managers

from the Forest Service’s Northern Region.

• A Moscow, ID lab scientist worked with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii to set up a

study on how decomposition in the mineral soil is

affected by different management techniques and

forest overstory types.

• A Moscow scientist visited Switzerland to work

with scientists from the Swiss Forestry Research

Institute to evaluate management impacts on wood

decomposition and soil productivity.

• A scientist from our Aldo Leopold Wilderness

Research Institute in Missoula, MT spent four

weeks in South Africa serving as an advisor to help

articulate the values and stakeholders of wilderness

protection in that Country, and helping to obtain

agreement on the crucial qualities of wilderness

within the cultural and historical context of South

Africa and threats to those qualities.

• A new software product developed by researchers at

our Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT, and

funded by the Joint Fire Sciences Program, called

FIREMON, provides managers a consistent,

standardized fire effects monitoring system that can

be applied in a wide range of environmental

conditions (http://www.firelab.org/firemon).

• Provo, UT scientists were guests of the Inner

Mongolian Academy of Forest Sciences, China.

They collaborated with scientists on common

research issues and presented lectures and a feature

paper.

“In my position as Soil Scientist on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands

and Regional Office Soils Program Leader, I have had the opportunity

to utilize the work of your scientists extensively. Debbie PageDumroese, Pete Robichaud and Dan Uresk have provided literature

and data to assist us in establishing appropriate protocols for

collecting base line data for soil quality monitoring, erosion control

and sedimentation rates. The quality of information and assistance

provided by researchers will allow us the capability to transfer our

knowledge to other agencies, conservation groups and universities

with a sound scientific base.” (Sharon Ross, Regional Soil Scientist,

USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT)
15

• Station scientists and retirees worked with the Salt

Lake City Olympic Planning Team to help

minimize disturbance to the environment and

rehabilitate construction scars on mountainsides.

Researchers also presented an environmental

program to middle school students on how science

is used to protect the environment.

“Since 1994, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has worked closely

with your scientists to obtain information on bull trout and other

inland salmonids. Information provided by scientists, along with

published papers, have been extremely useful to our organization. The

Station continues to provide us with high-quality scientific data and

analyses for fish and their habitats. Your scientists are widely

recognized and respected experts. Their work is critical to the

successful conservation of native fish and their habitats.” (Shelley

Spalding, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lacey, WA)
16

The Ecological Impacts of

Exotic Plants

Exotic plant invasions dramatically reduce the

diversity of native plant communities and can alter

ecological processes in ways that disrupt ecosystem

function. Weed invasions present a particular challenge

to achieving watershed health and restoration because

virtually any management action taken results in

disturbance that favors weeds. For example, thinning

treatments aimed at restoring forest health and reducing

fire risk introduces disturbance and creates hotter, dryer

conditions that favor weed invasion. The pervasiveness

of the weed invasion problem requires that weed control

strategies be incorporated into virtually all management

activities. Yet remarkably little is known about the

specific effects of weed invasion on native plants,

wildlife, and ecosystem function. Moreover, the few

tools that have proven effective at combating weed

invasions also exhibit ecological side effects that can

impact valuable resources. The Station’s Wildlife

Ecology Research Unit in Missoula, Montana is

conducting studies to understand the consequences of

weed invasion for native plants and wildlife, and to

determine the ecological efficacy of current weed

control strategies in order to provide Forest Service

managers with the tools needed to make effective

management decisions.

 Research indicates that exotic plants like spotted

knapweed significantly impact many important native

species ranging from plants to insects and songbirds.

Spotted knapweed is one of the most widespread and

aggressive invasive plants in the western United States.

It dramatically reduces many native plant species,

including some of the most valuable community

dominants. Moreover, when spotted knapweed displaces

native plant communities, it impacts habitat quality for

wildlife species. For example, preliminary data indicate

that knapweed invasion impacts songbirds such as

chipping sparrows, exhibiting negative effects on their

abundance, breeding, and site fidelity. Such impacts are

likely due to declines in food resources provided by

native plants and insects.

Additional studies examining the use of insect

biological control agents released for the control of

spotted knapweed indicate that, although the biocontrols

have not controlled spotted knapweed, they have had

unintended effects on native species. For example,

biological control insects have become a food source for

deer mice that has increased populations of this native

rodent, possibly to the detriment of other native species

and humans. Preliminary studies suggest that deer

mouse populations elevated by the biocontrol may, in

turn, impact native species through predation of insects

and plant seeds. Elevated deer mouse populations may

also increase the risk of hantavirus infection in humans

Research Highlights

Deer mouse foraging on spotted knapweed plant.
17

that results in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome because

deer mice are the primary vectors for this deadly

disease. Additional studies suggest that herbicide

treatment of knapweed restores deer mice to natural

densities, thereby alleviating the non-target effects of the

biocontrols. Effects of such herbicide treatments on

native plants and wildlife are also being examined in the

context of current forest restoration strategies, such as

prescribed burning.

This research has provided profound insights into

weed invasions and weed management and has been

highlighted in Natural History magazine (April 2002)

and numerous newspaper articles. The publication, Nontarget Effects of an Introduced Biological Control Agent

on Deer Mouse Ecology, published in 2000 in

Oecologia, won the Station’s Best Scientific Publication

Award for Early Career Scientist in 2000. Collectively,

this research will provide critical information about 1)

which native plants and animals are impacted by weed

invasions, and 2) how, when and where weed control

measures such as herbicide treatments and biological

control are effective. Such information will help

managers achieve the Forest Service’s goals for

restoration and maintenance of America’s national forest

resources.

 Find out more about studies at the Missoula

laboratory at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/wildlife/genetics/.

Reading references include:

 Ortega, Y. K., D. E. Pearson, and K. S. McKelvey. In

Review. Effects of Exotic Plant Invasion and Introduced Biological Control Agents on Native Deer

Mouse Populations.

 Pearson, D. E., and Y. K. Ortega. 2001. An Indirect

Dispersal Pathway for Spotted Knapweed Seeds Via

Deer Mice and Great-horned Owls. Canadian FieldNaturalist 115(2):354.

Pearson, D. E., Y. K. Ortega, K. S. McKelvey, and L. F.

Ruggiero. 2001. Small Mammal Communities and

Habitat Selection in Northern Rocky Mountain

Bunchgrass: Implications for Exotic Plant Invasions.

Northwest Science 75(2):107-117.

Pearson, D. E., K. S. McKelvey, and L. F. Ruggiero.

2000. Non-target Effects of an Introduced Biological

Control Agent on Deer Mouse Ecology. Oecologia

122(1):121-128.

Pearson, D. E. 1999. Deer Mouse Predation on the

Biological Control Agent, Urophora spp., Introduced

to Control Spotted Knapweed. Northwestern Naturalist 80(1): 26-29.
18

Measuring and Estimating

Erosion Following Wildfire

Following wildfires, forest managers need to estimate

the amount of soil erosion that may occur. This estimate

is used to determine the risk of losing forest soil

productivity as soil is eroded, or of damaging resources

such as fish habitat or water supply reservoirs as

sediment is carried downstream. Measurements of soil

erosion are also needed by managers to estimate erosion

from future fires in the same area and to design burned

area rehabilitation efforts. Researchers use these

measurements to develop and validate erosion models.

During this past year, scientists at the Moscow, Idaho

laboratory have addressed both aspects of soil erosion

prediction, fieldwork and model enhancement.

The year following the 2000 fire season in the

Bitterroot Valley of Montana, research funds from the

National Fire Plan were used to gather additional field

data about wildfire impacts. An experiment was

designed to measure soil erosion at low and high stand

densities, and lower and higher burn indices. Soil

surface cover and soil properties were measured;

precipitation was recorded at each site; and erosion was

measured with silt fences, a technique developed by

Station scientists. Erosion was measured following

seven rainfall events in the summer of 2001. Average

total erosion rates varied from 0.4 to 136 t/ha (0.2 to 50

t/a) in the year following the fire. The four sites did not

experience the same storm patterns, and so the sites

receiving the most intense storms exhibited the greatest

erosion rates. The burn indices were not a good indicator

of erosion. The vegetation density before the fire

appeared to be a good indicator of observed soil erosion,

as did the amount of surface residue. The average of the

observed erosion rates was similar to the erosion rate

predicted by our online prediction software FSWEPP

(Watershed Erosion Prediction Project), although the

current software could not address the observed

variability.

 During the past two years, the FSWEPP erosion

prediction software has become the tool of choice for

many forest managers, and is run online from two web

sites. On the average, over 2000 runs are made each

month to estimate soil erosion following fire or forest

operations, or from forest roads. In July 2002,

researchers received a national Forest Service

technology transfer award for this software.

These two activities demonstrate a good example of

the research balance between fieldwork and model

development to provide the necessary information and

tools to manage our nation’s forest resources. Learn

more by visiting http://forest.moscowfsl.wsu.edu/engr.

Additional details are available online at:

http://forest.moscowfsl.wsu.edu/fswepp/,

http://fsweb.moscow.rmrs.fs.fed.us/fswepp/

(Forest Service WEPP interfaces); http://

forest.moscowfsl.wsu.edu/engr/reports/

0006_FSWEPP.pdf (Forest Service WEPP

interfaces, presented at the 2000 ASAE Annual

International Meeting); and http://www.fs.fed.us/

rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr94.html (Robichaud, P. R. and

R. E. Brown. 2002. Silt Fences: an Economical

Technique for Measuring Hillslope Soil Erosion.

Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94. Ft. Collins,

CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain

Research Station. 24 p.).

This researcher is scraping out sediment accumulated behind a silt fence to

estimate soil erosion.
19

Climate Change and Forest

Insects

Forest insect pests are the most pervasive and

important agents of disturbance in North American

forests, impacting an estimated area 45 times that of fire,

with an economic impact that is almost 5 times as great.

The same attributes that result in an insect herbivore

being termed a “pest,” predispose them to population

disruption through climate change, and in particular,

global warming. Although many pest species have coevolved relationships with forest hosts that may or may

not be deleterious from a long-term ecological

perspective, disruption of these relationships holds the

potential for catastrophic consequences. Scientists at the

Logan, Utah laboratory are evaluating the potential

disruption of the outbreak ecology for two native forest

pests, the mountain pine beetle and spruce beetle, and

for one potential introduced pest, the gypsy moth.

These evaluations involve the synthesis of both

historic and projected climate, validated pest models,

and forest cover type distributions expressed across

landscapes of interest.

In general terms, results indicate intensification in all

aspects of outbreak behavior. For mountain pine beetle,

results from this work indicate a potential invasion of

new habitats, including high-elevation five-needle pines

and jack pine, by mid century. These predictions have

important economic and ecological consequences,

including the possibility of mountain pine beetle

populations breaching to the north the previously

insurmountable barrier of the Great Plains. Implications

for the high elevation pines, and of immediate interest,

whitebark pine, is that these pines will be subjected to a

disturbance stress that they are evolutionarily not well

adapted to contend with. For spruce beetle, studies have

provided insights into the current massive tree mortality

that occurred during the 1990s across landscapes

ranging from Alaska to central and southern Utah. The

extent of this mortality is unprecedented in historical

times, and may have resulted in a shift from spruce

forest to grasslands in parts of Alaska. Record setting

warm weather, and in particular a concurrent shift from

semi- to uni-voltinism (one generation every two years

to one generation every year) has been implicated as

precipitating these outbreaks.

Outbreaks of forest insects are the major disturbance agent in North

American forest ecosystems.
20

 Questions of interest for an introduced, exotic pest

are much different than those for a native insect. The

first issue to be addressed is how likely is the

introduction of a particular pest? Some forest insects

have such a high likelihood of introduction that

considerable effort and expense is justified in evaluating

this question. Such is the case for gypsy moth. Due to

the lifestyle of the moth, and the social conditions of

rapid growth in the west, introduction of this serious

defoliator to the western United States is almost

guaranteed, and has in fact occurred many times in the

past. Once an introduction occurs, the question becomes,

how serious is the threat for establishment? For gypsy

moth the major concern is impact on aspen, a sensitive

species already experiencing serious decline. Under

current climate conditions, there is little likelihood of

gypsy moth becoming established in aspen. However,

the situation is projected to dramatically change by the

end of this century, with over 97% of the aspen in Utah

predicted to have a high probability for successful

establishment.

Additional information on forest insect research can

be found at http://www.usu.edu/beetle. Details on these

studies are available in:

 Hansen, E.M., B.J. Bentz, and D.L. Turner. 2001.

Physiological Basis for Flexible Voltinism in the

Spruce Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). The Canadian Entomologist 133:805-817.

Hansen, E.M., B.J. Bentz, and D.L. Turner. 2001.

Temperature-based Model for Predicting Univoltine

Brood Proportions in Spruce Beetle (Coleoptera:

Scolytidae). The Canadian Entomologist 133:827-

841.

Logan, J.A. and J.A. Powell. 2001. Ghost Forests,

Global Warming, and the Mountain Pine Beetle

(Coleoptera: Scolytidae). American Entomologist

47(3):160-173.

Logan, J.A. and B.J. Bentz. 1999. Model Analysis of

Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Seasonality. Environmental Entomology 28(6):924-

934.
21

Spatial Optimization in

Ecological Applications

Whether discussing habitat placement for the

northern spotted owl or black-tailed prairie dog, or

strategies for controlling exotic pests, this new book,

titled Spatial Optimization in Ecological Applications,

explains how real-world problems can be solved by

capturing ecological relationships across the landscape

with pragmatic optimization models. The authors use

linear programming technologies widely available today

that make it possible to include many thousands of

constraints and still be confident of being able to solve

the problem at hand.

The book is organized into four parts: Simple

Proximity Relationships, Reaction-Diffusion Models,

Control Models, and Using Optimization to Develop

Hypotheses About Ecosystems. Chapters cover:

managing sedimentation, managing stormflow,

optimizing natural regeneration in any-aged forest

management, habitat placement

for the northern spotted owl,

habitat placement for the blackfooted ferret, habitat placement

for the black-tailed prairie dog,

habitat placement for the western

prairie fringed orchid, capturing

edge effects, controlling exotic

pests, controlling wildfire,

capturing multi-scaled ecological limiting factors, and

modeling carbon fixation in trees. The authors seek to

preserve the goal of optimality while realistically

exploring, through a series of detailed case studies, the

extent to which the complexity of actual ecosystems can

be rendered through mathematical programs. Optimizing

the spatial placement of management actions on the

landscape is central to sustainable forest management

throughout the world. It allows managers to minimize

any adverse impacts of human activity on the ecological

system or to maximize any positive impacts that are

feasible with limited resources.

This book is a follow-up to Spatial Optimization for

Managed Ecosystems (by the same authors), which lays

out the basic theory and fundamental methodology of

spatial optimization. The new book takes this wellreceived work to the stage of application. Both are

published in the Complexity in Ecological Systems

Series by Columbia University Press.

 For more details, see Hof, J. and M. Bevers. 2002.

Spatial Optimization in

Ecological Applications. New

York: Columbia University Press,

257p.

Additional information on this

and related work is available at

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

analytics.
22

Restoring White Pine

Ecosystems

White pine blister rust was inadvertently introduced

to western North America in 1910. As few white pines

were resistant to the disease, mortality spread across the

West. Today, less than 10 percent of the historic 5

million acres of the western white pine cover type

remains in Inland Northwest forests, and mortality is

similar for whitebark pine. The forests that replaced

white pines are more prone to diseases and insects, and

are missing keystone species that determine the ability

of other plant and animal species to persist in the

community.

Genetic resistance in western white pine to blister

rust has been demonstrated, and a breeding program

based on this resistance has developed western white

pine seedlings that are about 66 percent resistant.

Further development will bring resistance to about 80

percent. Surveys in test plantations show consistently

lower infection and mortality in genetically improved

western white pine compared to unimproved stock. Even

at the site where 93 percent of genetically improved

stock was infected, 34 percent of these improved trees

were still alive at age 26, while 100 percent of the

unimproved stock had died by age 12.

Growing genetically improved western white pine

seedlings for more than 25 years under field conditions

has demonstrated the stability of resistance under

annually varying infection conditions. Research results

also show that needle morphology can play a role in

some forms of resistance to white pine blister rust

infection. For example, Station scientists found that

needles of susceptible families had wider and larger

stomata than those of resistant families. Until recently,

methods for studying DNA from blister rust spores were

hindered by small spore size and thick spore walls. New

techniques have been developed to efficiently extract

DNA to better define rust population structure and

disease progression in forests.

In high elevation whitebark pine stands, the Clark’s

nutcracker readily disperses seed throughout individual

stands. However, DNA data indicates that nutcrackers

rarely disperse seed across large forest gaps. Genetic

structure of whitebark pine stands throughout the Inland

Northwest indicates that information on seed movement

could provide one method for recovery of whitebark

pine ecosystems.

Cooperative research continues with the Inland

Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative, Forest Service

Northern Region, the University of Idaho, and various

land management agencies. The white pine breeding

program will work to incorporate additional resistance

mechanisms into white pine seedlings and develop

cultural treatments that promote the growth and survival

of white pine. Scientists say that white pine ecosystems

Gathering blister rust samples in Yellowstone National Park.
23

can be restored to health and vigor, but it is going to take

a concerted effort among forest managers in the Inland

Northwest. Details on this and other work at the

Moscow, Idaho laboratory can be found at http://

forests.moscowfsl.wsu.edu/gems.

Additional information is available in:

 Fins, L.; Byler, J.; Ferguson, D.; Harvey, A.;

Mahalovich, M.F.; McDonald, G.; Miller, D.;

Schwandt, J.; Zack, A. 2002. Return of the Giants:

Restoring Western White Pine to the Inland Northwest. Journal of Forestry 100:20-26.

Richardson, B. A., Brunsfeld, S. J., and Klopfenstein,

N.B. 2002. DNA from Bird-dispersed Seed and

Wind-disseminated Pollen Provides Insights into

Postglacial Colonization and Population Genetic

Structure of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis).

Molecular Ecology 11: 215-227.

Richardson, B. A., Klopfenstein, N. B., and Brunsfeld,

S. J. 2002. Assessing Clark’s Nutcracker Seedcaching Flights Using Maternally Inherited Mitochondrial DNA of Whitebark Pine. Canadian Journal

of Forestry Research 32: 1103-1107.

Woo, K-S, Fins, L., McDonald, G. I., and Wiese, M. V.

2001. Differences in Needle Morphology Between

Blister Rust Resistant and Susceptible Western White

Pine Stocks. Canadian Journal of Forestry Research

31: 1880-1886.

Zambino, P. J. 2002. Dry Grinding at Near-ambient

Temperatures for Extracting DNA from Rust and

Other Fungal Spores. BioTechniques 33: 48-51.
24

Fire Suppression Expenditure

Forecasts

Anti-deficiency regulations require the Forest

Service to monitor actual and expected emergency fire

suppression expenditures to ensure they remain within

budgetary authorizations. Hence, starting in June of each

year, the State and Private Forestry Fire and Aviation

Management unit provides the office of the Chief, the

Office of Management and Budget, and congressional

stakeholders with monthly forecasts of total, fiscal year

fire suppression expenditures. The Rocky Mountain

Research Station developed and implements the

forecasting tool and process that makes all this possible.

 Statistical models for forecasting fire suppression

expenditures were developed for each Forest Service

region and the Washington Office. The response

(forecasted) variable was regional, monthly, fire

suppression expenditures. Predictor variables vary by

region but reflect regional fire activity, as available

through the Incident Management Situation Reports.

Regional fire activity data are extensive, including the

number of acres burned and the number of fires in each

region, by fire-fighting agency, and the regional totals.

Information contained in the Situation Reports is the

most accurate, up-to-date available. Statistical models

are updated annually to reflect newly-available

information and changing fire-fighting circumstances.

The statistical models

used to produce monthly

forecasts of annual

expenditures start with

June of each year. The

actual forecast process

consists of three steps.

Step 1 –Starting with the

end of May, the financial

accounting system is

queried to retrieve actual

month-end, year-to-date fire suppression expenditures

for each region. Step 2 –Pertinent, year-to-date fire

activity information is accumulated from the Situation

Report and provided to the NICC (National Interagency

Coordination Center) manager at NIFC (National

Interagency Fire Center), who makes forecasts of

expected regional fire activity for the upcoming months

of the fiscal year. Step 3 –Armed with expenditure

information and forecasts of fire activity, our statistical

models are used to forecast predicted expenditures, by

region, for each of the remaining months of the fiscal

year. Those forecasts are added to the actual year-to-date

expenditures to produce a forecast of total fiscal year

fire suppression expenditures for each region. Regional

forecasts are aggregated into a national total and a

statistical confidence interval (an upper and lower bound

for the forecast) is calculated. The completed forecast

package along with graphics and interpretative remarks

are then provided to Forest Service and other managers.

During the 2002 fire season, this information was made

available as early as June. Twice-monthly forecasts were

typically within 10 percent of what actually occurred.

 Details on this forecasting tool are available in

Gebert, K. and E. G. Schuster. 1999. Predicting National

Fire Suppression Expenditures. Pages 21-30 in

Proceedings of the Symposium on Fire Economics,

Planning and Policy: Bottom Lines, 1999 April 5-9; San

Diego, CA; General Technical Report PSW-GTR-173.

Berkeley, CA; USDA,

Forest Service, Pacific

Southwest Research

Station.

Learn more about the

economic aspects of

forest management on

public lands at http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm/

missoula/4802.

Station scientists developed tools that help forecast fire suppression

expenditures.
25

Improving Methods and

Prioritization for Forest Road

Decommissioning

Forest roads provide many important benefits, but

can be maintenance and environmental liabilities for the

agencies that manage them. As a consequence, many

public land managers are choosing to decommission

roads to reduce these liabilities to manageable levels.

 Given constraints imposed by available time and

funds and by a public desiring unimpeded access to

public lands, there is an urgent need for systematic

prioritization of roads to decommission, and to

efficiently use resources to accomplish the goals of

decommissioning. From this point of view there is little

information on the relative effectiveness of alternative

treatments for a range of goals from watershed

protection to soil productivity improvement. Closely

related is the lack of existing standards for minimal

restoration, allowing anything from a berm at the road

entrance to full recontouring with soil amendments and

culvert removal to be listed as “restoration.” Such

inconsistencies lead to problems in accountability and

credibility.

 Scientists at the Boise, Idaho laboratory are focusing

on physical processes influencing and influenced by

roads within an aquatic ecological context. A series of

research products have built analyses and tools to

improve prioritization of projects and the efficacy of

treatments.

Ecological principles and theory provide a sound

basis for selecting among alternative prioritization

packages for a road network. An important early step is

to examine the spatial patterns of road erosion and road

sediment contributions to fish bearing streams. Besides

the very simple approach of remedying the greatest

contributors, efforts can be made to focus on individual

tributaries to create fine scale “refuge” networks

allowing temporary escape from reaches with elevated

contributions of fine sediment. Maps for such analyses

can be produced using inventories of roads combined

with relationships between a road’s characteristics, use,

and maintenance and its sediment production.

The effectiveness of treatments depends to some

extent on the effort applied. Road ripping, considered a

medium level of effort, increases the surface hydraulic

conductivity to values higher than common rain

intensities recorded for 15 and 30-minute durations, but

does not restore the natural hydrology of the site. On

some soils, the collapse of the soil as it is saturated can

recompact the soil nearly to the initial density of the

road. On sites with ripping or recontouring, vegetation is

slow to establish and plant cover can be thin for many

years because of the low water holding capacity of the

soils. Using extra effort to add organic materials and

nutrients, such as may be obtained from mill waste and

biosolids, may be a good way to improve the strength

after wetting and water holding capacity of soils. Such a

step may improve recovery of soil productivity as well.

Find out more by visiting http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

boise, or in the following publications:

 Luce, C.H., B.E. Rieman, J.B. Dunham, J.L. Clayton,

J.G. King, and T.A. Black, 2001, Incorporating

Aquatic Ecology into Decisions on Prioritization of

A road is ripped as part of the process of road

decommissioning. Because roads can have dramatic effects on

watersheds and aquatic ecosystems, and because removing

roads can be very expensive, research at the Rocky Mountain

Research station has evaluated the effectiveness of road

obliteration techniques and developed new tools to help

prioritize the removal of roads.
26

Road Decommissioning. Water Resources Impact

3(3), 8-14.

Luce, Charles H., 1997, Effectiveness of Road Ripping

in Restoring Infiltration Capacity of Forest Roads.

Restoration Ecology 5(3):265-270.

Luce, C.H. and T.A. Black, 2001, Spatial and Temporal

Patterns in Erosion from Forest Roads, In Influence

of Urban and Forest Land Uses on the HydrologicGeomorphic Responses of Watersheds, M.S.

Wigmosta and S.J. Burges, Editors, American

Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C. pp. 165-178.

Luce, C.H. and B. Wemple, 2001, Introduction to the

Special Issue on Hydrologic and Geomorphic Effects

of Forest Roads. Earth Surface Processes and

Landforms 26(2), 111-113.

Luce, C.H. and T.A. Black, 1999, Sediment Production

from Forest Roads in Western Oregon. Water Resources Research 35(8): 2561-2570.

Luce, C.H. and T.A. Black, 2001, Effects of Traffic and

Ditch Maintenance on Forest Road Sediment Production, In Proceedings of the Seventh Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference, March 25-29,

2001, Reno, Nevada. pp. V67–V74.

 Luce, C.H. and T.A. Black, 2001, Tools for Road

Erosion and Landslide Analysis in GIS, http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/teams/soils/Presentations/

Charlies’s Roads GIS.htm
27

Fire Frequency Decreases

with Latitude – At Least It

Used To!

Chronologies of fire histories in ponderosa pine in

Colorado and Wyoming, reconstructed from trees

scarred by fire over more than four centuries, show

several correlations with latitude. Fire-free intervals

tended to be shorter in the southern stands than in the

north. Fires in the south also tended to be early in the

season, with late-season fires in the north. Superimposing calculated drought severity indexes on plots of

fire years showed, not surprisingly, that fire years were

dry, but in the south were preceded by wet years. This

supports the idea that fuels may have been limiting

southern forests where fire intervals were shorter, and

that longer intervals in the north permitted greater fuel

buildup between fires.

 Knowing these patterns could be of great help to

those planning suppression of catastrophic fires, except

for one thing: the coming of Euro-American settlers

effectively put a damper on forest fires for nearly a

century, so that the forests – and the fire patterns within

them – are now much different. With changes in our

philosophy on the costs and benefits of fire, it will likely

take a long time to reach – or understand – equilibrium

with fire in forests.

Learn more at http://lamar.colostate.edu/~rwu4451.

Additional information is available in:

Brown, Peter M., and Wayne D. Shepperd. 2001. Fire

History and Fire Climatology Along a 5 Degree

Gradient in Latitude in Colorado and Wyoming.

Palaeobotanist 50:133-140.

Scientists can reconstruct the history of fire in forests by

dating patterns of fire scars in cross-sections of trees.
28

A New Approach for

Measuring Belowground

Carbon Allocation in Forests

The earth’s carbon cycle has been getting much

attention lately because of the rapid increase in carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere and its influence on climate.

While scientists have made progress in understanding

this carbon cycle, many key questions remain. For

example, of all the carbon released by burning fossil

fuels, only half remains in the atmosphere each year.

Where does the rest of the carbon go? Will the current

sink remain indefinitely, or will it ‘saturate’ or fill up?

Making good policy about how to manage carbon

emissions from fossil fuels requires good information on

the sources and sinks for carbon in the biosphere and

their size and longevity.

One of the least understood components of the carbon

cycle is the carbon that plants send belowground to

make and support roots. Of the carbon taken from the

atmosphere in photosynthesis, roughly half is sent

belowground. Knowing exactly how much carbon plants

send belowground and its fate will allow a much better

understanding of forest carbon cycles, and better

predictions of how changes in climate will change the

amount of carbon stored there.

Measurements of carbon sent belowground are tough

and uncertain because root production, mortality and

respiration are difficult to measure. Also, scientists

suspect that much of the carbon plants send belowground

is used by fungi that act as roots (mycorrhizae)—and

these are much more difficult to measure than roots.

What was needed was a new approach that bypassed the

difficulties of measuring individual roots and fungi.

Researchers adapted and tested a carbon ‘budget’

approach for measuring belowground carbon allocation.

The carbon budget approach works like a bank account

or a bathtub—if you know how much you are spending

and your balance, you can calculate your income. They

measured the carbon leaving the system through soil

respiration, inputs from litter, and changes in the storage

(carbon in roots, soil, and litter), and calculated

belowground carbon allocation from these

measurements. They found that this technique produced

very accurate estimates of belowground allocation,

providing a reliable tool with which to measure a very

large flux of carbon.

This tool is being used to show how changes in

climate, fertility, and competition change the amount of

carbon allocated belowground. These studies show that

increased fertility and water availability can

dramatically lower carbon allocation, but competition

(fewer or more trees) has no effect on allocation. With

enough measurements in different locations, scientists

can uncover ‘rules’ for carbon allocation and make

better predictions about how forests and the carbon

stored in them will respond to a changing climate.

This and related research is highlighted at http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm/rwu4352. Additional information is in:

Giardina CP and MG Ryan. 2002. Total Belowground

Carbon Allocation in a Fast Growing Eucalyptus

Plantation Estimated Using a Carbon Balance

Approach. Ecosystems 5: 487-499.

Litton CM, MG Ryan, DB Tinker, and DH Knight. 2002.

Below- and Above-ground Biomass in Young Postfire Lodgepole Pine Forests of Contrasting Tree

Density. Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

Litton CM. 2002. Above- and Below-ground Carbon

Allocation in Post-fire Lodgepole Pine Forests:

Effects of Tree Density and Stand Age. PhD Thesis,

University of Wyoming.

Stape, JM. Production Ecology of Clonal Eucalyptus

Plantations in Northeastern Brazil. PhD Thesis,

Colorado State University.

FA

TBCA

F F S E

 [C C C ]/ S t R L

Storage:

Analogy for mass balance approach to estimate total

belowground carbon allocation (TCBA). The flux of water into

the tub from the underwater faucet can be calculated by

measuring water into and out of the tub, and any water stored

in the tub.
29

Smoke Management Guide

for Prescribed and Wildland

Fire: 2001 Edition

A new comprehensive smoke management guide has

been developed by scientists at the Fire Sciences

Laboratory in Missoula, Montana, along with other

Agency experts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the

Nature Conservancy and a private consultant.

Chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating

Group (NWCG), the 2001 edition of Smoke

Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire,

addresses methods for avoiding or reducing adverse

impacts of smoke on human health and welfare. A suite

of potential smoke management practices and techniques

are not only suggested in the guide, but their relative

effectiveness and regional specific applicability are also

provided. It emphasizes both emission and impact

reduction methods that have been found to be practical,

useful and beneficial. Readers will also find a greatly

expanded discussion of air quality regulatory

requirements, reflecting the growing complexities and

demands on today’s fire practitioners. Information was

acquired through three regional workshops held in

collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

(OAQPS). Over 80 experts contributed comments and

suggested revisions to drafts of the Guide. The EPA’s

OAQPS is considering adoption of the Guide as its

primary reference document for Best Available Control

Methodology with respect to smoke emissions from

wildland fires.

Fire practitioners from NWCG agencies and their

partners, local and county governments, nongovernmental organizations, industry and private

landowners, along with air quality managers and anyone

who needs to manage smoke responsibly, will find this

desktop guide beneficial. It is available from the

National Interagency Fire Center, attn: Great Basin

Cache Supply Office, 3833 S. Development Ave., Boise,

ID, order # NFES1279, price $3.91; Fax: 208-387-5573.

The document can be downloaded (pdf format) at http://

www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/SMG-72.pdf.

Additional information on research at the Fire

Sciences Laboratory is available at http://ww.firelab.org.

Smoke plume from a wildfire during stable atmospheric conditions. (photo by Roger Ottman)
30

The Role of Fire in

Ecosystem Processes and

Sensitive Species in

Southwestern Grasslands

Historically, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys

ludovicianus) ranged from Canada to Mexico throughout

the Great Plains and west to Arizona, but the species is

now considered uncommon or extirpated in many areas

of its former range. Many threatened and endangered

species depend on prairie dogs and their colonies (e.g.,

black-footed ferret, burrowing owl, Aplomado falcon,

swift fox). Because the black-tailed prairie dog

significantly influences ecosystem functions, it has been

considered a grassland keystone species. Scientists at the

Albuquerque, New Mexico Laboratory are conducting

studies in the Chihuahuan Desert grassland, applying

experimental fire and mowing treatments, in

combination with bison grazing, around pre-existing

prairie dog colonies to examine the effects of fire on

these sensitive species. Results will help determine

whether fire can facilitate the expansion and movement

of established black-tailed prairie dog colonies into areas

from which they have been extirpated. The long-term

management goal of this study is to use fire to catalyze a

self-sustaining dynamic between bison and prairie dogs.

Preliminary results have been highlighted in the August

2002 issue of Scientific American. This research is being

done in cooperation with New Mexico State University,

The Jornada Experimental Range of the Agricultural

Research Service, and the Turner Endangered Species

Fund.

Find out more about studies at the Albuquerque

laboratory by visiting http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/albuq.

Scientists are studying the effects of experimental fire on prairie dogs.
31

How Will Climate Change

Affect Forests?

Early studies on the effects of climate change on

forests focused on the ability of tree species to tolerate

temperature and moisture changes. Many scientists are

now recognizing – through modeling studies – the

importance of climate changes on disturbance regimes

that determine the character of forests. Trees can live for

centuries, and have slowly evolved to co-exist with

natural disturbances such as fire, drought, insects,

diseases, and severe storms, but how will they be

affected by a relatively rapid change in climate? In their

article “Climate Change and Forest Disturbances” in the

journal BioScience, a group of scientists with wideranging backgrounds discuss how climate change may

affect forests by altering the frequency, intensity,

duration, and timing of these natural disturbances, plus

the relatively new phenomenon of introduced species.

Scientists say that some effects will be positive, some

negative, some may cancel each other out, and effects

will likely vary geographically. A major problem,

however, is uncertainty: we are entering uncharted

waters. Thus, the authors suggest a variety of strategies

for coping with the possible effects of climate change:

• Managing the system before the disturbance to

reduce vulnerability and enhance recovery.

• Managing the disturbance itself to reduce impacts.

• Managing recovery to speed processes and reduce

future vulnerability.

• Managing to determine the impacts of disturbances

and effectiveness of recovery efforts – the concept of

adaptive management.

Read about it in:

Dale, Virginia M., Linda A. Joyce, Steve McNulty, and

others. 2001. Climate Change and Forest Disturbances. BioScience 51(9): 723-734.

Interactions among disturbances, climate change, forests and management

strategies.
32

Biological Control of Noxious

Weeds

The invasion of weeds onto forested lands of the

Northern Rockies, especially following wildfires is

becoming an increasingly important problem, which up

to now has been managed by spraying chemical

herbicides. Research is underway at the Bozeman,

Montana laboratory to develop and implement a new

management option, biological control, the importation,

release, and establishment of the natural enemies of

these weeds.

 Demonstration projects against yellowstar thistle and

leafy spurge are now in their fifth and sixth years and

have been found to be an effective method to convince

land managers that biological control will work in our

forest environment.

 Research to find and test new biological control

agents for forest weeds in 2002 culminated in the USDA

issuing scientists a permit to release a root boring moth

that attacks rush skeletonweed. A colony of this insect is

presently being reared at the Bozeman laboratory and

researchers are working with the Boise National Forest

in Idaho to make an initial field release.

The foliage feeding Cinnabar moth, which was

released in Montana in 1997, is now so well established

that its host, the poisonous weed tansy ragwort, has

completely disappeared over hundreds of acres around

the original research plots on the Flathead National

Forest. Releases made in 1999, in an area burned by

wildfires on the Kootenai National Forest were

confirmed in 2002 to also be established and rapidly

expanding, and scientists expect this moth to

successfully control this population of tansy in three to

five more years.

A setback was finding that this biological control

agent has failed to establish in adjacent unburned

forested lands. This year, five new releases were made in

unburned areas under tightly controlled conditions,

which will allow monitoring of these populations to

determine what environmental factors are preventing

establishment in unburned habitats. As a backup,

scientists are continuing efforts to find other biocontrol

agents that may work in unburned habitats. They have

been researching a small flea beetle, the larvae of which

attacks the roots of tansy, which they hope will be more

successful in this habitat. Previous efforts to introduce

this beetle were unsuccessful probably because the

insect used originated from Italy and was not adapted to

Montana winters. However, three years of research on

the biology, taxonomy, and feeding behavior of a new

flea beetle from Switzerland, resulted in obtaining a

permit to release this insect in North America.

Researchers are presently rearing a colony of this insect

in the Bozeman Laboratory in preparation for the first

field releases in spring 2003.

 In June 2002, scientists returned to Montana with

approximately 9000 adult stem-boring weevils, Mecinus

janthinus, obtained through APHIS from nursery sites in

Nelson, B.C. established by cooperators in the B.C.

Ministry of Forests and Agriculture and Agri-Food

Canada. Twenty new releases of M. janthinus were made

on both yellow and Dalmatian toadflax. Montana release

sites are currently located on Forest Service, BLM,

private, municipal and tribal lands. In July, gridsampling plots were set up on sites previously

established by the Biocontrol Lab at Montana State

University-Bozeman, and on Forest Service releases

made in 2002. General vegetation and specific toadflax

parameters were recorded and will continue to be

monitored at study sites in burned and non-burned areas

to determine if increase in weed abundance and

distribution is correlated with fire events. In addition,

spatially-registered foliar damage ratings and adult

mortality data from toadflax stem dissections will be

used to evaluate how habitat alteration by wildfire

impacts agent efficacy in host location, host attack and

dispersal. Observations from established sites indicate

that this agent requires approximately four years on a

site to become well established. One of these sites was a

release on yellow toadflax, thought to be a poor target

host for this agent.

 Find out more about these studies at http://

www.fs.fed.us/rm/ecology. Additional reading is offered

in:
33

 Markin, George P. 2001. Notes on the Biology and

Release of Caloptilia sp nr. Schinella (Walsingham)

(Lepidoptera: Gracilariidae), a Biological Control

Moth for the Control of the Weed Firetree (Myrica

faya Aiton) in Hawaii. Proc. Hawaiian Entomological

Society. 35: 67-76.

Trainor, M. A.; Maxwell, B. D.; and Markin, G. P. 2002.

Quantifying Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

Recruitment and Population Dynamics in Northwestern Montana. In: WSSA Abstracts, 2002 Meeting of

the Weed Science Society of America. February 11-

15, 2002; Reno, NV. Vol. 42. 15.

Trainor, Meghan A., Bruce D. Maxwell, and George P.

Markin. 2002. Variability in Tansy Ragwort (Senecio

jacobaea) Population Dynamics in a Range of

Environments. In: The Ecological Society of America

Abstracts, The Ecological Society of America 87th

Annual Meeting and Society for Ecological Restoration 14th Annual International Conference. August 4-

9, 2002; Tucson, AZ.

Flea beetles being released on leafy spurge

on the south fork of the Boise River, Sawtooth

National Forest, ID.

Leafy spurge has been eradicated by the flea

beetle and native grasses and forbs are

beginning to grow on the cleared hillside.
34

Forest Service

Research and

Development

in Arizona

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains five

research work units in Arizona. These units are located

at the Southwest Forest Science Complex, a federal/state

partnership between the Rocky Mountain Research

Station and Northern Arizona University’s College of

Ecosystem Science and Management.

Scientists conduct research on vegetation, watershed,

wildlife, and fisheries resources and their associated

Southwest ecosystems. The Station’s Fort Valley

Experimental Forest is located near Flagstaff on the

Coconino National Forest.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Southwest Forest Sciences Complex

2500 S. Pine Knoll

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(928) 556-2001

Fax: (928) 556-2130

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/flagstaff.html)

(http://www.rmrs.nau.edu/lab)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $5,502,000

Total Outside Funding: $1,864,578

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $1,379,395

Total Number of Scientist Positions: 13

Research Work Units

• Wildland-Urban Interface Fuels

Management and Forest Health Restoration

in the Southwest (RMRS-4156)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,667,000

Outside Funding: $736,688

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Investigate ways to reduce the risk of

catastrophic wildfires in wildland-urban interface areas

and restore and sustain the health and productivity of

southwestern forest ecosystems.

Our Research

Programs

Our research and development programs are regional, national, and international in scope and application. This

section covers our programs based on the state in which they are located.

Total FY2002 Station Appropriation: $36,659,000

Total Outside Funding: $19,499,327

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $8,192,000

Total Number of Scientist Years: 112 (scientist year = one scientist working one full year)

(In addition to the outside funding shown above for the research work units, the Station’s library and publications

units are supported by $155,000 in outside funding.)

Flagstaff, AZ
35

• Sustainability of Southwest Forest and

Woodland Terrestrial Ecological Systems

(RMRS-4251)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,837,000

Outside Funding: $1,100,910

National Fire Plan Funding: $185,458

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Acquire, develop and apply new knowledge

and technology to guide ecosystem management to

sustain selected, but critical, components – soils, flora,

fauna, habitats – of population, community and

landscape ecological systems in southwestern forests

and woodlands.

This white-breasted nuthatch nestling was banded to help

study population demographics of secondary cavity nesting

species.

“For over 10 years, we have been involved with scientists at your Flagstaff

laboratory, determining habitat needs and trends for the Mexican spotted owl

(MSO) and northern goshawk. The resulting flow of information has guided the

Region in development of standards and guidelines for forest and grazing

management. Regional Wildland Urban Interface projects with related long-term

studies will be instrumental in refining our knowledge of effects on MSO,

providing critical information, and offering a scientific basis for use in expected

future litigation.” (Larry Cosper, USDA Forest Service, Wildlife, Fish and Rare

Plants, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM)

Collecting data to determine the effects of

forest thinning on Mexican spotted owls

and their prey, Lincoln National Forest,

NM.
36

• Sustainability of Riparian Ecological

Systems in Southwestern Forests and

Woodlands (RMRS-4302)

FY2002 Appropriation: $865,000

Outside Funding: $22,000

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 3

Mission: Investigate the interrelationships among

hydrologic, geomorphic, and biotic processes that affect

fish habitat, riparian vegetation, channel dynamics, and

instream water flow. Work is underway to help

determine, predict and manage the effects of prescribed

fires, wildfires, grazing, vegetation management, and

other activities on riparian ecosystems.

• Ecological Roles of Insects and Pathogens

in Coniferous Forests of the Interior West

(RMRS-4152)

FY2002 Appropriation: $715,000

Outside Funding: $5,000

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 3

Mission: Understand the roles of insects and

pathogens as agents of disturbance and regulators of

ecosystem processes in western coniferous forests.

Scientists are also developing methods to assess and

predict their effects for use in the decision support and

planning processes used by forest managers,

silviculturists, and forest health protection specialists.

• Achieving Ecosystem Management in

Southwestern Borderlands (RMRS-4651)

FY2002 Appropriation: $418,000

Outside Funding: $0

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Develop methods to restore natural

processes and sustain the health and productivity of

grassland and woodland ecosystems in the Borderlands

area of the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

“Since 1993, we have been closely involved in a

cooperative program of work with your scientists in

Flagstaff, investigating the relationships of land

management activities to the water quality and

aquatic habitats of the Apache Trout streams on the

West Fork Grazing Allotment. The Station provided

our Forest with high-quality scientific data and

analyses about fish and their habitats, and ungulate

effects on Apache Trout recovery streams, complete

with recommendations. It is cutting edge work that

is critical to the successful management of these

native fish species and their habitats.” (John

Bedell, Forest Supervisor, Apache-Sitgreaves

National Forest, Springerville, AZ)
37

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains

seven research work units and the Stream Systems

Technology Center, all located at Station headquarters in

Fort Collins, Colorado. Three of the units have national

charters. They support the Forest Service and other

federal land management agencies on technology related

to natural resource inventory, monitoring, economics

and land management planning. Other units focus on

regional issues related to fisheries and watersheds,

climate change and air resources, recreation benefits,

biological diversity, and ecological processes and

ecosystem health.

Station headquarters is located in the Natural

Resources Research Center in Fort Collins. This stateof-the-art facility is a Station-led partnership among

eight federal agencies and is near the Colorado State

University campus.

The Station’s Fraser Experimental Forest is located

on the Arapaho National Forest in central Colorado, and

the Manitou Experimental Forest is on the Pike-San

Isabel National Forest, northwest of Colorado Springs.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. A

Fort Collins, CO 80526

(970) 295-5000

Fax: (970) 295-5959

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/ftcollins.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriation: $7, 264,000

Total Outside Funding: $2,211,280

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $1,007,683

Total Number of Scientist Years: 28

Research Work Units

• Research to Sustain Fish and Watershed

Components of Aquatic and Riparian

Ecosystems in the Central Rocky Mountains

and Northern Great Plains (RMRS-4352)

(This unit is co-located in Fort Collins and Laramie,

WY at the Station’s Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 222

South 22nd Street, Laramie, WY 82070, [307] 742-6621,

Fax: [307] 745-2397)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,756,000

Outside Funding: $511,925

Number of Scientist Years: 6

Mission: Better understand aquatic and riparian

ecosystems, particularly the interactions between

vegetation, hydrology, water channels, and aquatic

habitat and fisheries, and how they are affected by land

and water management practices.

Fort Collins, CO

As part of the Cold-land Processes Field Experiment, scientists

collect ground, airborne and satellite data to help develop tools

for forecasting, estimating and modeling water and energy

balances in cold regions.
38

• Sustaining Alpine and Forest Ecosystems

Under Atmospheric and Terrestrial

Disturbances (RMRS-4451)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,870,000

Outside Funding: $221,107

National Fire Plan Funding: $868,390

Number of Scientist Years: 7

Mission: Develop and refine the knowledge and

technology needed to understand, model and manage

vegetation and ecosystem processes that help sustain

alpine, forest, and woodland ecosystems.

“Station entomologists continue to assist our forest

health personnel in testing research applications for

control of bark beetles. This work is absolutely

critical to successful completion of our bark beetle

control projects.” (Mike Retzlaff, Regional

Economist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain

Region, Denver, CO)

• Research on Sustaining Social, Biological

and Physical Components of Colorado Front

Range Ecosystems (RMRS-4653)

FY2002 Appropriation: $105,000

Outside Funding: $1,024,355

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Devise strategies to manage public lands

along the Colorado Front Range in ways that will sustain

ecosystems while addressing the needs and desires of

society.

• Forest Inventory and Monitoring

Environmetrics (RMRS-4804)

FY2002 Appropriation: $678,000

Outside Funding: $157,054

Number of Scientist Years: 3

Mission: Develop, validate, and transfer scientifically

credible methods of mathematical statistics for the

Forest Inventory and Analysis programs across the

United States to assist in more timely and useful

inventory and monitoring of forest lands.

• Identification and Valuation of Wildland

Resource Benefits (RMRS-4851)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,021,000

Outside Funding: $74,290

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Develop new methods and test the validity

and reliability of current methods used to measure

people’s values for natural resources, including

environmental amenities. Research emphasizes the

relationships of human values and experiences to

attributes of the environment and economic transactions.

Scientists also assist resource managers in applying

state-of-the-art economic and social science analyses.

Work is underway to develop methods for

measuring the values people place on natural

resources.
39

• Natural Resource Assessment, Ecology,

and Management Science Research (RMRS4852)

FY2002 Appropriation: $986,000

Outside Funding: $0

National Fire Plan Funding: $139,293

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Provide improved technology and methods

for quantitative resource management planning and

analysis. Researchers incorporate the dimensions of

human-caused and natural disturbances into analysis

tools to support forest planning.

• Stream Systems Technology Center

FY2002 Appropriation: $848,000

Outside Funding: $222,549

Mission: Identify the streamflow regimes needed to

maintain instream and riparian values for different water

channel types. Specialists determine the consequences of

changed flow regimes to on-site and downstream

channel functions and values. They also identify how

instream flow needs are affected by water diversions and

land use activities.

“Since 2001, we have been involved with Brian

Kent and various research cooperators in applying

the Values/Objectives/Attitudes/Behaviors work to

Forest Planning. The White River National Forest

used this research to improve responsiveness to

local interests and bolster the social effects

analysis.” (Mike Retzlaff, Regional Economist,

USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region,

Denver, CO)

“Larry Schmidt assisted me and others in planning

and conducting an organization-building exercise

for the BLM National Science and Technology

Center’s Division of Science. Thank you so much for

making Larry available to generously spend his

time with us. This challenging workshop was a

success in large measure as a result of his

contributions as a facilitator.” (Charisse Sydoriak,

Bureau of Land Management)
40

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Idaho

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains four

research work units at two Forestry Sciences

Laboratories in Idaho, one in Boise and one in Moscow.

 Scientists at Boise conduct integrated research that

relates land use activities to the quality of riparian and

aquatic environments. Areas of focus include: the

evaluation and management of sensitive aquatic species;

watershed processes that constrain and influence the

quality of the habitats for those species; and the

interrelationships of riparian-stream ecosystems.

Research at the Moscow facility centers on biology

and ecological genetics of Interior West forests,

including biometric methods to quantify changes in

forest composition and structure over time and across

landscapes; root disease management practices and soil

management techniques to sustain productivity of the

cedar, hemlock, grand fir, and Douglas-fir ecosystems of

the Inland Northwest; and cost-effective methods of

predicting and avoiding or minimizing impacts of forest

roads on soil and water resources on steep unstable lands.

The Station maintains three experimental sites in

Idaho: the Boise Basin Experimental Forest on the Boise

National Forest and the Deception Creek and Priest

River Experimental Forest on the Idaho Panhandle

National Forests.

USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Rocky Mountain Research

Station Station

Forestry Sciences Forestry Sciences

Laboratory Laboratory

316 East Myrtle Street 1221 South Main Street

Boise, ID 83702 Moscow, ID 83843-2321

(208) 373-4340 (208) 883-2321

Fax: (208) 373-4391 Fax: (208) 883-2318

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise) (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

main/labs/moscow.html)

(http://forest.moscowfsl.wsu.edu)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $5,510,000

Total Outside Funding: $1,750,115

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $1,381,784

Total Number of Scientist Years: 17

Research Work Units

• Watershed and Aquatic Ecosystem

Research (Boise) (RMRS-4353)

FY2002 Appropriations: $1,952,000

Outside Funding: $844,361

National Fire Plan Funding: $277,789

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Conduct research on aquatic and terrestrial

processes and the effects of disturbance to assist

managers in conserving diverse, resilient and productive

aquatic ecosystems. Findings will help managers

prioritize limited resources and focus conservation and

restoration efforts while addressing other management

goals.

Boise, ID

Moscow, ID

This scientist is estimating the abundance of fish by snorkeling

in streams with a broad range of habitat and environmental

conditions. Models developed from these studies can be used to

improve the information collected by biologists working on

sensitive species, and to guide more efficient use of monitoring

and inventory funding.
41

“The technical assistance provided by Nancy Shaw

regarding native plants has been invaluable to our

success. This cooperative working atmosphere

between the Rocky Mountain Research Station and

our nursery is extremely important to the overall

success of both our programs.” (Clark Fleege,

Nursery Manager, USDA Forest Service, Lucky

Peak Nursery, ID)

“Our office has been working closely with your

Boise Aquatic Sciences Lab to gain a better

understanding of the relationship of temperature

with the distribution of interior Columbia River

Basin salmonids. EPA has utilized this expertise for

several projects since 1997. The Lab’s work has

been an important piece and is critical to EPA’s

efforts to develop meaningful temperature criteria

for use by the states and tribes of the Pacific

Northwest and the Rocky Mountain regions. Your

work is always of the highest quality and

professional standards. Products and information

we receive from your lab have a high level of

credibility within the scientific community.”

(Donald Martin, Senior Natural Resource Advisor,

Environmental Protection Agency, Coeur d’Alene,

ID)

• Forest Ecosystem Development and

Management (Moscow) (RMRS-4155)

FY2002 Appropriations: $1,450,000

Outside Funding: $93,917

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 4

Mission: Conduct research on ecological processes

and forest dynamics that expands our understanding of

Interior West forest biology and ecological genetics in

support of forest science and management.

• Root Diseases and Soil Biology (Moscow)

(RMRS-4552)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,052,000

Outside Funding: $183,000

National Fire Plan Funding: $198,990

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Conduct research on the role of microbes as

they regulate the growth, development and/or restoration

of western conifer ecosystems; evaluate how microbes are

affected by forest mangement; and develop methods for

preserving or modifying key processes to enhance longterm forest sustainability, productivity, health and vigor.

“Our Coeur d’Alene field office has been closely

involved with researchers at our Moscow

laboratory, dealing with blister rust and root

diseases. The expertise of Geral McDonald in

building a blister rust model has been especially

crucial. In addition, we have been involved in

cooperative projects with Barbara Bentz, testing the

efficacy of verbenone pouches for protecting trees

and stands from mountain pine beetle attack. The

results of these projects should provide a valuable

tool in managing mountain pine beetle in whitebark

pine and lodgepole pine stands.” (John Schwandt,

Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service,

Northern Region, Coeur d’Alene, ID)
42

• Soil and Water Engineering (Moscow)

(RMRS-4702)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,056,000

Outside Funding: $628,837

National Fire Plan Funding: $507,026

Number of Scientist Years: 3

Mission: Gain an increased understanding of forest

soil erosion processes in order to develop management

tools and practices to reduce on-site soil erosion and offsite sedimentation resulting from forest disturbances,

including roads, forest operations and fires.

“Personnel from the Rocky Mountain Research Station have been extremely

service oriented. I have much praise for their generosity and cooperation in

helping use their research products. Some recent examples: Nick Crookston

helped us out with efforts on endangered species. On short notice, we asked

Kevin Ryan and Rick Stratten of the Missoula Fire Lab to help us develop a

FARSITE fire behavior analysis for a fire shelter entrapment investigation report.

They used fuel-modeling information from their Southern Utah Fuels

Demonstration Project to create a fire behavior scenario for us. Jack Cohen

cleared a jam-packed schedule to speak at our Great Basin Fuels Committee

meeting in Jackson Hole, WY. Bobbie Bartlett helped us analyze the NVDI

greenness maps for a politically sensitive situation in Nevada. The list could

easily go on and on.” (Dave Thomas, Regional Fuels Specialist, USDA Forest

Service, Ogden, UT)
43

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Montana

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains four

research facilities in Montana: Forestry Sciences

Laboratories in Missoula and Bozeman; and the Aldo

Leopold Wilderness Research Institute and the Fire

Sciences Laboratory in Missoula.

Scientists also conduct studies on the Coram

Experimental Forest on the Flathead National Forest,

and the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest on the

Lewis and Clark National Forest.

USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Rocky Mountain Research

Station Station

Forestry Sciences Forestry Sciences

Laboratory Laboratory

800 East Beckwith 1648 South 7th Avenue

PO Box 8089 MSU Campus, Bldg. 278

Missoula, MT 59807 Bozeman, MT 59717-0278

(406) 542-4150 (406) 994-4852

Fax: (406) 543-2663 Fax: (406) 994-5916

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/ (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

labs/missoula.html) main/labs/bozeman.html)

Aldo Leopold Wilderness Intermountain Fire Science

Research Institute Laboratory

790 East Beckwith PO Box 8089

PO Box 8089 5775 West Highway 10

Missoula, MT 59807 Missoula, MT 59802

(406) 542-4190 (406) 329-4848

Fax: (406) 542-4196 Fax: (406) 329-4825

(http://www.wilderness.net/ (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm

leopold) main/labs/miss_fire.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $7,854,000

Total Outside Funding: $7,354,963

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $3,116,971

Total Number of Scientist Years: 28

Research Work Units

• Forest Ecology and Management (unit is

co-located in Bozeman and Missoula)

(RMRS-4151)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,217,000

Outside Funding: $174,583

National Fire Plan Funding: $716,362

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Provide knowledge and guidelines to sustain

ecosystem integrity, improve forest health, and enhance

social values in the Central and Northern Rocky

Mountains, including Montana, east-central Idaho,

northwest Wyoming, and northern Utah.

Missoula, MT

Bozeman, MT

On the Tendefoot Creek Experimental Forest, MT,

scientists collect data on winter precipitation as they

study ecosystem-based treatments of sustainable

forest management of lodgepole pine forests.
44

• Wildlife Ecology in Rocky Mountain

Landscapes (unit is co-located in Laramie,

WY and Missoula) (RMRS-4201)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,036,000

Outside Funding: $1,504,071

Number of Scientist Years: 4

Mission: Develop wildlife habitat information at

multiple spatial scales to use in managing and

conserving wildlife in forest and grassland ecosystems

of the Rocky Mountains.

“Ward McCaughey and his staff from your Missoula, MT facility have been the

critical link between the research community and the Lewis and Clark National

Forest. Fire history studies implemented on the Experimental Forest have

provided valuable insights to the development of multi-aged lodgepole pine

stands in the Northern Rockies. The Forest expects to benefit directly as a result

of the studies on recently implemented harvest projects.” (Timothy Benedict,

District Ranger, Lewis and Clark National Forest, White Sulphur Springs, MT)

“The University of Montana has developed a strong working relationship with

Ward McCaughey at your Bozeman, MT laboratory and Robert Ahl at your

Missoula, MT laboratory. We are presently collaborating on several research

projects, including a study of snow accumulation, snowmelt and soil water

storage in thinned lodgepole pine stands at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental

Forest. The results of this research will provide critical information to support

the sustainable management of northern Rocky Mountain forests and their

associated aquatic resources.” (Dr. Scott Woods, School of Forestry, University

of Montana, Missoula, MT)

Studies are underway on the invasive knapweed, which

appears to reduce native plant and insect resources that

form the diet of many wildlife species, such as the chipping

sparrow.
45

• Economic Aspects of Forest Management

on Public Lands (Missoula) (RMRS-4802)

FY2002 Appropriation: $368,000

Outside Funding: $208,412

National Fire Plan Funding: $179,070

Number of Scientist Years: 2

Mission: Develop information, methodology and

models needed to better integrate analyses of economic

efficiency and economic effects into forest management

decisions on public lands.

• Bitterroot Ecosystem Research Program

(Missoula) (RMRS-4654)

FY2002 Appropriation: $426,000

Outside Funding: $15,000

Number of Scientist Years: 0.3

Mission: Strengthen the scientific theory and practice

of managing Rocky Mountain ecosystems at the

landscape level in the context of social, economic, and

ecological opportunities and constraints.

• Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research

Institute (Missoula)

FY2002 Appropriation: $887,000

Outside Funding: $637,186

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 4

Mission: Develop knowledge needed to improve

management of wilderness and other natural areas to

assure high-quality experiences while maintaining

ecosystem integrity. The Institute, which is the nation’s

only federal research facility dedicated to this task,

provides a national center for scientists from different

disciplines and land management agencies to address

wilderness research needs.

“Since 1994, the Bitterroot National Forest has worked closely with the Rocky

Mountain Research Station labs in Missoula and the University of Montana in a

unique partnership called the Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research

Project. This partnership has resulted in a host of research projects which have

helped forest managers with questions associated with managing weeds to

restoring dry, low-elevation ponderosa pine ecosystems. Most recently, many

research projects were developed to help land managers and others understand

the effects and ecosystem relationships as a result of the fires of 2000. This

partnership has proven to be invaluable.” (Jeanne Higgins, Stevensville Ranger

District, Bitterroot National Forest, Montana)
46

The Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula is the

world’s leading facility for research on wildland fire.

The following three research work units collaborate to

provide the science and technology needed by managers

to understand fire and smoke behavior and fire effects to

better manage the forests and rangelands of the U.S. and

around the world.

Research Work Units

• Fire Behavior (RMRS-4401)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,589,000

Outside Funding: $1,131,873

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Conduct research on wildland fire behavior

to help land managers in prefire planning and

management, fire suppression, and prescribed burning to

better manage and protect the environment, life, and

property.

• Fire Effects (RMRS-4403)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,377,000

Outside Funding: $2,816,959

National Fire Plan Funding: $397,979

Number of Scientist Years: 6

Mission: Determine the effects of fire on forest,

range, and wetland ecosystems. Researchers provide

practical guides and information systems so that land

managers can better apply fire effects knowledge in land

management decisions. Their findings provide a

scientific basis for when and how to use prescribed fire

to treat fuels and restore fire-dependent ecosystems, and

manage vegetation in the wildland-urban interface.

“Our Region has partnered with the Rocky Mountain Research Station to better

understand the consequences of the Hayman and other large wildfires. Researchers

and our fire specialists have worked together to improve knowledge of ecological,

economic and social impacts of fire. These data will help the assessment of potential

fuels reduction, rehabilitation and wildfire strategies.” (Mike Retzlaff, Regional

Economist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Denver, CO)

Collecting fuel samples during a

fire/fire surrogate prescribed

burn. Research results will help

determine the consequences and

tradeoffs of alternative fire and

fire surrogate restoration

treatments.
47

• Fire Chemistry (RMRS-4404)

FY2002 Appropriation: $954,000

Outside Funding: $866,879

National Fire Plan Funding: $1,027,582

Number of Scientist Years: 2

Mission: Characterize fuel composition, combustion

processes, and smoke emissions from wildfires and

prescribed burning in tropical, temperate and boreal

ecosystems. Research results provide critical

information on the extent of biomass burning and smoke

emissions that can be applied to improve smoke

management, regional air quality, and global

atmospheric chemistry and climate models.

“Following the significant fire event of 2000 on the Bitterroot National Forest, RMRS

scientists provided technical assistance and advice on the Burned Area Recovery

Project. This information has been used extensively by Bitterroot managers and those

from other National Forests in planning and implementing post-fire recovery projects.

Our forest also benefited from the assistance of the Station’s Dr. Kevin Ryan, who

organized and managed a scientific peer review of the Burned Area Recovery Draft

Environmental Impact Statement. Reviewer’s comments were used to strengthen the

science used in the final EIS.” (Spike Thompson, Deputy Forest Supervisor, Bitterroot

National Forest, MT)
48

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Nebraska

The USDA National Agroforestry Center, located in

Lincoln, Nebraska, pioneers the development of

agroforestry, a science and practice that integrates

agriculture and forestry land uses. The partnership

combines resources of the USDA Forest Service and

Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop and

apply agroforestry technologies in appropriate

conservation and/or production systems for farms,

ranches, and communities. The Center oversees a

Technology Transfer and Applications Program that

works with a national network of cooperators to develop

and distribute agroforestry technical information

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

National Agroforestry Center

University of Nebraska - East Campus

Lincoln, NE 68583-0822

(402) 437-5178

Fax: (402) 437-5712

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/lab/lincoln.html)

(http://www.un/edu/uac)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $626,000

Total Outside Funding: $151,684

Total State and Private Funding: $415,000

Total Number of Scientist Years: 2

Research Work Units

• Tree-based Buffer Technologies for

Sustainable Land Use in the Central U.S.

(RMRS-4551)

FY2002 Appropriation: $626,000

Outside Funding: $151,684

Number of Scientist Years: 2

Mission: Understand the functions and processes of

riparian and upland tree-based buffer technologies and

utilize this information to design plantings that integrate

trees into land use systems to restore ecological functions

and provide environmental services and economic

opportunities.

Lincoln, NE

Research is helping understand how riparian and upland tree

buffers protect water quality, enhance aquatic and terrestrial

environments, and sequester carbon.
49

Forest Service

Research and

Development in

Nevada

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains one

research unit and the Great Basin Interdisciplinary

Ecosystem Management Program in Reno, Nevada.

Researchers are examining the response of both upland

communities, especially those associated with pinyonjuniper woodlands, and riparian ecosystems to past and

present climate change and human disturbance in the

Great Basin.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

University of Nevada

920 Valley Road

Reno, NV 89512

(775)784-5329

Fax: (775) 784-4583

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/reno.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $514,000

Total Outside Funding: $202,732

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $119,394

Total Number of Scientist Years: 2

Research Work Units

•Ecology, Paleoecology, and Restoration of

Great Basin Watersheds (RMRS-4252)

FY2002 Appropriation: $301,000

Outside Funding: $0

National Fire Plan Funding: $119,394

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Increase understanding of the effects of both

long-term climate change processes and more recent

natural and anthropogenic disturbances on Great Basin

ecosystems and watersheds, and use this understanding

to devise meaningful scenarios for their restoration and

management.

• Great Basin Interdisciplinary Ecosystem

Management Project (RMRS-4655)

FY2002 Appropriation: $213,000

Outside Funding: $202,732

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Achieve a better understanding of the

structure and functioning of riparian ecosystems and

watersheds within the Great Basin, and develop

management guidelines for maintaining or restoring

their integrity.

Reno, NV

As part of an effort funded by the Joint Fire

Sciences Program, these crews are

condicting prescribed burns in central

Nevada to study the effects of fire on, and

recovery of, pinyon-juniper ecosystems.
50

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in New Mexico

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains

three research work units at the Forestry Sciences

Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2001, the

lab co-located with the Forest Service’s Southwestern

Region at a new facility in downtown Albuquerque.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

333 Broadway S.E., #115

Albuquerque, NM 87102-3497

(505) 724-3660

Fax: (505) 724-3688

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/albuq.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $1,618,000

Total Outside Funding: $1,105,252

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $709,198

Total Number of Scientist Years: 9

Research Work Units

• Ecology, Recovery, and Sustainability of

Grassland and Riparian Ecosystems and

Wildlife in the Southwest (RMRS-4351)

FY2002 Appropriation: $743,000

Outside Funding: $1,042,952

National Fire Plan Funding: $382,060

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Develop new methods and knowledge

needed to restore damaged ecosystems and recover

sensitive and endangered species resulting from

disturbances and degradation of southwestern and

southern-plains grasslands and riparian areas.

Albuquerque, NM

Scientists are evaluating the use of herbicides, reseeding,

biocontrol and fire as methods for controlling the yellow

starthistle weed that has invaded parts of the Southwestern U.S.

“Just wanted to let you know how much I have relied upon the excellent book

you put together on grazing issues in the Southwest. I have used it as a reference

time and time again. It is so thoroughly researched and well-written. I have

found it to be an outstanding resource.” (Michele Merola Zwartjes, USDA

Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO)
51

• Ecology, Diversity, and Sustainability of

Soil, Plant, Animal, and Human Resources of

the Rio Grande Basin (RMRS-4652)

FY2002 Appropriation: $418,000

Outside Funding: $0

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Provide new information on the Rio Grande

Basin ecosystem, with primary focus on the central

basin in New Mexico. Studies focus on the influence of

watersheds and management activities on riparian

systems, biological diversity of riparian areas, and

socioeconomic and historic responses to changes in land

use.

• Cultural Heritage Research (RMRS-4853)

FY2002 Appropriation: $457,000

Outside Funding: $62,300

National Fire Plan Funding: $327,138

Number of Scientist Years: 3

Mission: Support efficient and effective land

management by improving understanding of sustainable

relationships between communities and their

environments, diversity in communities of land users,

and human communities modifying landscapes through

time.

“During the last three years, scientists at your Albuquerque laboratory have been

hard at work developing knowledge on status and trends of selected populations

of threatened and endangered species, game, neotropical migratory birds and

management indicator species. This work will culminate in grazing assessments

for a number of species and scientific support to regulations concerning

monitoring of habitat and population trends.” (Larry Cosper, USDA Forest

Service, Wildlife, Fish and Rare Plants, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM)

“The Rocky Mountain Research Station continues to provide leadership in areas

related to values of users in the Southwest. In particular, Carol Raish’s work on

the cultural aspects of livestock ranching and other pieces have great application

in our management. This type of work provides insights to the many different

values and beliefs our stakeholders process. Other scientists throughout the

Station have always been quick to respond and eager to help apply their research

on the ground.” (Davie Seesholtz, Regional Social Science Coordinator, USDA

Forest Service, Taos, NM)
52

Forest Service

Research and

Development in

North Dakota

Although there are no Station research work units

currently located in North Dakota, the Station conducts

research throughout the Great Plains that benefits the

residents of North Dakota. For instance, the research

work unit located in Rapid City, South Dakota is

working to protect and restore grassland ecosystems

while providing benefits and maintaining commodity

outputs. Scientists are also investigating ways to

maintain viable populations of such animal and plant

species as the black-footed ferret, swift fox, ferruginous

hawk, mountain plover, burrowing owl, the prairie

fringed orchid, milkvetch, and Dakota buckwheat.

Finally, work is underway on the effects of fire, climate

change, and grazing on the prairie landscapes of the

northern and central Great Plains, as well as on the

interactions of gamebirds and big game species with

livestock. The Station maintains cooperative working

relationships with researchers and other resource

specialists throughout North Dakota.

Rapid City, SD

Forest Service

Research and

Development in

South Dakota

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains one

research work unit, the Center for Great Plains

Ecosystem Research, in Rapid City.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

1730 Samco Road

Rapid City, SD 57702

(605) 394-1960

Fax: (605) 394- 6627

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/rapidcity.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $809,000

Total Outside Funding: $134,627

Total Number of Scientist Years: 3

Black-backed (pictured) and three-toed

woodpeckers are being studied to learn more

about their foraging and nesting habitats,

estimated populations, human-induced

disturbances, and if the habitat capability model

HABCAP represents an accurate depiction of

habitat selection patterns.
53

Research Work Units

• Management for Sustainable Ecological

Systems on the Northern and Central Great

Plains (RMRS-4254)

Mission: Increase knowledge and develop

technology to manage for sustainability the grassland

and forested ecological systems of the Great Plains.

Scientists are studying the mechanisms and processes

that affect populations of both plants and animals,

including threatened, endangered and sensitive species.

Work is underway on the ecological community

relationships between and among plants, animals and

livestock in the prairies and forests of the Great Plains.

Understanding these relationships and applying these

principles is crucial for landscape management and

monitoring. Scientists are also investigating how

ecological stresses influence the sustainability and

viability of landscapes.

“The Station has assisted and benefited the Black

Hills National Forest Phase II Amendment Process

by providing valuable support in the scoping

process, which enhanced the effectiveness of public

involvement for the forest plan; in peer reviewing

and publishing our animal and plant species

assessments, thereby improving their scientific

credibility; and in providing useful citations through

research in the Black Hills, resulting in a more

informed staff that can better carry out the

amendment to the Black Hills Forest Plan.” (Mike

Retzlaff, Regional Economist, USDA Forest Service,

Rocky Mountain Region, Denver, CO)

“In a word, the research staff at RMRS has been

truly cooperative, customer-oriented, and generous

with their time and energy. I’m always amazed at

the deep commitment these men and women have in

furthering the cause of land management and

conservation using scientific practices developed

through research.” (Dave Thomas, USDA Forest

Service, Ogden, UT)
54

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Utah

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains four

research work units in Utah: two in Logan, one in

Ogden, and one in Provo. An administrative service

center is also located in Ogden.

The Station maintains the Desert Experimental Range

in southeastern Utah, and the Great Basin Experimental

Range on the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Rocky Mountain Research

Station Station

Forestry Sciences Forestry Sciences

Laboratory Laboratory

860 North 12th East 507 25th Street

Logan, UT 84321 Ogden, UT 84401

(435) 755-3590 (801) 625-5388

Fax: (435) 755-3560 Fax: (801) 625-5723

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/ (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

main/labs/logan.html) main/labs/ogden.html)

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/

ogden)

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Shrub Sciences Laboratory

735 North 500 East

Provo, UT 84606

(801) 356-5100

Fax: (801) 375-6968

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/provo.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $6,547,000

Total Outside Funding: $4,722,431

Total National Fire Plan Funding: $477,575

Total Number of Scientist Years: 10

Research Work Units

• Disturbed Land Reclamation (Logan)

(RMRS-4301)

FY2002 Appropriation: $256,000

Outside Funding: $473,580

Number of Scientist Years: 2

Mission: Find ways to better understand and manage

lands and streams disturbed by human activities and

natural events such as mining, floods, and landslides,

and investigate aspen dynamics and ways to restore

aspen stands at the landscape level.

Ogden

Provo, UT

Logan

Researchers are studying the ability of wetlands to attenuate

the mobility of selenium and other trace elements from early

mining operations, thus protecting downstream waters.

“Since 1998, the USGS Minerals Resources Program

has collaborated with Michael Amacher at your

Logan Laboratory to investigate transport and

retention of selenium through a wetland formed from

seepage at the base of a mine dump in Idaho. The

release and mobility of selenium in the environment is

a topic of critical importance to both ecosystem and

human health concerns. Through our collaboration,

we’ve been able to assess the concentrations of

selenium in surface and porewaters, sediments, soils

and vegetation. We’ve begun to identify and

understand the processes that distribute selenium

between these environmental reservoirs, as well as the
55

• Bark Beetle Disturbance Ecology (Logan)

(RMRS-4501)

FY2002 Appropriation: $623,000

Outside Funding: $71,885

Number of Scientist Years: 2

Mission: Develop a scientifically credible knowledge

base of ecological disturbances associated with bark

beetles in coniferous forests. Apply this information in

effective management options designed to maintain or

restore these forests into productive, sustainable

ecosystems at stand, landscape, and regional levels.

“Forest Health Protection entomologists in Idaho and

Utah have been working cooperatively with Station

entomologists to address a number of issues regarding

native bark beetles. Research by your scientists has

contributed significantly to the forest health extension

program we administer to federal and state resource

management agencies in the Rocky Mountain area.

Previous and ongoing Station research continues to be

an excellent resource for us and our federal and state

cooperators.” (Steve Munson, Forest Health

Protection, Intermountain Region, USDA Forest

Service, Ogden, UT)

• Interior West Resource Inventory,

Monitoring and Evaluation (Ogden)

(RMRS-4801)

FY2002 Appropriation: $4,491,000

Outside Funding: $2,360,971

Number of Scientist Years: 1

Mission: Maintain a comprehensive inventory of the

status and trends of the country’s diverse forest

ecosystems, their use, and their health.

 “The Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Ogden, UT

has conducted a series of studies, through an

agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, on the

effects of selenium on natural resources in the

Phosphate Mining District of Southeastern Idaho.

These studies have provided the Caribou-Targee

National Forest with critical data for both

administration of active phosphate mines and

criteria for mine clean-up decision making.” (Jack

Troyer, Regional Forester, Intermountain Region,

USDA Forest Service, Ogden, UT)

processes that make selenium available to

bioreceptors. To date, the collaboration has produced

two open-file reports, and currently there are two book

chapters, one journal article and another open-file

report in preparation.” (Lisa Stillings, US Geological

Survey, Reno, NV)

Forest inventory data is collected to help determine and track

the status and trends of the nation’s forests.
56

• Shrubland Biology and Restoration

(Provo) (RMRS-4253)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,177,000

Outside Funding: $1,815,994

National Fire Plan Funding: $477,575

Number of Scientist Years: 5

Mission: Develop knowledge, plant materials, and

technology for successful long-term restoration of

diverse shrubland plant communities to meet resource

needs and values.

The Bureau of Land Management has a long-running cooperative program with

the Shrub Sciences Laboratory in Provo, UT to provide restoration expertise and

solutions to Great Basin BLM personnel. Station scientists have been

instrumental in developing plant materials and technology to restore degraded

public lands. These advances and technical assistance have been very important

in improving the success of our Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and

Rehabilitation Program and wildlife habitat restoration efforts. We have always

appreciated the dedication of your scientists and the important contributions that

they have made to the science of restoration and getting this information to BLM

employees through publications, workshops, individual technical assistance and

scientific symposiums.” (Mike Pellant, Rangeland Ecologist, Bureau of Land

Management, Boise, ID)
57

Forest Service

Research and

Development Development

in Wyoming

The Rocky Mountain Research Station maintains one

research work unit at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory

in Laramie, WY. The project is co-located at Station

headquarters in Fort Collins, CO. Scientists study

watershed processes, wildlife and fisheries, and their

associated habitats. Other Station projects, located in

Fort Collins, conduct research at the Glacier Lakes

Ecosystem Experiments Site on the Medicine Bow

National Forest in southern Wyoming.

USDA Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

222 South 22nd Street

Laramie, WY 82070

(307) 742-6621

Fax: (307) 745-2397

(http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/labs/laramie.html)

Total FY2002 Appropriations: $1,756,000

Total Outside Funding: $511,925

Total Number of Scientist Years: 6

Research Work Units

• Research on Sustaining Fish and

Watershed Components of Aquatic and

Riparian Ecosystems in the Central Rocky

Mountains and Northern Great Plains

(RMRS-4352)

(project is co-located at Station headquarters in Fort

Collins, CO)

FY2002 Appropriation: $1,756,000

Outside Funding: $511,925

Number of Scientist Years: 6

Mission: Develop guidelines to sustain aquatic and

riparian ecoysystems by studying vegetation patterns,

runoff, and stream characteristics and how nutrients and

chemicals move through forested watersheds. Findings

describe how these factors affect fish such as native

cutthroat trout.

Laramie, WY

 “Station scientists have been important partners with the Rocky Mountain

Region Species Conservation Project. They have reviewed species assessment

protocols, helped explore reference model concepts, and provided consultation

for the aquatic/riparian/wetland ecosystem assessment effort. Benefits to our

Region include the added value of critical science rigor, clarification of critical

features of the reference models, and clear direction for this strategic regional

project, which is vital to making species and ecosystem assessments useful for

alternative analysis and decision making.” (Mike Retzlaff, Regional Economist,

USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Denver, CO)
58

• Project Leader Kevin Ryan was part of a team that

received the National Park Service’s Crystal Owl

Award. He was noted for helping develop an

interdisciplinary training course that focuses on

evaluating fire effects on cultural resources. The

information presented helped the Park Service rewrite

its fire management plans.

• Project Leader Deborah Finch and Wildlife Biologist

Scott Stoleson received the Clarence Burch Award for

their partnership work with scientists, ranchers,

private landowners and public land managers to gain a

better understanding of the complex ecological issues

involving the critically endangered southwestern

willow flycatcher.

• Research Forester Russ Graham was presented with

the 2002 Celebration of Natural Resources Award by

the University of Idaho’s College of Natural

Resources. He was noted for making significant

contributions to integrated natural resources

management.

• Ecologist Susan Meyer was honored by the Utah

Water Conservation Forum with the Water

Conservation Citizen Award for her leadership and

commitment to using Utah’s water wisely through the

use of native plants in horticulture and restoration.

• Project Leader Durant McArthur received the Shrub

Research Consortium’s Distinguished Service Award

for his exceptional work in the field of shrubland

research.

• Research Physical Scientist Jack Cohen was presented

with the Golden Smokey Bear Award from the

national Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program

for outstanding research, prevention and education

work in the field of structural ignitions.

Honors and Awards

Deborah Finch

Russ Graham Susan Meyer

Durant McArthur

Jack Cohen

Kevin Ryan Scott Stoleson
59

• As co-author of the paper “Effective Population Size

and Genetic Conservation Criteria for Bull Trout”

(North American Journal of Fisheries Management

21:756-764), Project Leader Bruce Rieman received

an honorable mention for the Stephen Phelps

Memorial Award, presented by the American Fisheries

Society.

• The Station received an Outstanding Achievement

Award for “continued success in unsubsidized

placement of Senior Community Service Employment

Program enrollees for Program Year 2000.” The

program offers training opportunities for eligible

senior citizens with the goal of placing them in

unsubsidized employment.

• Scientists at our Flagstaff, AZ laboratory are members

of the Upper Verde River Adaptive Management

Partnership that received the Forest Service Chief’s

2000/2001 National Rural Community Assistance

Action Award. The Partnership addresses and applies

science to difficult resource management issues along

the Upper Verde River, AZ.

• Research Entomologist George Markin received the

Regional Forester’s Honor Award from the Forest

Service’s Northern Region for his work on the

Cooperative Tansy Ragwort Control Project.

• Biological Technician Susan Garvin received the

Forest Service Chief’s Volunteer Program Award in

the category of Forest Service Employee – Research

for her work in coordinating volunteers for the Rock

Canyon (Utah) Restoration Project.

• The Forest Service Northern Region recognized

Project Leader Len Ruggiero and Research Ecologist

Kevin McKelvey with Special Recognition Awards

and Certificates of Appreciation for their enthusiasm,

support, professionalism and outstanding working

relationships with the Region.

• Project Leader Bill Block (not pictured) and Research

Wildlife Biologist Curt Flather received national

Certificates of Merit from Forest Service headquarters

for helping develop the Agency’s proposed new

Planning Rule.

Susan Garvin

George Markin

Len Ruggiero Kevin McKelvey

Bruce Rieman

Curt Flather
60

• Project Leaders Linda Joyce and George Peterson,

along with Research Forester Russ Graham, were

recognized by Forest Service headquarters with

Certificates of Merit for helping develop the Science

Consistency Review Guidelines. This is the process

used to determine whether an analysis or decision

document is consistent with the best available science.

• Publications Distribution Leader Dick Schneider

received a national Forest Service Customer Service

Chief’s Award for outstanding leadership in national

and international service to customers for two research

stations and the Forest Service’ Chief’s Office.

• Project Leader Bill Elliot received a national Forest

Service Technology Transfer Chief’s Award for his

work on the Watershed Erosion Prediction Project for

forest conditions.

• Project Leader Linda Joyce was appointed to the

National Technical Advisory Committee that provides

technical advice to the Department of Energy and the

National Institute for Global Environmental Change.

• Program Manager Greg Ruark was selected to be the

U.S. representative on the United Nation’s “Ad Hoc

Technical Expert Group on Biological Diversity and

Climate Change,” and was also selected as a U.S.

delegate to the United Nations Forum on Forests.

The Station presented its Best Scientific

Publication, Early Career Scientist Publication and

Technology Transfer Publication awards, along with

Outstanding Administration and Research Support

awards:

• The Best Scientific Publication Award went to the

team of Len Ruggiero, Keith Aubrey, Steven Buskirk,

Gary Koehler, Charles Krebs, Kevin McKelvey and

John Squires for their book Ecology and Conservation

of Lynx in the United States. The publication has had a

tremendous impact on the conservation of the

threatened Canada lynx and provides a template for

bringing scientific methodology to the table for future

conservation of threatened and endangered species.

• Michael Schwartz received the Early Career Scientists

Publication Award for DNA Reveals High Dispersal

Synchronizing the Population Dynamics of Canada

Lynx. He, along with co-authors Kevin McKelvey and

Len Ruggiero employed modern DNA technology to

test opposing hypotheses in a popular debate

regarding the nature of lynx population structure.

Linda Joyce

Richard Schneider

Bill Elliot Len Ruggiero

Kevin McKelvey

John Squires Russ Graham Michael Schwartz

Greg Ruark

George Peterson
61

• The Technology Transfer Publication Award was

presented to Bill Elliot and David Hall for Forest

Service Water Erosion Prediction Project, which

covers an internet-based computer program that

provides users around the globe with access to

massive, otherwise unfriendly databases in an efficient

user-friendly package.

• Statistician Rudy King was honored with the

Outstanding Science Support Award. He was

recognized for his excellent understanding of applying

statistics to problems in natural resource science and

his focus on service to Station scientists.

• Secretary Virginia Wilson received the Outstanding

Lab/Project Support/Secretaries Award for an

exceptional service attitude and being integral to the

operations of the Station Leadership Team.

• Jean Wheeler, Property Management Specialist, was

presented the Outstanding Customer Service Award for

her accomplishments in facility and operations duties.

• The Outstanding Administrative Team Award was

presented to the Station’s Fiscal Group for support to

the Station and the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest

in areas of payments and collections related to grants

and agreements.

• Librarian Carol Ayer received the Open Category

Award for her work in finding and establishing an

electronic journal alerting service for Station

employees. The service e-mails tables of contents

from journals that employees select so that they can

be current with the literature.

• The Customer Appreciation Award was given to

Statistician Rudy King. He was recognized for overall

exceptional service to Station scientists in the area of

statistical support.

• Project Leader Bill Elliot received Technology

Transfer Awards for his work on the Water Erosion

Prediction Project for forest conditions. To make this

complex technology available, Elliot and his staff

developed an Internet set of interfaces customized for

forest conditions and presented the information to

Forest Service employees in workshops around the

western U.S.

David Hall

Rudy King

Virginia Wilson

Jean Wheeler

Carol Ayer
62

To help advance solutions to natural resource

problems, the Rocky Mountain Research Station

maintains key partnerships with:

• National Forest Systems. Forest supervisors and

managers compose the Station’s largest customer

segment or stakeholder group. The Station supports

several national missions, including: the National

Agroforestry Center; Fire Sciences Laboratory; Aldo

Leopold Wilderness Research Institute; and the Forest

Inventory and Monitoring Environmetrics, Nonmarket

Valuation, Natural Resource Assessment and Ecology

and Management, Cultural Heritage, and Stream

Systems Technology units. National Forest Systems

rely heavily on Station staffs to provide scientific

information and assistance in implementing the

Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air

Act and other environmental legislation.

• Other Federal Land Management Agencies. The

Station serves managers of the largest public land

holdings in the lower 48 states. These include the

Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of

Reclamation, and Department of Defense.

• Other Federal Non-land Management Agencies.

The Rocky Mountain Research Station provides

regular consultation to the Environmental Protection

Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation

Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs in non-land

management functions. For instance, our fire research

program has long had working relationships with

NASA on remote sensing and global change projects,

and scientists have a growing partnership with the

U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center for

applications of satellite imagery for FIA, Fire

Research and National GPRA Assessments. In

addition FIA scientists are working with the USDA

Natural Resources Conservation Service to improve

forest inventory and monitoring data.

• State, Local and Other Public Agencies. Our

Interior West Resource Inventory unit is the Station’s

largest unit and provides eight western states with

resource inventory and monitoring data for use by

state, county and urban planners, state resource

agencies, industry and others.

• Industry. The forest products industry is primarily

concentrated in the northwestern part of our territory

in Idaho and Montana. It has traditionally been an

important customer for tree improvement, forest

productivity, mensuration, insect and disease, and

engineering technology research at our Moscow,

Idaho and other labs. The Station collaborates with the

Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin to

link utilization researchers with forest products

research opportunities. Summer recreation and winter

ski area development and expansion make these

industries major customers for Station research

programs.

• Non-government Organizations (NGOs). Citizens

representing themselves and special interest groups in

land management planning efforts are a significant

group requesting research information, and special

interest groups are becoming increasingly aware of,

and are valuing, research information for their uses.

• Tribal Governments. The Station supports a number

of working relationships with several Tribal

governments, including fuels reduction/exotic plant

removal studies with the Navajo Cochiti Pueblo

(NM), fire effects consultation with the Navajo Tribe

(AZ), and conservation education programs with the

Salish-Kootenai Tribe (MT).

RMRS Partnerships
63

• International Cooperation. Station scientists took

116 trips to other countries in 2002 to cooperate with

scientists, universities, institutions and government

agencies on a variety of natural resources projects and

issues. For instance, Mathematical Statistician Hans

Schreuder and Research Coordinator for the Americas

Cele Aguirre Bravo helped plan and organize

CAMESA (Consortium for Advancing the Monitoring

of Ecosystem Sustainability in the Americas)

workshops in Mexico that provided scientific and

technical support for a study to inventory and monitor

ecosystem resources in that country. Our scientists

also assisted the Food and Agricultural Organization

of the United Nations in designing the Global Forest

Resource Assessment for 2010.
64

Universities and Cooperative

Research

The Station participates in five Cooperative

Ecosystems Studies Units, established as collaborative

efforts between universities and federal agencies to

provide technical assistance and education to federal

land management, environmental and research agencies

and their partners. The Station maintains an active

cooperative research program with universities and other

Station employees regularly leave their laboratories

and offices to take science to people in the community.

They give presentations to landowners, school, church

and civic groups; lead field trips for the public; help

with education programs in the classroom; and

contribute their expertise in museums, visitor centers

and other public forums. For example:

• The Station’s Flagstaff laboratory helped support

the Arizona Association for Environmental

Education’s “Environmental Education: A

NETwork in Progress Conference 2001,” held on

the Northern Arizona University Campus.

Employees hosted interpretive bird walks to view

the fall migrants and winter resident birds of

Flagstaff.

• Each year, the Station is proud to help sponsor the

annual Flagstaff Festival of Science. In 2002,

scientists participated in Science in the Park, an

event that provides the public a chance to see what

the science-based organizations in Flagstaff do.

The Station sponsored interactive activities that

introduce youth to science at our Flagstaff

laboratory. Employees also participated in the “In

School Presentations” program, visiting local

schools and talking to students about how birds

survive extreme weather and discussing the

Station’s bird research.

• Researchers hosted an open house at the Fort

Valley Experimental Forest, near Flagstaff, AZ.

The event gave the community an opportunity to

learn about the history of the Forest with a selfguided tour and other information.

• Research Forester Gerald Gottfried assisted the

Tonto National Forest (AZ) and the Agency’s

Middle East Program in planning and conducting

activities for the Third Annual Tu B’Shevat

Festival in Scottsdale, AZ. The Forest Service and

the Jewish National Fund (JNF) are primary

Grants and Agreements

partners in order to share expertise and facilities to assist

Forest Service research and development projects. In

Fiscal Year 2002, we conducted $6.3 million in

cooperative research with 27 universities and 20 nonuniversity cooperators. Cooperative research is an

important component of accomplishing our research

mission.

Community Involvement
65

sponsors of the event. The Agency and the JNF,

which is responsible for forestry in Israel, have

been cooperating for 15 years in the areas of fire

control and prevention, natural resource

management, formal education exchanges, and

collaborative research.

• Employees at our National Agroforestry Center in

Lincoln, NE participated in the 8th Annual

Nebraska Regional Science Bowl. Scientists

worked with students and answered questions on

topics ranging from astronomy to zoology.

• As part of the “Trout in the Classroom” program,

Fisheries Biologist Dona Horan created a

presentation called “All About Trees,” and

presented it to high school classes in Boise, ID.

The program is sponsored by Trout Unlimited and

State Fish and Game agencies.

• National Agroforestry Center Biologist Julie

Lamphere introduced 7th graders at Lincoln Culler

Middle School, Lincoln, NE, to agroforestry,

ecosystems and other natural resources issues,

including how trees work for people, what is

needed for viable ecosystems and why they are

important.

• Scientists at our National Agroforestry Center,

Lincoln, NE participated in the Earth Wellness

Festival in Lincoln, where over 3,000 5th graders

and teachers discovered and explored the

relationships and interdependency of land, water,

air and living resources. They also presented

“Trees to the Rescue,” a 25-minute hands-on

session exploring the benefits of windbreaks, and

“Fish Habit-At,” which introduces students to fish

behavior, the scientific method, and ecosystem

management.

• Staff at the National Agroforestry Center took part

in the “Care for Bears Day” at the Folsom Zoo in

Lincoln, NE. They made presentations on Forest

Service bear conservation activities and the role of

working trees for wildlife on private lands.

• Ecologist Jane Kapler Smith was invited by the

Alaska Division of Forestry to teach at the first

“Fire Behavior, Ecology and Management” course,

offered for Alaska middle school teachers in

Homer, AK. She presented information on fire

behavior and fire prevention/management

concepts.

• The Station provided support for the “Colorado

Cares” work day at the Manitou Experimental

Forest, where over 900 volunteers conducted

rehabilitation work on severly burned areas of the

Hayman Fire.

• Employees of the Boise, ID laboratory helped

organize and participated in “Boise River Sweep

2002,” a massive cleanup effort of 6 miles of the

river that flows through Boise.

• The National Agroforestry Center conducted its 3rd

Annual 1890 Faculty Training Workshop in

Agroforestry at Alabama A&M University. The

event was designed to help 1890 university faculty

incorporate information on agroforestry practices

into their teaching and extension efforts.

Outreach to Underrepresented Segments of

Society

The Station annually hosts, co-hosts or participates in

a variety of camps, conferences and other events aimed

at introducing students and minority youth to Forest

Service programs. These include:

• The Hispanic Natural Resources Career Camp is

held each October at the Station’s Fraser

Experimental Forest in central Colorado. Since

1993, researchers have sponsored the weekend

camp for Hispanic high school students throughout

northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. They

are introduced to natural resource subjects such as

hydrology, forestry, wildlife, entomology, climate

and forest surveying. For more information, visit

http://lamar.colostate.edu/~mhmartin.
66

• The American Indian Math and Science (AIMS)

Camp is hosted annually in Polson, Montana by the

Station, the Salish-Kootenai College and the

Flathead Reservation. Fifth and sixth graders from

tribal schools participate in a variety of events,

including natural resource management activities,

career opportunities, education requirements for

natural resource disciplines, leadership,

communications, problem-solving skills, tribal

cultures and environmental awareness.

My name is Jessica and I attended the Hispanic Career Camp the past two years. The people

involved, as well as the camp overall, have been very inspirational. I am very proud to announce

that in the fall, I will attend the Colorado School of Mines while studying Chemical Engineering.

Each of you has been a great source of encouragement.” (Hispanic Natural Resources Career

Camp student)

“We wish to express our gratitude to you and everyone else involved in the American Indian Math

and Science Camp. Our daughter attended the camp this year. Seldom have we been so impressed

with an educational program, and I know she will remember her experience as one of the most

important of her childhood. It was obvious to us that at the AIMS Camp, the students were

learning as much about critical thinking skills and natural science as they do during several

months of regular school. You have created an environment with just the right mix of discipline,

fun and academics.” (Parents of AIMS Camp student)

• The Nature High Summer Camp, held at the Great

Basin Experimental Education Center in Ephraim,

Utah, introduces high school students from the

State to natural resources, careers in resource

management, the real life work of professionals

and the latest techniques and technology being

used by today’s resource specialists.
67

Natural Resources

Conservation Education

Program

The Forest Service’s Natural Resources Conservation

Education Program provides funding to the Station

every year that is used as seed money to encourage the

growth of education partnerships among the Station,

States and local educators. In addition to the Hispanic

Natural Resources Career Camp, the Nature High Camp

and the AIMS Camp, activities also include:

• The Environmental Science Day Camp is a summer

event held at the Station’s Fort Valley Experimental

forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. Students from 11 to

14 years of age learn how forest restoration affects

wildlife, insects and vegetation. The camp is a

cooperative event between Northern Arizona and

the Rocky Mountain Station. Funding is provided

by the Arizona Advisory Council on Environmental

Education and the Natural Resource Conservation

Education Program.

• Scientists at our Flagstaff laboratory also participate

in the annual Flagstaff Festival of Science, now in

its 13th year. The week-long event provides

opportunities for the Forest Service to share natural

resources research through in-school and afterschool presentations.

• The FireWorks Educational Trunk and Curriculum

is a self-contained “trunk” of creative, interactive

teaching materials for grades 1-9 that describes

how fire affects forests. It was created by scientists

at the Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula,

Montana. FireWorks is available on loan through

the Montana Natural History Center (406-327-

0405).

• The “Living with Fire” interactive touch screen

computer program teaches visitors to the Fire

Visitor Center at the Aerial Fire Depot in Missoula,

Montana, about wildfire, the role fire plays in

nature, and how wildfires are suppressed. It is

available on the Internet at: http://www.fs.fed.us/

rm/fire_game.

Students participate in field lectures at the AIMS Camp.
68

To find out more about the Rocky Mountain Research Station:

Visit our Internet website at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm. You’ll find information on:

• Our research program, including our mission, research themes and highlights, strategic planning, and a map of our

Station territory

• Our laboratories, research work units and experimental forests

• An updated section on fire research and fire-related issues

• A listing of Station personnel

• Available Station publications, including electronic web-site publications, and ordering information

• Links to other Forest Service and natural resources-related sites

You can write, phone or fax us at:

Rocky Mountain Research Station Rocky Mountain Research Station

Public Affairs Office Public Affairs Office

2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg. A 324 25th Street

Fort Collins, CO 80526 Ogden, UT 84401

(970) 295-5920 (801) 625-5434

Fax: (970) 295-5927 Fax: (801) 625-5129

Missoula, MT

Bozeman, MT

Reno, NV

Flagstaff, AZ

Logan, UT Laramie, WY

Rapid City, SD

Lincoln, NE

Boise, ID

Moscow, ID

Provo, UT

Fort Collins, CO

(Headquarters)

Albuquerque, NM

Ogden, UT

RMRS

Rocky Mountain Research Station

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA ) prohibits discrimination in all its programs

and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room

326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or

call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.