Articles

The Oregon coast region is now better prepared for the future thanks to an innovative working group of scientists and land managers called the Oregon Coast Adaptation Partnership. This collaboration brought together multiple branches of the USDA Forest Service, along with external partners, to compile the best available science to assess the vulnerability of federal forests and surrounding lands under future conditions and develop adaptation options.

Urban forests provide critical services that directly affect human health and well-being. Trees engage in unseen, yet critical work by moderating air and water pollution in neighborhoods, reducing storm runoff, and providing shade. Urban trees contribute to urban residents’ physical, mental, and economic well-being. San Diego's 4.9 million trees are valued at $4.7 billion as structural assets.

The USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station has released the latest data on production, prices, employment, and trade in Northwest forest industries. The information, which highlights trends dating back to 1958, is available online.

A tribute to Yasmeen Sands, a member of the Forest Service family for 25 years. She wrote the stories and communicated to the world the incredible wonder and knowledge that the Pacific Northwest Research Station offers. Her 25 years helped build the station, tell the Forest Service story, foster the public affairs community, and shine a light on the extraordinary work we do together to advance understanding of forest science.

Forty-five years after the most catastrophic volcanic eruption in United States history, one of the world's biggest outdoor laboratories for studying environmental disturbance continues to yield new knowledge for the next generation of Forest Service scientists, research partners, and the American public.

The reintroduction of gray wolves in the western continental United States has been an ecological success story. But wolf interactions with livestock continue to pose challenges for ranchers. In a close collaboration with land managers, research social scientist Susan Charnley offers innovative perspectives on the human dimensions of wolf-livestock conflict and the possibilities for coexistence.

Research fire ecologist Morris Johnson works with partners such as Forest Service fuels specialist Hinda Darner to jointly explore tough questions about postfire management. His research goals are embedded in National Environmental Policy Act purpose and need statements—exemplifying coproduction of knowledge and the mutual benefits of collaboration across research and management.

Lincoln County, Montana, and the Kootenai National Forest recently stepped into innovative collaborative territory. The two groups entered into a new stewardship agreement, working together to reduce wildfire risk in Lincoln County. Forest Service scientists tracked the evolution of this collaborative effort as part of a larger research project assessing the success of the agency’s work to reduce wildfire risk. Their goal is to share innovations and success stories that could be replicated elsewhere.

The diversity and depth of partnerships at Starkey Experimental Forest and Range represent a shining success story of Forest Service research informing adaptive management. For the last several decades, Starkey’s lead scientist, Michael Wisdom, has focused on creating and nurturing fruitful collaborations that reinforce the Pacific Northwest Research Station’s gold-standard reputation for applied science.

The Meadow Creek Collaborative is built on a grassroots foundation of long-term partnerships. Research hydrologist Adam Price explains some of the goals of the project, which include sustaining the First Foods of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Predicting availability of water is a difficult task, but it just got easier thanks to a new model and interactive tool produced by researchers from the U.S. Forest Service Eastern and Western Threat Assessment Centers and other partners. The tool lets users investigate their own questions about water availability by watershed under future climate and landcover conditions.

Biodiversity is declining faster in fresh water than it is in marine or terrestrial ecosystems. Becky Flitcroft, a research fish biologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, works in partnership with forest managers to support a future with resilient aquatic ecosystems.

Steve Wondzell, a research ecologist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station, has a long track record of building partnerships that benefit both research and the restoration goals of USDA Forest Service partners. Here are two examples of successful coproduction of knowledge.