EFETAC is busy developing new projects, expanding partnerships, and exploring cutting-edge technology. With 2 years behind him, Lee reflects on his growing team, his commitment to partnerships, and his vision for the future.

How has the center grown?

When I arrived in July 2005, there were no other center employees, but I did have the EFETAC charter explaining our purpose. So, I began planning how to build the program, allocate funding, and establish a core team. Early on, I asked the University of Georgia to help develop our Web page, and, thus, jump-started our science communication efforts.

I envisioned a core staff that would include a couple of senior scientists, each skilled in remote sensing and landscape analysis or having specialized knowledge of the primary threats affecting eastern forests. I also wanted a senior communications specialist to lead technology transfer efforts. We completed staffing earlier this year.

Cooperative agreements are extremely important to our program. The idea is to have certain types of inhouse capabilities while maintaining the flexibility to bring in additional expertise and resources to tackle specific problems.

How did the recent reorganization of SRS impact the center?

The reorganization combined EFETAC with two existing research work units—the Southern Global Change Program in Raleigh, NC, and Forest Health Monitoring in Research Triangle Park, NC. Both teams already have solid, existing programs that can be woven into the center’s mission. Ironically, these were the first two units I visited to discuss collaborative research opportunities, so it was a good fit. The immediate effect was to increase the center’s intellectual, partnership, and resource capacity and improve opportunities for joint research. Essentially, the center grew overnight. We’re definitely making progress in the transition from three separate units to one consolidated unit.

What major projects have you initiated?

Regarding threat assessment, the center is collaborating on several notable projects. One is with the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi to identify remote sensing and geospatial technologies that can provide early detection of forest threats. We are exploring several components of early warning systems through partnerships with NASA and with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, other Forest Service technology units, and the University of North Carolina– Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC).

Our partnership with NEMAC will ensure EFETAC is at the forefront of information management in the threats arena. NEMAC brings tremendous expertise in working with large volumes of data and complex information systems. They’re helping us to advance our Web technology, especially through developing high speed access to models and databases.

We are also making strides in quantifying the risk posed by invasive species and developing knowledge and tools to help manage these threats. From the science delivery standpoint, we are working to support strategic planning at the regional, national, and international levels by providing new tools and data for comparative risk assessments. We are also partnering with the Southern Group of State Foresters and others to understand the consequences of urbanization, fragmentation, and parcellation of southern forests.

What is your vision for the future?

I envision the center tackling specific issues that involve interactions on a variety of scales and multiple sources of threats. We will focus on a whole complex of threats and how they play out across the larger landscape. We also will continue to enhance our role as a synthesizer of information. Additionally, I would like us to generate policy-relevant research that helps people understand the implications of various land use and management choices.

We’re also going to continue asking for input from our stakeholders, keeping our finger on the pulse of the threats community, and sharing useful tools and information.