“SRS is proud to help implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and to play a role in building organizational networks that will position forest operators to be more prosperous as their markets recover,” said Reaves. “The project will create employment opportunities for individuals working with timber and non-timber forest products as well as marketing specialists, community organizers and forest products advisors.”

The Station released a Request for Proposals on Sept. 24, with an Oct. 23 deadline.  The Station received six proposals.  A panel of stakeholders reviewed the proposals based on selection criteria.  After the panel met, reviewed and ranked the proposals, the panel made a recommendation to the Station director for consideration. Director Reaves endorsed the panel’s recommendation and the Station awarded the grant to LOSRC on Nov. 6.

LOSRC is a voluntary association of local governments with 30 years of experience managing natural resource projects and providing services to its members and the region in the areas of natural resources planning, economic development and land management planning.

LOSRC has proposed several projects based on their experience and work with producer groups.  (1) A small diameter wood market development with a focus on forest health, (2) local production of woodland herbs for local processors, (3) certified and other green label timber production, (4) forest-based foods such as mushrooms, ramps, fruits, nuts and forest vegetables, (5) forest-based bio-fuel production for small and medium scale users and (6) high-value wood for the crafts industry and custom builders.  These are proposed projects and local forest producers and producer groups will discuss additional projects.

Ron Townley, LOSRC’s project manager of the Local Government Services Section will be responsible for project oversight.

“We propose to assemble groups of forest producers to improve their enterprises during the economic downturn and to help them be more efficient as demand for their products returns,” said Townley. “We hope to solve the production and marketing problems that forest producers believe need to be solved, particularly in the areas of more efficient production, more profitable products, and better marketing”

LOSRC will use the following “guiding principles” to administer all proposed projects:

• Provide short-term jobs to the forest industry in a way that generates lasting benefits to the industry.
• Use a ‘bottom-up” planning and economic development approach guided by forest producers and by forest product consumers.
• Look first to forest producers as staff to carry out this project.
• Use organizations within WNC to manage this project both to capitalize on their knowledge of local forest and market issues and also to strengthen long-term relationships between forest producers and their support organizations.
• Build the capacity of forest producers to sustainably pursue a variety of forest enterprises in a way that brings benefit to rural communities.

Visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/news/recoveryact.htm for additional information and project updates.

“Cutting-edge research at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory has led to the development and adoption of ‘best management practices’ that promote cleaner and more abundant water supplies for people in southern Appalachia and beyond,” said Reaves. “Today we celebrate the many important contributions that Coweeta and its scientists have made to our knowledge of how practices on the land impact water supplies, vital resources that support the health and sustainability of the nation.” 

The two-day symposium features discussions of the development of watershed science and the role of watershed research in addressing the challenges of the 21st Century. Topics include issues related to climate change, water supply, biodiversity and invasive species, and land use change.

Established in 1934, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory has become known around the world for its watershed research, specifically on how land management practices affect water quality, quantity, and timing. The lab, managed by SRS is located in a 5,500-acre forested basin in Otto, NC, consisting of more than a dozen individual watersheds. Over the years, Coweeta researchers installed land management practices on many of the watersheds, then measured and monitored the effects on water quality and quantity. Coweeta scientists have shared research findings with managers, planners, and others who applied the knowledge gained at Coweeta on the ground. The results were improved land management techniques that enhanced water supplies. Coweeta scientists examined many different aspects of forest ecology, and conducted several pioneering, landmark studies that changed the way forests are managed.

The following represent some of the major scientific accomplishments of the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, its scientists, and their research partners.

• Coweeta’s long-term data on streamflow, water quality, climate, and vegetation are among the longest and best quality data in the world and allow scientists to detect long-term trends and validate predictive models.
• Much of what we know today about streamflow generation on steep forest lands resulted from the work of Coweeta scientists.
• Coweeta scientists developed models that can predict the amount, and duration, of water yield following logging and other land management practices in the southern Appalachians.
• Coweeta researchers have produced guidelines, or ‘best management practices,’ for the construction and maintenance of mountain roads, reducing sedimentation and maintaining water quality during forest management.
• Coweeta scientists have demonstrated that multiple-use land management can sustain and enhance timber, water, wildlife, and other ecosystem services.
• Coweeta has been a world leader in developing an interdisciplinary and holistic understanding of forest watershed processes and management options to protect, enhance, or restore watershed functions.
• Through its partnership with the University of Georgia and the National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER))Program, Coweeta research has expanded to include determining the impacts of land use change on water resources and biodiversity in the southern Appalachian region.

To learn more about the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/cfwr/. 

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“The Director’s Initiative was born from my desire to expand the cadre of people who seek a career in the Forest Service, in particular, the Southern Research Station,” said Reaves. “If we are going to expand our research relationships beyond traditional forestry institutions in the region, we have to expand our efforts to attract scientists and researchers from other colleges and universities.” 

Proposals were submitted by universities from across the South. After a panel review, the Station selected five projects for funding from students and faculty at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, Florida A&M University, Hampton University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana and Tuskegee University in Alabama. The projects will receive funding for two years.

SRS requested proposals from students and faculty of 1890 Land Grant Institutions on short research or training projects. The 1890 Land Grant Institution program was established at historically black universities to strengthen teaching and research programs in the food and agricultural sciences through cooperative linkages with federal and non-federal entities. Proposals were to focus on one of four topics: developing a project to address priority issues in forests in the South; developing a curriculum focused on training students for federal employment in natural resources; developing a curriculum focused on training students to be scientists or technicians; or coordinating research with one of the Station’s 16 research units.

“This initiative is an extension of other efforts to strengthen our relationship with 1890 colleges and universities,” said Reaves. “It is my hope that we will broaden this effort next year and in the years to come.”

SRS, like much of the Forest Service, used to hire a large number of foresters and other traditional natural resource specialists. Today, managing the nation’s forests has become much more complex, and there is now a need to hire people from a wide array of disciplines and from diverse backgrounds.

Station leaders believe The Director’s Initiative will help increase opportunities for minorities in the natural resources field and the pool of candidates interested in federal employment with the Forest Service.

The mission of SRS is to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide. With administrative offices located in Asheville, NC, SRS conducts cutting-edge research across the 13 southern states on topics ranging from global climate change, to economics, to forest and wildlife ecology, to wood-based bioenergy.

Additional information on SRS can be found at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/.

SRS has received a total of $3.17 million in funding to fund five projects. The $550,000 in recently released funds will support a $300,000 project at the Henry R. Koen Experimental Forest and a $250,000 project at the Crossett Experimental Forest, both in Arkansas.   

“In addition to creating job opportunities in economically distressed areas, both projects will help in reducing our environmental footprint, and increasing energy efficiency, while generating additional tourism and stimulating local economies,” said Reaves. 

The Koen Experimental Forest project will provide construction jobs in economically distressed Newton County through energy upgrades to the Henry R. Koen Experimental Forest workshop facility. The project will renovate the building and install an energy-efficient HVAC system. It will also rehabilitate the heavily used interpretive trail around the Koen administrative site.

“The improved, handicapped-accessible interpretive trail will provide opportunities for the public to better understand the contributions of the Forest Service's experimental forests and the specific research activities conducted on the Koen Experimental Forest and Ozark-St. Francis National Forest,” said Reaves.

The Crossett Experimental Forest Laboratory project will provide construction jobs through renovations to the facility located in Ashley County. The project will renovate the 2,027-square-foot building to provide temporary quarters for visiting scientists conducting long-term research. The project will also increase the facility's energy efficiency through building enhancements and upgrades to the HVAC equipment.

The ARRA directs the Forest Service to improve, maintain, and renovate public and administrative facilities. Maintenance needs for these and other Forest Service projects were identified through studies of specific public facilities and their support of the primary outdoor activities provided on national forests and grasslands.

“Workers hired under ARRA will maintain facilities so that they contribute to safe, high-quality outdoor experiences for citizens,” said Reaves.  “Once work is completed, these buildings will be more energy efficient, use less water, have a smaller environmental footprint, and save taxpayers money.”

Information on other Forest Service ARRA projects and related economic recovery can be found at http://fs.usda.gov/recovery.

Additional information on the SRS and the work taking place at the19 experimental forests can be found at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/.

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Recent plantings of the nearly extinct American chestnut tree–a beloved and once key species in the eastern U.S.–have thrived during their first growing season in national forests, according to partners involved in the restoration effort. 

This milestone, jointly achieved by the U.S. Forest Service, The American Chestnut Foundation and the University of Tennessee, involved the test planting in 2008 of hundreds of blight-resistant American chestnut trees in three national forests in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In an effort to protect the seedlings, project partners are not disclosing the exact locations of the test plots. 

“The American chestnut is important because it was once an integral part of the Appalachian culture providing food for wildlife and contributing to the diversity of the forest ecosystem,” said Roger Williams, director of Forest Management for the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service. “The successful plantings we are announcing today are another step in the effort to re-introduce this keystone species back into its native range.” 

Once a dominant species, the American chestnut was virtually wiped out by an exotic fungus from Asia called the chestnut blight. During the last 26 years, The American Chestnut Foundation worked with partners to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut. Traditional backcross-breeding with the blight resistant Chinese chestnut produced a blight-resistant American chestnut that is 15/16th pure. 

“Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and University of Tennessee are monitoring blight resistance, growth and survival of the seedlings to determine whether the chestnut trees will survive and thrive in a real world setting,” said Bryan Burhans, president and chief executive officer of The American Chestnut Foundation. 

The trees, now 4-6 feet tall and flowering, are doing well after only one year, according to Stacy Clark, a research forester with the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Research Station. “These plantings are small, but represent the first scientific experiment using blight-resistant trees from the Foundation planted on Forest Service land,” said Clark, who establishes and monitors the test plantings. “Our results can be used to predict how blight-resistant American chestnuts will grow when restoration efforts become larger.” 

This is “the beginning of restoring an old friend to eastern North American forests,” said Dr. Scott Schlarbaum, professor of forest genetics and Tree Improvement Program (TIP) director at the University of Tennessee. 

In 2010, 500 more blight-resistant chestnuts will be planted on national forests in the South. 

Detailed information about the test plantings and future aspirations for a large-scale restoration of the American chestnut species can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r8/chestnut. The website also features photos of recent tree growth, video of the monitoring process and historic information about the American chestnut. 

This news release is also available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/chestnut/documents/releases/NR-American_Chestnut_2009-09-23.pdf

According to Danny C. Lee, EFETAC Director, “Uncertainty is unavoidable in all types of management decisions, whether we’re talking about climatic, ecological, or social factors.  CRAFT allows planning teams to explore the implications of that uncertainty on the consequences of their decisions using a versatile and customizable framework that is amenable to a wide range of land management issues and venues.” 

CRAFT builds on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) framework for managing public lands and approaches forest issues comprehensively.  The tool incorporates decision making techniques that allow teams of managers and diverse stakeholders to outline their management objectives, design alternatives, consider effects of these alternatives, and synthesize this information to arrive at the best possible decision.  Each step of the CRAFT process can be published in a Web-based format to ensure documentation and transparency. 

“CRAFT emphasizes comparative risk assessment,” explains Steve Norman, EFETAC research ecologist and CRAFT developer.  “Users are empowered to focus on their measurable values, be more inclusive of tradeoffs, and understand associated uncertainties.  With CRAFT, a more thorough consideration of stakeholder viewpoints, better vetted problem solutions, a broader understanding of consequences, and ultimately, more successful resource management are all possible.”

EFETAC partnered with the University of North Carolina Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) to develop CRAFT.  The tool features a wealth of online resources created by NEMAC, including a tutorial and CRAFTiPedia—a “wiki” style reference database and glossary.  For team projects, CRAFT has the capability to store and share diagrams, text, tables, data, and models created during the decision making process.  NEMAC is available to provide assistance and team training.

For More Information:  Contact Danny C. Lee at (828) 257-4854, email dclee@fs.fed.us or Steve Norman at (828) 259-0535, email stevenorman@fs.fed.us.  For assistance and training, contact Karin Lichtenstein at (828) 250-3892, email klichten@unca.edu.

About EFETAC:  Established in 2005, EFETAC is actively developing new technology and tools to anticipate and respond to emerging forest threats.  Headquartered with the Southern Research Station in Asheville, the Center also has offices in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park, NC. Visit http://www.forestthreats.org for additional information.

About NEMAC:  NEMAC, established at UNC Asheville in 2003, is nationally recognized for expertise in environmental modeling and visualizations, Web technology, and database development.  Learn more about NEMAC projects and partnerships at http://orgs.unca.edu/nemac/ .

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In an article recently published online in JGR-Earth Surface, SRS researchers Chelcy Ford and Jim Vose, along with T.C. Hales and Larry Band (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), examine how the interaction between topography and the species of tree or shrub present affects the ability of soil to hold together.

“We found that rhododendron had the shallowest, weakest roots suggesting that the recent expansion of this species may have lowered the cohesive strength of soil in some hollows,” says Vose, research ecologist and project leader of the SRS Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory located near Otto, NC. “Since debris flows usually start in the hollows, those dominated by rhododendron could represent a heightened hazard for landslides.”  

Landslides present a significant danger in the steep landscapes of the Southern Appalachians. Most of the recorded high rainfall events in the area occur in the fall and have been associated with tropical storms. In 1940, 1969, and 2004, intense rain from hurricanes caused landslides that together resulted in over 190 human casualties and $140 million in damage.

In 2004, rains from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan caused a large landslide at Peeks Creek in Macon County, NC, where 15 homes were destroyed, two people injured, and five people killed. With accelerating land use change and more frequent storms predicted for the area under climate change scenarios, concern about landslides has grown.

“Roots of trees and shrubs can represent up to 100 percent of what’s holding soil together and keeping mountain slopes from sliding,” says Vose, “For this study, we measured the root distribution and tensile strength—roughly, the force required to pull a root to the point where it breaks apart—of 15 southern Appalachian species in relation to topography and position on slopes.”

The researchers dug pits downslope from 15 individual trees on the Coweeta site. The locations of trees varied from noses—convex topographic positions—to hollows. The trees included native species of oak, eastern hemlock, birch, tulip poplar, hickory, and other species. The researchers tested one woody shrub, Rhododendron maximum, a native species which has come to dominate the forest understory in some areas of the Southern Appalachians.

“We found that root strength was similar among tree species, and root strength of trees was consistently greater than that of the native shrub rhododendron,” says Vose. “Tree roots in nose positions were stronger compared to those in hollows, coincident with greater root cellulose content.”

Although the study was not designed to firmly establish cause and effect, the results suggest that rhododendron may be a key species affecting landslide initiation in the southern Appalachians. “Landslide events during 2004 commonly started in rhododendron thickets, including the only landslide to occur in the Coweeta drainage basin,” says Vose. “The largest landslide from 2004 at Peeks Creek also formed in a rhododendron thicket.”

For more information: Jim Vose at 828-524-2128, x114 or jvose@fs.fed.us  

The full text of the article can be found online at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/33547 

  "Susan and Jennifer both bring extraordinary expertise to their new positions,” said Reaves. “Susan’s work in research, planning and applications over the past seven years has given her unique insight into SRS research, while Jennifer’s experience in research communication in the Forest Service’s Washington office will be invaluable in charting the future course of SRS science delivery efforts.”

As assistant director of research, Fox will manage the station’s Forest Values, Uses and Policies science area, which includes the Integrating Human and Natural Systems, Forest Operations, Utilization of Southern Forest Resources and Forest Economics and Policy units.

Fox has been with SRS for more than two decades. She began her career with the Acid Rain program and later served as the program manager for the Southern Global Change program in Raleigh, NC. Fox was promoted to assistant director for planning and applications in the Asheville, NC office, in 2002 where she was responsible for the budget, planning and data quality assurance essential to the success of SRS research programs. She developed scoping studies on a wide range of issues, and served as primary liaison with university, state, federal, non-governmental organization and industry partners.

As assistant director of science delivery, Plyler will manage the station’s Science Delivery Group (SDG), which delivers research-based information through a range of services that include publishing scientific reports, issuing media releases, producing the research magazine Compass and producing podcasts and videos. SDG distributes products to landowners, various organizations and partners by mail and through extensive Web services that include a publicly accessible database of full-text scientific articles. 

 Plyler comes to the position with more than 17 years of experience in natural resource planning and policy analysis, social science research and communication. Most recently, Plyler served as chief of staff for Forest Service Research and Development in Washington, DC. She

acted as facilitator and process consultant for research executives, developed and implemented strategic research objectives and provided strategic network leadership to research communication directors.

SRS headquarters is located in Asheville, NC and has additional research work units and experimental forests located across the 13 southern states. SRS scientists and researchers conduct cutting-edge research on topic areas that range from global climate change, to economics, to forest and wildlife ecology, to wood-based bioenergy. The mission of SRS is to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide.

For additional information on SRS visit www.srs.fs.usda.gov.

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“The growth in tree cover illustrates how well-adapted the state’s forests are to disturbances,” said Jim Reaves, SRS director. “Even the agriculture-rich Delta experienced a 13 percent increase in forestland area.”

Tree volume pertains to the amount of wood contained in a tree and can be a reflection of tree size, while area pertains to the amount of land base covered with trees of various sizes.

The inventory for this report began shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, one of the biggest tragedies to impact the Gulf Coast in the last century. Katrina resulted in varying degrees of damage to about four percent of live trees and impacted an estimated 7.8 million acres of forested land, or 40 percent of all forestland in Mississippi.

Katrina was one of many storms to affect the state’s forests between measurements. An estimated 323,000 acres were disturbed annually from weather related events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 646 tornadoes, 38 hurricanes and tropical storms, 990 flood events, and 35 snow and ice events in Mississippi from Jan. 1, 1994 and March 31, 2006.

The report also shows that the average annual net growth rate of live trees exceeded the average annual removal rate, ending the trend from 1970 to 1994 when average annual removals surpassed average annual net growth, an indication of overharvesting. For the current report period, softwood growth exceeds removals by 29 percent and hardwood growth exceeds removals by 22 percent.

“While harvests have declined over the years, the forest products industry continues to be a vital component of the state’s economy with timber ranking as the second most valuable agricultural product,” said Mississippi State Forester Charlie Morgan. “The report shows that Mississippi landowners received $10.8 billion for their standing timber between 1995 and 2006, or nearly $899 million annually.”

 Additionally, the report shows about 103 sawmills, pulpwood mills, and other primary wood-processing plants distributed across the state directly employed nearly 18,000 individuals in 2005 with an annual payroll of $685 million. At the same time, the combined value of shipments for the wood products and paper manufacturing sectors, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, was about $2.24 billion. 

 Almost 100 percent of Mississippi’s 19.6 million acres of forestland is potentially available for timber production with the majority (78 percent) currently owned by nonindustrial private landowners. Another 10 percent is owned by forest industry, while 7 percent is owned by the National Forest System and 5 percent owned by other public entities, including state lands and other federal lands.

The report also shows that Mississippi’s forests provide more than just environmental benefits; they also provide economic and social benefits through goods and services. Wood products, non-timber forest products, and forest-related recreation, e.g., tourism, hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing, all contribute to the development of Mississippi’s economy.

Of great concern to Mississippi forests are the southern pine beetle (SPB) and pine engraver beetles, the most devastating insect species threatening Mississippi’s softwood resource. Credited with an outbreak in 1995 that covered 24 counties and caused over $16 million in damages, the SPB has affected much of the Southern United States in the last 60 years, and has continued to impact Mississippi’s forests since the 1994 forest inventory.  

The report revealed that the Japanese honeysuckle is the most frequently recorded nonnative invasive plant species on Mississippi forests, with observations on 53 percent of the measured subplots in the state. Nonnative privet and Japanese climbing fern were the next most commonly recorded species, with records on 26 percent and 6 percent of the measured subplots, respectively.

“Mississippi’s Forests, 2006,” is the eighth state inventory report produced. The complete report can be found on the SRS website at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/rb/rb_srs147.pdf.

SRS administers the FIA program, in partnership with state forestry agencies. The FIA program supplies the nation’s land managers and private forest landowners with the data needed to make sound investment decisions in forest management activities. FIA data enables states, researchers, foresters, landowners and natural resource communities to understand the magnitude of changes in forest conditions and trends, and provides vital information to the long-term health of forests.

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