Mission and History

 

Mission

The mission of the Forest Operations Research Unit is to provide the science and technology integrating ecological and engineering disciplines to achieve economically and ecologically-viable forest operations which are necessary for sustainable and socially-acceptable forest resource management.

History

In 1962, the USDA Forest Service, in cooperation with Auburn University, established an Engineering Research Unit at Auburn, Alabama. The Engineering Research Unit is one of 18 research labs within the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Our headquarters is located in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Primary purpose of forest engineering is to support sound scientific forest management through the application of engineering principles. Forest operations such as planting, site preparation, stand tending, and timber harvesting require systems that can operate effectively and achieve specific silvicultural objectives. Engineering sciences provide the methods and equipment for achieving forest management goals.