http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Pennsylvania
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Pennsylvania through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) headquarters in Newtown Square, the field office in Warren, and the Philadelphia
Field Station. Seventy-one employees work in the state. The research in Pennsylvania includes studies on
climate change, oak regeneration, hardwood management, and the effects of deer overabundance.
Long-term research in Pennsylvania is conducted on the Kane Experimental Forest.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
Pennsylvania Funding History
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
Newtown Square: NRS-6 Climate, Fire and Carbon Cycle
Science, NRS-5 Forest Inventory and Analysis, NRS-8 Urban
Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality, NRS-16
Strategic Foresight Group, the Philadelphia Field Station, and
Station-wide facility maintenance
$7,911,000
$8,504,000
$8,504,000
Warren: NRS-2 Sustaining Forests in a Changing Environment
1,393,000
1,451,000
1,451,000
$9,304,000
$9,955,000
$9,955,000
PENNSYLVANIA TOTAL
The FY 2015 President’s Budget is $50,495,000 of
which $15,718,000 is for annualized Forest
Inventory and Analysis (FIA). In addition,
$2,944,000 is provided for the National Fire Plan
Research. NRS will also receive a competitive
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for the
Joint Fire Science Program.
Foliage of an Ailanthus tree. Photo by James Miller,
U.S. Forest Service.
Northern Research Station Overview
Headquartered at Newtown Square, PA, NRS
develops and delivers leading-edge science and
technology that helps people ensure the longterm health and productivity of rural and urban
landscapes. NRS maintains 24 field locations and
24 experimental forests across 20 states in the
Midwest and Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West
Virginia, and Wisconsin.
FY 2015 Program Changes
The President’s Budget includes a station
decrease of $4,126,000 from the FY 2014 Enacted
level. At this level, the NRS will continue to
provide cutting edge research in urban forestry
and forest disturbance processes as well as
develop practical tools to enhance forest
productivity and increase production of clean air
and water. The FIA program will continue to
monitor and inventory the nation’s forests to
better inform forest policy development and
provide valuable data to enhance accelerated
forest restoration. NRS will focus on the highest
priority research by eliminating the Northeastern
States Research Cooperative; research on
mycology, long term soil productivity, and riparian
research critical to water quality; and the invasive
species program in MI and CT.
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments
 Laid
the
groundwork
for
improved
management of oak using prescribed fire by
synthesizing the results of 40 years of published
research studies on the subject.
 Helped forest managers better assess the
wildlife impacts of timber harvest
by
determining that timber harvest benefits birds
nesting in mature forests by providing important
foraging areas after breeding and before
migration.
 Demonstrated the effectiveness of a unique
public-private partnership for adaptive deer
management in northwestern Pennsylvania that
has reduced deer numbers and improved forest
health.
Priority Research in Pennsylvania
Forest Service R&D priority research areas build on
existing local and regional research to solve issues
important to the American people. Priority
research in Pennsylvania includes:
Forest Disturbance: Management of forest
ecosystems to sustain desired benefits requires
knowledge of how forests change over time in
response
to
natural
disturbances
and
management activities. In Pennsylvania, forest
managers have a better understanding of shortand long-term ecosystem responses to natural
disturbances and forest management practices,
helping them maintain and enhance the longterm health and productivity of forests and
aquatic ecosystems.
Urban Natural Resources Stewardship: With most
people living in urban areas, an emphasis on
science and technology transfer is paramount to
ensure the proper care of natural resources and
the delivery of ecosystem services in urban and
urbanizing landscapes. NRS established the
Philadelphia Field Station to improve science
contributions
in
urban
natural
resources
stewardship for the tri-state (PA, NJ, DE) area.
Watershed Management and Restoration: The
availability of clean water is becoming limited in
many parts of the U.S. It is important to
understand where water shortages will occur,
identify how future climate will affect rainfall and
snowfall, and find ways to reduce water pollution
and effectively manage and protect water
sources. The Kane Experimental Forest is updating
forest management guidelines to enhance water
quality in Pennsylvania.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
of Pennsylvania’s forest resources in cooperation
with the State Forester and other state
organizations. FIA provides the science-based
information needed by the nation’s leaders to
make sound forest policy decisions and to better
understand forest processes and associated
threats to ecosystem health.
Localized Needs Research in Pennsylvania
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues, NRS provides research results, tools, and
technologies including:
Sustainable
Hardwoods
Management:
NRS
researchers continue to help forest owners and
managers use research results to achieve their
objectives for mixed hardwood forests. Work
includes expansion of the mixed oak silviculture
decision-support system (SILVAH), addition of
wildlife-friendly guidelines, and delivery of results
through training sessions.
Deer Impacts on Forests: Over the past 50 years,
NRS researchers have examined deer impacts on
forest vegetation. Early work focused on the local
effects of deer overabundance. Current work
expands that research to a landscape scale and
explores the overlapping effects of fire, canopy
gaps, and deer population on plant diversity.
FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (FS R&D) is a world leader in innovative science for sustaining global forest resources for future
generations. Research findings and products benefit forest and rangeland managers, and everyone who uses goods or services from
forests. We operate five research stations that encompass all 50 states, the Forest Products Laboratory located in Madison, Wisconsin, and
the International Institute of Tropical Forestry located in Puerto Rico. Our researchers and support personnel are located at 67 field sites
throughout the United States. We also maintain 80 experimental forests and ranges across the Nation. Our unique ability to integrate
science and decision making and to work across boundaries between public, private, and tribal lands through strong partnerships
advances the Agency’s three core themes of restoration, communities, and fire.
The FS R&D program has two components: Priority Research Areas and Strategic Program Areas. The Priority Research Areas address
urgent needs in seven areas: Forest Disturbance, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Watershed Management and Restoration, Bioenergy and
Biobased Products, Urban Natural Resources Stewardship, Nanotechnology, and Localized Needs Research (region-specific needs). The
Strategic Program Areas (SPAs) are the long-term programs from which Priority Research Areas are funded. The seven SPAs are: Wildland
Fire and Fuels; Invasive Species; Recreation; Resource Management and Use; Water, Air, and Soil; Wildlife and Fish; and Inventory and
Monitoring.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget includes $275,315,000 for Forest and Rangeland Research, $19,795,000 for the FS R&D National Fire Plan, and
$6,914,000 for the Joint Fire Science Program.