http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Colorado
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) employs 89 people in Colorado through the Rocky
Mountain Research Station (RMRS), headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.
FY 2013
Enacted
FY 2014
Enacted
FY 2015
Budget
Fort Collins – Station Headquarters and Fort Collins
Forestry Sciences Laboratory
$10,575,000
$11,394,000
$10,544,000
COLORADO TOTAL
$10,575,000
$11,394,000
$10,544,000
Colorado Funding History
variety of partners to maximize the relevance and
reach of RMRS science.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget for RMRS is
$37,687,000, of which $13,142,000 is for annualized
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). In addition,
$6,911,000 is provided for National Fire Plan
research. RMRS will also receive a competitive
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for the
Joint Fire Science Program.
FY 2015 Program Changes
Rocky Mountain Research Station
The RMRS mission is to develop and deliver scientific
information and technology to sustain the health
and productivity of the nation’s forest, rangeland,
grassland, and desert ecosystems throughout the
Interior West. RMRS research provides the scientific
foundation to understand and adapt to the
dynamic conditions associated with ecosystem
health and sustainability: human use of land and
resources, climate change, wildland fire and fuels
management, native and non-native insects and
diseases,
and
watershed
productivity
and
resilience.
The RMRS is organized into seven science programs
with research labs in nine of the twelve states within
its territory. The RMRS conducts research and
delivers science products in collaboration with a
The FY 2015 President's Budget includes a station
decrease of $3,038,000 from the FY 2014 Enacted.
The proposed funding will enable RMRS to continue
producing the scientific information and tools
needed to sustain and restore the productivity and
resilience of western ecosystems. It will allow RMRS
to sustain investment in high priority research
established in its 2014 Strategic Business Plan, by
deferring investments in less urgent research
priorities.
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments in Colorado


RMRS scientists provided critical information to
understand the science behind Colorado's
Fourmile Canyon fire. This fire ignited interest in
assessing and understanding fire risk and
recovery in the growing Wildland-Urban
Interface. RMRS scientists, world-renowned for
their expertise in wildland fire, delivered credible
information and findings as requested by
Congress and the public at-large.
RMRS scientists sponsored a symposium to
deliver a report on the ten-year impacts from
Colorado's 2002 Haymen Fire, the largest known
fire in the state's history. There was immense

public interest in learning about the effects of
this historic fire from renowned experts.
RMRS scientists spearheaded the development
of a synthesis project on the mountain pine
beetle, an insect that has damaged millions of
forested acres across the Interior West.
Priority Research
Forest Service R&D Priority Research Areas build on
local and regional research to solve issues
important to the American people. Examples of
priority research conducted by the RMRS include:
Forest Disturbance: Managing forests to sustain
ecosystem health requires knowledge of how
forests change over time in response to natural
disturbances and management actions. RMRS
scientists developed geospatial tools to help land
managers anticipate future conditions, spot
ecological trends, and design effective adaptive
strategies.
Watershed
Management
and
Restoration: Sustaining healthy watersheds is
fundamental to ensure a safe and reliable water
supply. RMRS scientists developed the GRAIP tool,
a data driven road inventory method and model
which assesses the risks to aquatic resources from
road related sediment discharge. This tool enables
land managers to prioritize mitigation on open
roads and de-commission roads most at risk of
delivering sediment to the stream. This research was
cited in the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) rule to regulate runoff from forest roads, and
figured prominently in the U.S. Supreme Court's
decision to uphold the EPA's policy on forest road
runoff as a nonpoint source.
Bioenergy
and
Bio-Based
Products:
RMRS
researchers are exploring biomass utilization by
mobile fast-pyrolysis to convert residual forest
biomass into biochar (black carbon) and biofuel
near harvest sites. These carbon-rich biochar
amendments return nutrients to the soil, supplement
long-resident soil carbon pools, and improve water
retention, microbial biomass, and nutrient cycling.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA):
The FIA
program provides data on conditions and trends for
public and private forest lands in the United States.
The RMRS Inventory & Monitoring program
completed the first-ever high-resolution analysis of
climatic patterns using tree-ring data from the FIA
plot grid. This technique will enable fine-scale
reconstruction of El Nino-Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) influence on forest growth across large
areas.
Localized Needs Research in Colorado
The RMRS invests in research and science delivery
specific to issues of local and regional importance.
Examples include:
Canada Lynx: RMRS scientists, Colorado Parks and
Wildlife, and other collaborators are investigating
how the Canada lynx, a federally-protected
species, responds to winter recreation.
This
information will enable land managers to administer
winter recreation activities compatible with lynx
conservation.
Wildfire and Flooding: RMRS scientists are examining
whether recent large wildfires, like Larimer County’s
High Park Fire, contributed to the extreme flooding
events on the Colorado Front Range in 2013.
Communities and Wildfire: RMRS researchers are
gaining insights into the beliefs and behaviors of
property owners living in Colorado’s Wildland-Urban
Interface.
Studies
assessed
homeowners’
perceptions of wildfire risk and the actions taken to
mitigate risk on their property.
At-Risk White Pine Ecosystems: RMRS scientists and
partners identified several different blister rust
resistance mechanisms in otherwise diseasevulnerable white pines, enabling agencies to
increase the resilience of white pines to this lethal
non-native disease.
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.
.