http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
West Virginia
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to West Virginia through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) and its field offices in Parsons, Princeton, and Morgantown. Fifty employees work in
the state. Research focuses on solving problems posed by invasive species, understanding forest ecosystem
processes, and developing knowledge to manage forests to sustainably deliver a variety of outcomes,
products, and uses. Long-term research in West Virginia is conducted on the Fernow Experimental Forest.
West Virginia Funding History
Morgantown-NRS-3 Ecology and Management of Invasive
Species and Forest Ecosystems
Parsons-NRS-1 Ecological and Economic Sustainability of the
Appalachian Forest in an Era of Globalization
Princeton-NRS-1 Ecological and Economic Sustainability of the
Appalachian Forest in an Era of Globalization and NRS-5 Forest
Inventory and Analysis
WEST VIRGINIA TOTAL
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$2,319,000
$2,319,000
$2,319,000
1,728,000
1,792,000
1,792,000
2,291,000
2,390,000
2,390,000
$6,338,000
$6,501,000
$6,501,000
Research. NRS will also receive a competitive
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for
the Joint Fire Science Program.
Monitoring Best Management Practices effectiveness at a
developed recreation site on the Monongahela National
Forest. Photo by Stephanie Connolly, 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
long-term 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.
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
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
 Designed a nationally consistent method of
monitoring
the
effectiveness
of
best
management practices for land-disturbing
activities on national forests and grasslands
and developed an interim database to store
the information.
 Used over a half century of harvesting records
from the Fernow Experimental Forest and
current running buffalo clover abundance
data to determine that the number of forest
harvest events since 1948 is the most important
predictor of the federally-listed endangered
plant’s presence or absence.
 Found that ozone and climate change can
interact to change how forests use water at the
watershed scale. Ozone at or near ambient
concentrations can result in increased water
usage by forests, possibly increasing the
frequency and severity of episodic drought
and affecting flow-dependent aquatic biota in
forested watersheds.
Priority Research in West Virginia
Forest Disturbance: We need to understand how
to manage our forests to adapt to climate
change, including providing opportunities for
changing species mixes, restoring forests and
wetlands as temperatures and rainfall change,
controlling invasive insects and diseases, and
reducing wildfire risk. West Virginia forest
managers can access current tree and bird
distribution maps and habitat projections under
different climate change scenarios.
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. West Virginia cities now
have critical urban and community forestry
information
including
tree
canopy
and
impervious surface cover characteristics, and
priority areas for tree planting.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute to energy security,
environmental
quality,
and
economic
opportunity. Our assessment of current woodbased energy systems in the northeastern U.S.
indicates electricity production from wood and
co-firing of wood in coal power plants, especially
in West Virginia, will strongly impact the woody
biomass resource.
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.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
of West Virginia’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 ecosystems.
Localized Needs Research in West Virginia
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues,
NRS provides
Research
Needs research results and tools
and technologies including:
High-elevation Forest Restoration: NRS sponsored
a conference on the ecology of the red-sprucenorthern hardwood forest ecosystem, helping to
increase the number of scientists and managers
working together to restore these valuable and
vulnerable high-elevation forest ecosystems in
the central and southern Appalachians.
Invasive Species: NRS’ continuing research on
invasive insects, diseases, and plants provides
forest managers with a sound ecological basis
for management decisions about these pests
that threaten West Virginia’s forest health.
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.