http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Connecticut
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Connecticut through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) and its field office in Hamden and quarantine facility in Ansonia. Fourteen
employees develop methods to protect landscapes from invasive insects and other disturbances.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
Hamden-NRS-3 Ecology and Management of Invasive Species
and Forest Ecosystems and NRS-16 Restoration and
Conservation of Rural and Urban Forests.
$1,889,000
$1,869,000
$1,169,000
CONNECTICUT TOTAL
$1,889,000
$1,869,000
$1,169,000
Connecticut Funding History
An Asian long-horned beetle adult emerges from an
artificial pupal cell, part of a life-cycle study that is
increasing the effectiveness of eradication programs.
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.
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.
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
 Determined the influence of temperature on
when the first adult Asian long-horned beetles
(ALB) will emerge each year, a date critical for
deploying
pheromone
traps
and
other
detection devices that are vital to effective
eradication programs of this invasive species.
 Confirmed that natural enemies of the emerald
ash borer (EAB) have successfully established
and spread where introduced during the last
five years. These biological control techniques
can help Connecticut forests recover from the
EAB invasion.
Priority Research in Connecticut
Forest Service R&D priority research areas build on
existing local and regional research to solve issues
important to the American people. Priority
research activities in Connecticut include:
Forest Disturbance: As climate changes so will our
forests. We need to understand how to manage
our forests to adapt to climate change, including
providing opportunities for new and changing
species mixes, restoring forests and wetlands as
temperatures and rainfall change, controlling
invasive insects and diseases, and reducing
wildfire risk. Connecticut 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. NRS provides communities
in Connecticut with improved tools for assessing,
protecting, and managing urban natural
resources through i-Tree software.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality, and economic
opportunity. Connecticut forest owners benefit
from land management decision-support tools
developed by NRS scientists for assessing biomass
inventory and distribution.
Watershed Management and Restoration: The
availability of clean water is becoming limited in
many parts of the United States, a trend likely to
continue as the population grows. 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.
of Connecticut’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 Connecticut
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues, NRS provides research results and tools and
technologies including:
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: The hemlock woolly
adelgid is a regional pest currently impacting 17
states in the eastern U.S. and is a threat to four
additional states. This insect’s long-term impacts
on forest resources affect a broad sector of the
public. Continued research into management
and control technologies is necessary to develop
integrated pest management approaches for
National Forest System and partner lands. NRS
uses DNA sequencing to determine resistance of
various U.S. and Asian hemlock species to
hemlock woolly adelgid and designs integrated
pest management techniques to control hemlock
woolly adelgid.
Asian Long-horned Beetle: The invasive Asian
long-horned beetle has affected four eastern
states since its introduction in 1996. Its appetite for
a diverse array of hardwood tree species
threatens urban and rural forests. NRS researchers
are developing and deploying detection and
control techniques, including a trap that the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) uses in current outbreaks of the ALB. This
trap provides the least expensive method of
searching for this pest.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
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.