http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Maine
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Maine through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) and its cooperators. Currently, two NRS employees are located at the University of
Maine-Orono. Long-term research in Maine is conducted on the Massabesic and Penobscot Experimental
Forests and the Howland Research Forest. Maine also benefits from the funding provided to the
Northeastern States Research Cooperative that administers competitive research grants addressing forestry
issues affecting Maine’s vast forest lands.
Maine Funding History
Orono-NRS-7 Research on Ecosystem Change
Northeastern States Research Cooperative (NSRC)
MAINE TOTAL
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$432,000
$470,000
$470,000
288,000
275,000
0
$720,000
$745,000
$470,000
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.
Northern white-cedar wildlife tree showing woodpecker holes.
Photo by Laura Kenefic, 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.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget is $50,495,000 of
which $15,718,000 is for annualized Forest
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
 Demonstrated the rapid response of declining
white pine on southern Maine’s Massabesic
Experimental Forest to low and medium density
thinnings, giving forest managers a new
technique for renewing an iconic forest type.
 Expanded
use
of
new
guidelines
for
management of northern white-cedar through
workshops and the translation of a landmark
publication into French for broader international
use.

Introduced high school students to forest
ecosystems, natural resource management,
and related careers through sponsorship of two
career camps organized by the University of
Maine. The camps attracted a diverse group of
participants, including Native Americans and
women, groups underrepresented in forestry.
Priority Research in Maine
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 Maine include:
Forest Disturbance: Management of forest
ecosystems to sustain desired benefits requires
knowledge of how forests change over time. In
Maine, forest managers have a better
understanding of short- and long-term ecosystem
responses to natural disturbances and forest
management practices, helping them maintain
and enhance the long-term health and
productivity of forests and aquatic ecosystems.
The Howland Research Forest is helping foresters
understand how the carbon cycle in Maine
forests will respond to a changing climate.
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 advancement of ecosystem services in urban
and urbanizing landscapes. Maine can access
baseline data online on urban natural resource
composition and health.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality, and economic
opportunity. Projections based on current woodbased energy systems in the Northeast indicate
Maine is one of five states that should be the
focus of future woody biomass demand studies.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
of Maine’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.
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, to
identify how future climate will affect rainfall and
snowfall, and find ways to reduce water pollution
and to effectively manage and protect water
sources.
Localized Needs Research in Maine
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues,
NRS Needs
provides research results, tools, and
Research
technologies including:
Invasive Plants in Northern Forests: Invasive plants
can disrupt the functioning of the ecosystems
they invade. NRS researchers developed
guidelines for predicting the locations of invasive
plant infestations in northern forests, helping
managers reduce threats to species diversity and
tree regeneration.
Forest
Industry:
NRS
scientists
developed
management guidelines for northern white-cedar,
a commercially important but little studied
species, thus helping improve the viability of
Maine’s forest industry.
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.