http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Wyoming
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) conducts research in Wyoming through the Rocky
Mountain Research Station (RMRS), headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. Long-term research in
Wyoming is conducted at the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site, located on the Medicine Bow
National Forest, west of Laramie.
$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
The 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.
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
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,
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments in Wyoming
 Found that some cool-and-coldwater fish species
moved upstream by 1.5-43 km during the 20th
century Due to changing climates, important
commercial and recreational fish species (e.g.
salmon and trout) could disappear from some
areas.
 RMRS scientists collaborating with CSIRO, NOAA,
and USGS, are developing the National Stream
Internet Project, a tool used to analyze stream
data to provide cost-effective water resource
information to managers.
 RMRS scientists and partners identified several
different blister rust resistance mechanisms in
otherwise
disease-vulnerable
white
pines,
enabling agencies to increase the resistance of
white pines to this lethal non-native disease.
 RMRS scientists collaborated with the USGS and
University of Wyoming to estimate the abundance
and density of black-backed woodpeckers
(petitioned for ESA protection) in the Black Hills.
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
management 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 road mitigation actions.
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 roads as nonpoint sources.
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. Retruning carbon-rich biochar to
the soil adds nutrients, supplements soil carbon
pools, and improves 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 Wyoming
The RMRS invests in research and science delivery
specific to issues of local and regional importance.
Examples include:
Post-Fire
Erosion
Effects:
RMRS
researchers
examined the impacts of wildfire on stream
sedimentation in the Little Granite Creek watershed
in northwestern Wyoming. Results show that 8 years
post-fire, suspended sediment loads were more
than double the estimates obtained from the preburn period, signifying sustained impact from this
large-scale forest disturbance.
Aspen Restoration: The RMRS Inventory & Monitoring
program analyzed the genetic characteristics of
aspen across its North American range, finding that
aspen diploids are capable of reproducing by
seed, whereas triploids are generally infertile. This
research will help guide land management
decisions in restoring aspen ecosystems.
Energy and Wildlife: RMRS scientists, Wyoming
Game & Fish Department, and BLM are
collaborating to determine how ferruginous hawks
adapt to oil and gas production. Scientists provide
prescriptions to industry and government agencies
to configure oil fields in ways that facilitate species
conservation.
Harvest after Bark Beetles: RMRS scientists are
collaborating with the Black Hills National Forest
and South Dakota University to evaluate the impact
of harvest treatments used to manage mountain
pine bark infestations on understory vegetation and
invasive plants.
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.
.