http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Massachusetts
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Massachusetts through the
Northern Research Station (NRS) and its field office in Amherst, which employs five people. The research
here addresses air, water, fish, and wildlife habitat. Scientists study how changes in water flow,
fragmentation of river flow corridors, and climate change threaten the ecological integrity of the
Connecticut River, the largest river system in New England.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
Amherst-NRS-7 Center for Research on Ecosystem Change
$864,000
$952,000
$952,000
MASSACHUSETTS TOTAL
$864,000
$952,000
$952,000
Massachusetts Funding History
Homeowners participate as citizen scientists by reporting
observations of banded birds and nesting behavior, to help
estimate the influence of yard features on bird abundance
and survival.
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 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
 Modeled urban air quality in Boston and nine
other cities, found that trees in cities lowered
fine
particulate
matter
pollution
and
consequently improved human health and
reduced human mortality. On average, trees
saved one life per year in each city studied.
 With help from homeowners, developed
guidelines for homeowners and municipalities to
conserve biodiversity in urban areas of
Massachusetts.
 Collaborating with Harvard University and
partners,
analyzed
direct,
long-term
measurements of whole-ecosystem carbon and
water exchange and found a substantial
increase in water-use efficiency in temperate
and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere
over the past two decades.
Priority Research in Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts include:
Forest Disturbance: As climate changes so will our
forests. We need to understand how to manage
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 the
risk of wildfire. Massachusetts 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 advancement of ecosystem services in urban
and urbanizing landscapes. Massachusetts cities
can access baseline data online on urban natural
resource composition and health.
to understand where water shortages will occur,
to identify how future climate will affect rainfall
and snowfall, and to 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 Massachusetts’ 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 Massachusetts
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues, NRS provides research results and tools and
technologies including:
Water Quality: NRS researchers are tracking
mercury
accumulation
in
Massachusetts’
seasonal forest pools, habitat for salamanders
and other amphibians, to better understand
broader implications for water quality and
environmental health in the landscape.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality, and economic
opportunity. Massachusetts’ forest owners have
benefited from land management decisionsupport tools for assessing biomass inventory and
distribution.
Atlantic Salmon Restoration: NRS researchers are
exploring links between land-use change,
aquatic ecosystems, and sustainable fish
populations. The work includes assessment of the
causative factors of mercury and aluminum
accumulation in freshwater fish to devise ways to
reduce these detrimental pollutants.
Watershed
Management
and
Restoration:
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
Invasive Species: NRS researchers continue
monitoring for Asian long-horned beetles in
Worchester, MA, where a recent outbreak of this
insect threatens trees.
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.