http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Michigan
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Michigan through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) and its field offices in East Lansing and Houghton. Twenty-nine employees conduct
research to combat the destructive emerald ash borer, assess the potential for forests to store carbon
below ground, and develop real-time predictive tools for fire-weather and air quality that public agencies
can use to plan for fire events and to estimate cumulative impacts on regional air quality and public
health. Long-term research in Michigan is conducted on three experimental forests: Dukes, Lower Peninsula,
and Udell.
Michigan Funding History
East Lansing-NRS-6 Climate, Fire and Carbon Cycle Sciences
and NRS-3 Ecology and Management of Invasive Species and
Forest Ecosystems
Houghton-NRS-6 Climate, Fire and Carbon Cycle Sciences
MICHIGAN TOTAL
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$1,311,000
$1,252,000
$900,000
767,000
648,000
648,000
$2,078,000
$1,900,000
$1,548,000
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for the
Joint Fire Science Program.
The small wasp Oobius afrili, is an egg parasite of the emerald
ash borer. Photo by Leah Bauer, 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
Inventory and Analysis (FIA). In addition,
$2,944,000 is provided for the National Fire Plan
Research. NRS will also receive a competitive
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
 Found that emerald ash borer (EAB) natural
enemies from Asia—tiny wasps that eat EAB
eggs and larvae—released into EAB-infested
forests have been establishing and spreading to
new areas during the last 5 years.
 Developed a new modeling tool to improve
predictions of local smoke transport during lowintensity wildland fires in forested environments.
The tool will help fire and forest managers
planning prescribed fires to minimize adverse
air-quality effects on firefighters and nearby
residents.
 Analyzed data collected by the citizen science
group Project FeederWatch in Michigan and
found that bird predation on the EAB is
supporting a population boom of hairy, downy,
and red-bellied woodpeckers and white–
breasted
nuthatch.
Although
the
bird
population increases are unlikely to stop the
EAB invasion, these birds may help mitigate the
EAB’s spread.
Priority Research in Michigan
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 Michigan 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. Michigan 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. Communities in
Michigan have 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. Michigan forest owners have
benefited from decision-support tools for assessing
biomass inventory and its distribution.
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 increases. It is
important 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. Management guidelines
for Michigan’s three experimental forests are
being updated to enhance water quality.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
of Michigan’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 Michigan
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues, NRS provides research results and tools and
technologies including:
Emerald Ash Borer: NRS researchers help combat
the emerald ash borer by developing trapping
technologies, documenting pathways of spread,
testing chemical and biological control, and
creating better understanding of ash defenses.
Fire Weather Prediction: NRS researchers improve
understanding of the role of atmospheric
turbulence in wildfires and develop a predictive
tool for anticipating the effects of weather
conditions that could lead to erratic fire behavior.
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.