Forest ThreatNet

Welcome to the summer 2024 issue of Forest ThreatNet, a newsletter highlighting activities of the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC), a research unit of the Forest Service’s Southern Research Station. EFETAC has been funded by the Forest Service's National Forest System, State, Private, and Tribal Forestry, and Research and Development since 2005. 

EFETAC also hosts the USDA Southeast Climate Hub. EFETAC researchers and partners work closely with Climate Hub staff to achieve the mission: “delivering science-based, region-specific information that enables climate-informed decision-making, and providing access to assistance to implement those decisions.” 

Talking about climate change has become much easier nowadays, as many of us have had personal experiences and observations of tangible changes brought on by climate. This past February, I was wondering if the early blooming of my 16-year old camellia tree had something to do with the unusually high temperature in North Carolina over the winter--we have not seen measurable snow in the Raleigh area since January 2022. But climate affects much more than spring blooms: this year NOAA predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, and hotter-than-usual temperatures across the U.S. As we are already seeing, conditions like these present real threats to communities and forests across the country and globally.

EFETAC continues to excel in technology development and scientific research on regional and national forest threat and disturbance detections, assessment, and modeling and projection. Tools and data created by scientists at EFETAC, such ForWarn, HiForm, WaSSI, and Forests to Faucets, just name a few, play a significant role in managing forest ecosystems to maximize their many benefits to the public. We work hard to share these tools and knowledge by partnering closely with collaborators across the nation and globally.

During the past year we received significant funding through a competitive process thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. These funds allow our scientists to expand our current capacity to address important emerging issues and Congressional management mandates, such as responding to the wildfire crisis, landscape restoration, mature and old growth forest protection, and improving water quality in the eastern U.S. and the nation. 

Please enjoy this Newsletter detailing various ongoing projects, and visit our website for more information. We would love to hear your feedback.

          Director, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center