Forest ThreatNet

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Forest ThreatNet, our quarterly newsletter designed to update our customers and partners about ongoing efforts within the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC).

Much has happened since I first arrived in July 2005. At that time, the Center was just empty office space and a promise of something special to come. The Center has grown tremendously since then, both by adding new staff and consolidating with two other units from the Southern Research Station: the Southern Global Change Program and the National Forest Health Monitoring Unit. We’ve also established long-term relationships with local, State, and Federal organizations that will enable us to develop advanced products and tools that will be useful to forest landowners and managers. We’re working hard to make sure our Web site, www.forestthreats.org, becomes a timely and reliable source of information for anyone interested in environmental threats.

A recent retreat with our sister center, the Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center, has led to greater collaboration on challenging issues such as climate change, risk mapping, early warning systems, and science delivery. Our time together helped build individual and group relationships that are critical to present and future research. Stay tuned for events that will cross geographical boundaries and benefit researchers, national forest land managers, and State and private forestry partners.

The following pages touch on some recent highlights of our work, but by no means describe all that we’re doing. Please visit our Web site or feel free to contact us for more information. We welcome your comments and look forward to serving you as best we can.

Until next time...

Danny C. Lee