Forest ThreatNet

Greetings! It’s apparent to me that we live in the age of cables. If you’re like me, you have a box or drawer full of cables somewhere in addition to a dozen or so that are in active use. Each one came with some new device and either connected to the power supply or allowed one gadget to communicate with another. Many of the cables are highly specialized such that they can only be used with particular devices. Without the right cables, our prized electronic gizmos are useless. Similarly, a specialized cable is of limited value without the right device in working order.

I could use more cables. Not in the literal sense, but in the metaphorical sense of connecting and communicating. As scientists and technology developers, the Eastern Threat Center specializes in generating knowledge and producing tools. The ultimate goal of our work, however, is to enhance the management of our nation’s forests. For that, we need connections. Our communications and technology transfer efforts provide those connections and come in multiple forms. Some are very broad—like this newsletter—while others are highly specialized and target specific users. We’ve been quite successful in some quarters, but I’m not ready to rest on our laurels. We continue to hear from stakeholders that more assistance is needed, so we’re upping our efforts in the coming year. But there are two ends to every cable. To be effective, there has to be reciprocal efforts from partners to integrate new tools and information into real-world management processes. We also need your help in better understanding management needs so that we can craft our efforts accordingly. Give us a call. Let’s work on this together.

- Danny C. Lee