Principal Investigator: Dr. Holly Munro, Senior Research Scientist, NCASI

Collaborators: USDA Forest Service, Research and Development

Supported by: USDA Forest Service, Agreement 24-CA-11132650-173 for $1.9 million over five years.

Project Summary:

This effort will foster collaboration among forest biometric and ecological experts from the forest product sector to advance forest biometric models and develop field-ready tools and applications associated with forest-based Nature-based Climate Solutions (NCS). This effort is situated within the broader context of global change factors such as forest insects/ diseases, wildfires, droughts, land-use change, advancing forest product technologies, and evolving economies.

Activities to be undertaken through this partnership are to clearly define and refine the information needs of wide-ranging groups of stakeholders, to prioritize and execute biometrical research in support of US forest-based NCS in a nationally cohesive manner, and to deliver associated NCS capacity to users across a breadth of society through development activities. The aim is to advance forest biometric models and develop field-ready tools and applications for the forest products sector.

This project will identify and convene an Executive Committee and two panels (User and Science/SDevelopment/Software) of leading scientists in the fields of forest biometrics, landscape ecology, geographic information systems, economics, silviculture, and forest health, and USDA Forest Service leadership. These groups will guide tactical and strategic research and application development goals; solicit experts for proposals; and subsequent awarding of funds. This project is in service to NCS and results will be available for public dissemination.

Executive Committee:

Holly Munro, NCASI, Inc. (NCASI Project Manager)

Susan McCord, NCASI Foundation (Administrative Director)

Chris Woodall, USDA Forest Service (USFS Project Manager)

Courtney Giebink, USDA Forest Service (USFS FVS Technical Contact)

Hector Restrepo, NCASI, Inc. (Committee Member)

Aaron Weiskittel, University of Maine (Committee Member)

David Diaz, Vibrant Planet (Committee Member)

Dale Hogg, Green Diamond Resource Company (Committee Member)

Erin Smith-Mateja, USDA Forest Service (Committee Member)

Kendall DeLyser, American Forests (Committee Member)

Andy Finley, Michigan State University (Committee Member)

Tom Fox, Rayonier (Committee Member)

Benjamin Hudson, Canadian Forest Service (Committee Member)

News: 

The Executive Committee has been convened and information on an upcoming RFP is forthcoming!