The proposed project will help OSU college of forestry carry out research projects important to the state of oregon

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Oregon State University $2.460824 million under the Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202) on October 1, 2025.

OSU's College of Forestry will conduct forest research projects addressing reforestation, forest and watershed management, rangeland management, forest recreation, protection against fire and forest pests, forest products utilization, and forest policy. Specific research initiatives include understanding active forest management barriers and impacts in fire-adapted western regions, developing sound policies for forest land and harvesting practices, managing forested watersheds to improve water flow and reduce flood and erosion risk, researching advanced wood products in mass timber buildings, improving scientific tools for watershed management, deploying remote sensing technologies to assess tree dimensions and qualities, and examining connections between forest governance and landscape patterns alongside public perceptions of federal forest landscapes.

The award supports trained forest scientists and produces research papers, conference presentations, datasets, and management guides intended for state and federal agencies, policymakers, forest and landowners, and the general public who recreate on private, state, or federal forest and rangelands.

Performance occurs at OSU's Corvallis, Oregon campus from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research funding supports eligible state-certified forestry research institutions to increase research in forest production, utilization, and protection while training future forestry scientists.

Supported projects will support trained forest scientists in the following research topics: reforestation; forest, watershed, and rangeland management; forest recreation; protection against fire, insects, diseases, and other destructive agents; forest products utilization; and forest policy. Projects funded by OSU include understanding context of, barriers to, and impacts of active forest management in the fire-adapted west, reviewing and developing sound policies for the management of forest lands, harvesting practices, and marketing of forest products, management of forest and related watershed lands to improve water flow and protect against floods and erosion, research on advanced wood products in mass timber buildings, improvement of scientific tools for managing forested watersheds, use of remote sensing technologies to estimate dimensions and different qualities of trees, and understanding the connections between forest governance and landscape pattern and process, and the ways in which public perceptions and valuations of federal forest landscapes and science influence those connections. Deliverables include research papers, conference presentations, datasets, management guides, and the like. Intended beneficiaries include state and federal agencies, policymakers, forest and landowners, and general public who recreate in private, state, or federal forest and rangelands.