Support research that addresses forest health and management and aligns with the mandated priorities for the mcintire-stennis program

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Kentucky $1.327 million under the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202) on October 1, 2025, for forest health and management research aligned with the program's mandated priorities.

The award funds eight research projects: natural resource economics research building economic models for management decision-making addressing labor issues; field research on how elk reintroduction in Eastern Kentucky has impacted forest ecology and reforestation of reclaimed coal surface mines; forest entomology research developing new molecular methods for controlling bark beetles; research using long-term environmental datasets from Robinson Forest to understand how water quality and quantity are influenced by management practices, resource extraction, and severe weather events; investigations of silvicultural practices and genetic factors contributing to oak growth and sustainability; research evaluating how wildlife responds to surface mine reforestation efforts in Central Appalachia; drone and remote sensing tools to evaluate invasive plants in disturbed landscapes; and research on how current forest population demographics impact sustainable productivity and harvesting.

Deliverables include new data, scientific publications and presentations, and graduate students trained through project participation. Translation of research results will be delivered through decision-making tools, recommendations for best management practices, and education programming developed in collaboration with extension. Expected outcomes include better-informed timber management and policy decision-making, improved conservation of water resources and ecosystem services in Central Appalachia, new control methods for invasive forest pests, and improved management processes.

The award covers the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Lexington, Kentucky.

For FY26, the award will support projects including: (a) natural resource economics research to build economic models for management and decision making addressing labor issues; (b) field research on how ELK reintroduction in eastern kentucky has impacted the ecology of forests in the region and the reforestation of reclaimed coal surface mines; (c) forest entomology research developing new molecular methods for controlling bark beetles; (d) research using long-term environmental datasets from robinson forest to better understand how water quality and quantity are influenced by management practices, resource extraction, severe weather events, etc.; (e) investigations of silvicultural practices and genetic factors that can contribute to OAK growth and sustainability; (f) research evaluating how wildlife responds to surface mine reforestation efforts in central appalachia; (g) using drones and remote sensing tools to evaluate invasive plants in disturbed landscapes; and (h) understanding how current forest population demographics impact sustainable productivity and harvesting. Deliverables from the research programs supported by mcintire-stennis funding include new data, scientific publications and presentations, and graduate students trained through participation in the project. Translation of research results will be delivered to stakeholders in part through the creation of decision making tools, recommendations for best management practices, and education programming developed in collaboration with extension. Expected outcomes from this work include better informed timber management and policy- decision-making, improved conservation of water resources and ecosystem services in central appalachia, new control methods for invasive forest pests, and improved management processes in support of the white OAK industry. Beneficiaries will include other forestry and natural resource scientists, timber resource managers, wildlife managers, woodland owners, the forest products industries, communities in central appalachia, and the general public