The maryland agricultural experiment station (MAES) and the college of agriculture and natural resources (AGNR) at the university of maryland will utilize mcintire stennis funds for the following…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources $662,882 under the Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202) on October 1, 2025.

The Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will conduct six coordinated forestry and environmental research projects. These include evaluating the design and implementation of riparian forest buffer subsidy programs; assessing impacts of three forest harvest techniques on wildlife, carbon sequestration, and timber utilization; studying carbon cycling and underplanting in tidal freshwater forested wetlands impacted by emerald ash borer; building forestry research capacity through a forest diversity experiment; assessing the capability of native tree species to cope with urban stress and environmental variability as street trees; and addressing global environmental challenges with bioengineered poplar trees. The projects aim to reduce agricultural nutrient runoff to improve water quality, evaluate sustainable forest management techniques that balance biodiversity and carbon storage with timber yield, restore ash-dominated wetlands, train future forestry professionals, enhance urban tree resilience, and advance poplar bioengineering to boost biofuel production and carbon sequestration.

Research activities are conducted by faculty and scientists in the Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Entomology, Environmental Science and Technology, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, and the Wye Research and Education Center. The award period runs through September 30, 2027, with performance at College Park, Maryland.

The maryland agricultural experiment station (MAES) and the college of agriculture and natural resources (AGNR) at the university of maryland will utilize mcintire stennis funds for the following research projects: (1) evaluating the design and implementation of riparian forest buffer subsidy programs; (2) assessing impacts of 3 forest harvest techniques on wildlife, carbon sequestration, and timber utilization; (3) carbon cycling and underplanting in tidal freshwater forested wetlands impacted by emerald ASH borer; (4) building forestry research capacity in a forest diversity experiment; (5) assessing the capability of native tree species to cope with urban stress and environmental variability as street trees; and (6) addressing global environmental challenges with bioengineered poplar trees. These projects collectively address critical environmental and forestry challenges through innovative research and PR actical applications. They aim to reduce agricultural nutrient runoff to improve water quality, evaluate sustainable forest management techniques that balance biodiversity, carbon storage, and timber yield, and restore ASH dominated wetlands threatened by the emer ALD ASH borer. Additional efforts focus on training future forestry professionals using long term tree diversity experiments, testing the adaptability of urban tree species to enhance city resilience, and advancing bioengineering of poplar trees to boost biofuel production and carbon sequestration. Together, these studies integrate ecological, economic, and genetic approaches to promote sustai nable land use, ecosystem restoration, and adaptability to weather variations. These research activities are conducted by faculty and scientists in the departments of agricultural and resource economics (AREC), entomology (ENTM), environmental science and technology (ENST), plant science and landscape architecture (PSLA), and the WYE research and education center (WREC). The research projects above align with the following mandated areas of the mcintire stennis program: (1) reforestation and management of land for the production of crops of timber and other related products of the forest; (2) management of forest and related watershed lands to improve conditions of water flow and to protect resources against floods and erosion; (3) management of forest and related rangeland for production of forage for domestic livestock and game and improvement of food and habitat for wildlife; (4) protection of forest land and resources against fire, insects, diseases, or other destructive agent; and (5) development of sound policies for the management of forest lands and the harvesting and marketing of forest products. MAES funded mcintire stennis research projects are peer reviewed before they are approved by the MAES director to ensure that they are novel, scientifically sound, and align with the purposes of the mcintire stennis program listed above, the USDA strategic plan FY 2022 2026 (goals 1 4), and our college's strategic initiatives. Detailed information about each mcintire stennis research project, such as the objectives and methodology, can be found online in the nifa reporting system.