Approximately 35% of alaska's land area (126 million acres) is forested

Most alaskans live in or near a forest, with forests being uniquely integral to the lives and livelihoods of the majority of those who reside in this state. Forests provide a multitude of resources including but not limited to: timber and other wood products, harvesting food and hunting, ecosystem services, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Forested land in alaska is owned and managed by multiple entities: federal, state, local, native and private. Varying interests of land owners, extreme weather, wildfires, and limited accessible information pose challenges for making informed decisions regarding forest management. Increased access to research-based and relevant forestry information is fundamental for decision-making and management practices that sustain productive forests across all land ownership and use. This project will produce accessible and varied resources intended for private land owners and natural resource professionals that communicate relevant forestry research. The project will continue to partner with communities and organizations statewide in order to increase the impact of forestry education and communication and expand innovation of forest use and productivity. This program will utilize various outreach materials depending on the needs of the intended audience including web-based resources, printed publications, podcasts, and educational workshops and programming. Pertinent materials will be created to convey the research and outreach conducted by the university of alaska fairbanks, specifically the forest soils lab and onetree alaska. Emphasis will be placed on topics such as the management of spruce bark beetle impacts, harvesting firewood for efficient drying times, managing land for water retention and forest fire protection, and collecting and utilizing birch SAP. State-wide collaboration will focus on workshops that develop knowledge of forestry practices and facilitate forestry workforce development. Additionally, this project will work with the state of alaska division of forestry and fire protection and the alaska fire science consortium to expand on the information available for educating homeowners about preparing for and responding to wildfire events. The meaningful distribution of accurate, relevant and engaging forestry information is crucial for sustaining healthy forests across alaska. Healthy forests benefit all livelihoods in the state, especially as PR oductive forests encourage local resource use, in turn reducing living costs and increasing support of domestic markets.