**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FORESTS AND FOREST SOILS ARE THE PRIMARY HABITATS WELIVE IN THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE US. THESE FORESTS PROVIDE CLEAN WATER AND CLEAR AIR, WILDLIFE HABITAT, RECREATION, AND SUPPORT A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR FOREST INDUSTRY.THE FOREST INDUSTRY PROVIDESTIMBER FORCONSTRUCTION LUMBERAND FIBER PRODUCTS (I.E., PAPER, CARDBOARD BOXES) AS WELL AS BIOENERGY (I.E., WOOD PELLETS)PREDOMINANTLY THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT OF PINE PLANTATIONS. JUST LIKEON FARMS GROWING FOOD CROPS, SUSTAINING THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FOREST SOILS IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING AND GROWING THE PRODUCTS WE VALUE (I.E.,CLEAN WATER ANDCARDBOARD BOXES).THIS PROJECTIS EVALUATING MEASUREMENTS OF SOIL HEALTHIN PINE PLANTATIONS TO IMPROVE OUR FORESTMANAGEMENT.TWO DIFFERENTSAMPLING APPROACHES ARE BEING APPLIED. THE FIRSTIS USING A BROAD SAMPLING OF SOILSFROM PINE PLANTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST REGION (1300 SAMPLES) THAT INCORPORATES MANY SOIL TYPES UNDER MULTIPLE KINDS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, WITHOR WITHOUT FERTILIZATION OR HERBICIDES. THE SECOND APPROACH IS A CONTOLLED EXPERIMENT THAT HAS APPLIED SIMILAR TREATMENTS OF FERTILIZERS AND HERBICIDESFOR OVER 30 YEARS IN FOUR LOCATIONS IN GEORGIA. THESEPLANTATIONS WILL BE SAMPLED BOTH BEFOREHARVESTING AND 1-YR AFTERREPLANTING.AT ALL THESE SITES WE WILLAPPLY SOIL HEALTH MEASUREMENTS THAT AREBEING TESTEDON FARMSGROWING FOOD CROPS, AS SUCH OUR DATA WILL BE DIRECTLY COMPARABLE AND WILLINFORM US IFPLANTATION MANAGEMENT IS DEGRADING OR IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH.THESE SOIL HEALTH DATAIN MANAGED PINE PLANTATIONSOVER MANY SITES (1300 SAMPLES)AND LONG-TIME PERIODS (30-YEAR) WILL INFORM US ABOUTTHE QUALITY OF OUR MANAGEMENT ACTIONS. THIS KNOWLEDGE WILL ALLOW US TO SUSTAIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FROM FORESTS THAT WEDESIRE (CLEAN WATER AND WILDLIFE HABITAT) AS WELL AS MAXIMIZE PRODUCTION FOR DECADES TO COME OF THEOUTPUTS (LUMBER AND PAPER) WE VALUE.