**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FRASER FIR, A SHORT ROTATION WOOD CROP, IS CENTRAL TO RURAL, MOUNTAIN BIO-ECONOMIES. WARMING CLIMATE AND LOSS OF PRODUCTIVE FRASER FIR ACREAGE TO PHYTOPHTHORA ROOT ROT ARE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO LIVELIHOODS IN NORTH CAROLINA (NC) AND OTHER SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES. PHYTOPHTHORA-RESISTANT FRASER FIR OR EXOTIC ALTERNATIVES, AND THEIR REQUISITE SEED NURSERIES, WILL REQUIRE A DECADE OR MORE OF DEVELOPMENT. WE PROPOSE TO ADVANCE RECENT FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF POPULUS (POPLAR) AS A HIGH VALUE AND FLEXIBLE FEEDSTOCK FOR PHYTOPHTHORA-INFESTED LANDS THAT ARE NO LONGER VIABLE FOR FRASER FIR AND CHRISTMAS TREE ECONOMIES. WE RECENTLY MILLED 10-12 YEAR-OLD POPLAR LOGS FOR VENEER SHEETS WITH INDUSTRY IN NC. EIGHT-YEAR OLD, VENEER POPLAR GENOTYPES ARE GROWING WELL ON A SITE ABANDONED BY FRASER FIR GROWERS. WE WILL CHARACTERIZE POPLAR GENOTYPES CURRENTLY IN GENETIC TRIALS ACROSS NC FOR RESISTANCE TO PHYTOPHTHORA SPP THAT WILL BE COLLECTED, CULTURED, AND SPECIATED FROM IMPACTED FRASER FIR PLANTATIONS. PRIORITIZED POPLAR GENOTYPES FOR FIBER AND CANDIDATE VENEER GENOTYPES WILL BE CHALLENGED WITH PHYTOPHTHORA SPP TO DETERMINE RESISTANCE OR SUSCEPTIBILITY IN GREENHOUSE TRIALS. RESISTANT POPLAR WILL BE PLANTED ON KNOWN PRR-INFESTED ACREAGE TO OPTIMIZE EXISTING PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY MODELS FOR MOUNTAIN VENEER AND FIBER POPLAR. POPLAR-PHYTOPHTHORA RESPONSE, ENTERPRISE BUDGETS (POPLAR AND FRASER FIR), AND MODELS WILL BE AGGREGATED IN A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATABASE FOR RESEARCH, EXTENSION, INDUSTRY, AND EDUCATIONAL USE. PROJECT RESEARCH WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO A NEW COURSE THAT ADDRESSES A CURRENT INSTRUCTIONAL GAP IN HARDWOOD PLANTATION SILVICULTURE TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT FLEXIBLE FEED STOCKS FOR SUSTAINABLE BIO-PRODUCTS AND BIO-ECONOMIES.