**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROBLEM STATEMENT: INSECT OUTBREAKS HAVE CAUSED WIDESPREAD AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO FORESTS IN THE WESTERN US IN THE PAST TWO DECADES, WITH IMPORTANT IMPACTS TO FOREST COMMODITIES AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. RECENT INSECT-CAUSED DAMAGES ARE HYPOTHESIZED TO BE THE RESULT OF SHIFTS TOWARD WARMER, DRIER CLIMATE CONDITIONS AND ABUNDANT SUITABLE FORESTS CONDITIONS (E.G., DENSER STANDS). TO DEVELOP ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FOR LONG-TERM FOREST SUSTAINABILITY, FOREST STAKEHOLDERS NEED BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE AND STAND CONDITIONS ON INSECT OUTBREAKS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, UNDERSTANDING THE CLIMATE CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT OUTBREAK INITIATION AND DURATION WILL HELP FORECAST FUTURE INSECT OUTBREAKS AND PLAN FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. ALTERING FOREST CONDITIONS, SUCH AS THINNING FORESTS, MAY REDUCE THE VULNERABILITY TO INSECT OUTBREAKS AND INCREASE THE RESILIENCE OF STANDS AFFECTED BY INSECT OUTBREAKS. AS SUCH, RIGOROUS FIELD DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS IS NEEDED TO HELP ADAPT FORESTS AND ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES TO INSECT OUTBREAKS.RESEARCH GOALS, METHODS, AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS: DOUGLAS-FIR IS THE MOST HARVESTED TREE SPECIES IN THE WESTERN US, AND LUMBER PRODUCTS SUPPORT MANY JOBS IN RURAL ECONOMIES IN AMERICA. OUTBREAKS OF TWO UNDERSTUDIED INSECTS HAVE CAUSED EXTENSIVE DEFOLIATION AND MORTALITY OF DOULAS-FIR IN THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS, RESULTING IN NOTABLE LOSSES IN TIMBER YIELD AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION. MY GOAL IS TO EXAMINE HOW OUTBREAKS OF INSECTS ARE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE, FOREST CONDITIONS, AND FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN DOUGLAS-FIR FORESTS IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES.TO DETERMINE HOW CLIMATE AFFECTS OUTBREAK INITIATION AND DURATION ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, I WILL RELATE VARIABILITY IN ANNUAL CLIMATE TO A) ANNUAL MAPS OF INSECT ACTIVITY RECENTLY DIGITIZED BY THE USDA FOREST SERVICE (1962-2020) AND B) RECONSTRUCTED PERIODS OF INSECT ACTIVITY FROM TREE RINGS BY COLLECTING A NEW DATASET (~1700-2020). TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS THAT REDUCE FOREST DENSITY CAN HELP MITIGATE INSECT DAMAGE, I WILL COLLECT FIELD MEASUREMENTS (E.G., TREE SIZES AND INSECT DAMAGES) IN TREATED AND UNTREATED FORESTS AND EVALUATE HOW TREATMENTS AFFECT CHARACTERISTICS THAT WILL PROMOTE RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE TO INSECT OUTBREAKS. MY RESEARCH GOALS WERE DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE FOREST STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED UPDATES TO SILVICULTURAL GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING FOREST INSECTS (E.G., WHAT FOREST CONDITIONS ARE LEAST SUSCEPTIBLE TO OUTBREAKS?) AND TO ADDRESS UNCERTAINTY IN STAKEHOLDERS' KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON FOREST INSECTS (E.G., WILL CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASE INSECT OUTBREAK ACTIVITY?).