** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** * ENSURING THAT AMERICAN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS CONTINUE PROVIDING VITAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES - WOOD, FIBER, WILDLIFE HABITAT, BIODIVERSITY, CLEAN AIR, AND WATER - REQUIRES CURRENT OPERATIONS TO BE MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER DISTURBANCES SUCH AS DROUGHT, INVASIVE SPECIES, AND WILDFIRES. IN THE SOUTHERN REGION, FORESTS OCCUPY ABOUT 40% OF THE LAND WHILE PRODUCING OVER 57% OF THE TOTAL U.S. TIMBER VOLUME AND OVER 18% OF THE WORLD'S PULPWOOD, BUT THESE PRODUCTIVE FORESTS ARE UNDER THREAT FROM THE INCREASING FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSORS IN THE REGION. FORESTS CONTRIBUTE TOWARD CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION THROUGH CARBON SEQUESTRATION, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE IMPLEMENTING NEW CLIMATE-RESILIENT FORESTRY OPERATIONS TO SUSTAIN FOREST BENEFITS INTO THE FUTURE GROWING ENVIRONMENTS. IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE-SMART AND RESILIENT FORESTRY (CSF) PRACTICES HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL TO CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS, TEMPERATURE REGIMES, AND WEATHER DISTURBANCES TO ENSURE FOOD AND FIBER SECURITY.* IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SE CLIMATE HUB, THIS PROJECT TEAM OF FORESTRY RESEARCH & EXTENSION SPECIALISTS FROM 1862 & 1890 LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS AIMS TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE-SMART FORESTRY EXTENSION EDUCATION TO LANDOWNERS, PROFESSIONALS AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS, AND EXTENSION AGENTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. THE PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH FOREST LANDOWNERS AND MANAGERS TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT AND INTEGRATE CSF PRACTICES INTO THEIR FORESTRY OPERATIONS IN SOCIO-ECOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE WAYS THAT MEET THE LANDOWNER'S OBJECTIVES. ALSO, IT WILL TRAIN AND EDUCATE FIELD STAFF, CONSERVATION PLANNERS, FOREST MANAGERS, EXTENSION AGENTS, AND OTHER TECHNICAL STAFFON THE SUITE OF CSF PRACTICES AND THE NEW TOOLS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND MARKETS RELATED TO CSF SO THAT THEY ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL GUIDANCE TO PRODUCERS AND LANDOWNERS.*THE PROJECT APPROACH IS TO PROVIDE TARGETED EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS CRITICAL FOR BUILDING TRUST WITH FOREST LANDOWNERS AND PRODUCERS. THIS PROJECT WILL MEET THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION NEEDS OF PROFESSIONAL FORESTERS AND EXTENSION AGENTS ON CLIMATE-SMART FORESTRY TOPICS. PROJECT PARTICIPANTS WILL BUILD AN UNDERSTANDING OF A BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES, SUCH AS INCORPORATING A CLIMATE-SMART FORESTRY APPROACH INTO FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS, CARBON FORESTRY PRACTICES, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRADE-OFFS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES. CO-OPERATIVE EXTENSION AGENTS AND OUTREACH PROFESSIONALS WILL GAIN COMPETENCE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE TO FOREST LANDOWNERS. IT WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED AND RESILIENT FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING AMID INCREASING REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE DISTURBANCES. OVERALL, THE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARD LOWERING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICES AND INCREASING THE ADOPTION RATE OF CSF PRACTICES.

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators