** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT THROUGH ENHANCED HARVEST PLANNING, DATA DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING, AND REDUCED TIMBER HARVEST SITE IMPACTS ENABLED BY ADVANCED MODELING OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN HEAVY MACHINE TRAFFIC ON SOIL FUNCTION AND TREE GROWTH. PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: 1) CHARACTERIZE THE TRAVEL PATTERNS OF MACHINERY HARVESTING SOUTHERN PINE (PINUS SPP.) PLANTATION STANDS IN DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES AND MOISTURE CONDITIONS IN BOTH FIRST THINNINGS AND REGENERATION HARVESTS; 2) LINK CHANGES IN SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES WITH MACHINE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, DISTURBANCE CATEGORIES, AND SOIL CONDITIONS; 3) QUANTIFY THE IMPACT OF MACHINE TRAFFIC ON TREE GROWTH FOLLOWING FIRST THINNINGS IN A RANGE OF SOIL TYPES AND MOISTURE LEVELS; AND 4) DEVELOP A HARVEST PLANNING DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT INCORPORATES SOIL TYPE AND MOISTURE, MACHINE INDUCED SOIL IMPACTS ON TREE GROWTH, HARVEST PATTERNS AND PRESCRIPTIONS, AND DEPTH TO WATER.THIS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (UGA), THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR AIR AND STREAM IMPROVEMENT (NCASI), AND THE SWEDISH FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SKOGFORSK). WE WILL LEVERAGE THE RESOURCES AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OF SKOGFORSK, THE UGA PLANTATION MANGEMENT RESEARCH COOPERATIVE, THE HARLEY LANGDALE JR. CENTER FOR FOREST BUSINESS, THE TWO LARGEST TIMBER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS) IN THE UNITED STATES (WEYERHAEUSER AND RAYONIER) AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL ALLOW US TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MANAGED FOREST PLANTATIONS IN BOTH THE US SOUTH AND SWEDEN.OUR RESEARCH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF SOIL HEALTH AND TREE GROWTH FUNCTIONS AS RELATED TO CURRENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. FINDINGS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE USED IN DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF PLANTED FORESTS AND THE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FIBER THAT THEY SUPPLY. EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN MANAGEMENT COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL GIVEN THAT OUR FOREST SECTOR PARTNERS CONSIST OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE FOREST LANDOWNERS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO MANAGE OVER 23.5 MILLION ACRES OF PLANTED FOREST STANDS.