R&D: Keeping Forests Working

Strong markets for wood are one of the most powerful tools for keeping forests healthy, and forest products add about $435 billion a year to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. Forest Service Research & Development has a unique role: finding smarter, more sustainable ways to use wood while running some of the world’s oldest forestry studies. That science guides wildfire and smoke treatments, as well as informing decisions that protect water, wildlife, recreation, and timber.