In 1962, the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Act became law. Commonly referred to as the McIntire-Stennis program, it provides land-grant and other public universities federal funds to conduct forestry research in eight areas ranging from reforestation and forest management to forest health, utilization and policy. Graduate training is also a desired outcome. A 2007 strategic plan that reframes its potential to address current challenges in sustainability, ecosystems and managing complexity also guides implementation. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the program. Warnell's current projects include: Mass Propagation of EAB-Resistant Ash Trees A project to address a major forest health threat. Faculty lead: Scott Merkle Population Variation in Southern Pine Beetle A project to examine regional population differences. Faculty lead: Caterina Villari Global Competitiveness of Southern U.S. Forest Sector A project to help enhance the role of the Southern U.S. forest sector as the leading global supplier of forest products and services. Faulty lead: Jacek Siry Avian Behavior and Demography in Managed Ecosystems A project aiming to understand population dynamics of an important game bird. Faculty lead: James Martin Producing Bioenergy and Mitigating Increasing Atmospheric CO2 A project to address energy security and atmospheric pollution. Faculty lead: Dan Markewitz Conserving Maritime Live Oak Forests A project to improve coastal forest stewardship. Faculty lead: Elizabeth King Habitat and Long-Term Dynamics of Stream Fishes A project to demonstrate how biological and environmental factors shape biodiversity and population dynamics of dominant fishes in the Southern Appalachians. Faculty lead: Gary Grossman Forest Service All-Employee Safety Survey A project aimed at better understanding employees' attitudes. Faculty lead: Gary Green Assessing Sustainability of Wood Pellet-Based Bioenergy Development in the U.S. South A project undertaking the life-cycle assessment, benefit-cost analysis and social survey for evaluating the carbon intensity, unit production cost and social acceptability of wood pellet-based bioenergy development in the U.S. Southeast. Faculty lead: Puneet Dwivedi Controlling Variability in the Pulp and Paper Industry A project in support of the forest industry. Faculty lead: Joseph Dahlen Improving Log Trucking Safety and Efficiency in Georgia A project to address a public safety and rural economic challenge. Faculty lead: Joseph Conrad Managing Forests to Conserve Wildlife Populations at Southern Range Limits A project to understand more about the loss of "trailing-edge" populations and the impacts on recreational and hunting opportunities in the Southern Appalachians. Faculty lead: Richard Chandler Perceptions of the Forest Service's Radio Program A project to understand employees' perceptions of handheld radio attributes with clear recommendations for how to improve the radio program. Faculty lead: Bynum Boley Spatial Harvest Scheduling and Forest Planning A project to address complex, spatial forest landscape planning problems of the southern United States. Faculty lead: Pete Bettinger Timberland as an Alternative Asset Class A project to address timberland investments. Faculty lead: Yanshu Li Enhancing Forest Productivity and Wood Quality A project to optimize management regimens for genetically improved southern pines. Faculty lead: Bronson Bullock Deer and Coyote Management in the Southeast A project to improve deer management relative to predators and other key factors. Faculty lead: Gino D'Angelo Quantifying Environmental Factors Affecting the Abundance and Distribution of Fish Populations in Georgia's Forested Ecosystems A project to enhance fisheries management planning throughout forested lands in Georgia. Faculty leads: Marty Hamel and Adam Fox Spatially Explicit Models to Enhance Species Management in Changing Landscapes A project aimed at improving land management for the benefit of fish and wildlife habitat using geospatial models. Faculty leads: Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman and Nate Nibbelink Protecting Water Resources A project to identify and enable enhanced forestry best management practices for watershed protection. Faculty leads: Rhett Jackson and Todd Rasmussen
