1 00:00:03,540 --> 00:00:04,680 All right, well, welcome. 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:05,730 Thank you for making the time. 3 00:00:05,730 --> 00:00:08,760 We got the joyous after lunch spot, 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,580 but this is our inaugural Northeastern States 5 00:00:11,580 --> 00:00:14,640 Research Cooperative session. 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,150 So thank you, Jen, for organizing and having us. 7 00:00:18,150 --> 00:00:20,730 I'll get to a slide of why we might be here, 8 00:00:20,730 --> 00:00:22,590 but primarily the purpose is to talk 9 00:00:22,590 --> 00:00:25,290 about the Northeastern States Research Cooperative, 10 00:00:25,290 --> 00:00:26,400 the potential connections 11 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,470 to the Forest EcoSystem Monitoring Cooperative. 12 00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:30,870 And then most importantly, I'll sit down 13 00:00:30,870 --> 00:00:32,190 and let the scientists actually talk 14 00:00:32,190 --> 00:00:33,023 about the science that they're doing 15 00:00:33,023 --> 00:00:35,403 with Northeastern States Research Cooperative. 16 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,840 Tony, Matt, and Steve will carry the day, 17 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,820 but I did also want to acknowledge Dan Dey 18 00:00:41,820 --> 00:00:44,100 for being here from the US Forest Service. 19 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:46,290 I think what makes NSRC work, 20 00:00:46,290 --> 00:00:48,200 just like the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, 21 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,720 is it's a joint venture between universities, 22 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,750 as well as the US Forest Service. 23 00:00:54,750 --> 00:00:59,750 I'd like to also acknowledge UVM is the lead site, 24 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,060 so Anne Jefferson, Anthea Lavallee 25 00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:05,160 at Hubbard Brook Foundation, 26 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:06,810 Mark Ducey at University of New Hampshire, 27 00:01:06,810 --> 00:01:10,980 and Rene Germain, and then myself and Dan. 28 00:01:10,980 --> 00:01:14,790 So really, NSRC'S Mission aligns very well closely 29 00:01:14,790 --> 00:01:16,650 with the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative. 30 00:01:16,650 --> 00:01:19,050 It's really to talk about the great resource 31 00:01:19,050 --> 00:01:21,731 that we have in the Northern Forest 32 00:01:21,731 --> 00:01:23,730 and address the many uses 33 00:01:23,730 --> 00:01:27,090 and issues that face the Northern Forest. 34 00:01:27,090 --> 00:01:29,100 It is part of the US public law, 35 00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:30,960 so it is been around for a while. 36 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:32,586 I'm not bringing anything new here, 37 00:01:32,586 --> 00:01:36,245 but we have had a strategic reboot in the recent past, 38 00:01:36,245 --> 00:01:38,100 and that's what we wanted to highlight today 39 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:40,110 in some of the ongoing research. 40 00:01:40,110 --> 00:01:41,696 We do have a website that many of you know. 41 00:01:41,696 --> 00:01:45,720 NSRC Forest, so many of the things that I'll refer to there, 42 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,661 you can retrieve there. 43 00:01:47,661 --> 00:01:49,890 Around 2019, we had a reboot 44 00:01:49,890 --> 00:01:51,720 of Northeastern States Research Cooperative. 45 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,420 I'll talk about the history of it a little bit, 46 00:01:54,420 --> 00:01:56,220 but really this was in 2018, 47 00:01:56,220 --> 00:01:59,520 our first comprehensive assessment of the program, 48 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,310 its accomplishments, and kind of the future direction 49 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:03,660 of where it was going. 50 00:02:03,660 --> 00:02:06,060 Since then, we've had annual reports 51 00:02:06,060 --> 00:02:08,220 that kind of highlight the research portfolio 52 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:11,220 that we maintain and the connections across the region 53 00:02:11,220 --> 00:02:13,410 that we hope to support. 54 00:02:13,410 --> 00:02:16,560 All of this, again, is through the NSRC website. 55 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,360 Again, as I highlighted at the get go, 56 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,340 this is really a multi-state, 57 00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:23,010 multi-organization cooperative, 58 00:02:23,010 --> 00:02:25,770 and it's really about having these people come together 59 00:02:25,770 --> 00:02:28,170 to run, I won't say a low frills, 60 00:02:28,170 --> 00:02:31,710 but it's definitely we put most of our money 61 00:02:31,710 --> 00:02:33,600 towards the research that happens 62 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,630 and really try to run a low and mean, 63 00:02:36,630 --> 00:02:38,640 kind of a lean and mean organization. 64 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:42,210 So again, I highlighted the Executive Committee, 65 00:02:42,210 --> 00:02:45,870 Anne Jefferson, Mark Ducey, Rene Germain, 66 00:02:45,870 --> 00:02:48,240 myself, Anthea, and Dan. 67 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,640 And then we have the people that really do the work, 68 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:52,800 which is the Management Committee, 69 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,950 Anna, who I think is here, Meg Fergusson, 70 00:02:55,950 --> 00:02:57,900 my counterpart at University of Maine, 71 00:02:57,900 --> 00:03:00,613 Ben Fraser, Mary Beth Mahlsheimer, 72 00:03:01,470 --> 00:03:06,150 and Mike Snyder, former Vermont state forester, 73 00:03:06,150 --> 00:03:08,690 and Dan has great support staff with the US Forest Service. 74 00:03:08,690 --> 00:03:11,460 So I think it's really about this public private 75 00:03:11,460 --> 00:03:13,770 academic partnership that makes us work, 76 00:03:13,770 --> 00:03:15,690 and it's regional as well. 77 00:03:15,690 --> 00:03:18,075 It's meant to really help all our partners 78 00:03:18,075 --> 00:03:20,220 in the states that are involved. 79 00:03:20,220 --> 00:03:23,490 I won't cover this, but, again, it's a long history, 80 00:03:23,490 --> 00:03:25,170 and I think we've evolved over time, 81 00:03:25,170 --> 00:03:27,930 which I think is critical for any organizations. 82 00:03:27,930 --> 00:03:31,170 Things change, people change, priorities change, 83 00:03:31,170 --> 00:03:32,460 the issues themselves change, 84 00:03:32,460 --> 00:03:34,680 and I think NSRC has been responsive to that. 85 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,040 So 1980s, we were fully designated. 86 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:39,960 The public law passed in 1998, 87 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:41,550 which really created the basis 88 00:03:41,550 --> 00:03:44,130 of the Northeastern States Research Cooperative. 89 00:03:44,130 --> 00:03:47,190 We handed out our first funding in 2001. 90 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:50,370 We took assessment of where we were in 2012. 91 00:03:50,370 --> 00:03:51,690 We kept adding research themes 92 00:03:51,690 --> 00:03:53,940 to address stakeholder priorities. 93 00:03:53,940 --> 00:03:57,450 The business plan, that I already highlighted in 2018. 94 00:03:57,450 --> 00:03:59,670 2019, we took kind of where we are. 95 00:03:59,670 --> 00:04:01,080 We're 30 years into this. 96 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:02,130 What have we accomplished? 97 00:04:02,130 --> 00:04:04,551 What have we kind of missed the mark on? 98 00:04:04,551 --> 00:04:06,630 And we took a critical look at ourselves 99 00:04:06,630 --> 00:04:09,390 and I will say all the feedback wasn't positive, 100 00:04:09,390 --> 00:04:10,950 and we tried to make adjustments. 101 00:04:10,950 --> 00:04:15,150 And 2020, we rebooted right in time with COVID. 102 00:04:15,150 --> 00:04:17,490 And I think one of the highlights of our reboot, 103 00:04:17,490 --> 00:04:20,520 and this is a lot of credit to Anthea Lavallee, 104 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,040 we created an Indigenous Forest Knowledge Program 105 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:24,505 that I think has been highly successful, 106 00:04:24,505 --> 00:04:27,095 and we're starting to see that kind of come to fruition 107 00:04:27,095 --> 00:04:29,970 with some of that science that's being conducted. 108 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:31,080 Overall, I just want to highlight 109 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:32,613 about some of the outcomes. 110 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:35,850 We've awarded nearly $28 million. 111 00:04:35,850 --> 00:04:38,340 Again, this is Forest Service federal dollars 112 00:04:38,340 --> 00:04:40,080 that comes to the four states, 113 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:41,357 and then we try to reallocate that 114 00:04:41,357 --> 00:04:45,690 through a competitive request for proposals. 115 00:04:45,690 --> 00:04:48,270 I would say remarkably and some by design, 116 00:04:48,270 --> 00:04:49,860 but some not by design, 117 00:04:49,860 --> 00:04:52,260 we've maintained equity across the four states. 118 00:04:52,260 --> 00:04:55,050 So even though the four states differ in their size, 119 00:04:55,050 --> 00:04:58,380 their research interest, their priorities, 120 00:04:58,380 --> 00:05:01,680 we've maintained balance across those four states. 121 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,080 I think most importantly is also the projects. 122 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,270 The funding is what gets those projects doing, 123 00:05:06,270 --> 00:05:10,620 but we maintain a very diverse and broad portfolio 124 00:05:10,620 --> 00:05:12,900 all the way from stream quality research 125 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:14,940 to looking at the recreational impacts, 126 00:05:14,940 --> 00:05:18,570 to looking at the forest itself and forest products. 127 00:05:18,570 --> 00:05:22,350 So over 350 research projects. 128 00:05:22,350 --> 00:05:23,820 It's grown over time, obviously, 129 00:05:23,820 --> 00:05:26,850 as the program has kind of hit its stride, 130 00:05:26,850 --> 00:05:30,210 but I would say that right now we're at our largest funding, 131 00:05:30,210 --> 00:05:33,420 as well as project sizes than we have in recent past. 132 00:05:33,420 --> 00:05:36,357 So I feel positive about the momentum that we have 133 00:05:36,357 --> 00:05:37,740 and the level of engagement 134 00:05:37,740 --> 00:05:39,300 that we've had with both stakeholders, 135 00:05:39,300 --> 00:05:41,313 as well as scientists across the region. 136 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,480 Again, cross-regional, lots of outcomes, 137 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,340 lots of different institutions involved. 138 00:05:47,340 --> 00:05:50,250 I feel we have not only strong support 139 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:52,140 from the academic side of things, 140 00:05:52,140 --> 00:05:55,530 but also the NGOs that are important part of this region. 141 00:05:55,530 --> 00:06:00,060 Most importantly, and this is what interests me, 142 00:06:00,060 --> 00:06:01,680 is really the students that are involved. 143 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,380 We've had several and highly engaged, 144 00:06:04,380 --> 00:06:06,390 highly productive students that have been part 145 00:06:06,390 --> 00:06:09,150 of the Northeastern States Research Cooperative. 146 00:06:09,150 --> 00:06:10,140 The funding, we're not talking 147 00:06:10,140 --> 00:06:13,230 like NSF level federal funding, but it's just enough 148 00:06:13,230 --> 00:06:16,290 to usually support a graduate study and some field work. 149 00:06:16,290 --> 00:06:17,850 And to me, that's really where the bulk 150 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:19,550 of the work happens on the ground. 151 00:06:20,850 --> 00:06:22,080 Again, I highlighted this. 152 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,140 This was an important part of the relaunch in 2020. 153 00:06:26,140 --> 00:06:28,530 This is Anthea Lavallee, working closely 154 00:06:28,530 --> 00:06:31,415 with our tribal partner across the region, 155 00:06:31,415 --> 00:06:35,880 creating a fund dedicated to Indigenous Forest Knowledge, 156 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,400 which I think is a real highlight of our region. 157 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,410 Some of you might have seen the New York Times article 158 00:06:40,410 --> 00:06:42,420 about a month ago talking about the Wabanaki 159 00:06:42,420 --> 00:06:46,170 and just the land exchanges that are happening, 160 00:06:46,170 --> 00:06:47,010 I think building off 161 00:06:47,010 --> 00:06:49,230 of this traditional ecological knowledge. 162 00:06:49,230 --> 00:06:51,153 We've had this RFP twice now. 163 00:06:52,140 --> 00:06:54,150 I think we've had growing interest, 164 00:06:54,150 --> 00:06:55,650 and what is reassuring for us 165 00:06:55,650 --> 00:06:56,850 is we're seeing the interaction 166 00:06:56,850 --> 00:06:58,501 between the academic organizations 167 00:06:58,501 --> 00:07:02,160 and the tribal partners that really carry this forward. 168 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,580 So we currently have a portfolio of five projects, 169 00:07:05,580 --> 00:07:09,630 really prioritized and selected by Indigenous partners, 170 00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:11,760 which I (indistinct) and good engagement 171 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:13,410 from the tribal partners as well. 172 00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:16,260 A little bit about the mysterious, 173 00:07:16,260 --> 00:07:17,520 one of the reasons we're here today 174 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,140 is also that yesterday we met 175 00:07:19,140 --> 00:07:21,151 to kind of review the 51 proposals 176 00:07:21,151 --> 00:07:23,241 that we did receive and kind of rank them 177 00:07:23,241 --> 00:07:26,100 and send them to an external advisory board. 178 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:28,380 This has been a big shift in our reboot 179 00:07:28,380 --> 00:07:29,790 is we're letting the stakeholders, 180 00:07:29,790 --> 00:07:31,860 which is scary enough as it is 181 00:07:31,860 --> 00:07:33,030 as we talk about scientists, 182 00:07:33,030 --> 00:07:35,400 but it's really about letting stakeholders 183 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,290 set the priorities, 184 00:07:37,290 --> 00:07:39,720 requesting a broad level of organizations 185 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,283 that can participate in this. 186 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:42,953 Right now we're kind of 187 00:07:42,953 --> 00:07:45,000 in the full proposal evaluation stage. 188 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:46,650 We've gotten technical evaluations 189 00:07:46,650 --> 00:07:49,470 of all the 51 proposals that we received. 190 00:07:49,470 --> 00:07:50,820 A handful of those will now go 191 00:07:50,820 --> 00:07:52,410 to an external advisory committee 192 00:07:52,410 --> 00:07:55,080 to get assessed and prioritized, 193 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,840 and then I'll come back and we'll rank 194 00:07:57,840 --> 00:07:59,430 and prioritize funding, 195 00:07:59,430 --> 00:08:04,430 but well over $5.5 million of funding available this RFP, 196 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:07,230 and we tend to dedicate 90% of that 197 00:08:07,230 --> 00:08:09,630 out to the scientists to get the work going. 198 00:08:09,630 --> 00:08:11,850 So I feel good about the stakeholder engagement 199 00:08:11,850 --> 00:08:13,830 and letting them set the priorities 200 00:08:13,830 --> 00:08:17,190 and keeping them engaged throughout the entire process. 201 00:08:17,190 --> 00:08:20,910 Now, where does the connection with FEMC stand? 202 00:08:20,910 --> 00:08:22,590 I think we've had multiple conversations 203 00:08:22,590 --> 00:08:26,615 with Jen and many of the other FEMC staff. 204 00:08:26,615 --> 00:08:28,560 I think our missions are compatible. 205 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,611 We're part of two different sides of the Forest Service 206 00:08:30,611 --> 00:08:32,640 with state and private. 207 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,140 We're through the R and D branch 208 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:36,240 of the Northern Research Stations. 209 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,180 I think we both care about and value what this region has 210 00:08:39,180 --> 00:08:40,860 to offer in terms of the forest. 211 00:08:40,860 --> 00:08:44,460 And so, what I see and what we've kind of discussed, 212 00:08:44,460 --> 00:08:45,570 and I think we've formalized 213 00:08:45,570 --> 00:08:48,990 that this our first year working directly with FEMC 214 00:08:48,990 --> 00:08:51,630 is that we support the stakeholder science, 215 00:08:51,630 --> 00:08:54,480 stakeholder-led, and the scientific efforts, 216 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,570 build the research, do the science, collect the data, 217 00:08:57,570 --> 00:09:00,810 and then what FEMC is really about is housing that data 218 00:09:00,810 --> 00:09:02,820 and also developing decision support tools 219 00:09:02,820 --> 00:09:04,290 that allow access to that data. 220 00:09:04,290 --> 00:09:06,485 So I'm very excited about this partnership. 221 00:09:06,485 --> 00:09:07,620 It makes sense. 222 00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:09,600 I don't think this is where we can leverage 223 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,230 and bring that value add at both organizations. 224 00:09:13,230 --> 00:09:14,910 I do wanna leave time for Dan. 225 00:09:14,910 --> 00:09:19,170 So, Dan, if you wanna cover the Forest Service aspects. 226 00:09:19,170 --> 00:09:21,150 So I'm Dan Dey, research forester 227 00:09:21,150 --> 00:09:22,890 with the Northern Research Station. 228 00:09:22,890 --> 00:09:25,860 Currently, I serve in a role 229 00:09:25,860 --> 00:09:27,690 as assistant director of research. 230 00:09:27,690 --> 00:09:30,780 There's a counterpart, (indistinct), if you know her, 231 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:32,998 and we share the direct supervision 232 00:09:32,998 --> 00:09:34,666 of all of our research work units 233 00:09:34,666 --> 00:09:39,420 and then serve on different programmatic type efforts 234 00:09:39,420 --> 00:09:42,570 like this Northeastern States Co-op. 235 00:09:42,570 --> 00:09:45,360 And so I'm representing the Forest Service RD, 236 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:46,259 Northern Research Station. 237 00:09:46,259 --> 00:09:49,740 And that, by serving on the Executive Committee, 238 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:53,160 you know, we really value this collaboration, 239 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,026 this partnership, and as Aaron has said, 240 00:09:56,026 --> 00:09:58,860 it's really unique in the sense 241 00:09:58,860 --> 00:10:02,190 that it involves so much of the science users 242 00:10:02,190 --> 00:10:06,367 and the scientists from universities and NGOs 243 00:10:07,290 --> 00:10:11,310 and Forest Service, you know, to solve real problems. 244 00:10:11,310 --> 00:10:13,759 You know, that's something science often gets beat up on 245 00:10:13,759 --> 00:10:17,820 is, you know, you're irrelevant or ivory tower or whatever, 246 00:10:17,820 --> 00:10:22,230 but I think the structure of this co-op is really good 247 00:10:22,230 --> 00:10:26,310 to keep us relevant and doing priority projects. 248 00:10:26,310 --> 00:10:30,030 And in the reboot of this thing, 249 00:10:30,030 --> 00:10:33,900 we renewed the memorandum of agreement, 250 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:36,180 and in its strategic goals 251 00:10:36,180 --> 00:10:40,590 and objectives embody all the strategic goals 252 00:10:40,590 --> 00:10:42,297 and objectives of the Forest Service. 253 00:10:42,297 --> 00:10:44,540 And we got a lot of 'em, you know? 254 00:10:44,540 --> 00:10:47,437 So we have, you know, an agency-strategic plan, 255 00:10:47,437 --> 00:10:52,080 you know, we've got, you know, a tribal action plan 256 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,660 and we have a climate adaptation plan 257 00:10:54,660 --> 00:10:57,266 and we have a wildfire crisis strategy 258 00:10:57,266 --> 00:10:59,610 and implementation plan. 259 00:10:59,610 --> 00:11:02,400 And we even have a new Northern Research Station 260 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,770 strategic framework, and then each 261 00:11:04,770 --> 00:11:07,200 of our research work units have their own plans 262 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,780 that get even more specific about the work 263 00:11:09,780 --> 00:11:12,390 they're gonna do over the next five or 10 years. 264 00:11:12,390 --> 00:11:15,390 So all this stuff is in alignment 265 00:11:15,390 --> 00:11:17,760 because we've worked together so well. 266 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,630 So I'm gonna leave it at that. 267 00:11:21,630 --> 00:11:26,550 I just wanna let you know that if the NRS is a mystery 268 00:11:26,550 --> 00:11:29,550 to you or R and D, Forest Service R and D, 269 00:11:29,550 --> 00:11:31,980 you can contact me anytime, 270 00:11:31,980 --> 00:11:33,720 whether you're looking for a job 271 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,020 or you're looking for somebody to collaborate with. 272 00:11:37,020 --> 00:11:38,068 In the Northern Research Station, 273 00:11:38,068 --> 00:11:43,068 we have 130 or more scientist scattered over 20 states, 274 00:11:43,500 --> 00:11:46,350 working in all kinds of lines of science. 275 00:11:46,350 --> 00:11:49,380 And so there's certainly somebody there 276 00:11:49,380 --> 00:11:51,540 who shares common interest with you 277 00:11:51,540 --> 00:11:53,010 who would love to collaborate with you, 278 00:11:53,010 --> 00:11:56,130 and a lot of times you just don't know each other exists. 279 00:11:56,130 --> 00:11:58,170 So you can use me as a conduit 280 00:11:58,170 --> 00:12:01,020 to tap into the Northern Research Station. 281 00:12:01,020 --> 00:12:02,470 -Thank you. -Thank you, Dan. 282 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:06,833 I'll just finally say 283 00:12:06,833 --> 00:12:08,910 that I think this has been a vital program 284 00:12:08,910 --> 00:12:10,710 with a long and productive history. 285 00:12:10,710 --> 00:12:12,180 I think we'll see evidence of that today 286 00:12:12,180 --> 00:12:15,720 with the three projects that are part of the portfolio. 287 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:17,223 Obviously, I think given the transitions 288 00:12:17,223 --> 00:12:18,540 that are happening in our region 289 00:12:18,540 --> 00:12:20,070 that are gonna continue to happen in our region, 290 00:12:20,070 --> 00:12:22,530 whether it be climate change, changing markets, 291 00:12:22,530 --> 00:12:24,120 different pressures on the forest, 292 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,000 the demand for recreational opportunities, 293 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,270 wildlife habitat, the issues continue to grow. 294 00:12:30,270 --> 00:12:32,035 I think we should feel proud about our history 295 00:12:32,035 --> 00:12:34,050 and our future direction, 296 00:12:34,050 --> 00:12:35,919 but I think having applied research, 297 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:39,870 having the connections to Forest Service partners, 298 00:12:39,870 --> 00:12:42,240 and really having the connections with our stakeholders, 299 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,370 I think is critical. 300 00:12:44,370 --> 00:12:47,070 I think the future of the organization remains strong. 301 00:12:47,070 --> 00:12:50,100 We do need DC to kind of do its part of the job, 302 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:51,300 but that's another matter. 303 00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:55,350 But I think with engagement, with your support, 304 00:12:55,350 --> 00:12:57,990 with people serving on the external Advisory Committee, 305 00:12:57,990 --> 00:13:00,870 with having people like Dan represent what we do 306 00:13:00,870 --> 00:13:03,360 and try to communicate that through the Forest Service, 307 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,073 I think that that remains strong. 308 00:13:06,210 --> 00:13:09,750 I will ask Jen, but I think the partnership 309 00:13:09,750 --> 00:13:12,030 with FEMC is logical. 310 00:13:12,030 --> 00:13:15,300 I think we started to begin that, 311 00:13:15,300 --> 00:13:16,972 and I think it really strengthens the purpose 312 00:13:16,972 --> 00:13:19,530 and function of both organizations. 313 00:13:19,530 --> 00:13:21,720 So I'm excited to see that grow. 314 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,700 So just like Dan, I think all of us, 315 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:25,890 what we pride ourselves of being responsive 316 00:13:25,890 --> 00:13:27,660 and really trying to help you, 317 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:30,330 so whether it's a student, whether you're an NGO, 318 00:13:30,330 --> 00:13:32,670 whether you're a university professor, 319 00:13:32,670 --> 00:13:34,590 we really wanna facilitate the connections 320 00:13:34,590 --> 00:13:37,800 across the region and also to the Forest Service. 321 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,870 We wanna maintain this RFP process 322 00:13:39,870 --> 00:13:41,670 to support the research that's happening. 323 00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:44,580 So if you have an idea, we want a connection. 324 00:13:44,580 --> 00:13:47,070 I think all of us are happy to answer those questions. 325 00:13:47,070 --> 00:13:50,640 So please, hopefully this is one session of many 326 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,860 that we can come back and talk about the research 327 00:13:52,860 --> 00:13:55,200 that we're doing, but I'll leave it there. 328 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,690 I think we have a few minutes for questions, 329 00:13:57,690 --> 00:14:00,513 and Tony will follow me after this. 330 00:14:01,740 --> 00:14:03,090 So thank you for having us. 331 00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:12,873 Questions, or we got transition time as well? 332 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,000 [Staff] They have a few minutes for questions. 333 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:16,833 -Okay. -Yep. 334 00:14:21,570 --> 00:14:22,830 -Or service priorities? -I know. 335 00:14:22,830 --> 00:14:24,919 I'll ask a question. (laughs) 336 00:14:24,919 --> 00:14:25,752 I'll ask a question. 337 00:14:25,752 --> 00:14:28,410 -Go ahead. -I think I'm really excited 338 00:14:28,410 --> 00:14:30,750 that NSRC has come back stronger than ever. 339 00:14:30,750 --> 00:14:33,930 I think that it really does fill a gap 340 00:14:33,930 --> 00:14:37,233 for research focused on our region. 341 00:14:38,175 --> 00:14:39,990 And so I think this is really great. 342 00:14:39,990 --> 00:14:42,741 And I also feel like the sort of collaboration 343 00:14:42,741 --> 00:14:46,680 between FEMC and NSRC is really sort of similar 344 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:47,700 to the Forest Service structure, 345 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:48,753 state and private forestry, and NRSC. 346 00:14:48,753 --> 00:14:51,660 Like I feel like it's kind of like a nice extension. 347 00:14:51,660 --> 00:14:53,280 It makes sense as a structure, 348 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:55,470 but I'm thinking back to the plenary this morning, 349 00:14:55,470 --> 00:14:56,910 which was just fascinating to me, 350 00:14:56,910 --> 00:15:01,020 and thinking about the need to be able to get resources 351 00:15:01,020 --> 00:15:06,020 to people beyond those who are at an institution, 352 00:15:06,030 --> 00:15:08,790 or I noticed there was one, it looked like one grant 353 00:15:08,790 --> 00:15:10,980 that went to someone in the Penobscot Nation, 354 00:15:10,980 --> 00:15:13,980 and I'm just wondering if you're a able to set up 355 00:15:13,980 --> 00:15:17,264 or if you're willing to outreach to groups beyond those 356 00:15:17,264 --> 00:15:21,060 who are traditionally applying through academia. 357 00:15:21,060 --> 00:15:22,740 [Aaron] Yeah, no, I think that's a good question, Jen. 358 00:15:22,740 --> 00:15:24,090 I'm glad you feel good about the connection 359 00:15:24,090 --> 00:15:26,490 with FEMC and NSRC as well. 360 00:15:26,490 --> 00:15:29,760 I mean, my personal bias was when I got here in 2008, 361 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:31,440 it really helped form my career 362 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,567 and helped me get started in the region. 363 00:15:33,567 --> 00:15:35,310 And I want to return the favor, 364 00:15:35,310 --> 00:15:38,313 and that's one of the reasons I push hard for NSRC. 365 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,210 Yeah, I think one of the things that we heard 366 00:15:42,210 --> 00:15:44,910 during the stakeholder was that traditionally, 367 00:15:44,910 --> 00:15:46,110 most of the money has gone 368 00:15:46,110 --> 00:15:49,230 to traditional university researchers, 369 00:15:49,230 --> 00:15:50,760 and there's this disconnect 370 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,710 that we heard from our stakeholders that, 371 00:15:52,710 --> 00:15:55,560 how do you translate research into actual practice? 372 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,140 And that that's always a hard thing. 373 00:15:58,140 --> 00:16:03,120 I am confident in the two RFPs we've had since reboot. 374 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,220 There are a greater diversity of organizations 375 00:16:05,220 --> 00:16:06,053 that are involved. 376 00:16:06,053 --> 00:16:09,750 We've made a very concentrated effort to engage people 377 00:16:09,750 --> 00:16:13,470 that have traditionally not been directly involved. 378 00:16:13,470 --> 00:16:15,840 We'll see what happens with the third RFP, 379 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,300 but I do think there's a greater diversity, 380 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:20,970 and I think that's a very positive thing. 381 00:16:20,970 --> 00:16:22,950 I think also it's about this intersection 382 00:16:22,950 --> 00:16:25,020 about where universities can tie in 383 00:16:25,020 --> 00:16:29,400 with both the Forest Service and the NGOs in the region. 384 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,410 I think the translational piece 385 00:16:31,410 --> 00:16:32,610 is always gonna be difficult. 386 00:16:32,610 --> 00:16:34,650 Science just moves at a different pace 387 00:16:34,650 --> 00:16:37,890 than what stakeholders are expecting. 388 00:16:37,890 --> 00:16:42,150 I do feel that we've seen much more projects 389 00:16:42,150 --> 00:16:45,840 that wanna directly engage with stakeholders, 390 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,210 develop decision support tools, 391 00:16:48,210 --> 00:16:50,250 or do synthesis analyses 392 00:16:50,250 --> 00:16:53,340 that develop kind of management guides or policy briefs. 393 00:16:53,340 --> 00:16:57,840 So, I think I'm feeling more positive it's not this... 394 00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,614 I think one of the issues that we saw 395 00:16:59,614 --> 00:17:01,350 in the first iteration of NSRC 396 00:17:01,350 --> 00:17:04,020 was the money went directly to the four states, 397 00:17:04,020 --> 00:17:06,090 and then they kind of allocated as they saw fit, 398 00:17:06,090 --> 00:17:07,552 and it wasn't this broad portfolio 399 00:17:07,552 --> 00:17:09,440 about the synergies across the region. 400 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,420 And I think that that's how... 401 00:17:12,420 --> 00:17:13,410 Dan is brand new. 402 00:17:13,410 --> 00:17:15,250 So you're coming at it from first impressions. 403 00:17:15,250 --> 00:17:17,623 I don't know what your thought's on it 404 00:17:17,623 --> 00:17:20,190 from a federal (indistinct) perspective. 405 00:17:20,190 --> 00:17:22,830 [Dan] No, I mean, so I don't know the history. 406 00:17:22,830 --> 00:17:25,980 I can only imagine, you know, institutions looking out 407 00:17:25,980 --> 00:17:29,310 for themselves, and it kind of, you know, goes 408 00:17:29,310 --> 00:17:32,820 against the grain of implication and working together. 409 00:17:32,820 --> 00:17:36,883 But what I've witnessed on this executive team here 410 00:17:36,883 --> 00:17:40,080 is a great amount of collegiality 411 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,120 and looking at what are the problems 412 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:43,211 and paying much less attention 413 00:17:43,211 --> 00:17:45,510 about who's getting the money, 414 00:17:45,510 --> 00:17:47,280 and is it sound science, 415 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,550 and is it likely to succeed in these kind of criteria? 416 00:17:50,550 --> 00:17:54,240 And so I think the door is pretty wide open 417 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:55,983 for people to put proposals in. 418 00:17:56,970 --> 00:17:59,214 You know, please correct me if I'm wrong, 419 00:17:59,214 --> 00:18:02,040 but there's not too many real constraints 420 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,650 other than the research needs to occur in a co-op area 421 00:18:04,650 --> 00:18:07,203 or be relevant to the co-op area. 422 00:18:07,203 --> 00:18:11,207 And other than that, you know, it's a competitive process 423 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:14,730 with lots of checks and balances. 424 00:18:14,730 --> 00:18:16,080 There's technical reviews, 425 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,512 you know, external advisory input, you know? 426 00:18:18,512 --> 00:18:21,512 (attendees chatter) 427 00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:24,120 The door is opening. 428 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:25,710 Their welcome mat's out for people 429 00:18:25,710 --> 00:18:27,410 to bring forward their good ideas.