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Delivering Science You Can Use

The purpose of the Northern Research Station is to improve people’s lives and sustain natural resources through research and development. Our science achieves that purpose when policymakers, land managers, citizens, and other stakeholders apply scientific information and technology to improve the health and sustainability of their forests, waters, and communities. As the Northern Research Station, we are committed to delivering both the science and the service to achieve that end. The Northern Science, Technology, and Applied Results (NorthSTAR) unit is focused on delivery of science and technology you can use.

NorthSTAR helps other NRS Research Work Units bridge the gap between the generation of scientific information and technology and the use of those innovations. Achieving this purpose requires a clear vision and a systematic, Station-wide commitment to science delivery, from research planning and study completion to product development and distribution to adoption and evaluation. With a targeted commitment of expertise and resources, we are developing and delivering products and services geared to customer needs and preferences.

The primary areas identified as candidates for application development are those defined by the Northern Research Station as its Science Themes:  forest disturbance processes, urban natural resources stewardship, sustaining forests, providing clean air and water, and natural resources inventory, monitoring, and assessment. NorthSTAR leverages coordination and cooperation within the Station to help these Station-level research goals achieve application.  Each of these five themes has a distinct set of clients with specific needs. The NorthSTAR project, in association with other station researchers, develops and delivers to these clients products and services that make research results available and useful and in forms that will affect forest policy and practice.  The project engages partners in all its activities, from strategic planning through tool development to product delivery. Activities also focus on increasing cooperation and coordination of science application activities within the Station.

Currently, we are working on:

• Carbon science
• Decision support
• Environmental literacy
• Urban natural resources

For additional tools produced by the Northern Research Station, see our Tools and Applications page.