Message from the Director...

Hello and welcome to the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station!

I'm Jim Reaves, Station Director, and I want to thank you for visiting the Station's Web site.

The Southern Research Station is proud of the cutting-edge research being conducted by our 130 scientists, who are working hard to understand and address the current and emerging natural resource issues facing the South's forests today.

Our mission is to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide.

I invite you to learn more about the research of our award-winning scientists, who are recognized as world leaders in forest research and monitoring.

They are working with other Forest Service staff, universities, NGOs, state foresters and other government agencies, landowners, and many others to conduct sound science that helps ensure the health of our forest ecosystems in the future.

Two-thousand and nine is going to be an exciting and productive year for the Station.

The Station is marking several important anniversaries in 2009.

We're continuing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Experimental Forests and Ranges in the United States .

At the same time, we're celebrating the 75th anniversaries of two Southern Research Station experimental forests - the Coweeta Hydrologic Lab in North Carolina and the Crossett Experimental Forest in Arkansas .

Among the big issues we'll pay particular attention to this year are:

• Climate change;
• Biomass and bioenergy;
• Urban-wildland issues; and
• Watersheds.

Through our research, we will also work to get "kids into the woods" and help our Nation's forest industries be more competitive around the world.

These are but a few of the important topics we'll address in 2009.

The vital research conducted by our scientists occurs within five Science Areas. You'll see links to the Science Areas below.

I invite you to visit these pages to learn more about the Southern Research Station.

I also encourage you to read the latest issue of Compass magazine, our award-winning publication, as well as our Strategic Plan, which guides the Station into the future.

On behalf of our scientists and support staff, thank you for visiting our Web site and, again, welcome to the Southern Research Station!

Dr. Jim Reaves, Director
Southern Research Station
200 W.T Weaver Blvd
Asheville, NC 28804-3454



Biography of Dr. Jim Reaves