Pacific Northwest Research Station

Legacy

The Juneau Forestry Sciences Lab traces its roots to the The Alaska Forest Research Center, established at Juneau in 1948 and was reorganized as the “Northern Forest Experiment Station” in 1961. This station lasted six years before being assigned to the Pacific Northwest Research Station as its “Institute of Northern Forestry” in 1966. A Forestry Science Lab was established the following year, in 1967. The lab housed Alaska’s Forest Inventory and Analysis unit through 1978. The Juneau lab was reorganized in 1984 to research how timber harvests fit multi-resource management goals mandated by the National Forest Management Act of 1976. Research involved six PNW Research Work Units outside of Alaska: Recreation, Utilization, Forest Engineering, Production Economics, Foreign Trade, and Resource Management Impacts.

Science

The Alaska Coastal Rain Forest Center is co-located with the Juneau lab. The Center is geared towards research on temperate rainforests. Research station scientists investigate climate science, fisheries, vegetation, and watershed management. Timber management strategies related to young forest growth, old growth, and forest health and disease are also research strengths.

Facility

August 25, 2011 marked groundbreaking for a modern Forestry Sciences Lab in Juneau. The finished lab was dedicated on May 18, 2013. The two-story, 12,000 square foot facility sits on seven acres overlooking Auke Lake and features office and specialized lab space. The site is connected to the University of Alaska Southeast’s campus by a bike path. The lab is co-located with the Alaska Coastal Rain Forest Center, a joint venture of the University, the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the City and Borough of Juneau. Two ten foot yellow cedar posts at the lab’s entrance feature carvings representing a raven and eagle. The carvings symbolize the sharing of traditional knowledge in native tribes, and echo the research lab’s role in sharing scientific knowledge across generations.

People

This lab houses about 10 research station scientists, plus scientists and staff from outside organizations including state and private forestry and the Alaska Coastal Rain Forest Center. Tenants include University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) and several Forest Service branches, including Alaska Region and Tongass National Forest offices. Close proximity to the UAS campus affords opportunities to set up internships and Forest Service guest lectureships.

Teams

Scientists at the lab are members of research teams including David Seesholtz’s Communities and Forest Management team, Dave D’Amore’s Landscape Productivity team, Deanna Olson’s Aquatic Ecology and Management team, and Teresa Hollingsworth’s Boreal Ecology team.

• Ecological Process and Function Program
• Goods, Services and Values Program
• Land and Watershed Management Program