    Wood Utilization: Federal Research and Product Development
    Activities, Support, and Technology Transfer (15-JUN-06,
    GAO-06-624).

    More wood is consumed every year in the United States than all
    metals, plastics, and masonry cement combined. To maximize their
    use of wood, forest product companies rely on research into new
    methods for using wood. At least 12 federal agencies have
    provided support to wood utilization research and product
    development activities, including the U.S. Department of
    Agriculture's Forest Service and Cooperative State Research,
    Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)-funded wood utilization
    research centers, which historically have specifically targeted
    support to these activities. GAO was asked to identify (1) the
    types of wood utilization research and product development
    activities federal agencies support and how these activities are
    coordinated; (2) the level of support federal agencies made
    available for these activities in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, and
    changes in the level of support at the Forest Service and at the
    CSREES-funded wood utilization research centers for fiscal years
    1995 through 2005; and (3) how the federal government transfers
    the technologies and products from its wood utilization research
    and product development activities to industry. GAO provided a
    draft of this report to the 12 federal agencies for review and
    comment. Some of the agencies provided technical comments, which
    were incorporated as appropriate.
    -------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
    REPORTNUM:   GAO-06-624
        ACCNO:   A55661
      TITLE:     Wood Utilization: Federal Research and Product
    Development Activities, Support, and Technology Transfer
         DATE:   06/15/2006
      SUBJECT:   Interagency relations
    	     Natural resource management
    	     Natural resources
    	     Research and development
    	     Technology transfer
    	     Wood
    	     Wood products

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    GAO-06-624

         * WOOD UTILIZATION
         * Federal Research and Product Development Activities, Support
              * Contents
                   * Results in Brief
                   * Background
                        * The Forest Products Industry
                        * Federal Agencies Support Wood Utilization Research and
                          Produ
                             * Primary Agencies-Forest Service and CSREES' Wood
                               Utilization
                             * Other Agencies That Support Wood Utilization
                               Research and Pr
                        * Technology Transfer
                   * Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Ac
                        * Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product
                          Development Ac
                        * Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product
                          Development Ac
                   * Federal Agencies Made Available at Least $54 Million Annuall
                        * The Forest Service Provided Most of the Support for
                          Wood Uti
                        * From Fiscal Years 1995 through 2005, Forest Service
                          Budget A
                        * From Fiscal Years 1995 through 2005, CSREES' Wood
                          Utilizatio
                   * Federal Agencies Rely on Scientists and Specialists to Trans
                        * Scientists and Technology Transfer Specialists
                          Disseminate I
                        * Technical Assistance Is an Important Tool for
                          Transferring T
                        * Demonstration Projects Can Highlight the Application of
                          Wood
                        * Results of Wood Utilization Research and Product
                          Development
                        * The Forest Service Has a Unit Dedicated to Transferring
                          Wood
                   * Agency Comments
              * Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
              * Appendix II: Forest Service's Conducted and Planned Wood Uti
              * Appendix III: CSREES Wood Utilization Research Centers, Fisc
                   * University of Alaska Wood Utilization Research Center
                        * Inland Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium
                        * University of Maine Wood Utilization Research Center
                        * Michigan State University Wood Utilization Research
                          Center
                        * University of Minnesota, Duluth, Wood Utilization
                          Research C
                        * Mississippi State University Wood Utilization Research
                          Cente
                        * North Carolina State University Wood Utilization
                          Research Ce
                        * Oregon State University Wood Utilization Research
                          Center
                        * University of Tennessee Wood Utilization Research
                          Center
                        * University of West Virginia Wood Utilization Research
                          Center
              * Appendix IV: Budget Authority for the Forest Service's Resea
              * Appendix V: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
                   * GAO Contact
                   * Staff Acknowledgments
                        * Order by Mail or Phone
         * PDF6-Ordering Information.pdf
              * Order by Mail or Phone

    Report to Congressional Requesters

    United States Government Accountability Office

    GAO

    June 2006

    WOOD UTILIZATION

    Federal Research and Product Development Activities, Support, and
    Technology Transfer

    GAO-06-624

    Contents

    Letter 1

    Results in Brief 4
    Background 5
    Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Activities Fall
    into Five Categories and Are Coordinated Both Informally and Formally 14
    Federal Agencies Made Available at Least $54 Million Annually for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development in Fiscal Years 2004 and
    2005; Forest Service Support Fluctuated Moderately, and CSREES Support
    Increased Over 10 Years 22
    Federal Agencies Rely on Scientists and Specialists to Transfer Technology
    Through a Variety of Methods 33
    Agency Comments 43
    Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 44
    Appendix II Forest Service's Conducted and Planned Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development 50
    Appendix III CSREES Wood Utilization Research Centers, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005 96
    Appendix IV Budget Authority for the Forest Service's Research Work Units
    and for the CSREES Wood Utilization Research Centers 113
    Appendix V GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 118

    Tables

    Table 1: Federal Agencies That Support Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Principal Authorizing Legislation, and Description of
    Selected Programs 11
    Table 2: Selected Laws That Support Technology Transfer for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development 13
    Table 3: Categories of Major Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development Activities 15
    Table 4: Agencies' Wood Utilization Research and Product Development
    Activities and Examples of These Activities 17
    Table 5: Federal Financial Support in Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, by Agency, Fiscal Years 2004-2005 23
    Table 6: FTE Staff for Wood Utilization Research and Product Development
    at the Forest Service, Fiscal Years 2004-2005 25
    Table 7: Forest Service Budget Authority for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 26
    Table 8: Forest Service FTE Staff for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 26
    Table 9: The Forest Products Laboratory's Budget Authority for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 28
    Table 10: The Forest Products Laboratory's FTE Staff for Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 28
    Table 11: The Forest Products Laboratory's Operating Budget, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005 30
    Table 12: CSREES Budget Authority for Wood Utilization Research Centers,
    Fiscal Years 1995-2005 31
    Table 13: Total Budget Authority for CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 33
    Table 14: Conducted and Planned Activities for the Forest Service's
    Research Work Units at the Forest Products Laboratory 50
    Table 15: Conducted and Planned Activities for the Forest Service's
    Research Work Units Associated with Research Stations 82
    Table 16: University of Alaska Wood Utilization Research Center-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 2000-2005 96
    Table 17: Inland Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 1999-2005 98
    Table 18: University of Maine Wood Utilization Research Center-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 99
    Table 19: Michigan State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 101
    Table 20: University of Minnesota, Duluth, Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 104
    Table 21: Mississippi State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 105
    Table 22: North Carolina State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 107
    Table 23: Oregon State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 109
    Table 24: University of Tennessee Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1999-2005 110
    Table 25: University of West Virginia Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted Under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 2004-2005 112
    Table 26: The Forest Service's Wood Utilization Research Work Units'
    Budget Authority, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 113
    Table 27: FTE Scientists and Support Staff in the Forest Service's Wood
    Utilization Research Work Units, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 114
    Table 28: Budget Authority for the CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 117

    Figures

    Figure 1: Wood Utilization Activities from Harvesting through Recycling 6
    Figure 2: Total Budget Authority for Forest Service Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development, and FTE Staff, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 27
    Figure 3: Total Budget Authority for the Forest Products Laboratory's Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development, and FTE Staff, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005 29
    Figure 4: The Forest Products Laboratory's Operating Budget, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005 30
    Figure 5: Total Budget Authority for CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005 32

    Abbreviations

    This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright
    protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in
    its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this
    work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the
    copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material
    separately.

    CCA chromated copper arsenate CNC computer-numeric controlled CRADA
    cooperative research and development agreement CRIS Current Research
    Information System CSREES Cooperative State Research, Education, and
    Extension Service FTE full-time equivalent GPR ground-penetrating radar
    HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development OSB oriented strandboard
    RPA The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 SBIR
    Small Business Innovation Research STTR Small Business Technology Transfer
    TMU Technology Marketing Unit USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture VOC
    volatile organic compound

    United States Government Accountability Office

    Washington, DC 20548

    June 15, 2006 June 15, 2006

    The Honorable Saxby Chambliss Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
    Nutrition and Forestry United States Senate The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
    Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry United States
    Senate

    The Honorable Richard G. Lugar United States Senate The Honorable Richard
    G. Lugar United States Senate

    The Honorable Thad Cochran United States Senate The Honorable Thad Cochran
    United States Senate

    More wood is consumed every year in the United States than all metals,
    plastics, and masonry cement combined. In residential construction, for
    instance, wood accounts for about 90 percent of structural framing and
    sheathing, as well as large portions of other wood products, including
    cabinets, doors, windows, moldings, millwork, sub-flooring, and finished
    flooring. Despite the nation's significant use of wood products, some
    segments of the U.S. forest products industry, such as furniture
    manufacturing, have declined. Over the past 10 years, forest products
    companies have consolidated, in part by closing or idling mills, to reduce
    costs and remain competitive with foreign companies. More wood is consumed
    every year in the United States than all metals, plastics, and masonry
    cement combined. In residential construction, for instance, wood accounts
    for about 90 percent of structural framing and sheathing, as well as large
    portions of other wood products, including cabinets, doors, windows,
    moldings, millwork, sub-flooring, and finished flooring. Despite the
    nation's significant use of wood products, some segments of the U.S.
    forest products industry, such as furniture manufacturing, have declined.
    Over the past 10 years, forest products companies have consolidated, in
    part by closing or idling mills, to reduce costs and remain competitive
    with foreign companies.

    The forest products industry is made up of a few large multinational
    companies and many medium and small companies.11 To remain competitive,
    these companies have had to become more efficient and adapt to changing
    wood resources. For example, wood product companies had primarily used
    large trees, but these trees are now becoming scarce. At the same time,
    the supply of small-diameter trees has increased, in part because of
    federal, state, and local efforts to thin forests of these trees and
    therefore reduce the buildup of fuels that could contribute to large
    forest fires. To maximize their use of small-diameter trees and other wood
    resources, such as sawdust, companies rely on research into new methods of
    using wood. However, only a few large companies conduct wood utilization
    research and develop new products. The forest products industry is made up
    of a few large multinational companies and many medium and small
    companies. To remain competitive, these companies have had to become more
    efficient and adapt to changing wood resources. For example, wood product
    companies had primarily used large trees, but these trees are now becoming
    scarce. At the same time, the supply of small-diameter trees has
    increased, in part because of federal, state, and local efforts to thin
    forests of these trees and therefore reduce the buildup of fuels that
    could contribute to large forest fires. To maximize their use of
    small-diameter trees and other wood resources, such as sawdust, companies
    rely on research into new methods of using wood. However, only a few large
    companies conduct wood utilization research and develop new products.

    1Environmental Protection Agency, Profile of the Pulp and Paper Industry,
    2nd edition, EPA/310-R-02-002 (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 2002), and
    Environmental Protection Agency, Profile of the Lumber and Wood Products
    Industry, EPA/ 310-R-95-006 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 1995).

    Federal research and product development in wood utilization helps provide
    the science and technology needed to conserve the nation's forest
    resources, supply the demand for wood products, and support forest
    management and restoration activities. At least 12 federal agencies
    support wood utilization research and product development. These include
    the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Cooperative State Research,
    Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Forest Service, and Natural
    Resources Conservation Service; the Department of Defense's (Defense)
    Army, Army Corps of Engineers, and Office of Naval Research; the
    Department of Energy; the Department of Homeland Security's Coast Guard;
    the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the Department of
    the Interior's (Interior) Bureau of Indian Affairs; the National Science
    Foundation; and the Department of Transportation. However, historically,
    only two of these agencies-the Forest Service and CSREES-have had
    significant funds specifically targeted to wood utilization research and
    product development. The other agencies do not have defined programs for
    wood utilization research and product development but provided support
    through various mechanisms, such as grants.

    Most of the Forest Service's wood utilization research and product
    development is conducted at its Forest Products Laboratory in Madison,
    Wisconsin, which is the agency's national laboratory for these activities;
    five of its regional research stations also conduct wood utilization
    research and product development. CSREES focuses on wood utilization
    research and product development through a grant directed by congressional
    committee (committee-directed grant) to 10 wood utilization research
    centers in 12 universities around the country.

    Although many agencies have provided support for wood utilization research
    and product development, the Forest Service has the most experience in
    this area-it has been conducting wood utilization research and product
    development since 1910 and is a key player in carrying out these research
    and product development activities. However, a 2002 National Academy of
    Sciences report showed a nearly 30-percent decline in the Forest Service's
    budget authority for forest products research since 1980 (in inflation-
    adjusted dollars), and a loss of about 46 percent in Forest Service
    research scientists from 1985 to 1999.2

    2National Research Council, National Capacity in Forestry Research
    (Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 2002).

    In this context, you asked us to review the status of federal agencies'
    support for wood utilization research and product development. For this
    report, we identified (1) the types of wood utilization research and
    product development activities supported by federal agencies and how these
    activities are coordinated; (2) the level of support federal agencies made
    available for these activities in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, and the
    changes in the level of support at the Forest Service and at the
    CSREES-funded wood utilization research centers from fiscal years 1995
    through 2005; and (3) how the federal government transfers the
    technologies and products from its wood utilization research and product
    development activities to industry.

    To collect and catalogue the types of wood utilization research and
    product development activities federal agencies conduct and the amount of
    financial and personnel support they provide for these activities, we
    collected and analyzed activity, budget authority, and expenditure data in
    agency databases and files. For purposes of our review, wood utilization
    research and product development refers to the activities that occur from
    harvesting wood through recycling wood and paper products. We collected
    financial data for fiscal year 2004 for each agency and for fiscal year
    2005, if available. In some cases, these data were expenditure data, and
    in other cases, they were budget authority data.3 In addition, we
    collected data for 11 fiscal years, 1995 through 2005, for the two
    agencies that historically have had funds dedicated to wood utilization
    research and product development-the Forest Service and CSREES' wood
    utilization research centers. We analyzed these data in both nominal
    dollars and dollars adjusted for inflation.4 CSREES also provides funding
    for wood utilization research and product development as part of other
    research and development grant programs; we collected these data only for
    fiscal year 2004 because 2005 data were not available for these grant
    programs. We collected information on full-time equivalent (FTE) staff
    from the Forest Service for fiscal years 1995 through 2005; the Forest
    Service is the only agency that employs full-time scientists and support
    staff to conduct wood utilization research and product development. We
    reviewed the reliability of agencies' budget and expenditure data and
    determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for the purposes of
    this review. We also interviewed scientists, university researchers,
    technology transfer specialists, and industry officials around the nation
    to obtain information on wood utilization research and product development
    activities, financial and personnel support, and technology transfer
    efforts. In addition, we conducted site visits at a limited number of
    federal, university, and industrial facilities that focus on wood
    utilization research and product development-the Forest Products
    Laboratory; Forest Service facilities in Virginia, West Virginia, and
    Oregon; the wood utilization center at Oregon State University; and a
    Weyerhaeuser Company research laboratory in Washington State. Among other
    things, we asked these officials how federal agencies transfer
    technologies and products to industry and asked them for examples of
    successful federal technology transfer efforts. We performed our work
    between February 2005 and May 2006, in accordance with generally accepted
    government auditing standards. Appendix I provides a more detailed
    description of our scope and methodology.

    3Dollars are reported in either budget authority or expenditure data,
    depending on the availability of agency data. Most agencies and programs
    allocate a portion of their budget authority for wood utilization, in part
    in response to direction contained in appropriations committee reports.
    Those budget authority amounts are reported when available. However, the
    only data available for some CSREES programs and for the National Science
    Foundation were expenditure data.

    4We adjusted nominal dollars using the Department of Commerce's Fiscal
    Year Chain-Weighted Price Index for the Gross Domestic Product with 2004
    as the base year.

                                    Results in Brief

    Federal wood utilization research and product development span a broad
    spectrum of activities, and coordination of these activities is both
    informal and formal. These activities fall into five categories:
    harvesting, wood properties, manufacturing and processing, products and
    testing, and economics and marketing. For example, with respect to
    manufacturing and processing, ongoing research in log scanning technology
    and equipment focuses on detecting knots and rot in a log in order to cut
    it for maximum use. Research in this area also examines the manufacturing
    of high-performance products from wood previously considered too small or
    unusable. Of the 12 federal agencies, only the Forest Service and the
    CSREES-funded wood utilization research centers had activities in all five
    categories; in contrast, all the agencies had activities in manufacturing
    and processing. Informally, scientists coordinate their activities by
    conferring with each other and sharing information at conferences and
    professional meetings and through publications. However, in some cases,
    more formal mechanisms have been established through legislative
    provisions, agency rulemaking, memorandums of understanding, and other
    joint ventures. For example, HUD has a partnership with the leaders of the
    home building, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries;
    and representatives of six federal agencies to develop technologies for
    improving the quality, durability, energy efficiency, and affordability of
    residential building materials, which includes wood.

    During fiscal years 2004 and 2005, the 12 federal agencies made available
    at least $54 million annually for wood utilization research and product
    development, measured either in budget authority or expenditures. (Dollars
    are reported in either budget authority or expenditure data, depending on
    the availability of agency data.) The Forest Service made available about
    half of these funds. In addition, the Forest Service-the only agency that
    directly employs scientists and support staff to conduct this
    research-reported having almost 175 FTE scientists and support staff in
    each of these years. For fiscal years 1995 through 2005, the Forest
    Service received total budget authority of $268 million for wood
    utilization research and product development (or $289 million in 2004
    inflation-adjusted dollars), while CSREES' budget authority was about $51
    million (or $55 million in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars). For fiscal
    years 1995 through 2005, the Forest Service's budget authority for wood
    utilization research and product development activities fluctuated
    moderately from year-to-year (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars). In
    contrast, overall, CSREES' budget authority for the wood utilization
    research centers increased over the period (in 2004 inflation-adjusted
    dollars), in part because of the addition of four new wood utilization
    research centers between fiscal years 1999 and 2004.

    To transfer technologies and products to industry, federal agencies
    generally rely on scientists and technology transfer specialists, who use
    such methods as information sharing, technical assistance, and
    demonstration projects. In terms of providing technical assistance, for
    example, federal scientists helped a small company that produces flooring
    for the National Collegiate Athletic Association improve its manufacturing
    efficiency. In addition, the Forest Service has a dedicated technology
    transfer unit-the Technology Marketing Unit (TMU)-that has four technology
    transfer specialists with expertise in wood utilization and product
    development. These specialists work to improve the use of wood by
    transferring technologies developed by the Forest Service to industry and
    others. For example, applying Forest Products Laboratory research, these
    specialists assisted a small forest products company in producing flooring
    from small trees by, among other things, providing solutions to product
    imperfections like warping and discoloration.

                                       Background

    The unique characteristics and relative abundance of wood have made it a
    natural material for a variety of uses, including homes and other
    structures, furniture, tools, vehicles, and decorative objects. Because
    wood varies in characteristics and volume by species, it may be heavy or
    light, stiff or flexible, and hard or soft. Federal agencies conduct
    research on the range of processes that occur between the time a tree is
    grown in the forest to the time it becomes a wood product and then is
    recycled. For purposes of our review, wood utilization research and
    product development refers to the activities that occur from harvesting
    the wood through the recycling of wood and paper products. (See fig. 1.)

    Figure 1: Wood Utilization Activities from Harvesting through Recycling

    The Forest Products Industry

    According to the North American Industry Classification System,5 the U.S.
    forest products industry is divided into two sectors: wood product
    manufacturing and pulp and paper manufacturing. The wood product
    manufacturing sector comprises small companies, while the pulp and paper
    manufacturing sector tends to have fewer, larger companies.

    The wood product manufacturing sector can be broken into three
    sub-sectors: (1) primary producers-sawmills and plywood mills; (2)
    secondary producers-millwork, cabinet, and furniture manufacturers; and
    (3) structural and reconstituted products producers-oriented strandboard
    (OSB), I-Joist, laminated veneer lumber, medium density fiberboard, and
    particleboard. The United States is the world's leading producer of lumber
    and wood products used in residential construction and in commercial wood
    products. According to 2004 data (the most recent data available), the
    wood product sector employed 535,000 workers nationwide and produced
    shipments valued at $103 billion.6

    The pulp and paper manufacturing sector includes two industry groups: (1)
    manufacturers of pulp and paper and (2) manufacturers of products made
    from purchased paper and other materials, such as paper bags or tissues.
    The vast majority of the raw material for making paper is the residue from
    other mills-primarily chips from sawmills. The United States is also a
    leader in the pulp and paper business, producing about 28 percent of the
    world's pulp and 25 percent of the total world output of paper and
    paperboard. In 2004 (the most recent data available), the paper
    manufacturing sector employed 440,000 workers nationwide and produced
    shipments valued at $154 billion.

    According to a federal government report, the U.S. forest products
    industry faces increasing competition from its traditional competitors
    (Canada, the Scandinavian countries, and Japan), as well as from emerging
    competitors (Brazil, Chile, and Indonesia).7 Domestic purchases of paper
    and paperboard declined from 2000 to 2002, but have begun to rebound since
    then.8 Approximately 120,000 jobs were lost in the paper manufacturing
    sector from 1999 to 2004, representing a 21.5-percent loss. Sectors of the
    wood product manufacturing industry have also declined. According to a
    2003 Forest Service report, during the last decade, the wood household
    furniture industry lost approximately one-third of its market share to
    imports. China now accounts for one-third of U.S. imports, up from none a
    decade ago.9

    5A business classification system, adopted in 1997, developed by the U.S.,
    Mexican, and Canadian governments to provide comparable statistics across
    the three countries. It classifies business into sectors, subsectors, and
    industry groups.

    6U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries, Annual
    Survey; MO4(AS)-1 (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 2005).

    7U.S. Department of Energy, Forest Products Industry of the Future, Fiscal
    Year 2004 Annual Report (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 2005).

    Federal Agencies Support Wood Utilization Research and Product Development

    Federal research and product development in wood utilization helps provide
    the science and technology needed to conserve the nation's forest
    resources, supply the demand for wood products, and support forest
    management and restoration activities. At least 12 federal agencies
    support wood utilization research and product development activities, but
    only 2 of these agencies-the Forest Service and CSREES-have programs
    targeted for these activities.

      Primary Agencies-Forest Service and CSREES' Wood Utilization Research Centers

    For the Forest Service, the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Act
    of 1978 is the primary legislation authorizing the Secretary of
    Agriculture to implement a comprehensive research program for forest and
    rangeland renewable resources, including wood utilization, and to
    disseminate the results.10 Other relevant legislation includes the
    following:

               o  The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, which
               requires the secretaries of Agriculture and of Energy to cooperate
               on policies and procedures that promote research and development
               leading to the production of fuels and biobased products; the act
               also established the Biomass Research and Development
               Initiative.11

               o  The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established technical areas for
               focusing research under the Biomass Research and Development
               Initiative.12

               o  The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 established a grant
               program to encourage the commercialization of woody biomass.13

               The Forest Service's research and development organization
               establishes research work units in the field by developing formal
               mission statements, which must be approved by the Deputy Chief for
               Research and other senior managers.14 A team from the Deputy
               Chief's Office and station directors' office formally reviews
               these mission statements and the unit's work at least every 5
               years, and the review often includes input from the public and
               private sectors.

               The Forest Service's wood utilization research and product
               development is carried out by scientists and professional support
               staff in 27 research work units around the country that were
               operating at the time of our review. Most of the Forest Service's
               wood utilization research and product development takes place at
               16 research work units in the Forest Products Laboratory, which
               conducts research of national and international scope. The other
               11 research work units are located in the Forest Service's
               Northeastern, Southern, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, and
               Rocky Mountain Research Stations, and these units mostly focus on
               regional wood utilization issues.15 For example, research work
               unit 4104 of the Southern station focuses on managing Southern
               pine ecosystems, whereas research work unit 4701 of the
               Northeastern station focuses on efficiently using northern forest
               resources. These research work units produce 5-year research work
               plans that identify the mission, the problem to be solved through
               research, the proposed research approach, planned accomplishments,
               and staffing needs.

               CSREES provides support for wood utilization research and product
               development through several grant programs. CSREES awards
               committee-directed grants to 10 designated wood utilization
               research centers at 12 universities. The first three centers were
               established in fiscal year 1985 at Oregon State University,
               Mississippi State University, and Michigan State University. These
               three centers were established to support wood utilization and
               harvesting research on western conifers, southern pine, and
               eastern hardwoods, respectively. In fiscal year 1993, three
               centers with specific research focuses were added at the
               University of Maine, the University of Minnesota at Duluth, and
               North Carolina State University. In fiscal year 1999, the
               University of Tennessee and the Inland Northwest Forest Products
               Research Consortium were added. The consortium consists of the
               universities of Idaho and of Montana, and Washington State
               University. The most recent additions are the University of Alaska
               Southeast, in fiscal year 2000, and West Virginia University, in
               fiscal year 2004. Every year each center submits a grant proposal,
               reviewed by CSREES staff, containing information on proposed
               research activities, budgets, and progress to date. Funding
               supports scientists and graduate students and helps to pay for new
               equipment, supplies, and travel.

               In addition, CSREES provides grants to state-supported colleges
               and universities that can be used for, but are not specifically
               focused on, wood utilization research and product development
               through the following:

               o  The McIntyre-Stennis Act, a formula grant program, for forestry
               research, including two of eight potential funding areas focused
               on wood utilization and product development.16

               o  The Hatch Act, a formula grant program, designed to fund a
               number of broad agricultural research areas.17

               o  The National Research Initiative,18 a competitive grant program
               with several research areas, including biobased products and
               energy. Wood utilization research and product development grants
               have been awarded under this initiative, as well as under CSREES'
               Small Business Innovation and Research grants and other small
               grants programs.

               Ten other agencies also support wood utilization research and
               product development. Table 1 provides information on these
               agencies' principal authorizing legislation and a description of
               the programs that have supported wood utilization research and
               product development, and the mechanisms used for program delivery.

    8Ince, Peter J.; Akim, Edward; Lombard, Bernard; and Parik, Tomas; Chapter
    8, "Higher demand and production in 2004, but growth wavers in 2005:
    Markets for paper, paperboard and woodpulp, 2004-2005. United Nations
    Economic Commission for Europe, Forest Products Annual Market Review,
    2004-2005. Timber Bulletin Vol. LVIII (2005).

    9Schuler, Albert; and Buehlmann, Urs; Identifying Future Competitive
    Business Strategies for the U.S. Residential Wood Furniture Industry:
    Benchmarking and Paradigm Shifts, U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern
    Research Station, report NE-304.

    10Pub. L. No. 95-307 (1978) (as amended).

    11Pub. L. No. 106-224, tit.III (2000).

    12Pub. L. No. 109-58, S: 941 (e)(2), 119 Stat. 875-76 (2005).

    13Pub. L. No. 108-148, S: 203, 117 Stat. 1901 (2003).

    14These include the headquarters office's topic area staff director, and
    research stations' directors and assistant directors.

    15The Northeastern Research Station is located in Newtown Square,
    Pennsylvania; Pacific Northwest, in Portland, Oregon; Pacific Southwest,
    in Albany, California; Rocky Mountain, in Fort Collins, Colorado; and
    Southern, in Asheville, North Carolina.

    16Formula grants are grants distributed to state and local governments
    using formulas that are based on data such as state population and
    personal income. Under the McIntyre-Stennis Act, CSREES apportions funds
    among participating states, considering factors such as nonfederal
    expenditures for forestry research by state-certified eligible
    institutions, areas of nonfederal commercial forest land, and the volume
    of timber cut annually. States, in turn, determine the proportionate
    amounts of assistance to be extended to these qualified state-supported
    institutions.

    17Act of March 2, 1887, ch. 314, 24 Stat. 440 (as amended).

      Other Agencies That Support Wood Utilization Research and Product Development

    Table 1: Federal Agencies That Support Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Principal Authorizing Legislation, and Description of
    Selected Programs

    Federal agency       Principal authorizing   Program description
                            legislationa
    USDA-National        Biomass Research        Administers and funds grants
    Resource             Development Act of      for the Biomass Research and
    Conservation         2000, Title III of the  Development Initiative, under
    Serviceb             Agricultural Risk       which competitively awarded
                            Protection Act of 2000  grants, contracts, and
                            (Pub. L. No. 106-224)   financial assistance are
                                                    provided to, or entered into
                                                    with, eligible entities to
                                                    carry out research on-and
                                                    development and demonstration
                                                    of-biobased fuels and
                                                    biobased products (including
                                                    woody biomass), and the
                                                    methods, practices, and
                                                    technologies, for their
                                                    production.
    Defense-Army, Corps  2005 Defense            Provides committee-directed
    of Engineers, Office Appropriations Act      grants or contracts to
    of Naval Research                            specific universities to
                                                    conduct wood utilization
                                                    research and product
                                                    development.
    Department of Energy Energy Policy Act of    Enters into cost-share
                            1992 (Pub. L. No.       cooperative agreements and
                            102-486), Biomass       contracts with its national
                            Research Development    laboratories, private
                            Act of 2000 (Pub. L.    industry, and universities to
                            No. 106-224, tit.III    conduct research on
                            (2000)                  energy-efficient processes in
                                                    energy-intensive industries,
                                                    including the pulp, paper,
                                                    and wood products
                                                    manufacturing industries.
                                                    Also develops technology for
                                                    converting biomass into
                                                    energy and chemicals.
    Department of        2002 Department of      Provides a committee-directed
    Homeland             Transportation          contract to conduct wood
    Security-Coast Guard Appropriations Act      utilization research and
                            (Pub. L. No. 107-87)    product development at a
                                                    specific university.
    HUD                  Housing and Urban       Administers the Partnership
                            Development Act of 1970 for Advancing Technology in
                            (Pub. L. No. 91-609)    Housing program, an
                                                    interagency partnership that
                                                    provides grants and financial
                                                    assistance for research on
                                                    residential housing
                                                    materials, which includes
                                                    wood.
    Interior-Bureau of   Snyder Act of 1921      Can award grants to support
    Indian Affairs                               wood product development.
    Department of        Section 1039 of the     The Federal Highway
    Transportation       Intermodal Surface      Administration has awarded
                            Transportation          grants for research to
                            Efficiency Act of 1991  increase the usage of timber
                            (Pub. L. No. 102-240,   and wood products in highway
                            S: 1039, 23 U.S.C. 144  bridges, including improving
                            nt); Section 401 of the the design and performance of
                            Pipeline Safety Act of  timber structures and
                            1992 (49 U.S.C 112),    developing engineering design
                            Transportation Equity   criteria for structural wood
                            Act for the 21st        products for use in highway
                            Century (Pub. L. No.    bridges.c
                            105-178)
                                                    The Research and Innovative
                                                    Technology Administration
                                                    established centers of
                                                    excellence and provides
                                                    grants to advance technology
                                                    and expertise in all areas of
                                                    transportation, including
                                                    transportation structures
                                                    made from wood.
    National Science     National Science        Funds basic research at
    Foundation           Foundation Act of 1950  universities, small
                            (Pub. L. No. 81-507)    businesses, and other
                                                    organizations. Wood
                                                    utilization research could be
                                                    funded under the National
                                                    Science Foundation's broad
                                                    research categories of
                                                    engineering, chemistry,
                                                    biology, social science, and
                                                    education. Does not target
                                                    wood utilization research and
                                                    does not fund product
                                                    development.

    18E.g., Pub. L. No. 89-106, S: 2, Aug. 4, 1965, 79 Stat. 431 (1965) (as
    amended).

    Sources: Legislation and agency documents.

    aAll laws cited are as amended.

    bIn 2006, USDA's Rural Development Agency assumed responsibility for this
    grant program from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

    cThere was no new funding for this program in fiscal year 2004, according
    to Department of Transportation officials.

    Technology Transfer

    The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer defines
    technology transfer as "the process by which existing knowledge,
    facilities or capabilities developed under federal research and
    development funding are utilized to fulfill public and private needs."19
    Since 1978, Congress has enacted a series of laws to promote technology
    transfer and to provide technology transfer mechanisms and incentives.
    Table 2 presents selected laws that support technology transfer for wood
    utilization research and product development.

    19The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer is a
    nationwide network of federal laboratories that provide the forum for
    developing strategies and opportunities that link technology with
    laboratory missions and the marketplace. It was organized in 1974 and
    formally chartered by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 to
    promote and to strengthen technology transfer nationwide.

    Table 2: Selected Laws That Support Technology Transfer for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development

    Laws supporting technology      Description
    transfera
    General technology transfer
    laws
    The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Enacted to stimulate improved utilization
    Innovation Act of 1980 (Pub. L. of federally funded technology
    No. 96-480)                     developments-including inventions,
                                       software, and training technologies-by
                                       state and local governments and the
                                       private sector.
    The Patent and Trademark Law    Allowed universities, not-for-profit
    Amendments Act of 1980          corporations, and small businesses to
    (Bayh-Dole Act, Pub. L. No.     patent and commercialize their federally
    96-517)                         funded inventions.
    The Federal Technology Transfer Authorized federal agencies to permit the
    Act of 1986 (Pub. L. No.        directors of government-owned laboratories
    99-502)                         to enter into cooperative research and
                                       development agreements (CRADA) and to
                                       negotiate licensing agreements for
                                       inventions created in the laboratories.
    The Technology Transfer         Broadened CRADA licensing to authorize
    Commercialization Act of 2000   federal laboratories to grant licenses to
    (Pub. L. No. 106-404)           federally owned inventions for which a
                                       patent application was filed before the
                                       CRADA was signed.
    Laws for research and
    development conducted by small
    businesses, which can include
    wood products companies
    Small Business Innovation       Established the Small Business Innovation
    Development Act of 1982 (Pub.   Research (SBIR) program, requiring federal
    L. No. 97-219)                  agencies to reserve a portion of their
                                       research and development effort for awards
                                       to small businesses.
    Small Business Research and     Extended the SBIR program, increased the
    Development Enhancement Act of  percentage of an agency's budget to be
    1992 (Pub. L. No. 102-564)      devoted to SBIR, and established the Small
                                       Business Technology Transfer Program
                                       (STTR), a program under which a portion of
                                       a federal agency's extramural research or
                                       research and development effort is
                                       reserved for awards to small businesses.
    Small Business Reauthorization  Directed the Small Business Administration
    Act of 2000, enacted as part of and participating agencies to, among other
    the Consolidated Appropriations things, expand the scope of publicly
    Act for Fiscal Year 2001(Pub.   available information on specific grants,
    L. No. 106-554)                 and to annually report on their SBIR
                                       programs.
    Laws focused on natural
    resources, including wood and
    its uses
    Cooperative Forestry Assistance Authorized the Forest Service to carry out
    Act of 1978 (Pub. L. No.        a program of technology implementation to
    95-313)                         ensure that new technology is introduced
                                       and forest resources research findings are
                                       made available to state forestry
                                       personnel, private landowners, wood
                                       processors, forest operators, and others.
    The National Forest-Dependent   Created the Economic Action Program to
    Rural Communities Economic      upgrade existing industries to use natural
    Diversification Act of 1990,    resources (including wood) more
    enacted as part of the Food,    efficiently, and to expand the economic
    Agriculture, Conservation and   base of rural communities to alleviate or
    Trade Act of 1990 (Pub. L. No.  reduce their dependence on National Forest
    101-624)                        System land resources.

    Source: GAO analysis of laws and regulations.

    aAll laws are as amended.

    In addition to these laws, Executive Order 12591 ("Facilitating Access to
    Science and Technology") directs federal agencies to encourage and
    facilitate collaboration among federal laboratories, state and local
    governments, universities, and the private sector-particularly small
    business-in order to assist in the transfer of technology to the
    marketplace.

    Technology transfer is also carried out through the nation's extension
    system, established by the Smith-Lever Act in 1914,20 to assist in the
    development of practical applications of research knowledge in
    agriculture, including wood utilization. Under this system, thousands of
    county and regional extension specialists bring university expertise to
    the local level. Funding is provided by CSREES through annual formula
    grants to supplement state and county funds for extension services. The
    funds can be used for natural resources, including forestry or wood
    utilization, depending upon the priorities of the university.

    The Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978 created the Renewable
    Resources Extension Program.21 Under this program, CSREES provides funds
    to 72 universities, which use these funds, along with state, local, and
    institutional funds, to deliver educational programs to forest and
    rangeland owners and managers. The program also provides guidance to
    states in developing their general extension programs for, among other
    things, timber utilization, harvesting, and marketing; wood utilization;
    and wood products marketing. These efforts have included wood utilization
    extension services, usually through extension specialists.

     Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Activities Fall into
            Five Categories and Are Coordinated Both Informally and Formally

    Wood utilization research and product development conducted by 12 federal
    agencies span a broad spectrum of activities, and coordination of these
    activities is both formal and informal. These activities fall into five
    broad categories: (1) harvesting, (2) wood properties, (3) manufacturing
    and processing, (4) products and testing, and (5) economics and marketing.

    20Act of May 8, 1914.

    21Pub. L. No. 95-306 (1978).

    Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Activities Can Be
    Grouped into Five Broad Categories

    We grouped the wood utilization research and product development
    activities that the 12 agencies conduct into five broad categories:
    harvesting, wood properties, manufacturing and processing, products and
    testing, and economics and marketing. Table 3 shows the definitions we
    used for the five categories and provides examples of the types of the
    research and product development activities that fall into each of these
    categories.

    Table 3: Categories of Major Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development Activities

    Category          Definition                 Examples of research and
                                                    development activities
    Harvesting        Using scientific and          o  constructing forest
                         engineering principles to     roads
                         ensure cost-effective,        o  providing safety
                         environmentally               training
                         acceptable, and safe          o  developing equipment to
                         forest operations,            reduce soil compaction
                         including planning, road      o  using equipment to
                         building, harvesting,         remove trees at the stump
                         handling and processing,
                         and transportation
    Wood properties   Studying the basic and        o  examining the basic
                         applied physical,             surface properties of
                         chemical, and mechanical      different wood and
                         properties of wood and        wood-based materials to
                         wood fiber to determine       determine interaction with
                         the suitability of this       contaminants in water for
                         material for various uses,    improved water repellency
                         from pulp to structural       o  examining reactions to
                         beams to recycled             mold, mildew, fungi, and
                         composite products            various temperatures
                                                       o  research on reactions
                                                       to moisture
                                                       o  research on the
                                                       suitability of dead or
                                                       dying trees for use in
                                                       several new and emerging
                                                       wood-processing
                                                       technologies
    Manufacturing and New and better                o  examining the process
    processing        manufacturing ways to         for removing moisture from
                         extract, reduce, and          wood and the impact of the
                         convert virgin wood raw       drying processes on the
                         materials to useful           strength, durability, and
                         products and the              color of the wood
                         development of technology     o  studying and developing
                         to allow the re-use of        log scanning technology
                         materials and products to     and equipment to detect
                         the maximum extent            knots and rot
                         possible                      o  examining the
                                                       manufacturing of
                                                       high-performance products
                                                       from wood previously
                                                       considered too small,
                                                       unsuitable, or defective,
                                                       and from recycled wood
                                                       o  using ultrasound to
                                                       detect internal defects in
                                                       wood
                                                       o  improving paper
                                                       manufacturing technologies
                                                       to reduce energy
                                                       consumption and improve
                                                       paper quality
                                                       o  improving bonding of
                                                       particles, flakes or
                                                       fibers, and adhesives in
                                                       the manufacturing of
                                                       composite wood products,
                                                       such as oriented
                                                       strandboard (OSB)a
    Products and      Developing test methods       o  testing chemical and
    testing           and gathering and             other treatments designed
                         evaluating data on the        to prevent the
                         differing uses of wood and    deterioration or
                         wood fiber products           destruction of wood or to
                                                       extend its service life
                                                       o  studying the long-term
                                                       durability, safety, and
                                                       structural performance of
                                                       adhesively bonded wood
                                                       assemblies and the
                                                       development of better
                                                       testing methodologies for
                                                       the durability of wood
                                                       products, such as
                                                       composite siding
                                                       o  testing to develop a
                                                       performance-based moisture
                                                       design approach for wood
                                                       frame buildings that
                                                       includes interior moisture
                                                       design, exterior moisture
                                                       design, and performance of
                                                       wood products under
                                                       various moisture and
                                                       temperature regimes
                                                       o  developing analytical
                                                       computer programs and
                                                       other methods to assess
                                                       the potential moisture
                                                       accumulation in building
                                                       components
    Economics and     Evaluating and tracking       o  describing the cost and
    marketing         (1) domestic and              price effects of changes
                         international supply and      in forest management
                         demand trends, trade          practices and forest
                         policies, and markets,        sector policies
                         including market              o  analyzing factors
                         opportunities; and (2)        affecting the near- and
                         harvesting and production     long-term outlook for
                         costs for alternative         supply and demand
                         material and energy inputs    o  analyzing broad-scale
                         and processing options        trends in trade and
                                                       investment and their
                                                       effects on forest products
                                                       industries and firms
                                                       o  analyzing marketing and
                                                       distribution patterns in
                                                       international trade for
                                                       furniture, lumber, and
                                                       other raw materials
                                                       o  analyzing the stages of
                                                       the manufacturing process
                                                       to reduce the cost of
                                                       finished wood products

    Sources: GAO's analysis of agencies' activities and consultation with
    Forest Service officials.

    aOSB is a composite wood product made of layered wood strands, often used
    as an alternative to plywood.

    Table 4 shows the types of research and product development activities and
    examples of these activities by agency. All 12 agencies had activities in
    the manufacturing and processing category.

    Table 4: Agencies' Wood Utilization Research and Product Development
    Activities and Examples of These Activities

                             Research and product
                             development
                             categories of         Examples of research and
    Federal agency        activities            product development activities
    USDA
    Forest Service           o  Harvesting         o  examine and improve a
                                o  Wood properties    variety of different types
                                o  Manufacturing      of machinery for tree
                                and processing        removal and processing and
                                o  Products and       high-technology computers
                                testing               to measure trees as they
                                o  Economics and      are processed
                                marketing             o  understand factors that
                                                      lead to poor wood surface
                                                      quality and their
                                                      influences on wood bonding
                                                      o  optimize how wood, woody
                                                      biomass, and recycled and
                                                      nonwood materials are
                                                      converted into durable
                                                      cost-effective,
                                                      high-performing, and
                                                      long-service-life products
                                                      o  conduct fundamental
                                                      research in the areas of
                                                      solid wood products,
                                                      composites, and paper
                                                      manufacture
                                                      o  evaluate the effects of
                                                      technology trends and
                                                      market changes on forest
                                                      management
    CSREES                   o  Harvesting         o  new equipment that
                                o  Wood properties    reduces soil compaction and
                                o  Manufacturing      increases timber production
                                and processing        o  wood preservative
                                o  Products and       technologies that result in
                                testing               longer product life
                                o  Economics and      o  improved machining
                                marketing             technologies to increase
                                                      the speed of manufacturing
                                                      wood products at lesser
                                                      cost
                                                      o  automated lumber grading
                                                      and machining systems using
                                                      optical scanners, machine
                                                      vision, and radio frequency
                                                      fields to detect and cut
                                                      around defects in lumber
                                                      o  recycling processes for
                                                      converting newsprint into
                                                      composite board
    Natural Resources        o  Manufacturing      o  adding value to woody
    Conservation Servicea    and processing        biomass by processing
                                                      material into lumber and
                                                      poles
                                                      o  using woody biomass as
                                                      fuel for electricity
                                                      generation
                                                      o  using biomass for
                                                      wood-burning facilities to
                                                      cogenerate power and steam
    Defense
    Army                     o  Wood properties    o  studying the use of
                                o  Manufacturing      composite materials to
                                and processing        construct modular ballistic
                                                      protective shelters, which
                                                      include the development of
                                                      ballistic panels with a
                                                      wood layer in the panel
                                                      design
    Army Corps of            o  Wood properties    o  examining the use of
    Engineers                o  Manufacturing      wood composite materials in
                                and processing        constructing temporary
                                                      facilities and quarters
                                                      that are lightweight,
                                                      affordable, rapidly
                                                      erectable, modular,
                                                      protective, and blast or
                                                      ballistic resistant
    Office of Naval          o  Wood properties    o  developing low-cost and
    Research                 o  Manufacturing      stronger wood composite
                                and processing        materials to replace Navy
                                                      wood structures, such as
                                                      pier components (e.g.,
                                                      decking and fender
                                                      components)
    Department of Energy     o  Manufacturing      o  reducing the energy
                                and processing        intensity of manufacturing
                                                      processes in the pulp and
                                                      paper and wood products
                                                      industries
                                                      o  studying drying
                                                      technologies to reduce the
                                                      energy required to remove
                                                      water from the pulp used to
                                                      make paper
    Department of            o  Wood properties    o  designing, building, and
    Homeland                 o  Manufacturing      demonstrating a pier made
    Security-Coast Guard     and processing        of wood composite
    HUD                      o  Wood properties    o  study of insulated
                                o  Manufacturing      composite wood panels in
                                and processing        residential construction
    Interior-Bureau of       o  Manufacturing      o  studying the feasibility
    Indian Affairs           and processing        of developing wood products
                                                      using woody biomass
                                                      o  studying the feasibility
                                                      of using woody biomass to
                                                      generate electricity and
                                                      heat greenhouses
    Department of            o  Wood properties    o  studying preservatives
    Transportation           o  Manufacturing      and coatings for structural
                                and processing        wood products for highway
                                                      bridges
                                                      o  studying wood composite
                                                      materials for
                                                      transportation
    National Science         o  Wood properties    o  studying the mixing of
    Foundation               o  Manufacturing      plastics with wood fibers
                                and processing        to create wood-composite
                                o  Products and       products that are used in
                                testing               doors, windows, decks
                                                      siding, and roofs
                                                      o  improving the conversion
                                                      of wood chips and other
                                                      biomass to paper fibers

    Source: GAO analysis of agency documents.

    aIn 2006, USDA's Rural Development Agency assumed responsibility for this
    research effort from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

    The Forest Service and CSREES were the only two agencies that had wood
    utilization research and product development activities in all five
    categories. According to our analysis of the Forest Service's 27 research
    work units' plans covering fiscal years 1995 through 2005, over 80 percent
    of wood utilization research and product development occurred in three
    categories: wood properties, products and testing, and manufacturing and
    processing. In addition, CSREES wood utilization research centers' annual
    research proposals for the same period showed that about 70 percent of
    their activities occurred in the following three categories: wood
    properties, manufacturing and processing, and economics and marketing.
    According to a CSREES official, the CSREES wood utilization research
    centers are allowed by law to use the funding to conduct technology
    transfer activities, which are reflected in the economics and marketing
    category.

    Appendixes II and III, respectively, provide detailed information on wood
    utilization research and product development activities for the Forest
    Service, for multiyear periods (beginning in the late 1980s) to the
    present; and CSREES, for fiscal years 1995 through 2005.

    Federal Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Activities Are
    Coordinated Both Informally and Formally

    We found instances of both informal and formal coordination of federal
    activities for wood utilization and product development. According to many
    scientists at the Forest Service, informal coordination occurs among the
    relatively small wood utilization research and product development
    community of scientists, and these scientists are often aware of related
    scientific research. Scientists share information at scientific and
    industry conferences and professional meetings and through publications,
    and in some cases work informally to share staff and equipment. Specific
    examples include the following:

               o  One Forest Service scientist associated with the Southern
               Research Station-with 30 years of experience in wood utilization
               research on Douglas Fir-shares resources and expertise with the
               Pacific Northwest Research Station on the plantation growth of
               this species.

               o  Forest Service scientists in the Southern Research Station have
               collaborated with colleagues in Australia, Denmark, Japan, and New
               Zealand on using wood from southern forests to develop wood
               composite products. These collaborative efforts were established
               primarily through professional relationships.

               o  A Forest Service scientist at the Pacific Northwest Research
               Station told us that scientists use annual professional meetings,
               such as those held by the Forest Products Society and the Society
               of Wood Science and Technology, as important mechanisms for
               coordinating their work and broadening the scope of their research
               area.

               The CSREES wood utilization research centers reported that they
               have more informal than formal coordination mechanisms with other
               wood utilization research centers and federal agencies. Like the
               Forest Service, these informal mechanisms include sharing
               information with their colleagues through professional meetings,
               publications, and newsletters.

               We also identified some formal mechanisms to coordinate wood
               utilization research and product development that are set up
               through legislative provisions, agency rulemaking, memorandums of
               understanding, cooperative arrangements, and other joint ventures.
               Specific examples include the following:

               o  The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 requires USDA
               and the Department of Energy to carry out a Biomass Research and
               Development Initiative under which competitively awarded grants,
               contracts, and financial assistance are provided to eligible
               entities to carry out research on fuels and products derived from
               biomass, including woody biomass. The agencies work together on
               developing grant solicitations, reviewing grant proposals, and
               selecting recipients. The act also created a Biomass Research and
               Development Board, co-chaired by the Department of Energy and
               USDA, to coordinate programs within the federal government for
               promoting the use of biobased fuels and products. The board's
               mission is to maximize the benefits from federal grants and
               assistance by promoting collaboration and avoiding duplication of
               effort through strategic planning on biomass research. The board
               has approved the formation of a federal Woody Biomass Working
               Group to coordinate and focus federal efforts on woody biomass
               utilization.

               o  For 40 years, Forest Service wood utilization scientists have
               had standing annual meetings with representatives from both the
               paper and pulp and solid wood industries to present research
               results and obtain input and review from industry. When updating
               their research work unit plans every 5 years, these scientists
               also seek advice from outside sources, including industry
               representatives, academics, and environmental groups.

               o  Scientists also participate in research consortiums or
               cooperative arrangements with industry. For example, scientists in
               the Forest Service's Southern Research Station participate in a
               consortium studying wood quality that has members from nine
               companies, including Weyerhaeuser and Georgia Pacific. CSREES wood
               utilization research centers also form cooperative arrangements.
               According to an Oregon scientist, these research cooperatives
               typically consist of 10 to 12 partners. The cooperatives set a
               research agenda and formally coordinate research through annual
               meetings and reports; each university, as well as government
               agencies, are asked to contribute funding annually. For example,
               scientists at the University of Minnesota wood utilization
               research center formed a productivity cooperative that includes
               state, county, university, and industry members (such as
               International Paper) to continue to strengthen applied forestry
               concepts and ensure the sustainability of Minnesota's forest
               products industry.

               o  The Forest Service's Northeastern Research Station formed the
               Furniture Steering Committee, which is composed of furniture
               manufacturers, consultants, equipment manufacturers, state
               economic development agencies, and universities to provide
               guidance on furniture research programs at the station and
               elsewhere. The steering committee recommended research on more
               efficient manufacturing and "just-in-time" training, which has
               been integrated into the research work unit's plan.

               o  HUD's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing is a
               voluntary partnership between leaders of the home building,
               product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries; and
               representatives of six federal agencies concerned with housing.22
               These six agencies work with HUD to develop technologies to
               improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency, and
               affordability of residential building materials; these materials
               could include wood. For example, with the partnership's support,
               the Forest Service's wood chemistry research work unit has been
               able to work cooperatively with laboratories in Japan, Sweden, and
               Finland on developing coatings to protect wood from the effects of
               weathering.

               o  Forest Service scientists at the Southern Research Station's
               Utilization of Southern Forest Resources work unit have a
               memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to host
               post-doctoral students from China; the station has hosted 25
               students in the past 5 years. These students serve as additional
               staff resources to help the research work unit carry out its
               research activities.

               o  To construct a forest biomass life cycle assessment model,
               several partners established a joint venture: the Forest Service's
               Pacific Southwest Research Station; the California Energy
               Commission's Public Interest Energy Research Program; the
               University of California at Davis; several state and federal
               agencies; and energy, forestry, and environmental consultants.
               Partners will use the model to identify and analyze the social,
               economic, and environmental costs and benefits of using forest
               biomass to generate electrical power. This research project is
               planned in three phases over a 3- to 5-year period. Each
               participant shares in the cost of the venture.

               The 12 federal agencies we reviewed made available at least $54
               million annually in financial support for wood utilization
               research and product development activities in fiscal years 2004
               and 2005, measured either in budget authority or expenditures.23
               Furthermore, the Forest Service employed almost 175 scientists and
               support staff in each of these two fiscal years. From fiscal years
               1995 through 2005, the Forest Service received total budget
               authority of $268 million for wood utilization research and
               product development (or $289 million in 2004 inflation-adjusted
               dollars) while CSREES' budget authority for the wood utilization
               research centers was about $51 million (or $55 million in 2004
               inflation-adjusted dollars). For fiscal years 1995 through 2005,
               the Forest Service's budget authority for wood utilization
               research and product development activities fluctuated moderately
               from year-to-year (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars). Over the
               same period, overall, CSREES' budget authority for the wood
               utilization research centers increased (in 2004 inflation-adjusted
               dollars), in part because four new wood utilization research
               centers were added during fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2004.

               The 12 federal agencies we identified as supporting wood
               utilization research and product development made available at
               least $54.4 million in financial support for this work, measured
               in either budget authority or expenditures,24 in fiscal year 2004,
               the year with the most complete data available. For fiscal year
               2005, the agencies made available at least $54.3 million. Our data
               for fiscal year 2005 are complete except for data for the CSREES
               grants funded under the McIntyre-Stennis Act and the Hatch Act;
               the National Research Initiative; Small Business Innovation
               Research grants; and other small grants. See table 5.

               Table 5: Federal Financial Support in Wood Utilization Research
               and Product Development, by Agency, Fiscal Years 2004-2005

               Sources: Agency documents, CSREES' Current Research Information
               System, and National Science Foundation's Project Reports Summary
               and Search and Awards databases.

               aFinancial data are presented in either budget authority or
               expenditures, as indicated.

               bBudget authority.

               cIncludes both budget authority and expenditures.

               dIncludes $5.67 million for wood utilization research centers and
               $3.04 million for the other CSREES grants funded under the
               McIntyre-Stennis Act and the Hatch Act; the National Research
               Initiative; Small Business Innovation Research Grants; and other
               small grants.

               eData for other CSREES grants were not available for 2005.

               fExpenditures.

               gBudget authority for the Industrial Technologies Program.

               As table 5 shows, the Forest Service made available about half of
               the financial support for conducting wood utilization research and
               product development. In fiscal year 2004, the Forest Service made
               available about 52 percent of the $54.4 million, while four other
               agencies-CSREES, the Department of Energy, the National Science
               Foundation, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service-made
               available about 44 percent of the support; the remaining seven
               agencies together made available about 5 percent of the $54.4
               million.

               Of the $54.4 million made available in fiscal year 2004, about $34
               million ($28.3 million for the Forest Service and $5.7 million for
               the CSREES wood utilization research centers) was directly
               targeted to wood utilization research and product development. In
               addition, $1.9 million of other support targeted for wood
               utilization research and product development was made available by
               the Army, the Coast Guard, and the Office of Naval Research
               through committee-directed funding to specific universities to
               conduct research on wood composites.

               The remaining $18.5 million of the $54.4 million was made
               available in fiscal year 2004 from grant programs not targeted to
               wood utilization research and product development. That is, wood
               utilization research and product development was not the sole
               purpose of the grant or program. The Department of Energy made
               available the largest amount of this nontargeted support-$7.4
               million. CSREES provided $3.0 million in fiscal year 2004 to
               support other wood utilization research and product development
               through grant programs authorized under the McIntyre-Stennis Act
               and the Hatch Act; the National Research Initiative; Small
               Business Innovation Research grants; and other small grants. The
               Natural Resources Conservation Service made available grant
               funding to promote greater innovation and development in all forms
               of biomass-including agricultural and woody biomass-with $5.3
               million targeted to woody biomass research, under the Biomass
               Research Development Act of 2000. The other agencies made
               available the remaining $2.8 million.

               Of the 12 agencies, only the Forest Service directly employs
               full-time scientists and support staff to conduct wood utilization
               research and product development. Most of these employees work at
               the Forest Products Laboratory, as shown in table 6.

    22The six agencies are the Department of Energy, the Environmental
    Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department
    of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National
    Science Foundation, and USDA. In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, the
    Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
    and the National Institute of Standards and Technology did not support
    wood utilization research and product development.

         Federal Agencies Made Available at Least $54 Million Annually for Wood
      Utilization Research and Product Development in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005;
    Forest Service Support Fluctuated Moderately, and CSREES Support Increased Over
                                        10 Years

    The Forest Service Provided Most of the Support for Wood Utilization Research
    and Product Development in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005

    23See footnote 3.

    24See footnote 3.

    Dollars in thousands
    Department                             2004 financial       2005 financial
                                                    supporta             supporta
    USDA
    Forest Service                               $28,251b             $27,179b
    CSREES                                       8,710c,d             5,820b,e
    Natural Resources Conservation
    Service                                        5,269b               4,627b
    Defense
    Army Research                                     25b               1,050b
    Army Corps of Engineers                             0               2,395b
    Office of Naval Research                       1,459f               1,424f
    Department of Energy                         7,419b,g             6,233b,g
    Department of Homeland
    Security-Coast Guard                             442f                 351f
    HUD                                                 0                 225b
    Interior-Bureau of Indian
    Affairs                                          486b                 276b
    Department of Transportation                      63b                 441b
    National Science Foundation                    2,270f               4,242f
    Total                                         $54,394              $54,263

    Table 6: FTE Staff for Wood Utilization Research and Product Development
    at the Forest Service, Fiscal Years 2004-2005

                               FTE scientists  FTE support staff  Total FTE staff
    Forest Service unit      (2004) (2005)    (2004)   (2005)   (2004)  (2005)
    Forest Products
    Laboratory                 62.8   59.6      58.3     57.3    121.1   116.9
    Northeastern Research
    Station                       9      9        11       10       20      19
    Pacific Northwest
    Research Station              9    9.3       4.5        7     13.5    16.3
    Pacific Southwest
    Research Station              1      1         0        2        1       3
    Rocky Mountain Research
    Station                     0.1    0.1         0        0      0.1     0.1
    Southern Research
    Station                     8.7    8.7       9.3      9.8       18    18.5
    Total                      90.6   87.7      83.1     86.1    173.7   173.8

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    The other 11 agencies we reviewed do not have full-time federal scientists
    dedicated to wood utilization research and product development, and were
    unable to provide information on scientists and support staff working on
    federal wood utilization research and product development activities.

    From Fiscal Years 1995 through 2005, Forest Service Budget Authority for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development Fluctuated Moderately from
    Year-to-Year

    For fiscal years 1995 through 2005, the Forest Service received total
    budget authority for wood utilization research and product development of
    $268 million (which is equivalent to $289 million in 2004
    inflation-adjusted dollars). As table 7 shows, during this 11-year period,
    the annual budget authority ranged between $24.2 million and $28.2 million
    (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars), with moderate fluctuations from
    year-to-year.

    Table 7: Forest Service Budget Authority for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Dollars in thousands
               1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    Total
    Nominal
    dollars $23,727 $20,873 $21,416 $21,616 $22,196 $23,195 $26,041 $26,726 $27,246 $28,251 $27,179 $268,465
    2004
    dollars $28,037 $24,201 $24,404 $24,336 $24,666 $25,264 $27,711 $27,907 $27,899 $28,251 $26,451 $289,128

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

    Table 8 shows the total FTE scientists and support staff for the Forest
    Service's wood utilization research work units, from fiscal years 1995
    through 2005.

    Table 8: Forest Service FTE Staff for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

                   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005
    Scientists  98.2  98.3  90.6  85.0  82.8  84.2  86.6  84.1  86.1  90.6  87.7
    Support
    staff      109.0 101.5  88.5  87.4  86.4  87.8  89.8  89.3  88.3  83.1  86.1
    Total      207.2 199.8 179.1 172.4 169.2 172.0 176.4 173.4 174.4 173.7 173.8

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    As figure 2 shows, over the period, the levels of budget authority
    (adjusted for inflation) and FTE staff for wood utilization research and
    product development at the Forest Service fluctuated moderately. From
    fiscal year 1995 to fiscal year 1996, both budget authority (in 2004
    inflation-adjusted dollars) and FTE staff at the Forest Service decreased
    by 14 percent and 4 percent, respectively. After 1996, budget authority
    for the most part increased through 2004 and then decreased in 2005.

    FTE staff continued to decrease through 1999, increased in 2000, and
    thereafter remained relatively stable. (See app. IV for information on
    changes in FTE Forest Service scientists and support staff for wood
    utilization research work units for each year from fiscal year 1995
    through 2005.)

    Figure 2: Total Budget Authority for Forest Service Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development, and FTE Staff, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    During the 11-year period, the Forest Products Laboratory's budget
    authority also fluctuated moderately. Between fiscal years 1995 and 2000,
    the budget authority declined by 17 percent (in 2004 inflation-adjusted
    dollars), from $20.8 million to $17.3 million; it increased again from
    fiscal years 2001 through 2004, but was still lower in 2005 than in 1995.
    (See table 9.)

    Table 9: The Forest Products Laboratory's Budget Authority for Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Dollars in thousands
               1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    Total
    Nominal
    dollars $17,596 $15,800 $15,800 $15,726 $15,850 $15,850 $17,924 $18,551 $19,088 $20,025 $19,213 $191,423
    2004
    dollars $20,792 $18,319 $18,004 $17,705 $17,614 $17,265 $19,074 $19,370 $19,545 $20,025 $18,698 $206,411

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    Table 10 shows the total FTE scientists and support staff for the Forest
    Products Laboratory's wood utilization research work units, from fiscal
    years 1995 through 2005.

    Table 10: The Forest Products Laboratory's FTE Staff for Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

                   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005
    Scientists  67.2  69.0  64.3  60.6  56.4  55.8  59.0  58.5  57.2  62.8  59.6
    Support     78.0  73.5  61.5  60.4  61.9  60.3  62.3  61.5  62.0  58.3  57.3
    Staff
    Total      145.2 142.5 125.8 121.0 118.3 116.1 121.3 120.0 119.2 121.1 116.9

    Source: Forest Products Laboratory.

    The number of FTE Forest Products Laboratory scientists and support staff
    generally declined from fiscal years 1995 through 2000; then it fluctuated
    moderately. Figure 3 shows the changes in budget authority and FTE
    scientists and support staff at the Forest Products Laboratory. See
    appendix IV for funding and FTE staff, by research work unit, at the
    Forest Products Laboratory and at the research stations for fiscal years
    1995 through 2005.

    Figure 3: Total Budget Authority for the Forest Products Laboratory's Wood
    Utilization Research and Product Development, and FTE Staff, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005

    While financial support for wood utilization research and product
    development at the Forest Service has fluctuated moderately during the
    past 11 years, Forest Service scientists and managers expressed concerns
    about resource constraints. They noted that increases in budget authority
    cover salary increases and other fixed costs, but that these increases may
    not be enough to cover increases in the costs of other operating
    expenses-such as purchasing or calibrating equipment, obtaining laboratory
    supplies, and traveling for research. The Forest Products Laboratory's
    operating budget authority declined by about 67 percent between fiscal
    years 1995 and 1998 (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars), from about $1.95
    million to $650,000; it also fluctuated within a narrow range from fiscal
    years 1999 to 2005, ending with $630,000. (See table 11.)

    Table 11: The Forest Products Laboratory's Operating Budget, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005

    Dollars in thousands
                 1995   1996   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005  Total
    Nominal
    dollars $1,651 $1,337  $ 901 $577 $630 $613 $672 $642 $636 $647 $647 $8,953
    2004
    dollars $1,951 $1,550 $1,027 $650 $700 $668 $715 $670 $651 $647 $630 $9,859

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    Figure 4 shows changes in the dollars available for operating expenses
    (adjusted to 2004 dollars) in fiscal years 1995 through 2005 at the Forest
    Products Laboratory.

    Figure 4: The Forest Products Laboratory's Operating Budget, Fiscal Years
    1995-2005

    Many of the scientists with whom we spoke cited instances in which fewer
    resources had diminished their ability to conduct research. For example,
    according to one scientist, he is spending less time in the laboratory
    because he is devoting more time to obtaining outside funding for his
    research work unit. Another scientist told us that his research work unit
    must now limit the number of wood samples from private sources that the
    unit has time to analyze, which it did not need to do in the past.
    According to Forest Service officials, due in part to funding constraints,
    as well as to better serve the scientific community, the Forest Products
    Laboratory has developed a strategic plan, and is in the process of
    reorganizing and consolidating its research work units and reducing the
    number of scientists and support staff.25

    From Fiscal Years 1995 through 2005, CSREES' Wood Utilization Research Centers'
    Budget Authority and the Number of Centers Increased

    Table 12 shows that the total budget authority for fiscal years 1995
    through 2005 for CSREES' wood utilization research centers was about $51.2
    million (which is equivalent to $54.8 million in 2004 inflation-adjusted
    dollars), and figure 5 illustrates that, overall, CSREES' budget authority
    (adjusted for inflation) for the wood utilization research centers
    increased over the period. The increase in budget authority was due in
    part to the addition of four new wood utilization research centers,
    particularly when two new centers were added in fiscal year 1999; new
    centers were added again in fiscal years 2000 and 2004.

    Table 12: CSREES Budget Authority for Wood Utilization Research Centers,
    Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Dollars in thousands
              1995   1996   1997   1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   Total
    Nominal $3,530 $3,532 $3,305 $3,305 $4,805 $4,805 $5,400 $5,304 $5,730 $5,670 $5,820 $51,206
    dollars
    2004    $4,172 $4,095 $3,766 $3,721 $5,340 $5,234 $5,747 $5,538 $5,867 $5,670 $5,664 $54,814
    dollars

    Source: CSREES documents.

    25USDA, Strategic Framework of Forest Products and Utilization Research
    and Development (FPURD), (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 2006)

    Figure 5: Total Budget Authority for CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    While the increase in the number of wood utilization research centers
    would suggest an increased commitment to wood utilization research and
    product development, after adjusting for inflation, most of the centers,
    individually, experienced a downward trend in budget authority, as table
    13 shows. (See app. IV for wood utilization research centers' budget
    authority in nominal dollars over the period.)

    Table 13: Total Budget Authority for CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Dollars in thousands (2004
    inflation-adjusted)
                  1995   1996   1997   1998   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005
    Wood
    utilization
    research
    centers
    Maine         $889   $872   $802   $793   $916   $797   $877   $843   $827   $736   $698
    Michigan       889    873    802    793    916    797    877    843    827    736    698
    Minnesota      275    270    249    246    284    247    272    261    252    228    216
    Mississippi    889    872    802    793    916    797    877    843 1,290a 1,154a 1,148a
    North          342    336    309    305    353    307    338    325    313    283    269
    Carolina
    Oregon         889    872    802    793    916    797    877    843    814    736    698
    Consortiumb                                572    497    547    526    523    460    496
    Tennessee                                  468    407    448    430    422    376    406
    Alaska                                            588    634    622    599    543    586
    West                                                                          418    451
    Virginia
    Total       $4,172 $4,095 $3,766 $3,721 $5,340 $5,234 $5,747 $5,538 $5,867 $5,670 $5,664

    Source: CSREES documents.

    aThe large increase in Mississippi grants in fiscal years 2003 through
    2005 occurred because of an additional committee-directed grant for a
    special statewide forest resources inventory.

    bThe Inland Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium consists of the
    universities of Idaho and of Montana, and Washington State University.

    Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

    Federal Agencies Rely on Scientists and Specialists to Transfer Technology
                              Through a Variety of Methods

    The 12 federal agencies generally rely on scientists and technology
    transfer specialists to transfer technologies to industry through a
    variety of methods,26 such as information dissemination, technical
    assistance, demonstration projects, and patents and licensing. While
    federal scientists are involved in some technology transfer, their primary
    responsibility is research; in contrast, specialists are responsible
    solely for technology transfer. In addition, the Forest Service has a unit
    dedicated to transferring the results of wood utilization research and
    product development: the Forest Service's TMU. We identified a number of
    examples of activities that have occurred using each of the technology
    transfer methods, mostly from the Forest Service and CSREES wood
    utilization research centers.

    26For the purposes of this report, the term "technology transfer
    specialist" includes marketing and utilization specialists and university
    extension specialists.

    Scientists and Technology Transfer Specialists Disseminate Information

    Scientists are expected to transfer the results of their work and
    primarily disseminate information through publications-particularly those
    in peer-reviewed journals-which help establish the validity of their
    research results. The Forest Service counts the number of articles
    published in these journals to assess scientists' performance and reports
    this information as a performance measure for research in its annual
    report to Congress.27 Furthermore, according to Forest Service scientists,
    some industry officials may also read and use these journals. For example,
    a window and door manufacturer used the information from a journal article
    on the characteristics of wood from smaller trees for use in composites to
    develop a new and higher-value use for this wood. Instead of burning the
    wood as waste, the manufacturer now uses it in his products.

    Scientists also disseminate research results to industry through a variety
    of other methods, including publications that are not peer reviewed, Web
    sites, presentations of their work at professional meetings, and
    workshops. Specific examples include the following:

               o  Publications that are not peer reviewed include the Forest
               Service's one-page information sheets, TechLines; technical
               reports; industry magazines; trade journals; and training manuals.
               For example, one training manual was developed after industry
               representatives asked a Forest Service scientist to create a
               publication on avoiding accidents caused by improperly constructed
               logging trails. Scientists also contribute to user manuals that
               are important to the building industry and homeowners, such as
               Finishes for Exterior Wood-20,000 copies sold in the past 10
               years; and the Wood Mold Maintenance Manual-10,000 copies in
               circulation.

               o  Most of the Forest Service's wood utilization research work
               units maintain Web sites that list articles or provide links to
               articles and contact information. For example, a research work
               unit in the Southern Research Station reported that 18,335
               distinct users-approximately 1,528 per month-accessed its Web site
               in 2004, downloading 37,376 publications. Some of CSREES' wood
               utilization centers also have Web sites, and some scientists have
               their own Web sites devoted to their wood utilization research and
               product development.

               o  The Forest Service's State and Private Forestry's Wood
               Education and Resource Center in West Virginia offers a grant
               program to transfer research results. In one instance, grant funds
               helped support the issuance of three newsletters informing pallet
               producers, shippers, and technical assistance personnel of the
               latest developments in implementing new international regulations.
               These regulations require that all pallets crossing international
               boundaries be treated to prevent the spread of invasive species.
               Additionally, three technical bulletins summarizing the results of
               the center's applied research in this area were developed and
               distributed to an international audience.

               o  Workshops conducted by scientists for industry include the
               University of Minnesota's industry-specific training on
               streamlined manufacturing procedures to over 75 companies, which
               has resulted in partnerships with 15 of them. University of
               Minnesota scientists reported that these partnerships have led to
               productivity improvements of 50 to 75 percent and cost reductions
               of 25 to 50 percent, with estimated financial impacts of over
               $750,000.

               o  Forest Service scientists have shared information through
               broadcasts. A radio host in Arkansas has a weekly show on forestry
               issues, and scientists from the Southern Research Station have
               discussed their research.

               o  The Forest Products Laboratory conducts "Entrepreneur Tours" in
               which small- to medium-size mill operators from western states
               tour the Forest Products Laboratory to learn about current
               research and how they can use it.

               Technology transfer specialists-at the Forest Service's State and
               Private Forestry program and extension specialists and programs at
               universities-also play a key role in disseminating information to
               industry. As of February 2006, the Forest Service employed nine
               technology transfer specialists, who also provide other types of
               assistance to small businesses. Like scientists, specialists reach
               industry and other users through Web sites and
               publications-particularly those that are not peer reviewed, like
               trade journals, newsletters, and industry magazines. Specialists
               sometimes work directly with scientists to disseminate research to
               targeted users. For example, technology transfer specialists at
               Louisiana State University's extension program publish the Dry
               Kiln Club newsletter, which provides updated research results from
               the university's scientists on wood-drying and moisture-related
               wood decay to an audience of over 1,000.

               Extension specialists also disseminate information through
               targeted group education to industry and other users. This
               education includes short courses, continuing education courses,
               and workshops. Specialists often develop these courses using the
               results of research conducted at their university and other
               universities, the Forest Service, and other federal and state
               agencies. Specific examples include the following:

               o  Extension specialists at Virginia Tech University offered 27
               short courses to industry in calendar year 2004. In one of these
               courses, they combined research from the College of Business with
               their own knowledge of wood science to teach methods for selling
               wood products.

               o  Extension specialists in Ohio taught a multiweek course to
               landowners on how to prune and manage their trees and market their
               products. The course was designed to help the landowners take
               advantage of a new pallet plant soon to be opening in their area.

               o  Extension specialists at Mississippi State's wood utilization
               research center have provided logger education to over 3,000
               logger firms during the past 10 years.

               o  Extension specialists at West Virginia University's Appalachian
               Hardwood Center have conducted technology transfer and outreach
               efforts for the past 15 years. For example, in October 2004, the
               center hosted a log-sawing and grading workshop that focused on
               the efficient grading and recovery of lumber for low-grade logs.

               o  To enhance competitiveness in the region's forest products
               industry, the University of Tennessee's Forest Products Center has
               a wood products extension specialist who conducts workshops,
               issues newsletters, and takes other actions to transfer
               information from the CSREES wood utilization research center to
               industry.

               Technology transfer specialists also attend industry and
               professional conferences and meetings, where they present
               information and meet with industry representatives to build their
               networks. In addition, they disseminate information by creating
               directories that provide contact information for wood industries
               in their state.

               Both scientists and technology transfer specialists provide
               technical assistance through (1) telephone calls; (2) hands-on
               technical assistance; and (3) software development.

               Both scientists and technology transfer specialists respond to
               telephone calls requesting assistance from industry, consumers,
               and homeowners. For example, one scientist at Oregon State
               University estimated receiving over 200 calls per year; another
               scientist estimated receiving over 400. Forest Products Laboratory
               managers estimated that they receive 4,000 such calls per year.

               Scientists and technology transfer specialists also provide
               industry and others with hands-on technical assistance. Examples
               include the following:

               o  Forest Products Laboratory scientists provided technical
               assistance to help a small company improve its manufacturing
               efficiency by applying research on the fasteners and connectors
               used to assemble and disassemble portable flooring. This company
               produces flooring for the National Collegiate Athletic
               Association.

               o  Forest Products Laboratory scientists helped a large drumstick
               manufacturer solve a durability problem by developing a way to
               inject drumsticks with a polymer to strengthen them.

               o  Forest Products Laboratory scientists provide technical
               assistance by identifying wood samples for companies, as well as
               for private citizens. As part of this wood identification, they
               assist manufacturers in resolving problems they have in using
               different types of woods with different finishes. In 2004, they
               identified 600 specimens for industry, 350 specimens for
               government agencies, and 370 specimens of wood for the general
               public.

               o  For 12 years, the University of Minnesota has worked with a
               company to provide support in material selection, prototyping,
               performance testing, and market assessment and development. These
               efforts have helped the company introduce several new product
               lines in office furniture, store fixtures, and cabinet components;
               expand from 30 to 450 employees; and increase the company's sales
               from $5 million to $50 million annually over the period.

               o  The Department of Energy offers energy assessments of
               facilities that manufacture wood products or produce pulp and
               paper, although the department requires a substantial cost
               investment from the company. According to the Department of
               Energy, these assessments have resulted in an annual savings of up
               to $9 million for some companies.

               Agencies also develop software and make it available, often for
               free, on Web sites. For example, a Forest Service computer program
               developed by researchers at the Forest Service's Northeastern
               Research Station provides a realistic simulation model that allows
               industry to identify more efficient strategies to reduce waste in
               the manufacturing process. More than 700 computer program packages
               have been sent to industry, and follow-up telephone calls by
               Forest Service scientists indicate that the program is being used
               in planning and optimization activities by many of the recipients.
               Similarly, the Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies
               Program provides free software tools to the forest products
               industry to improve energy efficiency in industry processes.

               Agencies also transfer research results through demonstration or
               pilot projects in mills, plants, and on-site at research
               locations. Specific examples include the following:

               o  The Forest Products Laboratory built a research demonstration
               house in 2001 on-site. The research in the demonstration house
               focuses on improving the use of traditional wood products,
               recycled and engineered wood composites, natural disaster
               resistance, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. Features
               include a permanent wood foundation and engineered wood composites
               in the roof.

               o  In cooperation with the homebuilding and forest products
               industries, the Forest Products Laboratory constructed a house on
               the Washington, D.C., mall as part of the 2005 annual Smithsonian
               festival. The house showcases new technologies developed by the
               Forest Products Laboratory and cooperators, such as manufacturers
               of structural insulated panels. The house was visited by several
               thousand people over the course of the 10-day festival.

               o  Forest Products Laboratory scientists helped a company
               implement a demonstration project in its saw mill. The project
               showed that, with improvements to the company's machinery for
               determining lumber quality, the company could increase efficiency
               by as much as 12 percent-thus adding an estimated $1.2 million
               annually in profit.

               o  Scientists at West Virginia University's wood utilization
               research center have developed a new technology for using oak as a
               raw material in the manufacture of OSB. The Weyerhaeuser Company
               and other industry partners are testing the process and the
               produced strands in test runs to verify the results. If
               successful, the research work unit anticipates lower raw material
               costs and increased use of oak as an engineered wood product
               component. Success could lead to new or expanded OSB manufacturing
               facilities, and new jobs, in the Appalachian region.

               o  Forest Service scientists at the Southwest Wildland/Urban
               Interface and Forest Health Restoration research work unit, in
               Flagstaff, Arizona, have joined with Northern Arizona University
               on framing techniques using small-diameter logs. This partnership
               has led to a demonstration project with the Navajo Nation to
               develop hogans using small-diameter wood. Hogans are traditional
               housing structures tribes still use, and are typically built with
               more costly wood from larger trees.

               o  HUD, through its Partnership for Advancing Technology in
               Housing program, helped a builder in North Carolina to demonstrate
               the durability and cost of various building materials (including
               insulated composite wood panels) in four residential duplex units.
               The builder agreed to build each duplex out of a different
               building material, and HUD is evaluating the materials'
               performance at this site.

               o  The Office of Naval Research has several demonstration projects
               in place using wood-plastic composite materials to replace wooden
               pier components, such as deck boards and fendering components.
               Such demonstrations help Navy engineers become familiar with new
               technologies and their benefits before the technologies are widely
               available.

               o  The Coast Guard, in a contract with the University of Maine for
               composite wood research, requires the university to demonstrate
               that the composite structures it developed could be used in a
               marine environment and be more durable than traditional
               structures. The university will build a dock for the Coast Guard
               to demonstrate the use of the composite material it has developed.

               Technology can also be transferred to industry through licensing
               and patenting. The Forest Service employs one full-time patent
               attorney, stationed at the Forest Products Laboratory, to assist
               scientists in patenting inventions they create as part of
               federally sponsored research projects; industry can then license
               these patents.28 The Forest Service Patent and Licensing Program
               handles all aspects of patents and licensing, including reviewing
               invention disclosures, filing and prosecuting patent applications,
               negotiating patent licenses and other technology transfer-related
               agreements. Between January 1, 1995, and December 3, 2005, a total
               of 58 patents were issued, and 12 applications related to wood
               utilization are currently pending, according to the Forest
               Service.

               Scientists at the CSREES wood utilization centers also obtain
               patents on processes and products they have developed. For
               example, scientists at the University of Minnesota's wood
               utilization research center have obtained over 20 patents that
               they have then licensed to private industry. These patents include
               those for extracting chemicals from birch bark that can be used in
               medicine, in manufacturing absorbent panels, and in a
               foam-and-wood composite log used for siding. They also reported
               having a number of pending patent applications in the areas of
               housing systems and the extraction of natural chemicals from birch
               bark waste products.

               The Forest Service has a unit dedicated to transferring the
               results of wood utilization research and product development
               activities-the TMU, part of the State and Private Forestry
               Program, located at the Forest Products Laboratory. TMU's mission
               is to improve wood utilization by transferring technologies
               developed primarily by the Forest Products Laboratory and other
               Forest Service research units. As of February 2006, TMU employed
               four technology transfer specialists with expertise in wood
               utilization and product development. These specialists collaborate
               with Forest Service scientists, primarily at the Forest Products
               Laboratory, to provide technical assistance to local governments,
               private landowners, rural communities, and forest industries to
               ensure the ready adoption of technologies based on forest
               materials.

               Like scientists and other technology transfer specialists, TMU's
               specialists disseminate research results through publications,
               conferences, and workshops. Specific examples include the
               following:

               o  In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, TMU reported distributing 40,000
               and 6,900 publications, respectively.29 For example, TMU's
               newsletter, the Forest Products Conservation and Recycling Review,
               has a circulation of over 800. In fiscal year 2005, it published
               19 issues of TechLines on topics ranging from the outdoor
               performance of wood-plastic composites; to wood flooring and
               roofing; to using waste wood for filtering water.

               o  TMU participated in 45 workshops, conferences, presentations,
               training sessions, and exhibits in fiscal year 2004 that were
               attended, in total, by over 5,000.

               o  In 2004, TMU cosponsored the SmallWood conference in
               Sacramento, California, that was attended by over 350, including
               harvesting contractors, rural development officials, community
               leaders, forest products business owners, environmental groups,
               and tribes.

               o  TMU provided an updated software tool that allows users to
               compare the unit costs of various heating fuels-the Fuel Value
               Calculator-allowing wood to be compared to conventional fossil
               fuels, such as natural gas or fuel oil. The calculator is
               available on TMU's Web site.30

               In addition, since TMU's technology transfer specialists are
               located on-site with Forest Products Laboratory scientists, they
               have an opportunity to learn about the research from its early
               stages. Furthermore, when a technology is developed, the
               specialists can work with the scientists to conduct a market
               analysis to determine potential applications. For example, in
               2004, TMU published Assessing the Market Potential of Roundwood
               Recreational Buildings,31 which provides information on the
               applicability of the Forest Products Laboratory's research on
               roundwood.

               TMU also transfers technology to users by providing technical
               assistance directly to industry, communities, and individuals
               nationwide, as well conducting demonstration projects.
               Specifically, TMU specialists perform the following activities:

               o  Answer numerous phone inquiries and letters, and host
               visitors-over 2,000 in both fiscal years 2004 and 2005.
               Specialists provide answers to technical questions, point a user
               to key information sources, or provide a link and contact
               information to researchers working in a user's area of interest.

               o  Travel to facilities to provide hands-on advice and answer
               questions. For example, TMU assisted a remote California logging
               community hard-hit by mill closures to create over 100 new jobs
               through a small forest products company and a nonprofit training
               center. Applying Forest Products Laboratory research, TMU
               specialists helped the company specialize in producing flooring
               from small-diameter trees by, among other things, providing
               solutions to product imperfections like warping and discoloration.

               o  Work with companies and communities in implementing research
               results or new technology through pilot and demonstration
               projects. For example, TMU staff are working with the Department
               of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory on a project
               testing small-scale biomass modular units, called "BioMax 15s,"
               that use wood chips to create electricity. The technology is still
               in the pre-commercial phase, so the department and the TMU are
               using a demonstration program at several sites around the country,
               including a high school in Walden, Colorado, and a
               furniture-making business at the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico.

               In addition to its technology transfer responsibilities, in fiscal
               year 2005, the unit led the evaluation of proposals for USDA's
               Woody Biomass Grant Program. This program made available over $4
               million in grants designed to increase the utilization of woody
               biomass from or near National Forest System lands. The program is
               designed to improve forest restoration activities by using and
               creating markets for small-diameter material and low-valued trees
               that were removed during activities to reduce hazardous fuels.
               Grants could range in value from $50,000 to $250,000.

               We provided a draft of this report for review and comment to
               USDA's CSREES, Forest Service, and Natural Resources and
               Conservation Service; Defense; Department of Energy; Department of
               Homeland Security; HUD; Interior; Department of Transportation;
               and the National Science Foundation. The Forest Service, DOT,
               Energy, and Interior provided technical comments, which we
               incorporated as appropriate. CSREES, Natural Resources and
               Conservation Service, Defense, Department of Homeland Security,
               HUD, and the National Science Foundation did not have comments on
               the draft report.

               As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the
               contents of this report earlier, we plan no further distribution
               until 7 days after the date of this letter. At that time, we will
               send copies of this report to interested congressional committees;
               the Secretaries of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Homeland
               Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and
               Transportation; the Director of the National Science Foundation;
               the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and other
               interested parties. We will also make copies available to others
               upon request. In addition, the report will be available at no
               charge on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov .

               If you have any questions about this report, please contact me at
               (202) 512-3841 or nazzaror@gao.gov . Contact points for our
               Offices of Congressional Relations and of Public Affairs may be
               found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made major
               contributors to this report are listed in appendix V.

               Robin M. Nazzaro Director, Natural Resources and Environment

               This report describes (1) the types of wood utilization research
               and product development activities supported by federal agencies
               and how these efforts are coordinated; (2) the level of support
               federal agencies made available for these activities in fiscal
               years 2004 and 2005, and changes in the level of support at the
               U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and at the
               Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
               (CSREES)-funded wood utilization research centers from fiscal
               years 1995 through 2005; and (3) how the federal government
               transfers technologies and products from its wood utilization
               research and product development activities to industry.

               For this review, we defined wood utilization research and product
               development as those activities that occur from harvesting the
               wood through the recycling of wood and paper products. To better
               understand the focus of the federal research and development
               efforts in wood utilization, we worked with Forest Service and
               CSREES program officials to develop the following five broad
               categories: (1) harvesting-using scientific and engineering
               principles to ensure cost-effective, environmentally acceptable,
               and safe forest operations, including planning, road building,
               harvesting, handling and processing, and transportation; (2) wood
               properties-studying the basic and applied physical, chemical, and
               mechanical properties of wood and wood fiber to determine the
               suitability of this material for various uses, from pulp to
               structural beams to recycled composite products; (3) manufacturing
               and processing-new and better manufacturing ways to extract,
               reduce, and convert virgin wood raw materials to useful products
               and the development of technology to allow the re-use of materials
               and products to the maximum extent possible; (4) products and
               testing-developing test methods and gathering and evaluating data
               on the differing uses of wood and wood fiber products; and (5)
               economics and marketing. This final category includes evaluating
               and tracking domestic and international supply and demand trends,
               and trade policies, and markets, including market opportunities;
               and harvesting and production costs for alternative material and
               energy inputs and processing options.

               We performed our work at 12 federal agencies that support wood
               utilization research and product development activities. These
               include CSREES, the Forest Service, and the Natural Resources
               Conservation Service; the Department of Defense's (Defense) Army,
               Army Corps of Engineers, and the Office of Naval Research; the
               Department of Energy; the Department of Homeland Security's Coast
               Guard; the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the
               Department of the Interior's (Interior) Bureau of Indian Affairs;
               the National Science Foundation; and the Department of
               Transportation.

               To answer the first objective-describing the types of wood
               utilization research and product development activities supported
               by federal agencies and how these efforts are coordinated-we
               collected information on research and product development
               activities at the 12 agencies for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 and
               worked with the Forest Service and CSREES to place these
               activities into one of the five categories we had developed.
               Because certain Forest Service research work units and
               CSREES-funded wood utilization research centers are specifically
               dedicated to wood utilization research and product development, we
               collected data on research activities for fiscal years 1995
               through 2005 to understand how these activities changed over time.
               At the Forest Service, we used a data collection instrument to
               systematically gather data on the 27 research work units' plans
               for wood utilization research and product development, covering
               fiscal years 1995 through 2005. Because these plans span multiple
               years, some dated back as far as 1988. In total, we examined the
               71 plans for the 16 research work units at the Forest Products
               Laboratory and 11 research work units that were associated with
               other research stations within the Forest Service-4 in the
               Northeast, 4 in the South, 1 in the Pacific Northwest, 1 in the
               Pacific Southwest, and 1 in the Rocky Mountains. From these plans,
               we collected information on each research work unit's mission,
               research problems, and selected research activities. (See app.
               II.) We also interviewed each research work unit's project leader
               on the unit's wood utilization research and product development
               activities.

               For CSREES, we examined the 10 wood utilization research centers
               at 12 universities that receive congressional committee-directed
               grants for wood utilization research and product development. Nine
               of these centers are at the universities of Alaska Southeast,
               Minnesota-Duluth, Maine, and Tennessee; Michigan State University,
               Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University,
               Oregon State University, and West Virginia University; and the
               tenth center is divided among three universities-Idaho State,
               Montana State, and Washington State-that participate in the Inland
               Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium. To identify these
               centers' wood utilization research and product development
               activities, we obtained copies of the research proposals that the
               centers submit annually to CSREES. We used a data collection
               instrument to (1) systematically review the 88 proposals for
               fiscal years 1995 through 2005; (2) obtain information on the
               research objectives, approach, and description of wood utilization
               research and product development activities; and (3) summarize
               selected activities for reporting purposes. We also obtained
               information on the centers' research activities from CSREES'
               Current Research Information System (CRIS) to obtain concise,
               nontechnical descriptions of selected activities and to ensure
               that the CRIS summary reflected the information in the CSREES
               proposals. We interviewed knowledgeable agency officials regarding
               the reliability of data we used from CSREES' CRIS database and
               compared selected CRIS data with grant files. We used the data
               from CSREES for descriptive purposes only, and determined that the
               data were sufficiently reliable for these purposes. For reporting
               purposes, we primarily relied on the CRIS summary information to
               describe the selected research activities presented in appendix
               III.

               To identify other CSREES wood utilization research and product
               development activities in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, CSREES
               officials queried the CRIS database using key search codes to
               identify the wood utilization research and product development
               activities being conducted under other CSREES-funded grant
               programs. At the time of our review, the CRIS database did not
               contain complete information for fiscal year 2005. We reviewed the
               grant projects-104-that fell within our definition of wood
               utilization research and product development.

               To collect information on wood utilization research and product
               development from the remaining 10 agencies, we interviewed agency
               officials and reviewed and summarized available information on the
               research activities for fiscal years 2004 and 2005.

               To obtain information on the coordination of wood utilization and
               product development activities among the 12 federal agencies, we
               interviewed agency officials to obtain their views on the use of
               informal and formal coordination mechanisms. For all agencies, we
               obtained this information through interviews with program
               officials and scientists. In the case of CSREES wood utilization
               research centers, we obtained this information through a data
               collection instrument sent to the program leader at each center.
               In addition, we obtained documents on selected formal coordinating
               mechanisms, such as interagency agreements. We also attended the
               "Agenda 2020" meeting sponsored by the Forest Service in 2005,
               which is held annually to exchange information between industry
               and Forest Service scientists performing wood utilization research
               and product development activities.1 The Forest Service uses these
               meetings to seek industry views on research results and future
               research needs. We also examined relevant laws, regulations, and
               agency polices related to coordination for wood utilization
               research and product development.

               To address the second objective-describe the level of support
               federal agencies made available for wood utilization research and
               product development activities in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, and
               changes in the level of support at the Forest Service and CSREES
               wood utilization research centers from fiscal years 1995 through
               2005-we collected budget authority or expenditure information from
               the 12 agencies for fiscal years 2004 and 2005, and from the
               Forest Service and CSREES' wood utilization centers for fiscal
               years 1995 through 2005. We reported dollars in either budget
               authority or expenditure data, depending on the availability of
               agency data. We analyzed these data in both nominal (actual)
               dollars and dollars adjusted for inflation (real).2 Most agencies
               and programs received congressional committee-directed budget
               authority for wood utilization research and product development or
               allocated a portion of their budget authority for these
               activities. Those budget authority amounts are reported when
               available. However, the only data available for the other CSREES
               grants and for the National Science Foundation were expenditure
               data.

               For information on CSREES' budget authority for the wood
               utilization research centers for fiscal years 1995 to 2005 for the
               grants awarded to the wood utilization research centers, the
               CSREES official explained how the funds were allocated across the
               10 wood utilization research centers over the 11-year period.
               These data were used to show the historical trends of investment
               dollars for wood utilization research and product development over
               the past 11 years. (See app. IV.)

               In addition to the budget authority for the CSREES wood
               utilization research centers, we obtained expenditure data for the
               wood utilization research and product development activities
               conducted under the authority of the McIntyre-Stennis Act, the
               Hatch Act, the National Research Initiative, the Small Business
               Innovation Research Grants, and other small grants, which can fund
               wood utilization research and product development. We obtained
               specific expenditure amounts for these activities for fiscal year
               2004 from the CRIS database system. Fiscal year 2005 data were not
               available for these CSREES activities.

               For the Forest Service, we obtained information on budget
               authority from an internal agency review of research stations and
               research work units. We used this information to provide an
               overview of the changes in budget authority for wood utilization
               research and product development for fiscal years 1995 through
               2005. See appendix IV for the budget authority for each research
               work unit over this period. In addition, we interviewed Forest
               Service budget officials in headquarters, the Forest Products
               Laboratory, and the State and Private Forestry Program on budget
               and other funding issues, such as the allocation of funds and
               setting of research funding priorities. We concluded that the data
               provided in the agency survey were sufficiently reliable for the
               purposes of our review.

               We also reviewed and summarized information from Forest Service
               documents on the number of scientists and research support staff
               at the Forest Service-the only agency that has full-time federal
               employees who directly conduct wood utilization research and
               product development activities. We reported the number of
               full-time equivalent (FTE) staff at each of the 27 research work
               units that conducted research on wood utilization and product
               development for fiscal years 1995 through 2005. (See app. IV.)

               To collect funding information from the remaining agencies, we
               asked budget and program officials for budget authority or
               expenditure information for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 for wood
               utilization research and product development. Specifically, the
               National Science Foundation provided us with expenditure
               information from its Project Reports Summary and Search and Awards
               databases because that is the only way it could identify the
               amounts devoted to wood utilization research and product
               development. We interviewed knowledgeable agency officials
               regarding the reliability of these data. We used the data for
               descriptive purposes only, and determined that the data were
               sufficiently reliable for these purposes.

               The funding for Defense's Army, Corps of Engineers, and Office of
               Naval Research; and the Department of Homeland Security's Coast
               Guard were congressional committee-directed funds or budget
               authority. However, for the Office of Naval Research and the Coast
               Guard, we reported expenditures because those amounts were
               applicable to our time period-fiscal years 2004 and 2005.

               To respond to objective three-how the federal government transfers
               technologies and products from its wood utilization research and
               product development activities to industry-we obtained and
               reviewed relevant legislation and policies and procedures on
               federal technology transfer activities. At the Forest Service, we
               interviewed and obtained examples of successful technology
               transfer from project leaders at the 27 research work units that
               are responsible for wood utilization research and product
               development; a patent attorney; technology transfer program
               managers at the Technology Marketing Unit located at the Forest
               Products Laboratory; and technology transfer specialists in the
               State and Private Forestry Program. At CSREES, we had discussions
               with program research officials and extension specialists. In
               addition, we sent a short data collection instrument to the 10
               wood utilization research centers to obtain information on how
               they transfer the results of their research to industry, as well
               as to obtain examples of successful transfer efforts. We did not
               assess the success of these agencies' reported efforts, nor did we
               try to quantify the results of these efforts.

               We also conducted site visits at a limited number of federal,
               university, and industrial facilities-the Forest Products
               Laboratory; Forest Service facilities in Virginia, West Virginia,
               and Oregon; the wood utilization research center at Oregon State
               University; the Western Wood Producers Association; the APA
               Engineered Wood Association; and a Weyerhaeuser Company research
               laboratory in Washington State. We also visited a sawmill, a
               manufacturer of wooden steps and stair posts, a manufacturer of
               engineered products, and a cabinet maker, and attended the 2005
               Northeast Utilization and Marketing Council's conference. We
               performed our work between February 2005 and May 2006, in
               accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

               This appendix presents examples of work conducted and planned for
               the Forest Service's research work units at the Forest Products
               Laboratory (table 14), and in work units associated with five
               research stations: Northeastern, Pacific Northwest, Pacific
               Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Southern (table 15).

    27Forest Service Performance and Accountability Report, Fiscal Year 2004,
    p. 208

    Technical Assistance Is an Important Tool for Transferring Technology to
    Industry

    Demonstration Projects Can Highlight the Application of Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development

    Results of Wood Utilization Research and Product Development Can Be Patented and
    Then Licensed to Industry

    The Forest Service Has a Unit Dedicated to Transferring Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development

    28Since 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act and subsequent executive actions have
    generally given federal contractors, grantees, and cooperative agreement
    funding recipients the option to retain ownership rights to, and profit
    from, commercializing the inventions they create as part of federally
    sponsored research projects. In return for these rights, these recipients
    are required to file for patent protection, pursue commercialization of
    the inventions, give preferences to small businesses in licensing, ensure
    that any products resulting from the inventions are substantially
    manufactured in the United States, and comply with certain reporting
    requirements.

    29The higher number in 2004 is due to distribution of 30,000 copies of a
    special publication, "Better Rural Places."

    30 http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu/

    31Paun, Dorothy; Randall Cantrell, and Susan LeVan-Green. Forest Products
    Lab, FPL-GTR-144.

                                    Agency Comments

    Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology Appendix I: Objectives,
    Scope, and Methodology

    1 The official title of this meeting is "Forest Industry and Forest
    Service Research Liaison Meeting." The meeting was held at the Forest
    Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, May 10-11, 2005.

    2 We adjusted nominal dollars using the Department of Commerce's Fiscal
    Year Chain-Weighted Price Index for the Gross Domestic Product with 2004
    as the base year.

    Appendix II: Forest Service's Conducted and Planned Wood Utilization
    Research and Product Development Appendix II: Forest Service's Conducted
    and Planned Wood Utilization Research and Product Development

    Table 14: Conducted and Planned Activities for the Forest Service's
    Research Work Units at the Forest Products Laboratory

    Forest Products
    Laboratory's research
    work unit and plan
    components                           Research work unit title, and period and activities covered
    4502
                              Biodeterioration of Wood,       Biodeterioration of      Biodeterioration of
                              1991-97                         Wood, 1997-2002          Wood, 2002-07
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To increase wood efficiency and To increase wood         To increase wood
                              serviceability through basic    efficiency, protection,  efficiency of use,
                              and applied research on the     and serviceability       protection, and
                              nature and control of           through basic and        serviceability through
                              biodeterioration of wood in     applied research on the  basic and applied
                              use.                            nature and control of    research on the nature
                                                              biodeterioration within  and control of
                                                              the context of changing  biodeterioration within
                                                              environmental needs.     the context of changing
                                                                                       environmental needs.
    Research problem and      Problem: Lack of understanding  Problem: Need to         Problem: Need to
    activities                of the biosynthetic and         identify new biochemical identify new specific
                              degradative pathways that can   processes of wood decay  biochemical processes of
                              be targeted to achieve improved fungi that can be        wood decay fungi and
                              methods for controlling decay.  inhibited to achieve     mold that can be
                                                              improved methods for     inhibited to achieve
                              Activities: Study the induction controlling decay.       improved methods for
                              and repression of degradative                            controlling decay.
                              enzymes in order to learn what  Activities: Determine
                              parameters prevent their        efficacy against decay   Activities: The recent
                              formation.                      fungi of inhibitors to   sequencing of the entire
                                                              targets identified from  genome of an important
                              Problem: Lack of understanding  mechanistic studies.     decay fungus presents
                              in detecting incipient decay                             many opportunities for
                              and in-situ treatments to       Problem: Need to         research on the
                              protect wood.                   identify in-situ modes   mechanism of decay,
                                                              of antagonism of         including the
                              Activities: Investigate the     nondecay microorganisms  possibility of rapidly
                              presence of decay in a          required to enhance      correlating specific
                              particular wood structure to    their establishment in   enzymes of the fungus
                              determine conditions promoting  wood to prevent fungal   with the corresponding
                              such decay and, where           attack in order to       genes.
                              necessary, the microorganisms   develop new and
                              responsible for the decay.      effective biocontrol     Problem: Need to
                                                              agents.                  determine the conditions
                              Problem: Lack of understanding                           required for bioremoval
                              in how to enhance nondecay      Activities: Identify     and recycling of
                              microorganisms to prevent       microorganisms with      preservatives from
                              fungal attack of wood.          improved biocontrol      preservative-treated
                                                              qualities.               wood waste in order to
                              Activities: Identify potential                           safely dispose of
                              antagonists by laboratory       Problem: Need to         preventative-treated
                              screening and select the most   determine the conditions wood without damaging
                              promising control agents by     required for bioremoval  soils and watersheds.
                              applying them to wood blocks    of metals from chromated
                              for exposure to important       copper arsenate          Activities: Develop a
                              wood-attacking fungi.           (CCA)-treated wood waste fuller understanding of
                                                              in order to dispose of   the microbial
                                                              CCA-treated wood without remediation and
                                                              damaging soils and       degradation of
                                                              watersheds.              preservative-treated
                                                                                       wood wastes and the
                                                              Activities: Develop a    conditions required for
                                                              fuller understanding of  remediation, recycling,
                                                              the microbial            or degradation
                                                              degradation of           (composting).
                                                              CCA-treated wood wastes
                                                              and the conditions       Problem: Need to develop
                                                              required for             rapid detection methods
                                                              remediation, recycling,  and the conditions
                                                              or composting.           required for mold growth
                                                                                       in order to prevent mold
                                                                                       growth in housing.

                                                                                       Activities: Develop
                                                                                       improved moisture
                                                                                       control parameters to
                                                                                       prevent the
                                                                                       establishment of mold
                                                                                       and spread of mold
                                                                                       spores.
    4701
                              Center for Wood Anatomy         Center for Wood Anatomy  Center for Wood Anatomy
                              Research, 1992-98               Research, 1998-2003      Research, 2003-08
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To accumulate and make known    To accumulate and        To develop, accumulate,
                              information on the anatomical   disseminate information  and disseminate
                              and other characteristics of    on the anatomical,       information on the
                              woods of the world that may     biochemical, and         anatomical, biochemical,
                              affect their utilization        physical characteristics and physical
                              potential, and to develop new   of wood species that may characteristics of wood
                              and improved techniques for     affect their utilization species that may affect
                              their identification.           and decay, and to        their utilization and
                                                              develop new and improved wood quality, and to
                                                              techniques for wood      develop new and improved
                                                              identification.          techniques for wood
                                                                                       identification.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to develop a      Problem: Need to better  Problem: Need to better
    activities                complete body of fundamental    understand the macro-    understand the macro-
                              knowledge on the macro- and     and microscopic anatomy  and microscopic anatomy
                              microscopic structures and      of wood and develop new  of wood and to develop
                              other characteristics for wood  techniques and           new techniques and
                              to better understand, utilize,  methodologies for wood   methodologies for wood
                              and identify lesser-known and   identification.          identification.
                              lesser-used woods, especially
                              tropical woods.                 Activities:              Activities:
                                                              Data-gathering and       Data-gathering and
                              Activities: Data-gathering and  analysis that is         analysis that is
                              analysis that is directed       directed toward the      directed toward the
                              toward the development of       development of           development of
                              descriptions and keys for       descriptions and keys    descriptions and keys
                              commercially important and      for commercially         for commercially
                              emerging tropical groups.       important and emerging   important and emerging
                                                              tropical groups.         tropical groups.
                              Problem: Need to investigate
                              new and improved nonanatomical  Problem: More            Problem: Need to
                              techniques and methodologies    information is needed to understand the
                              for wood identification for     understand the           relationships between
                              more accurate and reliable      interrelationships       wood anatomical
                              identifications.                between specific         characteristics and wood
                                                              anatomical and chemical  quality.
                              Activities: New and novel       features and the
                              approaches to the separation of mechanisms of decay and  Activities: Develop
                              similar woods must be           natural durability.      better methods for
                              developed. One of the first                              delineating juvenile
                              techniques to be studied will   Activities: Identify and zones, and conduct
                              be unique chemical tests that   test selected wood       closer comparisons of
                              might aid in identifying woods  species for the ability  juvenile and mature wood
                              at the work site.               to resist decay and      anatomy and properties
                                                              discoloration by         to better assess the
                              Problem: Need to accumulate     brown-rot, white-rot,    impact of juvenile wood
                              common and scientific names,    and soft-rot fungi.      on overall wood quality.
                              origin, physical and strength   Emphasis will be given
                              properties, uses, and other     to laboratory testing of
                              information on tropical species selected temperate and
                              in databases to assist in       tropical species.
                              organizing and disseminating
                              information to customers.       Problem: Need to
                                                              understand the
                              Activities: Gather information  relationships between
                              on properties, uses, and other  wood anatomical
                              data on native and tropical     characteristics and wood
                              species, convert it to a        quality.
                              standard format, and develop
                              database structures that can    Activities: In the past,
                              readily retrieve selected       several characteristics
                              information in an orderly and   (mostly anatomical) have
                              efficient manner.               been investigated as
                                                              predictors of wood
                                                              quality. These include
                                                              growth rate (ring
                                                              width), density/specific
                                                              gravity, percentage of
                                                              latewood, tracheid
                                                              length, cell diameter,
                                                              cell wall thickness, and
                                                              cellulose microfibril
                                                              angle. Cellulose
                                                              microfibril angle
                                                              contributes to many wood
                                                              properties, such as
                                                              modulus of elasticity,
                                                              creep, shrinkage, and
                                                              maximum crushing
                                                              strength.
    4703
                              Wood Adhesives Science and      Wood Adhesives Science   Wood Adhesives Science
                              Technology, 1994-99             and Technology,1999-2004 and Technology, 2004-09
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   Improve the utilization of wood Improve the utilization  Improve the utilization
                              through a combination of basic  of wood through a        of wood through a
                              and applied research that will  combination of basic and combination of basic and
                              ensure adequate future supplies applied research that    applied research that
                              of durable, environmentally     seeks to ensure more     ensures more efficient
                              acceptable adhesives, and       efficient fabrication    fabrication and
                              improve the applicability,      and performance of       performance of
                              efficiency, and durability of   bonded-wood products.    bonded-wood products.
                              adhesives for bonding
                              wood-to-wood and
                              wood-to-nonwood materials.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to develop        Problem: Need to improve Problem: Need to improve
    activities                durable wood adhesives from     the properties and       the durability, safety,
                              renewable resources.            performance of wood      and structural
                                                              adhesive systems.        performance of
                              Activities: Utilize the                                  adhesively bonded wood
                              chemical constituents that      Activities: Demonstrate  assemblies.
                              occur in wood and other biomass the use of computational
                              (or compounds derived from      chemistry methods to     Activities: Develop a
                              these constituents) for         develop a better         methodology to
                              obtaining adhesive systems      fundamental              understand where and why
                              suitable for bonding wood       understanding of the     failure is taking place
                              products.                       chemistry involved in    when bondline failure
                                                              the synthesis and cure   occurs.
                              Problem: Need to eliminate      of existing adhesive
                              chemical and physical barriers  systems.                 Problem: Need to better
                              to bonding wood-based                                    understand the adhesion
                              materials.                      Problem: Need to improve of adhesives to wood and
                                                              the adhesion of          nonwood substrates.
                              Activities: Identify and        adhesives to wood and
                              develop means to overcome       nonwood substrates.      Activities: Understand
                              chemical and physical barriers                           the factors that lead to
                              to bonding and wood-based       Activities: Understand   poor wood-surface
                              materials that have been        the factors that lead to quality and their
                              chemically or physically        poor wood-surface        influence on wood
                              altered through treating or     quality and their        bonding so that the most
                              processing, among other things. influence on wood        efficient,
                                                              bonding so that the most cost-effective bonding
                              Problem: Need to improve the    efficient,               solutions can be
                              environmental acceptability of  cost-effective bonding   determined.
                              wood adhesives through the      solutions can be
                              modification of conventional    determined.              Problem: Need to improve
                              adhesives and the development                            the properties and
                              of new adhesives.               Problem: Need to improve performance of wood
                                                              the durability, safety,  adhesive systems.
                              Activities: Quantify the        and structural
                              magnitude of the environmental  performance of           Activities: Determine
                              impact of composite wood panel  adhesively bonded wood   the mechanical
                              production and use and develop  assemblies.              properties of existing
                              methods to decrease the                                  adhesive systems.
                              environmental impact of the     Activities: Determine
                              composite products.             the mechanical behavior  Problem: Need to utilize
                                                              of adhesives within      more environmentally
                              Problem: Need to determine the  bonded materials and     acceptable wood
                              behavior of adhesives and the   develop new information  adhesives in wood
                              performance of adhesive-bonded  on the mechanical        composite panels.
                              assembly joints in wood         properties of adhesively
                              structures used for             bonded joints.           Activities: Evaluate the
                              construction.                                            VOC emissions from
                                                              Problem: Need to         composite wood products.
                                                              understand the
                                                              environmental
                                                              acceptability of wood
                                                              adhesives and composite
                                                              wood panels.

                                                              Activities: Develop
                                                              information on volatile
                                                              organic compounds (VOC)
                                                              emitted from wood
                                                              products. Successful
                                                              completion of this
                                                              component will provide
                                                              the information needed
                                                              by other researchers,
                                                              manufacturers, and
                                                              regulatory agencies to
                                                              determine the impacts
                                                              that wood products have
                                                              on indoor air quality,
                                                              and to develop
                                                              strategies to control or
                                                              prevent exposure to
                                                              VOCs.
                              Activities: Develop knowledge
                              that will support and encourage
                              the use of adhesives in
                              building construction, opening
                              the way for improvements in the
                              use of wood and the performance
                              of wood structures.
    4706
                              Performance Designed            Performance Designed     Performance Designed
                              Composites, 1993-97             Composites, 1997-2002    Composites, 2002-07
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To develop the capabilities in  To conserve wood and     To conserve wood, alone
                              processing technology to        other renewable fiber    or in combination with
                              improve the value and yield of  resources, this research other renewable fiber
                              existing (and new)              unit determines the      resources, fundamental
                              lignocellulosic-based           relationship between     relationships between
                              composites.                     alternative resource     base materials and
                                                              options, processing      product performance are
                                                              technologies, and        defined and then
                                                              composite performance    processes are derived to
                                                              levels to improve the    engineer reliable,
                                                              value and yield of       high-performance
                                                              existing and new         composites from wood-
                                                              lignocellulosic-based    and
                                                              composites.              wood-lignocellulosics,
                                                                                       including new hybrid
                                                                                       composites melding wood
                                                                                       and alternative
                                                                                       materials.
    Research problem and      Problem: There is a lack of     Problem: Knowledge is    Problem: It is necessary
    activities                knowledge that relates the      needed to characterize,  to understand the
                              resource and processing         assess, and prepare      fundamental
                              variables to composite product  alternative raw          relationships between
                              performance.                    materials for processing wood-, natural-fiber-
                                                              into value-added         and alternative
                              Activities: Study alternative   composite products.      materials and use this
                              material options and                                     knowledge to optimize
                              fabrication techniques that     Activities: Develop      composite processing and
                              result in flat or shaped        correlations between raw performance.
                              products that can either span   material influences,
                              distances of 4 feet or more or  composite design, the    Activities: Develop
                              that possess other unique       physical properties of   correlations between raw
                              properties.                     the constituent biomass  material influences,
                                                              components, adhesive     composite design, the
                              Problem: There is a lack of     bonding mechanisms, and  physical properties of
                              information available on how to the manipulative         the constituent biomass
                              economically produce and        variables of product     components, adhesive
                              characterize the performance of fabrication.             bonding mechanisms, and
                              inorganic bonded structural                              the manipulative
                              composites in adverse           Problem: Need to develop variables of product
                              environments.                   new composite processing fabrication.
                                                              technologies and to
                              Activities: Develop a broad     refine existing          Problem: Need to improve
                              database of processing and      technologies to ensure   the performance,
                              performance information, which  that the composite raw   durability and value of
                              will make possible the          materials of the future  existing composites and
                              introduction of economically    are optimally assembled  define the next
                              produced and                    to achieve maximum       generation of hybrid
                              performance-characterized       performance at minimum   composites made from
                              inorganic bonded composites     cost.                    natural fiber(s) and
                              into the U.S. marketplace.                               alternative materials.
                                                              Activities: Develop a
                              Problem: There is a lack of     database of information  Activities: Build upon
                              information to allow the        to define and            the fundamental
                              development of processing       characterize various raw knowledge gained in the
                              methodology for the production  materials and processing above activities to
                              of high-performance composites  options that can affect  develop a database of
                              from virgin and recycled        the performance of       information to define
                              lignocellulosic, plastic, and   alternative composites.  and characterize various
                              other nonwood materials.                                 raw materials and
                                                              Problem: Information is  processing options that
                              Activities: Develop technology  needed to characterize,  can improve the
                              to convert recycled biofibers   predict, and correlate   performance of
                              and nonwood materials into      composite performance    traditional composites
                              durable, long-service-life      based on raw material,   (or define new
                              products that are recyclable    processing, and          composites).
                              and otherwise environmentally   structure
                              friendly, and will effectively  considerations.          Problem: Need to develop
                              remove raw materials from the                            tools to address
                              waste stream.                   Activities: Develop      resource sustainability,
                                                              technology to convert    enhance recyclability,
                                                              wood and woody biomass,  and minimize the
                                                              recycled, and nonwood    environmental impacts of
                                                              materials into durable,  composite processing.
                                                              cost-effective,
                                                              high-performing and      Activities: Optimize how
                                                              long-service-life        wood and woody biomass,
                                                              products that are        recycled and nonwood
                                                              recyclable and otherwise materials are converted
                                                              environmentally          into durable,
                                                              friendly.                cost-effective,
                                                                                       high-performing, and
                                                                                       long-service-life
                                                                                       products that are
                                                                                       recyclable and otherwise
                                                                                       environmentally
                                                                                       friendly.
    4707
                              Wood Surface Chemistry, 1994-99 Wood Surface Chemistry,  Wood Surface Chemistry,
                                                              1999-2004                2004-09
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To determine the basic          To determine the basic   To improve the
                              mechanisms of wood surface      mechanisms of            durability of wood and
                              deterioration outdoors-and      deterioration of wood    wood-based composites.
                              innovative products and         and wood-based
                              processes-for modifying wood    composites used outdoors
                              surfaces to enhance             and develop innovative
                              finishability and gluability    technologies for
                              and to improve properties of    modifying wood surfaces
                              wood and nonwood composites.    to enhance durability.
    Research problem and      Problem: Rapid changes in wood  Problem: Premature       Problem: Wood and
    activities                and wood-based materials,       weathering and decay of  wood-based materials
                              products used on these          wood products used       used in residential
                              materials, and the environment, outdoors causes an       construction are not
                              have led to premature failure   unnecessary drain on our performing as expected
                              of many wood products used      forest resource.         because of inadequate
                              outdoors.                                                understanding of the
                                                              Activities: Address      mechanisms by which they
                              Activities: Address chemical    chemical changes on the  are failing and
                              changes on the surface of wood  surface of wood and at   inadequate methods for
                              and between the paint and wood  the paint/wood interface predicting their service
                              interface and evaluate paint    and evaluate paint       life.
                              adhesion so that the chemical   adhesion so that the
                              changes can be linked to        chemical changes can be  Activities: Address
                              measurable paint performance    linked to measurable     chemical changes on the
                              parameters.                     paint performance        surface of wood and at
                                                              parameters.              the interface with other
                              Problem: Inadequate wetting and                          materials and also
                              penetration of wood finishes,   Problem: Water-based     evaluate adhesion so
                              adhesives, and other treatments water-repellent          that the chemical
                              cause decreased service life of preservatives are not    changes can be linked to
                              many wood products.             protecting products as   measurable performance
                                                              well as traditional      parameters.
                              Activities: Research will       solvent-based
                              concentrate on the basic        formulations.            Problem: Lack of
                              surface properties of wood and                           understanding of the
                              wood-based materials as they    Activities: Research     surface interactions
                              relate to interaction with      will concentrate on the  between water and wood
                              liquids.                        basic surface properties or other lignocellulosic
                                                              of wood and wood-based   materials limits their
                              Problem: Chemical               materials as they relate use in many traditional
                              incompatibilities at the        to interaction with      and new applications.
                              wood/nonwood interface do not   liquids.
                              permit the development of                                Activities: Research
                              high-performance composites.    Problem: Incompatibility will concentrate on the
                                                              of surface interactions  basic surface properties
                              Activities: Attempt to          between wood and other   of wood and wood-based
                              elucidate the complex chemical  materials impedes the    materials as they relate
                              structure of wood/nonwood       development of advanced  to interaction with
                              interphases and to modify the   wood-based composites.   liquids and solutions.
                              chemistry of the wood surface
                              to achieve better bonding       Activities: Attempt to   Problem: Inadequate
                              between wood and nonwood        elucidate the complex    understanding of the
                              materials.                      chemical structure of    surface chemistry of
                                                              wood/nonwood interphases wood and the mechanism
                                                              and to modify the        by which other materials
                                                              chemistry of the wood    bond to wood impedes the
                                                              fiber surface to achieve development of advanced
                                                              better bonding between   wood-based composites.
                                                              wood and nonwood
                                                              materials. The major     Activities: Elucidate
                                                              emphasis of this         the complex chemical
                                                              research is the          structure of
                                                              measurement of wood      wood/nonwood interphases
                                                              surface properties       and develop processes to
                                                              critical to good         modify the chemistry of
                                                              bonding.                 the wood fiber surface
                                                                                       to achieve better
                                                                                       bonding between wood and
                                                                                       nonwood materials.
    4709
                              Chemistry and Pulping, 1991-97  Chemistry and Pulping,   Chemistry and Pulping,
                                                              1997-2002                2002-07
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To combine state-of-the-art     To develop               To develop more
                              knowledge in wood chemistry and environmentally benign   efficient,
                              chemical engineering science in and resource-conserving  environmentally benign,
                              developing environmentally      processes for the        and resource-conserving
                              benign processes for the        production and           processes for the
                              production and utilization of   utilization of wood pulp conversion of wood to
                              wood pulp fibers and the        fibers, and of the       fibers and chemicals,
                              chemical byproducts of pulping  chemical byproducts of   and to improve our
                              processes. The new processes    wood and pulp            understanding of the
                              will seek to conserve forest    processing, and to       chemical, molecular, and
                              and water resources, avoid      improve our              physical characteristics
                              adverse effects on air quality  understanding of the     of wood and fibers to
                              and the global ecosystem, and   molecular and physical   provide a basis for
                              reduce capital investment in    characteristics of wood  sustainable conversion
                              order to enhance the            and wood pulp in order   of wood into value-added
                              competitiveness of U.S. pulp    to achieve a sustainable products.
                              and paper products in world     basis for the production
                              markets.                        of U.S. pulp and paper
                                                              products to meet the
                                                              needs of the American
                                                              people.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to develop new    Problem: New             Problem: New
    activities                bleaching technologies.         technologies are needed  technologies are needed
                                                              to deliqnify wood for    to fractionate wood for
                              Activities: Identify the major  the production of pulp   the production of pulp
                              barriers to developing          in ways that will        in ways that will
                              alternative bleaching systems   eliminate contamination  eliminate contamination
                              (to chlorine-based systems),    of our air and           to our air and
                              and target fundamental research waterways.               waterways.
                              programs to overcome these
                              barriers.                       Activities: Continue to  Activities: Further
                                                              define the fundamental   develop the potential of
                              Problem: Brightness reversion   science and engineering  polyosometalate
                              in high-yield pulps.            that must be understood  delignification to
                                                              in order to fully        provide solutions to the
                              Activities: Develop information develop the potential of environmental problems
                              to provide a basis for          polyoromeralate          currently associated
                              addressing the problem of       delignification for      with delignification
                              brightness reversion and        effluent-free oxygen     processes.
                              address the gap in knowledge    bleaching.
                              about the phenomena responsible                          Problem: Need to improve
                              for reversion.                  Problem: Need for        papermaking of
                                                              improved papermaking     high-yield mechanical
                              Problem: New pulping concepts.  properties of high-yield and chemi-mechanical
                                                              mechanical and           pulps, which make more
                              Activities: Seek systems which  chemi-mechanical pulps,  efficient use of our
                              rely on catalysts to break down which makes more         wood resources, to
                              the lignin, rather than         efficient use of our     increase public
                              requiring severe thermal and    wood resource; increase  acceptance of and build
                              chemical environments implicit  public acceptance of,    markets for papers
                              in high-temperature alkaline    and build markets for    produced from these
                              pulping, and developing systems papers, produced from    pulps.
                              that are based on simulating    these pulps.
                              the action of biological                                 Activities: Develop
                              systems that break down lignin. Activities: Develop      information to provide a
                                                              information to provide a basis for addressing the
                              Problem: Recycling.             basis for addressing the problem of brightness
                                                              problem of brightness    reversion and to develop
                              Activities: Research programs   reversion and to develop brightness-stabilizing
                              addressing the problem of       brightness-stabilizing   approaches.
                              surface hardening will need to  procedures.
                              focus on new approaches to                               Problem: Need for new
                              reactivating the surface to     Problem: Need for        and innovative methods
                              enhance interfiber bonding.     increased understanding  to convert wood and
                                                              of the biogenesis and    other lignocellulosics
                              Problem: High-value chemicals   molecular architecture   into fibers and
                              from wood.                      of wood cell walls,      chemicals.
                                                              their response to
                                                              environmental stresses,  Activities: Develop
                                                              and their transformation technologies for
                                                              in the course of         biorefining wood into
                                                              industrial processing to ethanol and other
                                                              improve forest health,   chemicals, fiber, and
                                                              utilize mixed species of structural materials in
                                                              uneven acres, and        much higher yields than
                                                              increase efficiency of   are currently possible.
                                                              conversion.
                                                                                       Problem: Need for
                                                              Activities: Studies of   increased understanding
                                                              the molecular            of the biogenesis and
                                                              architecture of cell     molecular architecture
                                                              walls in wood and the    of wood cell walls,
                                                              manner in which it is    their response to
                                                              transformed by the       environmental stresses,
                                                              various biological and   and their transformation
                                                              industrial processes     in the course of
                                                              that break down the      industrial processing to
                                                              native structures.       improve forest health,
                                                                                       utilize mixed species of
                                                                                       uneven age, and increase
                                                                                       efficiency of
                                                                                       conversion.
                              Activities: Continue some                                Activities: Studies of
                              efforts directed at the                                  the molecular
                              development of analytical                                architecture of cell
                              procedures currently underway                            walls in wood and its
                              and develop a new effort with a                          relationship to the
                              focus on the problem of color                            process of biogenesis.
                              in certain products.

                              Problem: Characterization of
                              wood components.

                              Activities: Studies of the
                              molecular architecture of cell
                              walls in wood, and the manner
                              in which it is transformed by
                              the various biological and
                              industrial processes which
                              break down the native
                              structures using novel methods
                              for characterizing the solid
                              state and states of molecular
                              aggregation.
    4710
                              Fiber Processes and Products,   Fiber Processing and     Fiber Processing and
                              1990-97                         Paper Performance,       Paper Performance,
                                                              1997-2002                2002-07
    Areas of research         National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To improve the efficiency with  To conserve fiber        To conserve forest
                              which pulps derived from the    resources by developing  resources through paper
                              nation's wood and recycled      the knowledge and        performance research
                              fiber resources are converted   technology needed to     aimed at increasing the
                              to fiber-based products.        better utilize a fiber   use of small-diameter
                                                              supply from a wide range and underutilized tree
                                                              of biomass resources,    species, recycled fiber,
                                                              increase the use of      and a wide range of
                                                              recycled fiber, improve  biomass resources
                                                              paper performance, and   addressing environmental
                                                              address environmental    and energy concerns.
                                                              concerns.
    Research     Problem: Need to improve        Problem: New technologies are  Problem: Basic knowledge and
    problem and  papermaking processing to       needed to better utilize fiber technology is needed to
    activities   reduce fiber needs and increase from a wide range of biomass   increase the use of
                 the use of underutilized fiber  resources for pulp and         small-diameter and
                 sources.                        papermaking to improve forest  underutilized tree species for
                                                 health and conditions to       pulp and paper products to
                 Activities: Develop ways to     utilize wood now going to      improve forest health and
                 permit basis weight to be       waste streams.                 reduce fire risk.
                 reduced without decreasing
                 strength and opacity. An        Activities: Mechanical pulps   Activities: Substituting
                 approach to this problem would  are currently made from a      mechanical pulp for chemical
                 be to apply press-drying        small number of select         pulp is one way to extend the
                 principles.                     softwood species, and only one current wood supply. There are
                                                 or two low-density hardwoods.  some indications that juvenile
                 Problem: Need to develop the    There are some indications     wood, which predominates in
                 technologies to increase the    that juvenile wood, which      thinnings and small-diameter
                 use potential of high-yield     predominates in thinnings and  trees, might be advantageous
                 mechanical pulps from a wide    small-diameter trees, might be for mechanical pulp production.
                 variety of hardwood and         advantageous for mechanical
                 softwood species.               pulp production.               Problem: New high-yield pulping
                                                                                technologies are needed to
                 Activities: Research will be    Problem: New technologies are  reduce energy consumption,
                 conducted to minimize reduction needed to overcome undesirable improve paper quality, and
                 in optical properties whenever  environmental impacts in       overcome undesirable
                 strength properties are         converting wood to paper and   environmental impacts in
                 increased.                      paperboard.                    converting wood to paper and
                                                                                paperboard.
                 Problem: Need to develop the    Activities: Investigate the
                 technologies to increase the    use of fungal pretreatment for Activities: Investigate
                 use of recycled wastepaper.     kraft pulping. Fungal          enzyme-assisted grafting of
                                                 pretreatment of the wood chips carboxylic acid groups on the
                 Activities: Use a               enhances the strength          surface of lignin-containing
                 materials-science approach to   properties of the paper while  pulp fibers as a post treatment
                 develop a better understanding  reducing the toxicity of the   for biotreated
                 of the role of solid-liquid     waste stream for mechanical    thermal-mechanical pulps.
                 interfacial phenomena in        and sulfite pulping, as well
                 separation of synthetic         as reducing the consumption of Problem: New technologies are
                 adhesive contaminants from      mechanical pulping energy.     needed to overcome barriers to
                 wastepaper pulp slurries.                                      increased recycling of
                                                 Problem: New recycling         recovered papers.
                 Problem: Need to improve        technologies are needed to
                 product performance of paper    overcome barriers to increased Activities: New approaches are
                 and the efficient use of fiber  use of wastepaper.             needed to better use fibers
                 resources through chemical                                     from recovered paper and paper
                 treatments and incorporation on Activities: The technology for mill residues. The major
                 nonwood components.             using enzymes to remove ink    contaminant categories are
                                                 from toners needs to be        inks, adhesives, plastics, and
                 Activities: Part of the         transferred to industrial      inorganic materials.
                 solution to the problem of      practice. The recycling of
                 insufficient opacity of         paper into pulp suitable for   Problem: Need for a fundamental
                 low-basis weight papers         papermaking requires numerous  understanding of the
                 involves the use of nonfiber    steps of several unit          relationship between fiber
                 components as fillers and       operations to produce an       properties and paper
                 opacifiers.                     acceptable product.            performance to optimize fiber
                                                                                use and extend forest
                                                 Problem: Greater knowledge is  resources.
                                                 needed to overcome limits in
                                                 our fundamental understanding  Activities: An improved
                                                 of the relationship between    understanding of how the
                                                 fiber properties and paper     performance of corrugated
                                                 performance to optimize fiber  containers relates to paper
                                                 use and extend forest          properties can provide the
                                                 resources.                     rationale to differentiate
                                                                                among alternative fiber
                                                 Activities: An improved        sources.
                                                 understanding of how the
                                                 performance of corrugated
                                                 containers relates to paper
                                                 properties can provide the
                                                 rationale to differentiate
                                                 among alternative fiber
                                                 sources.
    4712
                              Institute for Microbial and     Institute for Microbial  Institute for Microbial
                              Biochemical Technology, 1991-97 and Biochemical          and Biochemical
                                                              Technology, 1992-2002    Technology, 2002-07
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To explore, through basic and   To explore, through      Develop biotechnology
                              applied research, the           basic and applied        for wood and fiber
                              potentials of biotechnology in  research, the potentials conversion through
                              wood conversions.               of biotechnology in wood fundamental and applied
                                                              conversions, and to      research that
                                                              better understand the    contributes to efficient
                                                              roles of such            utilization and improved
                                                              conversions in enhancing health of our forests.
                                                              our environment.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to understand the Problem: Need to better  Problem: Need for
    activities                aromatic-mineralizing system of understand oxidative     technologies for
                              lignin-degrading fungi to       systems in wood decay    efficient and economical
                              permit its use in many          fungi to permit their    bioconversion of forest
                              applications, as well as its    use in many              thinnings,
                              appreciation as a key component applications, including  unmerchantable timber
                              of the earth's carbon cycle.    improvement of forest    and mixed species to
                                                              health.                  produce a full array of
                              Activities: Basic                                        wood-based materials
                              investigations into the         Activities: Basic        ranging from fiber to
                              mechanism of lignin degradation investigations into the  constitutive polymers
                              by selected fungi.              mechanisms of lignin and and chemicals.
                                                              cellulose degradation by
                              Problem: Need for a greater     selected white rot and   Activities: Increase the
                              understanding of the            brown rot fungi.         efficiency of
                              biochemistry, physiology, and                            bioconversion to ethanol
                              engineering of xenobiotic       Problem: Research is     by engineering the
                              degradation by lignin-degrading needed to provide basic  metabolic pathways for
                              fungi to allow use of these     information and          sugar utilization and
                              organisms in bioremediation     operating conditions for fermentation.
                              technologies.                   enzymatic processing of
                                                              wood fiber.
                              Activities: Gain an
                              understanding of fungal
                              physiology, fungal ecology, and
                              microbial engineering.

                              Problem: Need to identify the
                              best enzymes and necessary
                              conditions for their action to
                              permit their use in improving
                              properties of virgin and
                              recycled fibers.
                              Activities: Basic and applied   Activities: Basic and    Problem: Need to
                              studies on the use of microbial applied studies on the   identify and understand
                              enzymes to treat virgin and     discovery and use of     the oxidative systems of
                              recycled fibers.                microbial and low-grade  wood decay fungi to
                                                              enzymes to treat virgin  increase the efficacy of
                              Problem: Need to evaluate       and recycled fibers,     these naturally
                              completely the promising        wood residues from       occurring organisms in
                              concept of biopulping to        timber harvest, or       bioconversion
                              determine its technical         excess growth.           technologies, devising
                              feasibility.                                             new environmentally
                                                              Problem: Need            sound ways to protect
                              Activities: Biopulping research fundamental knowledge of wood in use, and
                              is divided into research teams, the molecular genetics   accelerating
                              each charged with a specific    of                       decomposition of forest
                              part of the overall effort:     lignocellulose-degrading litter.
                              fungal, pulp and paper,         fungi for their optimal
                              engineering and scale-up,       biotechnological use.    Activities: Basic
                              enzyme, and molecular genetics                           investigations into the
                              teams.                          Activities: Identify and mechanisms of lignin and
                                                              characterize key genes   cellulose degradation by
                              Problem: Need to develop        involved in the          selected white rot and
                              fundamental knowledge           degradation of lignin    brown rot fungi.
                              concerning the molecular        and related aromatic
                              genetics of ligninolytic fungi  hydrocarbons, cellulose, Problem: Need to develop
                              for biotechnical exploitation.  and hemicellulose.       basic information and
                                                                                       operating conditions for
                              Activities: Elucidate the       Problem: Need to improve efficient and effective
                              structure, organization, and    processing and           enzymatic and microbial
                              regulation of fungal genes      fermentation technology  processing of wood and
                              involved in lignocellulose      to convert low-grade     wood fiber.
                              degradation.                    lignocellulosic
                                                              materials into fuels and Activities: Basic and
                              Problem: Lack of fundamental    chemicals.               applied studies on the
                              knowledge of the enzymes and                             discovery and use of
                              conditions necessary for        Activities: Examine the  microorganisms and
                              producing fermentable           effects of microbial     enzymes to treat virgin
                              hydrolystes; and need to        cellulases and           fibers, recycled fibers,
                              improve microbial strains       hemicellulases on        and wood residues.
                              before fermentation of the      pretreated wood and
                              principal hemicellulosic sugars lignocellulosic residues Problem: Need to
                              is economical.                  with the objective of    understand the
                                                              maximizing sugar yields  functional genomics of
                              Activities: Examine the effects and concentrations.      lignocellulose-degrading
                              of microbial cellulases and                              fungi to optimize these
                              hemicellulases on pretreated                             organisms for
                              wood and lignocellulosic                                 bioprocessing and
                              residues with the objective of                           bioconversion of wood.
                              maximizing sugar yields and
                              concentrations.                                          Activities: Identify and
                                                                                       characterize key genes
                                                                                       involved in the
                                                                                       degradation of lignin
                                                                                       and related aromatic
                                                                                       hydrocarbons, cellulose,
                                                                                       and hemicellulose.
    4714
                              Engineering Properties of Wood, Engineering Properties   Engineering Properties
                              1991-98                         of Wood, 1998-2004       and Structures, 2004-09
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To establish methods and data   As part of the Forest    To contribute to the
                              for the improved                Products Laboratory's    conservation and
                              characterization of the         mission to conserve wood productivity of the
                              physical and mechanical         and forest resources,    nation's forest
                              properties of wood that are     the mission of the       resources by
                              important in engineering        research work unit is to establishing methods and
                              design.                         establish methods and    gathering data for the
                                                              gather data for the      improved
                                                              improved                 characterization of the
                                                              characterization of the  mechanical and physical
                                                              mechanical and physical  properties of solid sawn
                                                              properties of solid sawn and composite structural
                                                              and composite structural products that are
                                                              products that are        important in engineering
                                                              important in engineering design and to foster
                                                              design.                  their efficient
                                                                                       utilization in wood
                                                                                       building systems.
    Research problem and      Problem: Physical and           Problem: Properties and  Problem: Properties and
    activities                mechanical properties of clear  grading of solid-sawn    grading of solid-sawn
                              wood.                           lumber.                  products.

                              Activities: Investigate wood    Activities: Extend the   Activities: Promote
                              quality effects on properties   nation's forest resource public safety and
                              and broadening of fundamental   by developing and        support management of
                              property data required as input applying better grading  the nation's forest
                              for analytical modeling of      procedures to structural resources by developing
                              material or structural          lumber.                  and applying better
                              performance.                                             grading and property
                                                              Problem: Properties of   assignment procedures
                              Problem: Properties of          structural composite     for solid-sawn
                              commercial lumber.              products.                structural wood
                                                                                       products.
                              Activities: Focus over the next Activities: Extend the
                              2 years on getting the last of  nation's forest          Problem: Properties of
                              the descriptive information     resources by developing  structural composite
                              published.                      analytical models and    products.
                                                              gathering data for
                              Problem: Principles of grading  predicting the end-use   Activities: Promote
                              and property assignment for     performance of composite public safety and
                              solid sawn and composite        structural products.     support management of
                              lumber.                                                  the nation's forest
                                                              Problem: Serviceability  resources by developing
                              Activities: Develop optimum     of solid and composite   better methods for
                              techniques for sorting lumber,  products.                predicting the field
                              predicting its mechanical                                performance of
                              properties, and assuring the    Activities: Extend the   engineered wood
                              reliability of these products   nation's forest resource composites as a function
                              in practice.                    by developing better     of their constitutive
                                                              methods for              components.
                              Problem: Processing, treating,  characterizing the
                              and environmental influences on end-use performance of   Problem: Serviceability
                              design properties of lumber.    structural lumber        of solid sawn and
                                                              products as a function   composite wood products.
                              Activities: Develop scientific  of environmental and
                              and technical understanding of  industrial treatment     Activities: Improve
                              the effects of processing,      processes.               public safety and
                              treating, and environmental                              support management of
                              factors of the mechanical       Problem: Fundamental     the nation's forest
                              properties of lumber.           research.                resources by developing
                                                                                       better methods for
                                                              Activities: Develop data characterizing the
                                                              and procedures for       end-use performance of
                                                              characterizing the       structural products as a
                                                              fundamental physical and function of
                                                              mechanical properties of environmental change,
                                                              wood as a basis for use  time-dependent behavior,
                                                              in other problems, and   and industrial treating
                                                              for use by researchers   processes.
                                                              outside the work unit.
                                                                                       Problem: Wood drying and
                                                                                       heat sterilization.

                                                                                       Activities: Develop
                                                                                       economical wood drying
                                                                                       strategies aimed at
                                                                                       promoting value-added
                                                                                       uses for small-diameter
                                                                                       softwood and low-value,
                                                                                       underutilized hardwood
                                                                                       timber, with both the
                                                                                       established lumber
                                                                                       industry and small,
                                                                                       rural, community-based
                                                                                       businesses as the
                                                                                       targeted users of the
                                                                                       technology.
                                                                                       Problem: Properties of
                                                                                       nontraditional wood
                                                                                       products used in
                                                                                       structural applications.

                                                                                       Activities: Characterize
                                                                                       the properties of wood
                                                                                       products for safe and
                                                                                       efficient design of
                                                                                       structures and efficient
                                                                                       use of the wood
                                                                                       resource.

                                                                                       Problem: Structural
                                                                                       performance of
                                                                                       wood-building systems.

                                                                                       Activities: Better
                                                                                       understand the
                                                                                       structural performance
                                                                                       of wood-building systems
                                                                                       to better understand the
                                                                                       use of traditional
                                                                                       materials in
                                                                                       residential, commercial,
                                                                                       and industrial buildings
                                                                                       and provide a better
                                                                                       basis for using wood
                                                                                       composites, reused, and
                                                                                       recycled materials.

                                                                                       Problem: Performance of
                                                                                       wood transportation
                                                                                       systems.

                                                                                       Activities: Improve
                                                                                       existing wood
                                                                                       transportation
                                                                                       structures, develop new
                                                                                       systems that conserve
                                                                                       and improve wood use and
                                                                                       improve the adequacy and
                                                                                       condition of the U.S.
                                                                                       transportation
                                                                                       infrastructure.

                                                                                       Problem: Fundamental
                                                                                       research.

                                                                                       Activities: Develop data
                                                                                       and procedures for
                                                                                       characterizing the
                                                                                       fundamental physical and
                                                                                       mechanical properties of
                                                                                       wood as required for use
                                                                                       in the other problem
                                                                                       areas, and for use by
                                                                                       researchers outside of
                                                                                       the work unit.
    4716
                              Engineered Wood Products and    Engineered Wood Products Building Moisture and
                              Structures, 1992-99             and Structures,          Durability, 2005-10
                                                              1999-2005
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To extend the wood resource     To conserve the wood     To extend the service
                              through engineering technology  resource through         life of wood products in
                              for effective design and use of engineering technology   buildings through
                              wood and wood-based materials   and contribute to        improved building design
                              in structures.                  effective design and use and operation.
                                                              of wood and wood-based
                                                              materials in structures.
    Research problem and      Problem: Engineered wood        Problem: Properties of   Problem: Building
    activities                products.                       engineered wood          moisture design
                                                              products.                methodology.
                              Activities: Gain the knowledge
                              necessary to use                Activities: Characterize Activities: Develop a
                              reliability-based design, which the properties of        performance-based
                              primarily involves structural   engineered wood products moisture design approach
                              properties; however, the effect for safe, efficient      for wood frame buildings
                              of moisture content changes on  design of structures,    that is firmly based on
                              dimensional stability is also a and efficient use of the technical information
                              concern with some types of      forest resource by       and engineering
                              engineered wood products.       determining the          principles.
                                                              suitability of various
                              Problem: Engineered wood        materials and designs    Problem: Wetting and
                              subsystems.                     and their performance    drying of wood-frame
                                                              characteristics in       buildings and building
                              Activities: Formulate           engineered wood          components.
                              technology for characterizing   products.
                              the structural performance of                            Activities: Provide
                              light-frame subsystems in terms Problem: Structural      information to better
                              of the properties of the        performance of           predict the potential
                              lumber, panel products, and     wood-building systems.   for mold and decay in
                              connections used in their                                wood building
                              construction.                   Activities: Create new   components.
                                                              technologies,
                              Problem: Engineered building    guidelines, and          Problem: Moisture and
                              systems.                        knowledge that improve   thermal properties of
                                                              the quality, safety,     wood products.
                              Activities: Relate the          durability and
                              performance of major            reliability of           Activities: Build a
                              components-floors, walls, and   buildings, particularly  database for wood
                              roof-to the performance of the  housing.                 products, with a special
                              entire structure. Develop                                emphasis on wood
                              computer programs that can be   Problem: Moisture        composites. Make the
                              used by engineers.              control in buildings.    Forest Products
                                                                                       Laboratory a center for
                              Problem: Engineered timber      Activities: Create new   collecting and
                              bridge systems.                 technologies and         documenting reliable,
                                                              guidelines that minimize unbiased property data
                              Activities: Develop new         the potential for        for use in hygrothermal
                              technology for engineered       moisture damage to the   models and building
                              timber bridge systems to        structure while          design.
                              provide economical alternatives maintaining the energy
                              to bridges of other materials   efficiency of the        Problem: Durability of
                              and assist in implementing the  building and indoor air  composite wood products.
                              technology in national design   quality for the
                              standards.                      occupants.               Activities: Industry
                                                                                       needs assistance in the
                                                              Problem: Performance of  development of better
                                                              wood transportation      industrywide standards
                                                              structures.              and testing methods (for
                                                                                       hardboard and oriented
                                                              Activities: Improve      strandboard (OSB)
                                                              existing wood            siding, and more
                                                              transportation           recently, with OSB
                                                              structures and develop   sheathing) that would
                                                              new systems that         provide a more
                                                              conserve and improve     consistent product with
                                                              wood use, and improve    greater durability.
                                                              the adequacy and
                                                              condition of the U.S.
                                                              transportation
                                                              infrastructure.
                              Problem: In-place evaluation of
                              structures.

                              Activities: Improved methods
                              are needed to determine the
                              in-place capacity of existing
                              structures in order to extend
                              their life.

                              Problem: Moisture management in
                              buildings.

                              Activities: Develop better
                              criteria for the design and
                              operation of energy-efficient
                              wood buildings for satisfactory
                              performance with regard to
                              moisture.
    Research work unit and
    plan components
    4719
                              Wood Processing and Drying      Wood Engineering and     Condition Assessment and
                              Systems, 1993-98                Drying Systems Design    Rehabilitation of
                                                              Criteria, 1998-2004      Structures, 2004-05
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   Develop primary wood processing Develop nondestructive   Develop nondestructive
                              systems that have minimum       evaluation technologies, evaluation technologies,
                              impact on our environment and   engineering design       structural analysis
                              enhance the value and yield of  criteria, and drying     procedures, inspection
                              products obtained from forest   systems that facilitate  methods, and
                              resources.                      use of underutilized     rehabilitation
                                                              materials and help       procedures for wood
                                                              conserve the forest      structures.
                                                              resource.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to develop        Problem: Need to develop Problem: Need to develop
    activities                analytical tools to define      drying technologies for  baseline analysis
                              product recovery.               economical use of the    methods and information
                                                              changing resource base   for designing and
                              Activities: Development of a    while reducing energy    inspecting wood
                              series of computer models of    costs and environmental  structures.
                              key processing subsystems.      concerns.
                              These models will be developed                           Activities: Establish
                              by using existing processes and Activities: Work toward  baseline analysis
                              quality control information     developing new           methods for design and
                              supplemented with mill product  strategies by, among     inspection of wood
                              yield information.              other things, estimating structures. Research
                                                              changed or previously    will be applicable to
                              Problem: A lack of              unknown drying           building codes to allow
                              understanding of the dynamic    characteristics and      for new wood-based
                              variables of sawing hinders     developing fundamental   materials, advanced
                              improvements in sawing          heat and mass transfer   connections, and
                              technology.                     information with an eye  inspection efficiencies.
                                                              toward computer
                              Activities: Basic research      simulations of kiln      Problem: Need to develop
                              aimed at developing an          drying.                  and evaluate new
                              understanding of the primary                             nondestructive
                              dynamic variables in sawing,    Problem: Need to develop technologies for
                              and the means to control them.  engineering design       assigning engineering
                                                              analysis methods and     properties to wood
                              Problem: There is a need for    information for          products and structural
                              improved technology and         designing efficient wood systems.
                              techniques for manufacturing    structures.
                              and drying quality veneer.                               Activities: Develop
                                                              Activities: Establish    nondestructive
                              Activities: The Modular Veneer  methods and data for     evaluation and
                              Press dryer has demonstrated    designing efficient and  assessment technologies
                              the capability of reducing      reliable wood            and to understand the
                              buckling when drying fine       structures. Applicable   influence of
                              hardwood veneers. Final         to building codes to (1) environmental variables
                              engineering design efforts will ensure adequate design   on their reliability.
                              lead into commercial            for high winds and
                              development.                    earthquakes, and (2)     Problem: Need to develop
                                                              allow for new wood-based new procedures for
                              Problem: There is a need for    materials and design     in-place assessment and
                              better drying techniques,       efficiencies.            new methods of field
                              appropriate pre-sorting                                  repair to extend service
                              technology, and tools to better Problem: Need to develop life of timber bridges.
                              predict and control the         and evaluate new
                              response of lumber to kiln      nondestructive           Activities: Despite
                              drying.                         technologies for         technological gains for
                                                              assigning engineering    the inspection of other
                                                              properties.              materials, inspection
                                                                                       methods and equipment
                                                              Activities: Develop      for timber
                                                              nondestructive           transportation
                                                              techniques that provide  structures have remained
                                                              information regarding    virtually unchanged for
                                                              the properties of wood   the past 50 years.
                                                              products used in a wide
                                                              variety of applications  Problem: Need to develop
                                                              and under a wide range   new design procedures
                                                              of environmental         for repairing
                                                              conditions.              components, assemblies,
                                                                                       and systems.
                                                              Problem: Need to develop
                                                              new design procedures    Activities: Provide
                                                              for repairing            fundamental knowledge of
                                                              components, assemblies,  how to assess the
                                                              and systems.             condition of a
                                                                                       structure, how the decay
                                                              Activities: Provide      and defects affect the
                                                              fundamental knowledge of strength and reliability
                                                              how to assess the        of the structure, and
                                                              condition of a           how to repair the
                                                              structure, how the decay structure.
                                                              and defects affect the
                                                              strength and reliability
                                                              of the structure, and
                                                              how to repair the
                                                              structure.
                              Activities: Develop physical
                              property data and analytical
                              methods to predict the response
                              of wood to drying in terms of
                              drying time, moisture content
                              gradients, and stress; and
                              establish relationships between
                              these responses and relevant
                              material and process variables.

                              Problem: There is a need for
                              better information on
                              environmental aspects of wood
                              drying and environmentally
                              appropriate drying technology.

                              Activities: Develop and
                              transfer information and
                              readily applied technology to
                              promote environmentally
                              responsible lumber-drying
                              technologies.
    4722                      Modification of                 Modified Lignocellulosic Modified Lignocellulosic
                              Lignocellulosics for Advanced   Materials, 1997-2002     Materials, 2002-07
                              Materials and New Uses, 1993-97
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To develop advanced paper-based To develop advanced      To develop advanced
                              products and composite          environmentally friendly environmentally friendly
                              materials based on sustainable  composite materials from composite materials from
                              property enhanced bio-fibers    chemically and           chemically and
                              alone or in combination with    physically modified      physically modified
                              other resources.                wood-based resources     wood-based resources
                                                              alone or in combination  alone or in combination
                                                              with other resources to  with other materials to
                                                              extend the use of our    extend the use of our
                                                              forest resources.        forest resources.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to understand     Problem: Need to         Problem: Need to
    activities                chemical and physical           understand the           understand the
                              properties of lignocellulosics  relationship between the relationship between the
                              to identify new sources of      chemical and physical    chemical and physical
                              polymeric feedstocks and        properties of wood-based properties of wood-based
                              advanced composite materials.   materials and final      materials and final
                                                              composite properties to  composite properties to
                              Activities: Determining         identify new sources of  identify new sources of
                              chemical and physical           polymeric feedstocks and polymeric feedstocks and
                              properties of the wide          advanced composite       advanced composite
                              varieties of biobased fibers    materials.               materials.
                              that can be used in combination
                              with wood-based fiber for       Activities: Determining  Activities: Determine
                              composite materials.            chemical and physical    chemical and physical
                                                              properties of the wide   properties of the wide
                              Problem: Need to understand     varieties of             varieties of
                              chemical and morphological      lignocellulosic-based    lignocellulosic-based
                              modifications of                fibers that can be used  fibers that can be used
                              lignocellulosics to improve     in combination with wood in combination with
                              properties and to maximize      fiber for composite      other materials to
                              end-use performance of          materials.               produce new generations
                              paper-based products and                                 of composite materials.
                              biobased materials.             Problem: Need chemical
                                                              and structural           Problem: Need for
                              Activities: Chemically modify   modifications of         chemical and structural
                              biobased resources to enhance   wood-based materials to  modifications of
                              properties such as dimensional  improve properties and   wood-based materials to
                              stability and to characterize   to maximize end-use      improve properties and
                              the resistance of wood          performance of biobased  to maximize end-use
                              composites after modification   composite materials.     performance of biobased
                              when they are exposed to                                 composite materials.
                              adverse environments.           Activities: Chemically
                                                              modify lignocellulosic   Activities: Chemically
                              Problem: Improved methodologies resources to enhance     modify lignocellulosic
                              are needed for the development  properties such as       resources to enhance
                              of ligocellulosic and           dimensional stability    properties such as water
                              nonlignocellulosic composites   and to characterize the  repellency, and to
                              by understanding the materials  resistance of wood       characterize the
                              science and the                 composites after         resistance of wood
                              matrix/interface morphology of  modification when they   composites after
                              these resources.                are exposed to adverse   modification when they
                                                              environments.            are exposed to adverse
                              Activities: Provide data for                             environments.
                              industry to produce a whole new Problem: Improved
                              line of value-added products    techniques are needed    Problem: Improved
                              taking advantage of the         for better understanding techniques are needed to
                              properties of many different    of the interface and     convert forest biomass
                              types of resources.             interphase chemistry     into geotextiles and
                                                              between wood-based       filters and to maximize
                                                              resources and other      effectiveness in soil
                                                              resources to improve     stabilization and
                                                              surface interactions.    removal of contaminates
                                                                                       from water.
                                                              Activities: Provide data
                                                              for industry to produce  Activities: Use
                                                              a whole new line of      small-diameter trees,
                                                              value-added products     waste biomass from our
                                                              taking advantages of the forests and agricultural
                                                              properties of many       land, break them down
                                                              different types of       into usable particles
                                                              resources.               and fibers, and form
                                                                                       geotextiles and filters.
                                                              Problem: Environmentally
                                                              friendly technologies    Problem: Improved
                                                              are lacking for the      technologies are needed
                                                              development of new       to understand nature's
                                                              wood-based composite     chemical and biological
                                                              materials that will lead degradation mechanisms
                                                              to more efficient use of and to interfere with
                                                              our forest resources.    these degradation
                                                                                       processes to extend the
                                                              Activities: Develop      useful life of a
                                                              technology that results  biobased composite.
                                                              in environmentally
                                                              friendly lignocellulosic
                                                              composite materials.
                                                                                       Activities: Develop an
                                                                                       understanding of the
                                                                                       chemistries involved in
                                                                                       the degradation of wood
                                                                                       and use that information
                                                                                       to develop new durable
                                                                                       products that are
                                                                                       environmentally
                                                                                       friendly.
    4723
                              Wood Preservation, 1994-97      Wood Preservation and    Wood Preservation and
                                                              Fire Research, 1997-2002 Fire Safety Engineering,
                                                                                       2002-05
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To enhance the durability of    To develop fire safety   To improve the
                              wood through the development of and wood preservation    durability and fire
                              environmentally innocuous       data, methodologies, and safety of forest
                              products and technologies.      technologies that        products in the context
                                                              improve or facilitate    of changing
                                                              value-added utilization  environmental and
                                                              and recycling of wood    societal needs, thereby
                                                              products.                sustaining forests, the
                                                                                       economy, and the quality
                                                                                       of life.
    Research problem and      Problem: Need to develop        Problem: Need to develop Problem: Need to develop
    activities                innovative, environmentally     new environmentally      the data and models for
                              preferable preservative systems preferable preservative  fire safety engineering
                              for the production of durable   systems for durable wood of forest products in a
                              wood products.                  products.                performance-based
                                                                                       building code
                              Activities: Identify and        Activities: Identify and environment.
                              develop preservative treatments develop treatments to
                              to provide wood products that   provide wood products    Activities: Obtain
                              meet multiple performance       that meet multiple       property and validation
                              requirements (such as           performance requirements data and simulate
                              durability) while also          such as durability,      full-scale fire
                              satisfying such requirements as while also satisfying    scenarios with computer
                              environmental safety, ease of   such requirements as     fire models. Primary
                              disposal, and recycling.        environmental safety,    emphasis will be the
                                                              ease of disposal, and    growth of a fire from
                              Problem: Need to develop new    recycling.               ignition to "flashover."
                              methodologies for abbreviating
                              the time necessary to perform   Problem: Need to develop Problem: Need to
                              evaluations of the long-term    methodologies for the    document and optimize
                              performance of wood             accurate prediction of   fire safety of
                              preservatives.                  long-term performance of engineered wood products
                                                              durable wood species and in structural
                              Activities: Develop             treatments.              applications.
                              methodologies that will permit
                              the rapid and quantitative      Activities: Develop      Activities: Obtain data
                              evaluation of long-term         methodologies that       on the components of the
                              preservation performance.       permit rapid and         engineered wood
                                                              quantitative evaluation  products, develop models
                              Problem: Lack of adequate       of long-term             to better understand
                              knowledge of preservative       preservative             their fire performance,
                              processing technologies for     performance.             and develop
                              producing durable products from                          recommendations on how
                              our changing forest resources.  Problem: Need to improve to optimize their fire
                                                              the treatability and     performance.
                              Activities: Research will       durability of
                              address solid and composite     underutilized species    Problem: Need to improve
                              wood products and will include  and new wood composites  the survivability of
                              investigations of treatments    and the recycling of     wood structures in the
                              for softwood and hardwood       existing treated         wildland-urban
                              species that are currently      materials.               interface.
                              underutilized.
                                                              Activities: Research     Activities: Reduce the
                                                              will address solid and   fire hazards in the
                                                              composite wood products  wildland-urban interface
                                                              and will include         by improving the quality
                                                              investigations of        and flexibility of fire
                                                              treatments for softwood  safety recommendations
                                                              and hardwood species     for wood structures.
                                                              that are currently       Such recommendations are
                                                              underutilized.           part of the National
                                                                                       Fire Plan community
                                                              Problem: Need to develop assistance programs.
                                                              information and
                                                              methodologies that will  Problem: Improved
                                                              improve the service life methods of evaluation
                                                              of wood structures in    and analysis of test
                                                              the wildland-urban       samples and data are
                                                              interface.               needed for timely and
                                                                                       accurate prediction of
                                                              Activities: Research     long-term performance of
                                                              efforts will emphasize   durable forest products.
                                                              the responsibility of
                                                              homeowners and supply    Activities:
                                                              guidelines concerning    Methodologies for
                                                              the structure and        evaluating the
                                                              immediate surrounding    durability of forest
                                                              areas.                   products include the
                                                                                       soil bottle test, the
                                                              Problem: Need to develop larger-scale fungal
                                                              fire safety data and     cellar, and the field
                                                              methodologies to         plots. We anticipate
                                                              preserve or expand the   assessing potential
                                                              use of wood products     improvements to all
                                                              that conserve our wood   these levels of
                                                              resources and use new    evaluations.
                                                              timber resources.

                                                              Activities: Research
                                                              emphasis will be on the
                                                              ability of wood products
                                                              to contribute to fire
                                                              growth.
                                                                                       Problem: Need to reduce
                                                                                       environmental impact of
                                                                                       treated forest products.
                                                                                       This problem area will
                                                                                       have two main elements:
                                                                                       new, more
                                                                                       environmentally
                                                                                       compatible treatments
                                                                                       for wood protection and
                                                                                       assessment, and
                                                                                       reduction of
                                                                                       preservative chemicals
                                                                                       released into the
                                                                                       environment.

                                                                                       Activities: Investigate
                                                                                       various methods for
                                                                                       reducing the levels of
                                                                                       preservative chemicals
                                                                                       in the wood.

                                                                                       Problem: Need to improve
                                                                                       ability to treat a
                                                                                       diverse range of species
                                                                                       and underutilized
                                                                                       small-diameter materials
                                                                                       for treated wood
                                                                                       applications.

                                                                                       Activities: Efforts to
                                                                                       evaluate both
                                                                                       conventional and
                                                                                       alterative preservatives
                                                                                       in a wide range of
                                                                                       hardwood and softwood
                                                                                       species will continue.
    4724
                                                              Statistical Methods in   Statistical Methods in
                                                              Wood and Fiber Research, Wood and Fiber Research,
                                                              1998-2004                2004-05
    Area of research                                          National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                                                   To enhance the integrity To enhance the integrity
                                                              and efficiency of the    and efficiency of the
                                                              Forest Products          Forest Products
                                                              Laboratory's research    Laboratory's research
                                                              efforts through the      efforts through the
                                                              development, evaluation, development, evaluation,
                                                              and promotion of modern  and promotion of modern
                                                              statistical methods.     statistical methods.
    Research problem and                                      Problem: Need to enhance Problem: Need to enhance
    activities                                                the quality of wood      the quality of wood
                                                              utilization research and utilization research and
                                                              economic assessments.    economic assessments.

                                                              Activities: Enhancing    Activities: Enhancing
                                                              the Forest Products      the Forest Products
                                                              Laboratory's research    Laboratory's research
                                                              through collaborative    through collaborative
                                                              research with other      research with other
                                                              laboratory scientists,   laboratory scientists,
                                                              professional support to  professional support to
                                                              the scientists, and the  the scientists, and the
                                                              transfer of              transfer of
                                                              research-derived         research-derived
                                                              technology in the form   technology in the form
                                                              of user-friendly         of user-friendly
                                                              computer programs that   computer programs that
                                                              provide new capabilities provide new capabilities
                                                              to the scientists.       to the scientists.

                                                              Problem: Need to improve Problem: Need to improve
                                                              the statistical modeling statistical modeling of
                                                              of properties,           properties, processing
                                                              processing, and the      and performance of wood,
                                                              performance of wood,     fiber, and composites.
                                                              fiber, and composites.
                                                                                       Activities: Research
                                                              Activities: Develop      efforts focus on
                                                              improved statistical     developing the improved
                                                              modeling methodology     statistical modeling
                                                              needed by the Forest     methodology needed by
                                                              Products Laboratory's    the Forest Products
                                                              research programs.       Laboratory's research
                                                                                       programs and the
                                                                                       evaluation of existing
                                                                                       statistical methods.
    4725 (new research work                                                            Fire Safety, 2003-04
    unit Dec. 2003)
    Area of research                                                                   National
    applicability
    Mission                                                                            To develop data,
                                                                                       methodologies, and
                                                                                       technologies needed to
                                                                                       ensure that wood
                                                                                       products and wood-based
                                                                                       structures do not
                                                                                       adversely contribute to
                                                                                       the loss of life and
                                                                                       property in fires.
    Research problem and                                                               Problem: Data and models
    activities                                                                         are required for fire
                                                                                       safety engineering of
                                                                                       forest products in a
                                                                                       performance-based
                                                                                       building code
                                                                                       environment.

                                                                                       Activities: Obtain
                                                                                       property and validation
                                                                                       and simulate full-scale
                                                                                       fire scenarios with
                                                                                       computer models. Primary
                                                                                       emphasis will be the
                                                                                       growth of a fire from
                                                                                       ignition to a flashover.

                                                                                       Problem: Need to
                                                                                       document and optimize
                                                                                       fire safety of
                                                                                       engineered wood products
                                                                                       in structural
                                                                                       applications.

                                                                                       Activities: Obtain data
                                                                                       on the components of the
                                                                                       engineered wood
                                                                                       products, develop models
                                                                                       to better understand
                                                                                       their fire performance,
                                                                                       and develop
                                                                                       recommendations on how
                                                                                       to optimize their fire
                                                                                       performance.

                                                                                       Problem: Need to improve
                                                                                       survivability of wood
                                                                                       structures in the
                                                                                       wildland-urban
                                                                                       interface.

                                                                                       Activities: Developing
                                                                                       improved safety
                                                                                       recommendations will
                                                                                       include databases of
                                                                                       material properties,
                                                                                       investigations of
                                                                                       potential fire
                                                                                       scenarios, and
                                                                                       identification of design
                                                                                       changes to reduce
                                                                                       hazards.
    4851                      Timber Demand and Technology    Timber Demand and        Timber Demand and
                              Assessment Research, 1994-97    Technology Assessment    Technology Assessment
                                                              Research, 1997-2002      Research, 2002-04
    Area of research          National                        National                 National
    applicability
    Mission                   To develop long-term            To provide economic      To provide economic
                              projections of consumption,     information, analysis,   information, analysis,
                              production, price,              and projections          and projections
                              manufacturing costs, and        indicating (1) how wood  indicating how and why
                              conversion yields for pulp and  is used in the economy,  the markets and
                              paper, fuel wood, hardwood      (2) how and why wood use technologies for wood
                              lumber, and nonstructural panel changes over time, (3)   products change over
                              markets; and manufacturing cost changes in the kinds and time, implications for
                              and conversion yields for       amounts of wood and      natural resources
                              softwood lumber and structural  fiber needs, (4) natural management, and selected
                              panel markets; to assess new    resources management     broad environmental and
                              technologies for converting     needs, (5) market        social impacts.
                              timber into new or improved     equilibrium quantities
                              paper and wood products.        and prices, and (6)
                                                              selected environmental
                                                              impacts.
    Research problem and      Problem: Improvements in the    Problem: There is a lack Problem: There is a need
    activities                Forest Products Laboratory's    of understanding of the  to monitor market trends
                              Pulpwood Model are needed to    effects of long-range    and improve the
                              provide long-term projections   market equilibria,       understanding and
                              of production, consumption,     production, and          modeling of market
                              price, costs, and conversion    technological changes on equilibria, production
                              yields for the pulp and paper   the pulp and paper       trends, and technology
                              market.                         industry.                changes of the U.S. pulp
                                                                                       and paper industry.
                              Activities: Research will       Activities: Improving
                              provide long-term projections   modeling and analysis    Activities: Economic
                              of regional consumption,        with the North American  modeling and analysis of
                              production, and price in North  Pulp and Paper model for market trends in the
                              America for pulpwood and        the Forest and Rangeland U.S. pulp and paper
                              recycled fiber, wood, pulp, and Renewable Resources      sector for RPA
                              paper and board.                Planning Act of 1974     assessments and other
                                                              (RPA) assessments        purposes requires a
                              Problem: New economic models    requires a range of      range of research
                              are needed to provide long-term research studies and     studies and
                              projections of production,      collaboration with       collaboration with
                              consumption, price,             research partners.       research partners.
                              installation costs, and
                              conversion yields for           Problem: There is a lack Problem: Improved
                              residential and industrial wood of understanding of      understanding is
                              energy markets.                 long-range production    required about the
                                                              and technological        effect of production
                              Activities: Economic models     changes in the solid     trends and technology
                              will be developed to produce    wood industries and      changes in solid wood
                              long-term projections of        solid wood end-use       industries and end-use
                              installation costs and factors  industries.              industries on product
                              for converting fuel wood to                              and wood needs.
                              energy.                         Activities: Provide a
                                                              model of the solid wood  Activities: Develop
                              Problem: Economic models are    sector to project        estimates of the amounts
                              needed to provide long-term     interaction of end-use   of solid wood waste
                              projections of production,      demand, technology       available in the United
                              consumption, price, costs, and  change, and supply       States, and assess
                              coercion yields/for lumber and  sources to determine     opportunities to
                              panel markets.                  wood and fiber           increase its utilization
                                                              requirements.            in recycled products.
                              Activities: Provide long-term
                              projections on regional         Problem: There is a lack Problem: Readily
                              consumption in North America    of readily available,    available, consistent
                              for timber consumed in the      consistent information   information is needed on
                              manufacture of hardwood lumber  on timber, wood          timber, wood products,
                              and nonstructural panels.       products, and paper      and paper products
                                                              products industries for  industries for forestry
                                                              forestry and forest      and forest industry
                                                              industry strategic       strategic planning.
                                                              planning.
                                                                                       Activities: Maintain
                                                              Activities: Maintain     national data series
                                                              national data series     using most appropriate
                                                              using most appropriate   sources and develop new
                                                              sources, and develop new data series, in
                                                              data series, in          cooperation with users,
                                                              cooperation with users,  to show new industry
                                                              to show new industry     developments and adjust
                                                              developments and adjust  series as needed.
                                                              series as needed.
                                                                                       Problem: Knowledge is
                                                              Problem: There is a lack needed on the economic
                                                              of understanding of the  viability of new
                                                              effects of sustainable   technologies for
                                                              forestry efforts and     converting wood and
                                                              certification of forests fiber into new or
                                                              and forest products on   improved paper and wood
                                                              demand for and supply of products.
                                                              wood in the United
                                                              States.                  Activities: Evaluate
                                                                                       market prospects and
                                                              Activities: Provide      material needs for
                                                              information to aid in    alternative products
                                                              projecting market trends that would use
                                                              and technology change in small-diameter timber in
                                                              the pulp and paper       the West.
                                                              industry and the solid
                                                              wood industry.
                              Problem: Economic analysis is
                              needed to assess new
                              technologies for converting
                              timber into new or improved
                              paper and wood products.

                              Activities: Assess new
                              technologies for producing new
                              or improved paper and wood
                              products. The technologies
                              evaluated will be those
                              developed at the Forest
                              Products Laboratory.

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    Note: The Forest Products Laboratory's research work unit activities for
    4708, 4715, and 4718 are not listed in the table because they were
    combined with other units during the 1990s.

    Table 15: Conducted and Planned Activities for the Forest Service's
    Research Work Units Associated with Research Stations

    Research
    station-associated
    work unit, and
    plan components     Research work unit title, and period and activities covered
    Northeastern
    Research Station
    4701
                       Improved Processing    Efficient Use of the  Efficient Use of
                       Technology for         Northern Forest       the Northern
                       Hardwoods, 1990-97     Resource, 1997-2003   Forest Resource,
                                                                    2003-08
    Area of research   Eastern U.S. and       Northern U.S. and     Northern U.S.
    applicability      wherever hardwood      hardwood growth and   and hardwood
                       lumber and products    processing regions    growth and
                       are processed.         nationwide.           processing
                                                                    regions
                                                                    nationwide.
    Mission            To increase effective  To promote natural    To develop and
                       use of hardwood        resource conservation deliver
                       resources through      and help sustain      knowledge and
                       research to improve    forest-based          innovative
                       processing technology. industries and        technology that
                                              economies through     improves
                                              research and          efficiency in
                                              development on        forest products
                                              resource              conversions to
                                              characteristics,      strengthen U.S.
                                              forest management,    worker
                                              and innovative        productivity in
                                              processing            global wood
                                              technologies and      products
                                              their influence on    marketplace;
                                              conversion efficiency increase the
                                              in solid wood         value of the
                                              processing.           timber resource
                                                                    and the economic
                                                                    viability of
                                                                    forest
                                                                    management
                                                                    options.
    Research problem   Problem: Techniques    Problem: Research is  Problem:
    and activities     are needed to evaluate needed to determine   Research is
                       production and         how wood quality and  needed to
                       economic implications  utilization           determine how
                       of using new           opportunities are     wood quality and
                       processing             affected by           utilization can
                       technologies.          silvicultural systems be enhanced
                                              and forest            through
                       Activities: Develop    operations.           silvicultural
                       realistic simulation                         and forest pest
                       models to evaluate     Activities: Determine management
                       technical              the effects of        systems and
                       characteristics of     silvicultural systems operations.
                       integrated hardwood    and forest operations
                       processing systems     on wood quality       Activities:
                       using new technology.  (including physical   Determine the
                                              and mechanical        effects of
                       Problem: Standards and properties, decay,    silvicultural
                       test criteria are      and bacterial         systems, forest
                       needed for evaluating  infection) of certain pests, and
                       computer-numeric       northern hardwood     forest
                       controlled (CNC)       species.              operations on
                       machinery and                                wood quality of
                       associated tooling.    Problem: More         selected eastern
                                              effective production  hardwood
                       Activities: Develop    control methods and   species.
                       standards for          software tools must
                       evaluating the         be developed to       Problem: More
                       accuracy, efficiency,  analyze the impact of effective
                       and safety of CNC      current and proposed  manufacturing
                       woodworking machinery. production systems on strategies and
                                              efficiency of         production
                       Problem: More          resource utilization. control
                       efficient techniques                         technologies
                       are needed to make     Activities: Develop   must be
                       existing information   optimal rough-mill    developed and
                       available to decision  processing strategies implemented so
                       makers in a timely     and product recovery  that solid wood
                       manner and in a form   benchmarks for        products
                       suitable to answer     different lumber      manufacturers
                       specific questions.    characteristics       can improve
                                              through research into resource
                       Activities: Quantify   interactions among    utilization
                       the existing knowledge such factors as       efficiency and
                       in specific areas of   lumber size and       international
                       wood processing and    grade, and develop    competitiveness.
                       develop expert systems improved
                       using this             lumber-scanning       Activities:
                       information.           technology.           Develop and
                                                                    enhance the
                                                                    adoption of
                                                                    optimal
                                                                    rough-mill
                                                                    processing and
                                                                    product-recovery
                                                                    strategies by
                                                                    researching
                                                                    interactions
                                                                    among such
                                                                    factors as
                                                                    lumber size and
                                                                    grade.
    4751
                       Forest Engineering     Forest Engineering    Integration of
                       Research Systems to    Research-Systems      Forest
                       Integrate Harvesting   Analysis to Evaluate  Operations Into
                       with Other Resource    Alternative           Eastern Hardwood
                       Management Objectives, Harvesting            Intermediate
                       1988-97                Strategies, 1997-2003 Cuttings and
                                                                    Structural
                                                                    Retention
                                                                    Treatments,
                                                                    2003-08
    Area of research   Mountainous, ridge and United States         Northeastern
    applicability      valley, and plateau                          United States
                       regions of the eastern
                       United States.
    Mission Nominal    To use systems         To use systems        To improve and
    dollars in         analysis to            analysis to evaluate  integrate forest
    thousands          effectively integrate  alternative           operations to
                       silviculture, logging  harvesting strategies accomplish
                       technology, economics, for all forested      intermediate
                       and wildlife           geographic regions in silvicultural
                       management into a      the Northeast.        treatments in
                       forest management                            hardwood forests
                       decision model with                          of the
                       particular                                   Northeast.
                       applications to steep
                       terrain.
    Research problem   Problem: Forest        Problem: Management   Problem: There
    and activities     management planning    planning models are   is a lack of
                       tools are inadequate   inadequate for forest synthesis of the
                       for steep terrain.     operations and forest forest
                                              product               operations
                       Activities: The goal   transportation.       process to
                       of this research is to                       improve
                       develop a system       Activities: The goal  intermediate
                       analysis computer      of this research is   cuttings and
                       model, MANAGE, that    to develop a systems  structural
                       adequately models the  analysis computer     retention
                       biological,            model that adequately harvests for
                       technological,         incorporates          eastern
                       economical, and        validated growth      hardwoods. 1995
                       silvicultural          models, logging
                       treatment of a forest  technology, wildlife, Activities: The
                       stand over a rotation. economical, and       goal of this
                                              silvicultural         research is to
                       Problem: Methods are   treatments of a       provide better
                       inadequate to plan and forest stand over a   information and
                       carry out multiproduct rotation.             synthesis of the
                       harvesting and                               forest
                       utilization of eastern Problem: There is a   operations
                       hardwoods on steep     lack of complete      process so that
                       terrain.               synthesis on all      economical
                                              aspects of the forest decisions can be
                       Activities: Systems    operations process,   made when
                       theory would be used   selection of the      selecting and
                       to model multiproduct  harvesting process,   implementing
                       harvesting and         multiproduct          intermediate
                       utilization of eastern harvesting, loss      cuttings and
                       hardwoods on steep     caused by log damage, structural
                       terrain in order to    and other procedures. retention
                       measure the impact of                        treatments. 1996
                       multiproduct           Activities: The goal
                       harvesting on forest   of this research is   1997
                       management.            to provide better
                                              information and
                                              synthesis of all
                                              phases of the forest
                                              operations so that
                                              better management
                                              models can be
                                              developed.
                                              Information will be
                                              synthesized with
                                              other stand data to
                                              determine the maximum
                                              revenue that can be
                                              expected from a
                                              stand. Wood
                                              utilization research
                                              centers
    4803 1999          2000                   2001                  2002
    2004               Analysis of Domestic   Economics of Eastern  Eastern Forest
                       and International      Forest Use, 1997-2003 Use in a Global
                       Hardwood Product                             Economy, 2003-08
                       Markets, 1992-97 2005                        Alaska
    Area of research   United States and      National, but with a  National, but
    applicability a    countries with which   primary focus on      with an emphasis
                       it conducts trade in   hardwood and softwood on issues
                       hardwood products. a   forest resources in   affecting the
                                              the eastern United    hardwood forest
                                              States. a             industry and
                                                                    resources of the
                                                                    eastern United
                                                                    States. a
    Mission $596       To develop economic    To develop annual     To provide
                       and technical          estimates of primary  economic,
                       information which      and secondary         market, and
                       enables concerned      hardwood product      wood-use
                       individuals and        production and        information that
                       organizations to make  consumption, identify will support the
                       more informed          and analyze economic  health and
                       decisions regarding    and other factors or  sustainability
                       the use of forest      events that are       of forest-based
                       resources and the      likely to             industries,
                       production and         significantly alter   hardwood
                       marketing of forest    wood production and   forests, and
                       products. $596         consumption patterns  forest
                                              and future trends,    communities in
                       $585                   and examine and       the eastern
                                              analyze alternatives  United States.
                                              (opportunities) for   $602
                                              extending and
                                              conserving the
                                              hardwood resource and
                                              improving the
                                              efficacy of hardwood
                                              forest management,
                                              utilization, and
                                              rural development
                                              initiatives. $543
    Research problem   Problem: There is a    Problem: Information  Problem: There
    and activities b   need to explain the    is needed on all      is a need to
                       interrelationships     markets for roundwood benchmark and
                       among domestic markets and on the principal  monitor hardwood
                       for hardwood products. consumers (domestic   use to assess
                       b                      and overseas) of      the impacts of
                                              hardwood lumber and   change and
                       Activities: Develop    wood fiber on a       competing
                       refined databases for  continuing basis. 514 demands on the
                       hardwood product                             forest industry,
                       production, usage, and Activities: Compile   forest resource,
                       price. b               statistics on primary and forest-based
                                              hardwood product      communities of
                       Problem: There is a    production in         the eastern
                       need to develop more   cooperation with FIA  United States.
                       detailed information   and assume            509
                       on international       responsibility within
                       hardwood products and  the Northeastern      Activities:
                       describe the impact of Research Station for  Compile
                       international trade on activities associated statistics on
                       domestic hardwood      with the TPO. 504     roundwood
                       product markets. b                           receipts by
                                              Problem: Research is  primary
                       Activities: Collect    needed on viable,     processors
                       and validate all       market-based,         within the 13
                       domestic and foreign   value-added product   states
                       data relating to the   opportunities that    comprising the
                       exportation or         improve use of the    Northeastern
                       importation of         forest resource,      Research
                       hardwood products from enhance achievement   Station.
                       or into the United     of resource
                       States. $514           management
                                              objectives, and
                       457                    sustain rural
                                              communities. 511

                                              Activities: Research
                                              conducted in this
                                              area will be product,
                                              process, site, and
                                              market-specific. 460
    $752               Problem: There is a    $704                  Problem: Need to
                       need to develop                              provide
                       market-based           824                   information,
                       decision-making tools                        analysis, and
                       that can be used by                          tools to assist
                       hardwood processors                          in assessing
                       (secondary and                               competitive
                       primary) and rural                           environments and
                       development personnel.                       evaluating
                       $752                                         product, market,
                                                                    and management
                       Activities: Develop a                        opportunities
                       profile of common                            and challenges
                       characteristics based                        facing U.S.
                       on different types of                        producers of
                       primary and secondary                        wood and
                       hardwood manufacturers                       wood-based
                       on the basis of size,                        products so as
                       productive inputs                            to more
                       purchased, marketing                         effectively
                       practices, and                               manage and
                       product(s) produced.                         utilize the U.S.
                       $704                                         eastern hardwood
                                                                    resource. 732

                                                                    Activities:
                                                                    Studies will be
                                                                    conducted to
                                                                    determine the
                                                                    effects of size,
                                                                    product type,
                                                                    management style
                                                                    and quality,
                                                                    financial
                                                                    structure,
                                                                    employee
                                                                    relations,
                                                                    material cost,
                                                                    and other
                                                                    factors that
                                                                    affect
                                                                    competitiveness.
                                                                    824
    4805 807           736                    717
    752                Enhancing the          The Influence of      704
                       Performance and        Markets on the
                       Competitiveness of the Sustainability of
                       U.S. Hardwood          Eastern Hardwood
                       Industry, 1994-2000    Forests, 2000-05 704
                       752
    Area of research   Eastern United States  Primary focus on the  736
    applicability 732  824                    hardwood region of
                                              the eastern United
                       807                    States 807
    Mission            To explore alternative To examine            233
                       strategies that will   interrelationships
                       improve the long-term  between forest
                       performance and        product markets and
                       competitiveness of the the composition,
                       U.S. hardwood products structure, and
                       industry and analyze   sustainability of the
                       the impact of these    eastern hardwood
                       strategies on the      forest. 233
                       hardwood resources.
                       Minnesota
    Research problem   Problem: There is a    Problem: There is a   752
    and activities 218 need to analyze the    need to examine
                       structure, conduct,    current impact of
                       and performance of the different localized
                       various hardwood       market situations on
                       products industries    forests and provide
                       that utilize hardwood, information that will
                       roundwood, or hardwood allow policy makers,
                       timber. 255            industry, and others
                                              to assess forest
                       Activities: Classify,  sustainability under
                       in economic terms, the current
                       structure of the major market-induced
                       primary hardwood       disturbance regimes.
                       processing industry on 222
                       a regional basis and
                       assess the conduct and Activities: Develop a
                       performance of each    framework to examine
                       industry based on this market-induced
                       classification. 227    disturbance utilizing
                                              the constructs of
                       Problem: There is a    economic theory in
                       need to assess the     combination with
                       impact of alternative  current and historic
                       intervention           information on the
                       approaches to remedy   changing forest
                       externalities from the industry and markets.
                       production,
                       harvesting, and        Problem: There is a
                       processing of hardwood need to develop
                       timber. 255            procedures to predict
                                              how future
                       Activities: Examine    market-induced
                       intervention           disturbance will
                       mechanisms that are    change species
                       currently being used   distribution, timber
                       to remedy market       quality, and the
                       externalities          sustainability of
                       associated with        specific ecosystems
                       hardwood timber        and examine how
                       production,            adaptive technology
                       harvesting, and        will influence these
                       processing. 250        changes. Mississippic

                       Problem: There is a    Activities: Relate
                       need to explore        long-term changes in
                       strategies that will   price, demand, and
                       help hardwood          biological supply to
                       processing firms and   changes in technology
                       industries remain      and the type of
                       competitive while      forest that will be
                       adhering to the        impacted by the
                       mandates of a changing technology. 752
                       society. 246

                       Activities: Isolate
                       the major
                       "unresolvable issues"
                       that are likely to
                       polarize environmental
                       organizations and the
                       hardwood industry and
                       examine the major
                       reasons why these
                       conflicts exist. 228
    Pacific Northwest  824                    732                   824
    Research Station
    704
    4865 1,260         1,154                  1,180
    289                Human and Natural      Human and Natural     271
                       Resources Interactions Resources
                       Research Program,      Interactions Research
                       1995-2002 290          Program, 2002-current
                                              271
    Area of research   No information. 317    Utilization,          306
    applicability 282                         economics, and social
                                              science research;
                                              regional (Pacific
                                              Northwest), national,
                                              and international
                                              scales. 311
    Mission 276        No information.        To improve            752
                                              understanding of
                                              social and economic
                                              values as input to
                                              and evaluation of
                                              resource management
                                              decisions. Oregon
    Research problem   Problem: Ecologically  Problem: There is a   807
    and activities 704 sustainable production need to improve
                       of forest activities.  knowledge of the
                       704                    opportunities to use
                                              local, regional, and
                       Activities: Evaluate   international markets
                       the influence of       and how to use
                       specific stand         management practices
                       structure-manipulation to sustain diversity
                       operations on the      of forest conditions
                       quality and quantity   and outputs. 732
                       of forest products.
                       824                    Activities: Improve
                                              understanding of how
                                              the forest sector
                                              (broadly defined)
                                              functions, including
                                              intrasectoral
                                              dynamics, and
                                              interactions between
                                              the forest sector and
                                              other sectors. 824
    Pacific Southwest  717                                          Tennessee
    Research Station
    736
    4202 b             b                      b                     421
    421                No wood utilization    No wood utilization   Sierra Nevada
                       412                    412                   Research Center,
                                                                    2005-15 376
    Area of research   West Virginia          d                     Local, regional,
    applicability                                                   and
                                                                    international d
    Mission d          d                      d                     Sierra Nevada
                                                                    ecosystems are
                                                                    complex and our
                                                                    knowledge of
                                                                    them is
                                                                    incomplete. As a
                                                                    result, the
                                                                    long-term
                                                                    outcome of any
                                                                    given land and
                                                                    resource
                                                                    management
                                                                    strategy is
                                                                    uncertain. We
                                                                    will provide
                                                                    assistance to
                                                                    land managers
                                                                    and policy
                                                                    makers by
                                                                    addressing this
                                                                    management
                                                                    dilemma through
                                                                    targeted
                                                                    research
                                                                    emphasizing an
                                                                    integrated,
                                                                    ecoregional
                                                                    approach to
                                                                    examine
                                                                    particular
                                                                    physical,
                                                                    ecological, and
                                                                    socio-economic
                                                                    issues, across a
                                                                    range of
                                                                    appropriate
                                                                    spatial and
                                                                    temporal scales
                                                                    specific to each
                                                                    issue. d
    Research problem   418                    463                   Problem:
    and activities d                                                Institutional
                                                                    and policy
                                                                    processes.

                                                                    Activities:
                                                                    Develop
                                                                    appropriate
                                                                    research
                                                                    methodologies to
                                                                    understand
                                                                    institutional
                                                                    processes by
                                                                    which resource
                                                                    values are
                                                                    established as
                                                                    public goods.
                                                                    Total
    Rocky Mountain     $3,305                 $3,305                $4,805
    Research Station
    $3,532
    4156 $5,400        $5,304                 $5,730                $5,670
                       No wood utilization    No wood utilization   Southwestern
                       Sources: Wood          Note: Totals may not  Forest Health
                       utilization research   add due to rounding.  Restoration and
                       centers' annual                              Wildland-Urban
                       special grant                                Interface Fuels
                       proposals.                                   Management,
                                                                    2005- aThis
                                                                    center was added
                                                                    in fiscal year
                                                                    2000.
    Area of research   dThis center was added                       Unknown Appendix
    applicability cIn  in fiscal year 2004.                         V: A Appendix V:
    fiscal year 2003,                                               GAO Contact and
    the Mississippi                                                 Staff
    center began                                                    Acknowledgments
    receiving a
    committee-directed
    special grant to
    inventory forest
    resources
    statewide. This
    grant was included
    in the center's
    fiscal year 2003
    proposal, and
    thereafter the
    center has
    submitted separate
    proposals for the
    inventory, which
    were included in
    the center's total
    budget for fiscal
    years 2004 and
    2005.
    Mission Robin M.                                                Unknown Staff
    Nazzaro (202)                                                   Acknowledgments
    512-3841
    Research problem                                                Problem: A need
    and activities                                                  exists to
                                                                    develop and
                                                                    understand
                                                                    economics,
                                                                    markets, and
                                                                    utilization
                                                                    opportunities to
                                                                    support the
                                                                    management and
                                                                    restoration of
                                                                    southwestern
                                                                    forests that
                                                                    also contribute
                                                                    to the economic
                                                                    vitality of
                                                                    local and
                                                                    regional
                                                                    communities.

                                                                    Activities:
                                                                    Understand the
                                                                    economic and
                                                                    social impacts
                                                                    of alternative
                                                                    forest
                                                                    management
                                                                    options on
                                                                    communities and
                                                                    sustainable
                                                                    utilization
                                                                    opportunities.
    Southern Research
    Station
    Area of research   Southern United States Southeastern United   Southern United
    applicability                             States                States
    4104 (previously   Utilization of         Ecology and Genetics  Disturbance and
    4104 and 4701)     Southern Timber        of Southern Pine      the Management
                       (4701), 1993-98        Ecosystems, 1994-99   of Southern Pine
                                              (4104)                Ecosystems,
                                                                    1999-2004
    Mission            To define how          To develop scientific To increase
                       environmental and      knowledge needed for  understanding
                       socioeconomic factors  regenerating,         and develop
                       will change the        managing, protecting  applications of
                       southern timber        and improving pine    disturbance to
                       resource; and develop  plantations, natural  sustain the
                       fundamental            stands, and           productivity and
                       information and        ecosystems.           functions of
                       technology to utilize                        southern pine
                       this resource while                          ecosystems.
                       conserving
                       biodiversity and
                       providing for a
                       sustained supply of
                       raw material.
    Research problem   Problem: Information                         Problem: There
    and activities     is lacking on the                            is a need to
                       effects of site,                             better
                       species composition,                         understand the
                       stockings, rotation                          effects of
                       age and their                                within tree,
                       interactions on value,                       stand,
                       yield, anatomical,                           environmental,
                       physical and                                 and forest
                       mechanical properties                        management
                       of southern timber,                          factors on wood
                       which is a barrier to                        properties to
                       meeting management and                       meet
                       utilization goals.                           productivity and
                                                                    sustainability
                       Activities: Three                            objectives.
                       areas of research
                       emphasis: (1) value                          Activities: The
                       and yield of forest                          emphasis of this
                       products; (2)                                research is on
                       anatomical and                               relating basic
                       physical properties;                         wood properties
                       and (3) mechanical                           to and within
                       properties. These                            its tree, stand,
                       areas are                                    environmental,
                       interrelated.                                and management
                                                                    factors that
                                                                    affect southern
                                                                    pine wood
                                                                    formation.
    4701
                       Utilization of         Utilization of        Utilization of
                       Southern Forest        Southern Forest       Southern Forest
                       Resources, 1993-99     Resources, 1999-2005  Resources,
                                                                    2005-10
    Area of research   Southern United States Southern United       Southern United
    applicability      and tropical areas     States and tropical   States and
                                              areas                 tropical areas
    Mission            To define and apply    To define and         To define and
                       fundamental chemistry, describe the          describe the
                       material science, and  fundamental raw       fundamental raw
                       engineering principles material              material
                       to the utilization and characteristics       characteristics
                       processing of southern influencing the       influencing the
                       forest resources in an sustainable and       sustainable and
                       environmentally sound  environmentally sound environmentally
                       way.                   use of southern       sound use of
                                              forest resources.     southern forest
                                                                    resources.
    Research problem Problem: Little is known Problem: A gap in our   Problem:
    and activities   of the composition of    understanding of the    Information is
                     secondary metabolites in fundamental physical    insufficient
                     plants of forest         properties that are     on the
                     communities, their       central to the          physical,
                     biological significance, biological/ecological   chemical, and
                     or their potential value significance of plant   mechanical
                     as a renewable source of polyphenols or terpenes properties of
                     specialty chemicals.     limits their            woody raw
                                              usefulness.             material
                     Activities: Define the                           originating
                     chemistry and            Activities: Define      from southern
                     significance of          fundamental physical    forests.
                     secondary metabolites of properties that are
                     selected plants in the   important in            Activities:
                     forest community to help determining the         This problem
                     determine the biological biological or           area will
                     significance of these    ecological significance focus on three
                     compounds.               of secondary plant      elements
                                              metabolites.            pertinent to
                     Problem: Information is                          the effective
                     inadequate on the        Problem: There is a     utilization of
                     physical and mechanical  need to improve         our southern
                     properties of primary    composite properties by forest
                     wood constituents to     evaluating the physical resource.
                     analytically model and   and mechanical
                     understand the           properties of primary   Problem: There
                     properties of many       wood constituents.      is a need to
                     wood-based composites.                           better design
                                              Activities: Research    biobased
                     Activities: Research     will focus on property  products based
                     will focus on            assessment and material on the
                     development of new       characterization as     properties and
                     structural wood-based    they relate to the      composition of
                     composites as well as    structural performance  the southern
                     improvements on          of wood-based           forest raw
                     conventional composites. composites.             material.

                     Problem: New adhesive    Problem: There is a     Activities:
                     systems and bonding      lack of adequate        Research on
                     processes are needed to  understanding of        this problem
                     enhance adhesion, reduce interfacial structure   area will be
                     bonding costs, and       and properties to       accomplished
                     provide technological    develop new composite   by a
                     improvements.            material development.   three-pronged
                                                                      approach,
                     Activities: This         Activities: This        which includes
                     research will focus on   problem area will study the
                     defining the performance the relationship        relationship
                     of adhesive bonding      between wood surface    between
                     process for              properties and          component
                     wood-and-polymer         interfacial             properties and
                     composites and           characteristics.        their
                     developing new                                   composite
                     processing technology to Problem: There is a     products.
                     utilize mixture of       need to improve
                     recycled wood fiber and  effective utilization
                     plastics for high-value  of wood from
                     products.                difficult-to-recycle
                                              and intensively managed
                     Problem: More            sources into high
                     understanding of the     performance composite
                     fundamental chemistry    products.
                     and physics of
                     interaction between      Activities: This
                     synthetic polymers and   research will support
                     wood materials is needed the development of
                     to accommodate the use   intensively-cultured
                     of wood in new composite production approaches
                     systems.                 for wood by
                                              investigating this
                     Activities: The research material's performance
                     in this area will        in existing process
                     continue along the       technologies and
                     program lines that have  composite systems.
                     been established over
                     the last several years   Problem: There is a
                     of investigation that    need to sufficiently
                     address the              understand the
                     physico-chemical         relationships between
                     interaction between wood tree growth variables,
                     fibers and synthetic     fundamental wood
                     polymers.                properties, and
                                              end-product performance
                                              for optimal utilization
                                              of the forest resource.

                                              Activities: This
                                              research area will
                                              focus on the
                                              development and use of
                                              rapid assessment
                                              methods to study wood
                                              characteristic/product
                                              property relationships
                                              at the molecular level.
    4702
                       Primary Hardwood       Integrated Life Cycle Forest Products
                       Processing and         of Wood: Tree         Conservation,
                       Products, 1988-97      Quality, Processing,  2003-08
                                              and Recycling,
                                              1997-2003
    Area of research   National               National              National
    applicability
    Mission            To identify, evaluate, To enhance wood       To enhance
                       and develop new or     resource conservation sustainable
                       improved automated     and sustainability    forest resource
                       primary hardwood       through advanced      use through
                       processing             timber analysis and   improved
                       technologies and       wood processing, and  product,
                       hardwood products that effective wood        processing, and
                       make U.S. industry     product recovery,     recycling
                       more competitive in    reuse, and recycling. analysis.
                       domestic and foreign
                       markets.
    Research problem   Problem: There is a    Problem: There is a   Problem:
    and activities     need to develop        need for reliable and Reliable and
                       improved and new       accurate              accurate
                       automated primary      nondestructive timber nondestructive
                       hardwood processing    assessment and        timber
                       technologies.          allocation methods to assessment and
                                              evaluate standing and allocation
                       Activities: This       felled trees.         methods are
                       research will evaluate                       needed to
                       and develop computer   Activities: This      evaluate
                       simulations, expert    research will         standing and
                       systems, and           investigate the use   felled trees.
                       vision-system          and application of
                       supported              ground-based digital  Activities: This
                       computer-aided         imagery, combined     research will
                       hardwood sawmill       with image processing investigate the
                       edging and trimming.   software and product  use and
                                              allocation software   application of
                       Problem: There is a    to estimate tree      ground-based
                       need to identify,      volume, product       digital data
                       evaluate, and develop  allocation, and tree  collection,
                       new or improved        grade for inventory   combined with
                       products that use our  purposes.             information
                       abundant nonselect                           extraction
                       hardwood sawtimber     Problem: There is a   software and
                       resources.             need to improve wood  product
                                              processing technology allocation
                       Activities: Emerging   and equipment to      software to
                       and potential primary  efficiently evaluate  estimate tree
                       hardwood products will and process wood      volume, product
                       be identified along    resources.            allocation, and
                       with new production                          tree grade for
                       concepts.              Activities: This      inventory
                                              research will develop purposes.
                       Problem: There is a    and use expert
                       need to develop and    systems and vision    Problem: Wood
                       demonstrate systems to systems to support    processing
                       make and market        computer-aided and    technology and
                       short-length lumber    automated hardwood    equipment must
                       and dimension for      sawmill edging and    be improved to
                       profitable use of      trimming.             efficiently
                       low-grade hardwood                           evaluate and
                       sawtimber.             Problem: There is a   process wood
                                              need to extend the    resources.
                       Activities: Research   life of resources,
                       will determine through effectively           Activities:
                       simulation and actual  refurbishing and      Develop and use
                       testing whether short  reusing wood pallets  expert systems
                       lumber grading systems and other solid wood  and vision
                       can be designed to     products, or          systems to
                       facilitate the use of  converting them to    support
                       short logs, low        alternative           computer-aided
                       quality logs, thick    high-value products.  and automated
                       shortslabs, and/or                           hardwood sawmill
                       low-grade lumber to    Activities: This      edging and
                       make short lumber.     research will         trimming.
                                              investigate and
                                              evaluate current and  Problem: There
                                              new repairs for       is a need to
                                              damaged and used wood extend the life
                                              pallets and compare   of resources,
                                              these to new pallets. effectively
                                                                    refurbishing and
                                                                    reusing wood
                                                                    pallets and
                                                                    other solid wood
                                                                    products, or
                                                                    converting them
                                                                    to alternative
                                                                    high-value
                                                                    products.

                                                                    Activities: This
                                                                    research will
                                                                    investigate and
                                                                    evaluate current
                                                                    and new repairs
                                                                    for damaged and
                                                                    used wood
                                                                    pallets and
                                                                    compare these to
                                                                    new pallets.
    4703
                       Title unknown, 1994-99 Forest Operations
                                              Research to Achieve
                                              Sustainable
                                              Management, 1999-2005
    Area of research   No information         National
    applicability      available.
    Mission            To provide engineering To provide the
                       knowledge and          science and
                       improved, economically technology
                       viable forest          integrating
                       operations for         ecological and
                       sustained resource     engineering
                       management and develop disciplines to
                       an understanding of    achieve economically
                       the interactions       and ecologically
                       between biological and viable forest
                       engineering systems in operations which are
                       forest ecosystems.     necessary for
                                              sustainable and
                                              socially acceptable
                                              forest resource
                                              management.
    Research problem   Problem: There is a    Problem: There is a
    and activities     need to sufficiently   need to develop a
                       understand the         better understanding
                       implications and       of the effect of
                       interactions between   forest operations
                       biological systems,    systems on the
                       soil, and hydrologic   ecological processes
                       site factors, and      of forest ecosystems.
                       forest operations for
                       the design and         Activities: To
                       development of         understand more
                       environmentally sound  completely the
                       forest operations.     complex machine-soil
                                              interaction in terms
                       Activities: The        of temporal, spatial,
                       cause-effect           vegetative, site, and
                       relationship between   climatic differences,
                       selected engineering   and to integrate the
                       variables and soil     results into a
                       physical property      comprehensive systems
                       changes will be        approach to
                       established. Such      management for
                       information will be    sustained above- and
                       used to improve        below-ground
                       systems for forest     productivity.
                       operations.
                                              Problem: There is a
                       Problem: Current       need to develop new
                       techniques and         and innovative
                       technologies are not   methods and
                       always feasible or     technologies to
                       cost effective under a reduce the ecological
                       holistic approach to   impacts of forest
                       forest resource        operations.
                       management.
                                              Activities:
                       Activities: Approaches Considering the
                       to solving this        impact roads have on
                       problem involve        the forest ecosystem,
                       improving system       more work needs to be
                       design, management,    undertaken to design
                       and performance, or    road systems which
                       developing alternative are acceptable based
                       concepts such as       on the goal of
                       innovative             sustainable forestry
                       technologies and       practice.
                       small-scale machinery.
                                              Problem: Better
                       Problem: The           information about the
                       capabilities and       performance, cost,
                       limitations of the     and operational
                       human element are not  ranges of new and
                       adequately considered  existing forest
                       in current forest      operations systems is
                       operations, resulting  needed.
                       in degraded safety,
                       productivity, and      Activities:
                       system performance.    Performance will be
                                              measured in terms of
                       Activities: Three      factors such as
                       distinct research      production, energy
                       elements will be       consumption, labor
                       pursued-industrial     input, and
                       safety management,     capitalization.
                       effective personal
                       protective equipment,  Problem: New
                       and application of     approaches are needed
                       ergonomic principles   to acquire and
                       to equipment design.   utilize information
                                              for planning and
                       Problem: Available     management of forest
                       analytical methods for operations across
                       forest operations are  landscapes.
                       not sufficient to
                       support the            Activities: Studies
                       implementation of      will be conducted to
                       multi-resource,        develop tools for
                       multi-scale management optimizing
                       in southern forests.   application
                                              efficiency of
                       Activities: Research   equipment on given
                       will focus on the      sites, identifying
                       development of a       those factors that
                       specific model for     most influence
                       tactical planning of   effectiveness of
                       access and management  operations, and
                       activities.            techniques to adapt
                                              systems to local
                                              conditions.

    Source: Forest Service documents.

    Table 28: Budget Authority for the CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    1998

    2003

    a

    $540

    Consortium

    Maine

    807

    Michigan

    824

    717

    218

    704

    807

    North Carolina

    317

    283

    752

    795

    b

    374

    417

    d

    d

    $3,530

    $4,805

    $5,820

    bThis center was added in fiscal year 1999.

    GAO Contact

    In addition to the contact named above, Andrea Wamstad Brown, Jacqueline
    Adams Cook, Richard Johnson, Rebecca Shea, Jay Cherlow, Carol Herrnstadt
    Shulman, Jeremy Ames, and Jaelith Hall-Rivera, made key contributions to
    this report.

    Appendix III: CSREESR Appendix III: CSREES Wood Utilization Research
    Centers, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    This appendix presents information on CSREES' wood utilization research
    centers, including some of their objectives, specialty areas, and research
    activities over 11 years-fiscal years 1995 through 2005.

    University of Alaska Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in assisting the Alaska Forest Products industry
    through research, extension, and education activities.

    Table 16: University of Alaska Wood Utilization Research Center-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 2000-2005

    Fiscal year Objectives                        Approach/research activities
    2000        Implement a broad-based program      o  Conduct an overall
                   that will help Alaska become         needs assessment of
                   competitive in the value-added       educational and
                   wood products industry by            industrial clientele in
                   providing specific technical,        Alaska's forest products
                   business, and marketing              industry
                   assistance; develop a facility       o  Use study results to
                   where promising new projects can     identify and develop a
                   be developed and tested; study       variety of techniques
                   the educational and training         that will be the basis
                   needs of sawmill operators (and      for another research
                   others) involved in present and      project to ascertain the
                   evolving wood products industries    most effective means of
                   and then to respond with a           transferring technology
                   client-centered approach to          to help entrepreneurs and
                   technical transfer and product       their employees develop
                   development; make assistance         and apply technology for
                   available in processing and          peak efficiency
                   performance, marketing research,     o  Support ongoing
                   and development of wood and          efforts to develop
                   forest-based products.               in-grade testing specific
                                                        to Alaska species
    2001        Help Alaska's forest products        o  Provide course
                   industry develop new,                offerings and technical
                   cost-effective methods for           training that are
                   converting wood and other tree       required by a dynamic
                   and plant components to consumer     industry
                   products; define new markets;        o  Support applied
                   and, assist individuals and          research projects that
                   organizations by providing           focus on the basic
                   required training and research.      physical and mechanical
                                                        properties of wood and
                                                        other tree and plant
                                                        material
                                                        o  Conduct research that
                                                        identifies new products,
                                                        technology, production
                                                        processes, and markets;
                                                        and, extension services
                                                        to assist entrepreneurs
                                                        and firms in the industry
    2002        Help Alaska's forest products     Continues 2001 approach.
                   industry develop new,
                   cost-effective methods for
                   conversion of wood and other
                   forest material to marketable
                   products; emphasize forest
                   products education identification
                   of markets, and new and improved
                   production system to create
                   high-value products from
                   low-value material; help Alaska
                   become competitive in the
                   value-added forest products
                   industry by providing specific
                   technical, business, and
                   marketing assistance and a
                   facility for developing and
                   testing promising new projects.
    2003        Help overcome lack of                o  Continue support for
                   representation on boards,            an in-grade testing
                   committees, and organizations        program at the Ketchikan
                   that create grading rules or         Wood Technology Centers
                   standards and collect marketing      o  Use samples in
                   information, which often results     accordance with ASTM
                   in barriers to the economic          D-143 to evaluate the
                   development and maximum use          properties of small clear
                   (technically and economically) of    samples of western
                   the products from the region.        hemlock lumber, focusing
                   Conduct projects that assist with    on the relationship
                   the restructuring of the forest      between specific gravity
                   products industry in Alaska;         and the evaluated
                   emphasize projects that have the     properties
                   potential to help rebuild the        o  Use results as the
                   forest products industry in          basis for recommendations
                   southeast Alaska.                    for proceeding with an
                                                        Alaska Wood Density
                                                        Survey to allow
                                                        development of new small
                                                        clear strength values for
                                                        western hemlock harvested
                                                        in Alaska
    2004        Conduct research programs to help    o  Continue an ongoing
                   restructure the forest products      University of Alaska
                   industry in Alaska; design           project at the Ketchikan
                   research projects to respond to      Wood Technology Center to
                   the needs of the industry and        review the basic
                   people in Alaska; develop            properties of Alaska
                   projects based on needs              species
                   identified by ongoing research       o  Develop updated
                   and studies, direct request from     strength values for
                   industry organizations,              Alaska species, based on
                   educational institutions, and        testing of small clear
                   government agencies.                 samples
    2005        Continue testing Alaska wood         o  Use standard tests to
                   species for unique properties for    determine the potential
                   value-added products; report the     for using Alaskan birch
                   chemical determination of Alaska     in value-added industries
                   birch bark by species and region     o  Study plant species
                   using the bark from harvested        and potential harvest
                   trees; conduct an integrated         areas to inventory
                   study that inventories and maps      nontimber forest products
                   harvestable nontimber forest         o  Continue to define
                   products, plant species, and         consumer reaction to
                   potential harvest areas; document    terms used to describe
                   traditional and current uses of      lumber produced from
                   special forest products in four      Alaska species and to
                   additional southeast Alaska          promote value-added wood
                   native communities; make             products made from
                   recommendations for marketing        Alaskan wood and special
                   efforts for value-added Alaskan      forest products
                   wood and special forest products.

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    Inland Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium

    The consortium uses a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional approach to
    solving forest operations and wood utilization problems unique to the
    Inland Northwest region. The consortium consists of the universities of
    Idaho and of Montana, and Washington State University.

    Table 17: Inland Northwest Forest Products Research Consortium-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 1999-2005

    Fiscal year Approach/research activities
    1999        Conduct forest products           o  Investigate regional
                   research in the inland            problems in harvesting,
                   northwest region of Idaho,        processing and potential
                   Montana, and Washington on the    products from the wood
                   species quantity, and quality     resource expected in the
                   of raw material; the              future by joint research
                   capabilities and processes        teams at the Forest Products
                   needed by the forest products     Department, University of
                   industry to convert this          Idaho; Bureau of Business
                   resource to wood products; and    and Economic Research,
                   the potential for wood            University of Montana; and
                   products from alternate           Wood Materials and
                   species designed for specific     Engineering Laboratory,
                   applications.                     Washington State University
                                                     o  Conduct research projects
                                                     in resource assessment,
                                                     manufacturing, and
                                                     harvesting processes; raw
                                                     material properties; and new
                                                     and value-added wood
                                                     products
    2000        Wood Utilization R&D Continues Continues 1999 activities.
                   1999 objectives. Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D Wood
                   Utilization R&D
    2001        Continues 1999 objectives.     Continues 1999 activities.
    2002        Continues 1999 objectives.     Continues 1999 activities.
    2003        Continues 1999 objectives.     Continues 1999 activities.
    2004        Conduct research to help make  The Inland Northwest Forest
                   regional sawmills more         Products Research Consortium
                   efficient, assess the color    represents a cooperative effort
                   modification of wood via ohmic between the Forest Products
                   heating, evaluate wood         Department of the University of
                   thermoplastic composites for   Idaho, the Bureau of Business
                   bridge decking, develop        and Economic Research at the
                   flexible wood composite sheets University of Montana, and the
                   for sound or thermo            Wood Materials and Engineering
                   insulation, analyze the        Laboratory at Washington State
                   region's wood products         University. The Consortium
                   industry, develop seismic      takes an interdisciplinary,
                   design parameters for log      multi institutional approach to
                   shear wall, and evaluate       solving forest operations and
                   thermoplastic binders derived  utilization problems unique to
                   from lignin.                   the Inland Northwest, with an
                                                  emphasis on those associated
                                                  with new forest management
                                                  regimes.
    2005        Conduct research to (1)        Continues 2004 activities.
                   improve the physical and
                   visual properties of ponderosa
                   pine lumber sawn from
                   small-diameter trees; (2)
                   optimize the color of wood via
                   ohmic heating; (3) harden and
                   dimensionally stabilize wood;
                   (4) characterize the
                   Inland-Northwest wood products
                   industry; (5) enhance the
                   utilization of small-diameter
                   timber; (6) develop a fully
                   wood-based wood composite; (7)
                   develop seismic design
                   parameters for log shear
                   walls; and (8) develop
                   alternative treating methods
                   for oriented stand composites.

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    University of Maine Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in all aspects of utilization concerning species
    indigenous to the New England area.

    Table 18: University of Maine Wood Utilization Research Center-Activities
    Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and Product
    Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year Objectives                    Approach/research activities
    1995        Increase knowledge of the        o  Biodegradation and
                   properties of timber species     preservation of wood
                   in New England to improve the    o  Computer-aided processing
                   efficiencies and                 of northeastern species
                   environmental compatibility      o  Fundamental properties of
                   of existing industries, and      northeastern species
                   to develop new products that     o  Structural engineering
                   could help expand the forest     o  Wood-based composites for
                   products industrial base.        structural applications
                                                    o  Wood chemistry
    1996        Continues 1995 objectives.    Continues many 1995 activities,
                                                 and adds the following:

                                                    o  Improved environmental
                                                    compatibility of pulping
                                                    technologies
    1997        Continues 1995 objectives.       o  Chlorine-free sulfur-free
                                                    high-yield pulps from
                                                    northeastern hardwood species
                                                    o  Wood fiber composites
                                                    utilizing paper deinking
                                                    sludge
                                                    o  Feasibility of glulam
                                                    beams reinforced with
                                                    fiber-reinforced plastic
                                                    sheets
                                                    o  Oxidation degradation of
                                                    lignocellulose by low
                                                    molecular weight chelators
                                                    isolated from brown-rot fungi
                                                    o  Novel technology for the
                                                    detection of wood-degrading
                                                    fungi
    1998        Continues 1995 objectives.       o  Improve design to increase
                                                    efficiency of alkaline oxygen
                                                    pulping
                                                    o  Technical feasibility and
                                                    cost-effectiveness of
                                                    combining fiber-reinforced
                                                    polymers
                                                    o  Identify the role of redox
                                                    chemical reactions in the
                                                    breakdown of lignocellulosic
                                                    materials through X-ray
                                                    absorption and fine structure
                                                    spectroscopy
                                                    o  Experimental techniques of
                                                    fluorescence, genetic, and
                                                    biochemical analysis to
                                                    understand the physiology of
                                                    wood decay fungi
                                                    o  Effect of steaming and dry
                                                    heat on the resonant
                                                    frequency and frequency
                                                    response of wood
                                                    o  Forecast the service life
                                                    of laminated composites
                                                    comprised of glass fibers
                                                    bonded with catalyzed PVAc to
                                                    red pine or red maple species
    1999        Continues 1995 objectives.       o  Determine major factors
                                                    affecting the price of wood
                                                    for use in pulp manufacture
                                                    and softwood dimension
                                                    manufacture
                                                    o  Evaluate the effects of
                                                    precommercial thinning on
                                                    wood properties of spruce-fir
                                                    forests
                                                    o  Predict warp potential in
                                                    spruce-fir studs using
                                                    ultrasonic waves
    2000        Continues 1995 objectives.       o  Develop a wood-concrete
                                                    connection and evaluate its
                                                    behavior under static and
                                                    fatigue load
                                                    o  Identify the causes and
                                                    costs of idle logging product
                                                    capacity, wood supply, labor,
                                                    and other issues related to
                                                    Maine logging
                                                    o  Evaluate dry matching of
                                                    2x4 SPF studs from green
                                                    condition using three drying
                                                    schedules and variation in
                                                    moisture content loss along
                                                    the length of the dimension
                                                    samples, measure the warp,
                                                    and compare restricted loss
                                                    and unrestricted loss samples
    2001        Evaluate the basic processing    o  Restore a log reducer to
                   and feasibility of               operating condition and use
                   manufacturing structural         it to crush small-diameter
                   composite lumber from            logs; after resin addition,
                   northeastern wood species        use an RF press to produce
                   using a long-strand, high        structural scale material to
                   yield, log breakdown             determine mechanical
                   procedure; assess the            properties
                   commercial feasibility of        o  Merchandize 3,000 board
                   stock glulam beams produced      feet of #3 common 4/4
                   from Maine hardwood              hardwood by length and width
                   resources; assess the            to established yields for
                   relation of local differences    e-rated lamination stock
                   in shrinkage for the level of    o  Harvest red and white pine
                   warp in red and white pine       trees and saw lumber from two
                   lumber.                          stands. Obtain shrinkage rate
                                                    samples from the logs.
                                                    Measure and correlate full
                                                    sized lumber shrinkage with
                                                    sample rates.
    2002        Develop an optimized             o  Conduct static and cyclic
                   preassembled narrow shear        connector tests using screws
                   wall system using advanced       and ring shank nails and
                   OSB; improve the strength and    develop allowable design
                   stiffness properties of          values for walls using ICBO
                   polyolefin wood composites by    AC 130 criteria
                   modifying the post-die           o  Monitor cooling rates via
                   process conditions;              thermocouple and physical and
                   investigate the material         mechanical properties
                   requirements planning,           o  Obtain information from
                   logistics, and conversion        publicly available data
                   efficiency of northeastern       sources supplemented by
                   pulp mills.                      on-site interviews with key
                                                    personnel involved in
                                                    inventory planning and
                                                    control at both groundwood
                                                    and kraft pulp mills
    2003        Study impact of processing       o  Identify the influences of
                   additives on extruder            maleation, zinc stearate, EBS
                   operating parameters and         wax, fire retardant,
                   properties of polypropylene      neustrene, and HALS on the
                   wood-plastic composites;         mechanical performance of
                   quantify several factors that    extruded wood polypropylene
                   may affect the levels of VOC     composites through ASTM
                   release from hardwoods and       mechanical and weathering
                   softwoods; evaluate the          tests
                   competitive position of the      o  Measure VOCs using
                   Maine paper industry.            established procedures on
                                                    fresh logs of red oak, white
                                                    oak, hard maple, and cherry;
                                                    perform other tests with
                                                    white pine that is untreated
                                                    or dipped in various
                                                    fungicides
                                                    o  Monitor both primary and
                                                    secondary resources to meet
                                                    the objectives; use
                                                    interviews and databases for
                                                    each resource
    2004        Improve the technical            o  Conduct design parameters,
                   performance and efficiency of    panel, and connection design
                   products that use wood as the    through finite element
                   main constituent.                modeling and experimental
                                                    testing of full-scale panel
                                                    systems
                                                    o  Use a variety of
                                                    commercial additives to
                                                    prepare extruded wood-plastic
                                                    materials using commercial
                                                    scale equipment available in
                                                    the laboratory
                                                    o  Obtain specimens of
                                                    several Maine wood species
                                                    from sawmills; obtain
                                                    composite panels from
                                                    regional manufacturers and
                                                    measure specific heat
                                                    capacity using a differential
                                                    calorimeter
    2005        Discover underlying science      o  Use enzymatic pretreatment
                   and develop technology that      of pulps to evaluate
                   will both improve the ability    commercial laccases and
                   to provide sustainable           catechol dioxgenases prior to
                   forest-based products for        oxygen delignification to
                   societal needs and help          reduce the environmental
                   increase the global              footprint
                   competitiveness of the U.S.      o  Elucidate fundamental
                   forest products industry.        physiological and biochemical
                                                    pathways of fungi to develop
                                                    strategies of biological
                                                    techniques to control
                                                    microbial biodegradation and
                                                    preserve wood and wood
                                                    products
                                                    o  Evaluate the use of
                                                    chemical and physical foaming
                                                    agents in extrusion systems
                                                    to reduce the density of wood
                                                    plastic composites and the
                                                    application of near InfraRed
                                                    (near-IR) technologies to
                                                    wood plastics composites
                                                    production to provide on-line
                                                    product quality information

    Source: GAO analysis of CSREES data.

    Michigan State University Wood Utilization Research Center

    The center specializes in sustainable hardwood utilization, with a focus
    on wood preservation, wood composite materials, and genetic engineering of
    necessary wood properties for specific product development.

    Table 19: Michigan State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year    Objective                    Approach/research activities
    1995           Improve hardwood lumber         o  Improvement of the
                      yield by examining              hardwood saw log conversion
                      alternatives to current         process
                      rough-mill practices for saw    o  The surface quality and
                      log conversion and evaluate     stability of wood and wood
                      short log and underutilized     products
                      species for veneer              o  Preservative treatment
                      production for concealed        of hardwood
                      furniture parts; establish      o  Recycling of treated
                      standards for evaluating        lumber, untreated recycled
                      composite surface quality       wood fiber, and wood ash
                      with comparison of contact      o  Laser-cutting of wood
                      and noncontact methods;         and wood composites
                      continue hardwood
                      preservation research.
    1996    Improve hardwood lumber yield and      o  Hardwood preservation
               utilization; explore recycling         project
               opportunities to reduce wood           o  Complete evaluation of
               consumption; improve quality of        particleboard and
               wood composites; compare log yields    fiberboard made with
               by grade sawn and live sawn;           recycled newsprint
               evaluate economics of short log and    o  Make and evaluate
               underused species for veneer           composites made from
               production; set standards for          recycled treated and
               evaluating composite surface           demolition wood
               quality; complete comparison of        o  Explore new pulsed laser
               stability model with lab-produced      cutting approach
               OSB.                                   o  Economic analysis of log
                                                      improvement study and
                                                      recycling projects
    1997    Improve yield and value from           o  Create real log database
               hardwood logs through conversion       for computer-simulated
               process improvements; extend forest    sawing comparisons
               resources by preserving wood and       o  Determine mechanism of
               composites and by recycling treated    CCA treatment in soft maple
               wood; use mixed eastern hardwoods      using logs harvested at
               to manufacture particleboard;          different seasons
               rationalize internal bond and          o  Determine properties of
               thickness OSB swell test specimen;     composites made of recycled
               promote forest sustainability and      treated wood and conduct
               certification of eastern hardwood      durability tests
               forests.                               o  Compare properties of
                                                      single-species and mixed
                                                      species furnish
                                                      particleboards
                                                      o  Expose hardboard siding
                                                      and other hardboard
                                                      materials to cyclic
                                                      swelling and shrinking to
                                                      establish secondary
                                                      stability
    1998    Extend hardwood forest resources by    o  Determine species of
               preserving wood and wood composites    copper in wood after
               and by recycling treated wood;         various treatments and
               improve stability of wood              relationship to
               composites; rationalize internal       effectiveness of
               bond and thickness of OSB swell        preservative
               test specimen; recycle wood ash        o  Develop a method of
               from power plants; promote forest      removing CCA from treated
               sustainability and certification of    wood for recycling of
               eastern hardwoods.                     fibers
                                                      o  Make and test
                                                      particleboards of single
                                                      and known blend of hardwood
                                                      species
                                                      o  Monitor surface energy
                                                      changes of treated and
                                                      untreated wood, glued and
                                                      not glued and relate
                                                      changes to properties of
                                                      wood composites
    1999    Extend forest resource by              o  Compare properties of
               preserving wood and composites and     single species and mixed
               by recycling treated wood; evaluate    species furnished
               the low performance of CCA-treated     o  Evaluate horizontal
               hardwood; evaluate mixed hardwood      density distribution, among
               species growing in Michigan as raw     other things, of
               material for particleboard and OSB     representative commercial
               manufacture.                           OSB samples and determine
                                                      the influence of specimen
                                                      size on measurements
    2000    Extend the service life of forest      o  Conduct field and
               products, particularly hardwood        laboratory tests to
               species, by using preservatives,       determine the toxic
               reusing treated wood, recycling        threshold and the residual
               wood removed from service, and         chemicals of several
               applying biotechnological means for    commercial wood
               producing high decay resistant         preservative formulations
               wood; evaluate the recovery of CCA     used to treat silver maple,
               from treated wood removed from         beech, red oak, elm,
               service; evaluate mixed hardwood       willow, and hard maple
               species growing in Michigan as raw     after 5 years' exposure
               materials for particleboard and OSB    o  Manufacture
               manufacture.                           particleboard and OSB
                                                      single species and mixed
                                                      species furnished of
                                                      hardwoods growing in
                                                      Michigan and evaluate their
                                                      properties evaluated to
                                                      determine the effect of
                                                      species furnish
    2001    Extend the service life of forest      o  Use laboratory
               resources, particularly hardwood       soil-block tests and field
               species, by using preservatives,       tests to evaluate the
               reusing treated wood, recycling        biological performance of
               wood removed from service, applying    some environmentally benign
               biotechnological means to produce      wood preservatives
               high-decay resistant wood;             o  Test wood cement-bonded
               investigate environmental benign       particleboard and wood
               chemicals used in crop protection      fiber thermoplastic made
               as wood preservatives; evaluate        using recycled materials to
               mixed hardwood growing in Michigan     determine their physical,
               as a source of raw materials for       mechanical, and biological
               flake board and OSB.                   performance according to
                                                      well-established standards
                                                      o  Measure and use surface
                                                      energy of raw materials to
                                                      explain the adhesion
                                                      phenomenon between wood
                                                      fibers and the matrix
                                                      o  Compare the properties
                                                      of OSB made with single and
                                                      mixed species furnished
                                                      o  Use genetic manipulation
                                                      technology to increase the
                                                      levels of wood extractives
                                                      that render them decay
                                                      resistant
    2002    Increase use of hardwood species       o  Screen chemicals with
               for exterior applications: use         low-to-negligible impact on
               environmentally benign chemicals;      the environment as
               reuse and recycle wood products        potential preservatives
               from demolition as raw materials       o  Use a continuous
               for wood composites; develop           extrusion process to
               processes to use sawdust from the      manufacture wood plastic
               furniture industry as raw materials    composites
               to manufacture commercially viable     o  Analyze the relationship
               and value-added products;              between sawlog price, labor
               investigate effects of major           demand, and capital
               economic and social forces on          investment in the Lake
               timber supply and demand in            States' hardwood sawmill
               subregions of the Lake States; and     industry
               develop biotechnology to produce       o  Use a metabolic
               value-added wood products.             engineering approach to
                                                      produce value-added
                                                      hardwood products
    2003    Continues 2002 objectives.          Continues 2002 activities.
    2004    Continues 2002 objectives.          Continues some 2002 activities
                                                   and adds genomics of decay
                                                   resistance and wood growth
                                                   will be studied using micro
                                                   array analysis to determine
                                                   the genes that are involved in
                                                   the commercially important
                                                   biological processes
    2005    Increase the use of hardwood           o  Screen chemicals with
               species for exterior applications:     low impact on the
               use environmentally benign             environment as wood
               chemicals as wood preservatives and    preservative
               reuse and recycle wood products as     o  Use laboratory soil
               raw materials for wood composites;     block tests and field
               develop processes to use sawdust       exposure tests to determine
               and wood fiber to produce              the biological
               commercially viable extruded           effectiveness and study
               wood-plastic composites; use           samples to determine the
               biotechnology to evaluate the          degree of fixation in the
               control of genes that express          wood
               important wood characteristics and     o  Use continuous extrusion
               to develop new value-added             and co-extrusion processes
               products.                              to manufacture wood-plastic
                                                      composites as well as
                                                      particleboards without
                                                      using formaldehyde-based
                                                      adhesive

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    University of Minnesota, Duluth, Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in helping existing small and mid-size wood
    products companies remain or become competitive by conducting research and
    development and forest productivity work in hybrid poplar, red pine, and
    other Minnesota species; and by forming new regional industries based on
    forest products materials and technologies. This is done to ensure the
    sustainability of the forest products industry

    Table 20: University of Minnesota, Duluth, Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year Objective                      Approach/research activities
    1995        Develop private sector forest     o  Supply technical
                   products opportunities in the     assistance
                   Upper Midwest, particularly       o  Help with business plans
                   Minnesota; help existing small    and marketing
                   and mid-size forest products      o  Assist with cost
                   companies implement               accounting and inventory
                   technologies that can help        systems
                   economic growth.                  o  Perform prototype
                                                     manufacturing, and conduct
                                                     product or process research
                                                     and development

                                                  Much of the work will involve
                                                  the transfer of technologies
                                                  previously developed at the
                                                  center or developed at other
                                                  research institutions.
    1996        Continues 1995 objectives.     Continues 1995 activities.
    1997        Continues 1995 objectives.     Continues 1995 activities.
    1998        Continues 1995 objectives.     Continues 1995 activities.
    1999        Continues 1995 objectives.     Continues 1995 activities.
    2000        Continues 1995 objectives.     Continues 1995 activities.
    2001        Help the sustainable           Generally continues 1995
                   development of private sector  activities and adds the
                   forest products opportunities  following:
                   in Minnesota and the Upper
                   Midwest; emphasize helping        o  Undertakes product or
                   existing small and mid-size       process research and
                   wood products companies remain    development within program
                   or become competitive through     areas-biotechnology,
                   research and development or       chemical derivatives,
                   specific technical or business    biobased composites and
                   expertise; direct work in         manufacturing efficiency,
                   biotechnology and chemical        wood materials and
                   extractives to form new           engineering, and secondary
                   industries in the region,         wood products
                   benefiting farmers, small
                   landowners, and large regional
                   forest products companies;
                   undertake promising
                   independent projects that may
                   lead to new job creation
                   without an identified industry
                   partner.
    2002        Continues most of 2001            o  Serve more than 50
                   objectives and adds specific      companies as clients and
                   subprojects in the areas of       strategic partners
                   wood engineering, secondary       o  Use funding from previous
                   wood products manufacturing,      special grants to work with
                   and biobased composites.          more than 100 different
                                                     companies, resulting in the
                                                     formation of new companies,
                                                     and facilitating the rapid
                                                     growth of others
    2003        Help the sustainable              o  Chemical extractives
                   development of private sector     o  Wood materials and
                   forest products opportunities     engineering
                   in Minnesota and the Upper        o  Secondary wood products
                   Midwest.                          o  Biobased composites
                                                     o  Manufacturing efficiency
    2004        Assist with the sustainable       o  Lean manufacturing
                   development of private sector     o  Nondestructive evaluation
                   forest products opportunities     o  Portable wood finishing
                   in Minnesota and the Upper        systems
                   Midwest; help small and           o  Membrane press technology
                   mid-size wood products            o  Ready-to-assemble wood
                   companies remain or become        frame housing internal
                   competitive through research      connectors
                   and development; form new         o  Lightweight sandwich
                   regional industries.              panel
                                                     o  Phosphate bonded
                                                     composites
                                                     o  ThermoWood
                                                     o  Larch tree extractives
    2005        Assist with the sustainable       o  Lean manufacturing
                   development of private sector     concepts
                   forest products opportunities     o  Nondestructive evaluation
                   in Minnesota and the Upper        technologies
                   Midwest; help small and           o  Membrane press technology
                   mid-size wood products            o  Breathable and waterproof
                   companies remain or become        mineral-bonded strandboard
                   competitive through research      o  Iron phosphate
                   and development; form new         impregnated wood products
                   regional industries based on      o  Radio frequency
                   forest products materials and     identification
                   technologies.                     o  Process technology for
                                                     aspen, poplar, and sycamore
                                                     tree extractives
                                                     o  Utilization of forest
                                                     harvest residues for
                                                     renewable energy

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    Mississippi State University Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in timber harvesting, transportation, and
    economics; lumber manufacturing and processing; wood-based composite
    materials; protection and preservation of wood; wood chemistry; economic
    evaluation; and technology transfer.

    Table 21: Mississippi State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year Objectives                       Approach/research activities
    1995        Administer a continuing research    o  Harvesting,
                   program on using southern pines;    transportation, and
                   strengthen existing efforts in      primary processing
                   wood utilization; provide           o  Economic evaluation and
                   support for research initiatives    technology transfer
                   in these areas.                     o  Structural engineering
                                                       o  Wood chemistry
                                                       o  Protection and
                                                       preservation of wood
                                                       o  Timber manufacturing
                                                       and processing
                                                       o  Wood-based composite
                                                       materials
    1996        Continues 1995 objectives and    Continues 1995 activities.
                   adds timber harvesting.
    1997        Continues 1996 objectives.       Continues 1995 activities.
    1998        Continues 1996 objectives.       Activities in five of seven
                                                    broad program areas:

                                                       o  Harvesting,
                                                       transportation, and
                                                       primary processing
                                                       o  Economic evaluation and
                                                       technology transfer
                                                       o  Wood chemistry
                                                       o  Protection and
                                                       preservation of wood
                                                       o  Timber manufacturing
                                                       and processing
    1999        Administer a continuing program  Research to be conducted
                   of research and technical        within five of the seven
                   assistance on utilization of     broad areas:
                   southern pines, to strengthen
                   existing efforts in wood            o  Harvesting,
                   utilization, and to provide         transportation and timber
                   support for new research            processing
                   initiatives in these areas.         o  Economic evaluation and
                                                       technology transfer
                                                       o  Structural engineering
                                                       o  Protection and
                                                       preservation of wood
                                                       o  Timber manufacturing
                                                       and processing
    2000        Administer a continuing program  Continues 1999 activities.
                   of research and technical
                   assistance to improve the use
                   and value of southern timber
                   resources; strengthen existing
                   efforts in timber harvesting and
                   wood utilization; and support
                   new research initiatives in
                   these areas.
    2001        Continues 2000 objectives.       Research to be conducted
                                                    within five of the seven
                                                    broad areas:

                                                       o  Harvesting and
                                                       transportation
                                                       o  Economic and market
                                                       evaluation and technology
                                                       transfer
                                                       o  Wood engineering and
                                                       wood-based composites
                                                       o  Wood protection and
                                                       biodeterioration
                                                       o  Timber manufacturing
                                                       and processing
    2002        Continues 2000 objectives.       Continues 2001 activities,
                                                    except for harvesting and
                                                    transportation.
    2003a       Continues 2000 objectives.          o  Forest resources
                                                       o  Economic and market
                                                       evaluation and technology
                                                       transfer
                                                       o  Engineered wood
                                                       products
                                                       o  Wood protection and
                                                       biodeterioration
                                                       o  Timber manufacturing
                                                       and processing
    2004        Continues 2000 objectives.          o  Utilization of
                                                       wood-based materials in
                                                       housing
                                                       o  New manufacturing
                                                       systems for wood-based
                                                       industry
                                                       o  Fiber and chemicals
                                                       from wood
                                                       o  Timber harvesting and
                                                       wood utilization in
                                                       Mississippi
    2005        Continue 2000 objectives.           o  Biotechnology and
                                                       fundamental research
                                                       o  Chemicals and energy
                                                       from wood
                                                       o  New manufacturing
                                                       systems for wood-based
                                                       industries
                                                       o  Performance of wood
                                                       structures and housing

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    aIn fiscal year 2003, the Mississippi center began receiving a
    committee-directed grant to conduct a statewide forest resources
    inventory. This grant was included in the center's fiscal year 2003
    proposal; thereafter, the center has submitted separate proposals for the
    inventory.

    North Carolina State University Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in wood machining and tooling technology.

    Table 22: North Carolina State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year Objective                         Approach/research activities
    1995        Improve understanding of the         o  Machine and tool
                   interface between the woodworking    vibration and stability
                   machine and the wood product,        o  Tool materials and
                   including the machine power          tool wear mechanisms
                   source, spindle assembly, cutting    o  Process monitoring and
                   tool, method of attachment of the    control
                   tool to the spindle, cutting tool    o  Surface measurement
                   geometry and cutting edge            technology
                   materials and treatment, and
                   resulting work piece accuracy and
                   surface finish quality.
    1996        Continues 1995 objective.         Continues 1995 activities.
    1997        Establish a national educational  Adapt and develop technology
                   and research resource to foster   to further understanding of
                   improvements in woodworking       the wood-machining process,
                   machine and tool performance;     including cross-transfer of
                   focus on the machine-tool-work    computer models from metal
                   piece interface to develop a      working to woodworking to
                   better understanding of spindle   help relate tool forces to
                   and tool dynamics, tool materials the machining conditions
                   and tool wear, and machining      (process monitoring) and
                   conditions.                       work piece surface quality
    1998        Establish education and research  Activities conform with
                   programs to help the wood         objectives.
                   machining and tooling industries
                   conserve natural resources,
                   compete with foreign markets, and
                   compete with other building
                   material industries; provide
                   industry with graduates
                   knowledgeable in wood machining
                   practices and the means to
                   educate employees in the latest
                   technology through technology
                   transfer. Conduct applied
                   research focusing on the
                   machine-tool-work piece
                   interface.
    1999        Continues 1998 objectives.        Objectives and descriptions
                                                     of research activities are
                                                     similar to objectives.
    2000        Continues 1998 objectives.           o  Adapt existing
                                                        technologies from other
                                                        disciplines, such as the
                                                        metal-cutting and
                                                        aerospace industries
                                                        o  Use high speed
                                                        machining techniques to
                                                        achieve higher
                                                        throughputs
                                                        o  Adapt process
                                                        monitoring techniques
                                                        developed for metal
                                                        cutting to wood machining
                                                        o  Use surface quality
                                                        evaluation techniques to
                                                        monitor the machining
                                                        process as well as the
                                                        condition of the work
                                                        piece.
    2001        Foster research and education to  Continues 2000 activities,
                   achieve an improved understanding and adds
                   of tool/work piece interaction
                   phenomena, including enhancing       o  Conduct abrasive
                   wood utilization and wood            machining research,
                   products manufacturing efficiency    resulting in significant
                   through increased tool life,         energy savings
                   improving surface quality,
                   reducing machine and tool
                   maintenance problems, improving
                   cutting accuracy, and increasing
                   machine productivity.
    2002        Continues 2001 objectives.        Continues 2001 activities.
    2003        Continues 1998 objectives.        Continues 2001 activities.
    2004        Help the wood machining and       Continues 2001 activities.
                   tooling industries conserve
                   natural resources, compete with
                   foreign markets, and compete with
                   other building material
                   industries; provide industry with
                   graduates knowledgeable in wood
                   machining practices and with the
                   means to educate employees in the
                   latest technology through
                   technology transfer efforts;
                   conduct applied research focusing
                   on the machine-tool-work piece
                   interface.
    2005        Help the wood machining and       Continues some 2001
                   tooling industries conserve       activities.
                   natural resources, compete with
                   foreign markets, compete with
                   other building material
                   industries, as well as provide
                   these industries with graduates
                   knowledgeable in wood machining
                   practices. Focus on the
                   machine-tool-work piece interface
                   to better understand and improve
                   tool materials, machine and tool
                   designs, and process monitoring
                   and control techniques.

    Source: GAO's analysis of CSREES data.

    Oregon State University Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in science, technology, and business practices
    that will enhance the domestic and global competitiveness of the U.S. wood
    products industry, especially in the western United States; this will
    ensure more efficient use of available wood resources. A special emphasis
    is placed on training future scientists, researchers, and practitioners.

    Table 23: Oregon State University Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Fiscal year Objective                       Approach/research activities
    1995        Meet environmental goals during    o  Applied and basic
                   timber harvest and forest          studies on forest
                   product manufacture, leading to    harvesting and other
                   sustained timber production;       operations such as
                   extend the forest resource base    road-building
                   through improved manufacturing     o  Basic studies on wood
                   and processing, developing new     and other materials
                   wood composites, and extending     properties to use in
                   the service life of wood;          applied research on
                   develop new structural             composites manufacture and
                   applications for wood; exploit     testing
                   wood extractives as                o  Basic and applied
                   alternatives to current            studies in wood
                   preservatives, pesticides and      engineering, wood
                   adhesives, and as a potential      preservation, and wood
                   source of pharmaceuticals.         chemistry
    1996        Continues 1995 objectives.      Continues 1995 activities.
    1997        Continues 1995 objectives.      Continues 1995 activities.
    1998        Continues 1995 objectives.      Continues 1995 activities.
    1999        Continues 1995 objectives.      Continues 1995 activities.
    2000        Meet environmental goals,          o  Applied and basic
                   particularly water quality,        research studies, including
                   during timber harvest and          modeling, on forest
                   forest products manufacture,       harvesting and other
                   leading to sustained timber        operations, such as
                   production; improve                road-building and
                   understanding of slope             maintenance
                   stability in forested              o  Basic research on slope
                   environments; extend the forest    stability in forest
                   resource base through improved     environments
                   timber harvest and road-related    o  Basic studies on
                   practices, manufacturing and       properties of wood and
                   processing, developing new wood    other materials to use in
                   products, and extending the        applied research on
                   life of wood; develop new          composites manufacturing
                   structural applications for        and testing; basic and
                   wood; explore new ways to          applied studies in wood
                   detect wood defects; and           engineering, wood
                   understand the effects of          preservation, and wood
                   different silvicultural            chemistry
                   practices on wood quality.
    2001        Develop the relationships          o  Dry wood under a variety
                   between temperature, humidity,     of conditions, and panel
                   airflow, and the levels of VOC     products manufactured to
                   emissions from wood during the     compare emissions at both
                   kiln drying process; create a      dryer and press-especially
                   decision support system that       to look for any effects of
                   helps forest planners select       drying conditions on
                   efficient transportation routes    subsequent press emissions
                   for montane forest operations;     o  Use global information
                   develop a model to determine       systems and economic
                   the life-cycle assessment of       analysis techniques to
                   structural wood products,          analyze terrain and road
                   considering the steps in           construction and
                   manufacturing.                     maintenance costs and to
                                                      generate optimization
                                                      techniques
                                                      o  Use an existing computer
                                                      model to develop life-cycle
                                                      data for a selected number
                                                      of wood-based composite
                                                      products
    2002        Develop the knowledge and          o  Aggregate existing
                   technology necessary to balance    optimization and simulation
                   the sustainable use of the         software modules into a
                   nation's forest resources with     unified system with a
                   the need to maintain a             user-friendly interface and
                   vigorous, competitive, domestic    demonstrate effectiveness
                   forest products industry.          in solving typical
                                                      manufacturing problems
                                                      o  Experimentally determine
                                                      if slash bundling
                                                      technology can be
                                                      effectively used in
                                                      harvesting of 1- to
                                                      4-inch-diameter trees in
                                                      high-fire risk stands
                                                      o  Select three promising
                                                      "smart sensor" technologies
                                                      and experimentally evaluate
                                                      for field efficacy,
                                                      accuracy, repeatability,
                                                      and cost in a forestry
                                                      application
    2003        Continues 2002 objectives.         o  Collect data from
                                                      selected ongoing commercial
                                                      logging operations and use
                                                      regression analysis to
                                                      develop forecasting tools
                                                      o  Use traditional market
                                                      research and telephone
                                                      surveys after in-depth
                                                      interviews of 16
                                                      "bellwether firms"
                                                      o  Modify a base stochastic
                                                      drying model for recent
                                                      research on presorting and
                                                      other features
    2004        Develop the science,               o  Use a mix of log
                   technology, management             production control gaming
                   approaches, and business           in field evaluations and
                   practices that will enhance the    design harvest experiments
                   domestic and global                o  Evaluate bioactivity of
                   competitiveness of the U.S.        species-specific mill
                   wood products industry,            residues and analyze
                   especially in the Pacific          chemical constituents of
                   Northwest.                         those that test positive
                                                      o  Experimentally assess
                                                      the effect of range of
                                                      decay fungi on selected
                                                      composite material
                                                      properties
    2005        Continues 2004 objectives.         o  Employ new life-cycle
                                                      inventory and assessment
                                                      models to benchmark current
                                                      manufacturing practices and
                                                      analyze process
                                                      alternatives
                                                      o  Physically measure
                                                      hygro-mechanical and other
                                                      properties using
                                                      compression tests and
                                                      controlled changes in
                                                      climate conditions
                                                      o  Apply field, laboratory,
                                                      and computer-simulation
                                                      techniques to a series of
                                                      5-10 ha model stands

    Source: GAO's analysis CSREES data.

    University of Tennessee Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in southern Appalachian hardwood utilization and
    manufacturing of composite materials.

    Table 24: University of Tennessee Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 1999-2005

    Fiscal year Objective                         Approach/research activities
    1999        Apply statistical process control    o  Have researchers from
                   methodologies to manufacturing       the Tennessee Forest
                   hardwood lumber for improved         Products Center work
                   lumber thickness control; develop    together to attain the
                   dimensionally stable wood-based      program objectives
                   composites panel products for        o  Conduct research in
                   improved performance and             cooperating sawmills, in
                   durability; characterize the         the laboratory, and by
                   hardwood sawmill in Tennessee to     mail survey, of sawmill
                   ensure future productivity and       owners
                   competitiveness.                     o  Analyze data and
                                                        prepare reports and
                                                        publications
                                                        o  Make presentations to
                                                        industry groups,
                                                        professional societies,
                                                        and research cooperators
    2000        The Tennessee Quality Wood        Continues 1999 approach and
                   Products Initiative will address  adds
                   understanding sources of
                   variation in manufacture of          o  Research in flooring
                   hardwood flooring and cabinets;      and cabinet plants and
                   the Tennessee Hardwood Lumber        secondary wood products
                   Processing Initiative will           manufacturers in
                   address efficiency in manufacture    Tennessee
                   of hardwood lumber; an               o  International
                   international technology transfer    technology transfer
                   conference on dimensional            conference on wood-based
                   stability of wood-based              composites
                   composites will bring together
                   researchers from around the world
                   to address this subject through
                   oral presentations and poster
                   papers.
    2001        Apply statistical process control    o  Center researchers
                   to improve hardwood lumber           work with other
                   processing; evaluate microwave       university and industry
                   technology for wood drying; and      partners to attain
                   develop technology to improve OSB    program objectives
                   panel with emphasis on thickness     o  Conduct research in
                   swell optimization.                  cooperating industries
                                                        and the laboratory, and
                                                        by conference training
                                                        o  Analyze data and
                                                        prepare reports and
                                                        publications
                                                        o  Make presentations to
                                                        industry groups,
                                                        professional societies,
                                                        and research cooperators
    2002        Improve the efficient and            o  Center researchers
                   effective use of the nation's        work with other
                   hardwood resources by expanding      university, government,
                   their use in composite wood          and industry partners to
                   products like medium-density         accomplish the program
                   fiberboard and OSB. Two research     objectives
                   projects focus on minimizing raw     o  Conduct research
                   material loss by improving           primarily in the Center's
                   process monitoring and control       laboratories
                   methods. The work will explore       o  Compile and analyze
                   the information available from       experimental data for
                   new spectroscopic sensors while      presentation in reports
                   developing new statistical tools     and scientific
                   for data mining and information      publications, and make
                   presentation.                        presentations to industry
                                                        groups, professional
                                                        societies, and
                                                        cooperating researchers
    2003        Define the effect of molecular       o  Build on recent
                   level orientation in regenerated     reprogramming of Center's
                   cellulose fibers on the              research to include a
                   properties of carbon fibers made     focus on renewable
                   from this starting material;         composites and develop
                   develop dynamic mechanical           low-modulus, carbon
                   analysis to assess mechanical        fibers from cellulose
                   properties of red oak at elevated    fibers regenerated from
                   temperature and moisture             NMMO solution
                   contents; determine the effect of    o  Apply nanoindentation
                   adhesive resin content and cure      to study fundamental
                   level on strength characteristics    questions of interphase
                   of wood fibers.                      structure and properties
                                                        to composite performance
                                                        and use this tool to
                                                        generate new information
                                                        on the material
                                                        properties of the wood
                                                        cell wall
    2004        Focus on delivering new insight      o  Develop new algorithms
                   into the performance of wood in      to model product
                   heterogeneous materials to better    properties based on input
                   define the fundamental parameters    from multiple sensors,
                   that dictate product performance;    including novel near
                   better understand the role of the    infrared fingerprints
                   wood/polymer interface in            o  Use microscopy and
                   composites, and develop improved     thermal analysis to study
                   systems for monitoring and           species effects on
                   control of the manufacturing         wood-plastic composite
                   process.                             structure and properties
                                                        o  Develop spectroscopic
                                                        imaging to characterize
                                                        resin penetration and
                                                        chemistry in
                                                        veneer-composite
                                                        bondlines
    2005        Focus on developing new              o  Develop new approaches
                   information on processing and        to monitor and model
                   performance of extruded              extruded composite
                   wood-polymer composite materials;    properties based on input
                   better understand the role of the    from multiple sensors,
                   wood and polymer interface in        including novel near
                   composites, better define            infrared fingerprints
                   interfacial structure-property       o  Conduct research on
                   relationships, and develop           wood-polymer composites
                   improved systems for monitoring      to explore the effect of
                   and control of the extrusion         copolymer architecture on
                   process; develop novel wireless      interfacial structure and
                   sensors for moisture content         adhesion with amorphous
                   monitoring during the drying         polymers
                   process.                             o  Use dynamic mechanical
                                                        analysis and
                                                        spectroscopic methods to
                                                        assess characteristics of
                                                        the wood-polymer
                                                        interphase

    Source: GAO analysis of CSREES data.

    University of West Virginia Wood Utilization Research Center

    This center specializes in improving the utilization of upland hardwoods
    in Appalachian forests.

    Table 25: University of West Virginia Wood Utilization Research
    Center-Activities Conducted Under Grants for Wood Utilization Research and
    Product Development, Fiscal Years 2004-2005

    Fiscal year Objective                        Approach/research activities
    2004        Provide research leadership to      o  Condition assessment of
                   the forest products sector in       logs using
                   the Appalachian region and          ground-penetrating radar
                   increase the success of the wood    (GPR): use GPR to develop
                   products industry: assess the       nondestructive scanning
                   fundamental properties of           technology for identifying
                   Appalachian hardwoods relative      subsurface defects in
                   to improved use and                 hardwood logs
                   manufacturing; improve              o  Oak logging residues:
                   opportunities for value-added       determine lumber and
                   products developed from             component yields of
                   residues, poor quality              low-quality logs and bolts
                   resources, and underutilized        remaining after timber
                   upland hardwood species; and        harvesting in West
                   enhance the global                  Virginia
                   competitiveness of Appalachian      o  Determine economic
                   hardwood industries by promoting    feasibility of converting
                   their quality and efficient use.    logging residues into
                                                       value-added products for
                                                       the lumber, tie, pallet,
                                                       and component industries
                                                       o  Increase use of
                                                       low-quality wood: increase
                                                       use of oak by
                                                       investigating knife angles
                                                       and projections during
                                                       stranding for OSB panel
                                                       production
    2005        Provide research leadership to   Continues 2004 activities and
                   the forest products sector in    adds
                   the Appalachian region and
                   increase the success of the wood    o  Value recovery through
                   products industry.                  merchandizing hardwood log
                                                       products
                                                       o  Enhancement of
                                                       commercial competitiveness
                                                       through application of
                                                       advanced technologies

    Source: GAO analysis of CSREES data.

    Appendix IV: Budget Authority for the Forest Service's Research Work Units
    and for the CSREES Wood Utilization Research Centers Appendix IV: Budget
    Authority for the Forest Service's Research Work Units and for the CSREES
    Wood Utilization Research Centers

    This appendix presents budget authority information for the Forest
    Service, information on FTE scientists and support staff for the Forest
    Service, and budget authority information for CSREES wood utilization
    research centers, from fiscal years 1995 through 2005.

    Table 26: The Forest Service's Wood Utilization Research Work Units'
    Budget Authority, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Nominal dollars in thousands
    Work units         1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005
    Forest Products
    Laboratory
    4502               $549    $351    $317    $655    $660    $660    $643    $680    $722    $806    $673
    4701                333     333     333     474     478     478     468     469     553     532     425
    4703              1,338   1,125   1,150     976     983     983     960     962     987   1,107   1,107
    4706                874     894     894   1,104   1,113   1,113   1,086   1,163   1,188   1,265   1,265
    4707                610     271     280     523     527     527     515     591     616     697     697
    4708              1,031   1,031   1,031       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a
    4709              1,395   1,195   1,395   1,340   1,350   1,350   1,316   1,319   1,389   1,877   1,877
    4710              1,147   1,267   1,267   2,042   2,058   2,058   2,206   2,211   2,236   2,231   2,231
    4712              1,333   1,228   1,363   1,349   1,359   1,359   1,427   1,430   1,476   1,474   1,474
    4714                893     953     953     965     973     973   1,091   1,093   1,118   1,193   2,445
    4715                870     910     910       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a
    4716              1,917   1,502   1,502   1,419   1,430   1,430   2,182   2,514   2,461   2,555     875
    4718                739     335       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a
    4719              1,495   1,300   1,300   1,335   1,345   1,345   1,228   1,231   1,327   1,308   1,308
    4722                918     933     933     972     980     980     956     958   1,028   1,013   1,013
    4723              1,249   1,249   1,249   1,354   1,365   1,365   1,294   1,372   1,397   1,394     925
    4724                  a       a       a       a       a       a     629     630     655     638     638
    4725                  a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a       a     775
    4851                905     923     923   1,218   1,229   1,229   1,923   1,928   1,935   1,935   1,485
    Subtotal-Forest
    Products                                                                                           $19,
    Laboratory      $17,596 $15,800 $15,800 $15,726 $15,850 $15,850 $17,924 $18,551 $19,088 $20,025     213
    Northeastern
    Research
    Station
    4701              1,114   1,059   1,459   1,459   1,059   1,059   1,139   1,137   1,131   1,117   1,084
    4751                300     200     200     200     200     261     233     235     246     250     248
    4803                857     400     478     650   1,050   1,030   1,159   1,157   1,150   1,136   1,103
    4805                112     108     129     126     126     145     155     155     167     168     161
    Pacific
    Northwest
    Research
    Station
    4865              1,442   1,131   1,277   1,227   1,569   2,423   2,637   2,671   2,638   2,717   2,644
    Pacific
    Southwest
    Research
    Station
    4202                  a       a       a       a       a       a     225     225     225     206     164
    Rocky Mountain
    Research
    Station
    4156                  a       a       a     200     300     300     300     300     300     300     300
    Southern
    Research
    Station
    4104                569     475     375     330     330     336     368     374     381     391     401
    4701              1,089   1,100   1,100   1,100   1,110   1,171   1,226   1,226   1,226   1,250   1,183
    4702                448     400     398     398     402     420     475     495     495     491     479
    4703                200     200     200     200     200     200     200     200     200     200     200
    Total           $23,727 $20,873 $21,416 $21,616 $22,196 $23,195 $26,041 $26,726 $27,246 $28,251 $27,179

    Source: Forest Service data.

    aIndicates the research work unit was not established, was discontinued,
    or was not doing any wood utilization research in the given year.

    Table 27: FTE Scientists and Support Staff in the Forest Service's Wood
    Utilization Research Work Units, Fiscal Years 1995-2005

    Work unit    Staff       1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005
    Forest       Total       67.2  69.0  64.3  60.6  56.4  55.8  59.0  58.5  57.2  62.8  59.6
    Products     scientists
    Laboratory
                 Total       78.0  73.5  61.5  60.4  61.9  60.3  62.3  61.5  62.0  58.3  57.3
                 support
                 Total FTE  145.2 142.5 125.8 121.0 118.3 116.1 121.3 120.0 119.2 121.1 116.9
    4502         Scientists   4.2   4.2   2.8   2.3   2.1   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.1
                 Support      1.1     1     2     2     2     2     2     2   2.2     2   1.1
    4701         Scientists     2     2     3     2     2     1     1     2     2     2     1
                 Support        0   0.2   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9
    4703         Scientists     4     4     4     4     4   2.6   3.3     3     3     3     3
                 Support      3.4   3.3   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   4.4   4.5
    4706         Scientists     2     2   4.5     5     4     4     3     3     3     5     6
                 Support      4.7     6     6     6     6     6     6     6     6   9.4   9.5
    4707         Scientists   1.2     1   2.1     2     2     2     2     2     2     2     2
                 Support      2.5   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   2.5   2.5
    4708         Scientists   3.2   5.1     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
                 Support        7   4.5     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
    4709         Scientists     6     6   6.1     6     5   5.8     6     6   4.4     4     5
                 Support      3.5     8   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5
    4710         Scientists     4     4     6     6     6     6   6.5     5   4.6   4.5     6
                 Support       11   8.5   8.5   8.5    12    12  13.5  13.5  14.7   9.3   6.5
    4712         Scientists     5     5   3.5     3     3     4     4     4     4     4     4
                 Support       10   8.1   8.1     7     7     7     7     7     7   6.5   6.5
    4714         Scientists     4     4     4     3     3   2.8   3.5     3     3   7.8     7
                 Support      2.3     2     2     2     2     2     2     2   2.5   2.2   2.2
    4715         Scientists     4     4     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
                 Support      0.5   0.5     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
    4716         Scientists   8.3   8.7     7     7     7     7   5.2     6   6.7     7     2
                 Support      6.5   5.5     4     4     3     3   2.5   2.5   1.1   0.5   1.7
    4718         Scientists     2     2     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
                 Support      3.5   3.5     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a
    4719         Scientists     4     4     5     5     4     4     4     4   3.5   3.5     3
                 Support      5.5   3.5   2.5   2.5   2.5   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9
    4722         Scientists     5     5     5     5     5     5     5     5     5   4.4     5
                 Support      2.5     2     5     5     5     5     5     5     5     5     5
    4723         Scientists     2     2     5     4     3     4     4     4     4     2     3
                 Support      7.3   7.3     6     6     6     6     6     6     6   3.8   4.3
    4724         Scientists     a     a     a     a     a     a     3     3     3     3     3
                 Support        a     a     a     a     a     a     2     2     2     2     2
    4725         Scientists     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     2   2.1
                 Support        a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a     a   2.6   2.5
    4851         Scientists   6.3     6   6.3   6.3   6.3   5.4   6.3   6.3   6.8   6.4   5.4
                 Support      6.7   7.1     6     6     5     5     4   3.2   3.2   0.8   1.7
    Northeastern Total         13    14    12    10    12    12    11    10     9     9     9
    Research     scientists
    Station
                 Total         10     9     9    10     8    10    10    11    11    11    10
                 support
    4701         Scientists     7     8     7     6     5     5     5     4     3     3     3
                 Support        4     4     4     4     3     5     5     6     6     6     6
    4751         Scientists     1     1     1     1     1     2     1     1     1     1     1
                 Support        1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1
    4803         Scientists     4     4     3     2     5     4     4     4     4     4     4
                 Support        5     4     4     5     4     4     4     4     4     4     3
    4805         Scientists     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1
                 Support        0     0     0     0     0     0     0     0     0     0     0
    Pacific      Scientists   7.5   5.8   5.8   5.8   5.8   8.8   8.8   7.8  10.1     9   9.3
    Northwest
    Research
    Station-4865
                 Support        8     6     5     5   5.5   7.5   7.5   7.5     6   4.5     7
    Pacific      Scientists     a     a     a     a     a     a     1     1     1     1     1
    Southwest
    Research
    Station-4202
                 Support        a     a     a     a     a     a     0     0     0     0     2
    Rocky        Scientists     a     a     a   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1
    Mountain
    Research
    Station-4156
                 Support        a     a     a   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
    Southern     Total       10.5   9.5   8.5   8.5   8.5   7.5   6.7   6.7   8.7   8.7   8.7
    Research     scientists
    Station
                 Total       13.0  13.0  13.0  12.0  11.0  10.0  10.0   9.3   9.3   9.3   9.8
                 support
    4104         Scientists     4     3     2     2     2     1   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.2
                 Support        4     4     4     3     3     3     3     3     3     3     3
    4701         Scientists     4     4     4     4     4     3     2     2     4     4     4
                 Support        7     7     7     7     6     5     5   4.3   4.3   4.3   4.8
    4702         Scientists     2     2     2     2     2     3     3     3     3     3     3
                 Support      1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5
    4703         Scientists   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5
                 Support      0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.5
    Forest       Total       98.2  98.3  90.6  85.0  82.8  84.2  86.6  84.1  86.1  90.6  87.7
    Service      scientists
                 Total        109 101.5  88.5  87.4  86.4  87.8  89.8  89.3  88.3  83.1  86.1
                 support
                 Total FTEs 207.2 199.8 179.1 172.4 169.2   172 176.4 173.4 174.4 173.7 173.8

    Source: GAO's analysis of Forest Service data.

    aIndicates the research work unit was not yet established, was
    discontinued, or was not doing any wood utilization research in the given
    year.

    Objectives (360532)

    www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt? GAO-06-624 .

    To view the full product, including the scope

    and methodology, click on the link above.

    For more information, contact Robin Nazzaro at (202) 512-3841 or
    nazzaror@gao.gov.

    Highlights of GAO-06-624 , a report to congressional requesters

    June 2006

    WOOD UTILIZATION

    Federal Research and Product Development Activities, Support, and
    Technology Transfer

    More wood is consumed every year in the United States than all metals,
    plastics, and masonry cement combined. To maximize their use of wood,
    forest product companies rely on research into new methods for using wood.
    At least 12 federal agencies have provided support to wood utilization
    research and product development activities, including the U.S. Department
    of Agriculture's Forest Service and Cooperative State Research, Education,
    and Extension Service (CSREES)-funded wood utilization research centers,
    which historically have specifically targeted support to these activities.

    GAO was asked to identify (1) the types of wood utilization research and
    product development activities federal agencies support and how these
    activities are coordinated; (2) the level of support federal agencies made
    available for these activities in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, and changes
    in the level of support at the Forest Service and at the CSREES-funded
    wood utilization research centers for fiscal years 1995 through 2005; and
    (3) how the federal government transfers the technologies and products
    from its wood utilization research and product development activities to
    industry.

    GAO provided a draft of this report to the 12 federal agencies for review
    and comment. Some of the agencies provided technical comments, which were
    incorporated as appropriate.

    Federal wood utilization research and product development span a broad
    spectrum of activities. These activities fall into five categories:
    harvesting, wood properties, manufacturing and processing, products and
    testing, and economics and marketing. Of the 12 federal agencies that
    provided support to wood utilization research and product development,
    only the Forest Service and the CSREES-funded wood utilization centers had
    activities in all five categories; although all the agencies had
    activities in manufacturing and processing. Coordination of these
    activities is both informal and formal. Scientists informally coordinate
    their activities by conferring with each other and sharing information at
    conferences and professional meetings and through publications. In some
    cases, coordination occurs through more formal mechanisms, such as
    cooperative arrangements and other joint ventures.

    During fiscal years 2004 and 2005, the 12 federal agencies made available
    at least $54 million annually for wood utilization research and product
    development activities, measured either in budget authority or
    expenditures. (Dollars are reported in either budget authority or
    expenditure data, depending on the availability of agency data.) The
    Forest Service made available about half of these funds. In addition, the
    Forest Service-the only agency that directly employs scientists and
    support staff to conduct wood utilization research and product
    development-reported having almost 175 full-time equivalent scientists and
    support staff in each of these years. For fiscal years 1995 through 2005,
    the Forest Service's budget authority for wood utilization research and
    product development activities fluctuated moderately from year-to-year (in
    inflation-adjusted dollars). In contrast, overall, CSREES' budget
    authority for the wood utilization research centers increased over the
    period (in inflation-adjusted dollars), in part because of the addition of
    four new wood utilization research centers between fiscal years 1999 and
    2004.

    To transfer technologies and products to industry, federal agencies
    generally rely on scientists and technology transfer specialists, who use
    methods such as information sharing, technical assistance, and
    demonstration projects. For example, applying research from the Forest
    Products Laboratory, Forest Service technology transfer specialists
    assisted a small forest products company in producing flooring from small
    trees by, among other things, providing solutions to product imperfections
    like warping and discoloration.

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