Eastern forests are vulnerable to stresses from insects and disease, wildland loss, invasive species, uncharacteristic fire, and climate change. As new threats emerge and old threats resurface, the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC) is an interdisciplinary resource that is actively developing new technology and tools to anticipate and respond to emerging eastern forest threats. Center researchers work with other scientists nationally as well as with a variety of Federal, State, and local government agencies, universities, and non-governmental partners to address these threats.

EFETAC generates knowledge and tools needed to anticipate and respond to environmental threats, which often involve complex factors interacting at multiple scales. The Center strives to maintain a holistic and integrated research program to tackle these complex issues. Knowledge and tools are delivered to internal and external stakeholders in a timely, useful, and user-friendly manner. The Center maintains internal expertise in threat assessment, climate change, and forest health monitoring and partners with multidisciplinary collaborators to leverage additional expertise and resources.

Established in 2005, EFETAC is a joint effort of the Forest Service’s Research and Development, National Forest System, and State and Private Forestry. Headquartered with the Southern Research Station in Asheville, the Center also has offices in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park, NC—Southern Global Change Program and Forest Health Monitoring.