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Center Accomplishment Highlights: Science Delivery
Web-Based Tool Enhances Visual Threat Detection
EFETAC launched its forest threats summary viewer—a Web-based, user-friendly tool that provides images, threat distribution maps, additional forestry contact information, and brief descriptions about forest threats throughout the eastern U.S. The Center partnered with the University of North Carolina Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) to develop the tool, which is available on EFETAC’s Web site, http://www.forestthreats.org. Threats are categorized by today’s familiar forest concerns, including invasive plants, insects and diseases, loss of open space, climate change, and wildland fire.
The user is also provided current and credible Web links to other federal, state, and local resources that offer additional in-depth information. This initial version of the multi-phased tool will be continually updated with environmental threats as well as additional search features. The forest threats summary viewer is an excellent tool for individuals concerned about environmental threats to healthy forests or how these threats affect backyard habitats. The viewer makes forest research more relevant and useful to forest land managers and homeowners by connecting them with resources to help address concerns.
Contact: Danny C. Lee, EFETAC Director, (828) 257-4854, dclee@fs.fed.us
CRAFTing Tools for Forest Managers
EFETAC and NEMAC are collaborating on a risk assessment project that will help natural resource managers make decisions about forest and rangeland management. This collaboration is focused on advancing the Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and Tools (CRAFT) into a more flexible and dynamic environment with development of on-line tools and facilitation techniques.
Currently, the project includes a new Web site with tutorials, a project-specific portal and Wizard for CRAFT users, a wiki-inspired tool called CRAFTiPedia, an integration process for converting GIS spatial layers into a Bayesian Belief Network (and vice versa), and the use of real-life case studies to aid in the testing of each of these tools and techniques. These case studies have highlighted several areas that are applicable to CRAFT, including the spread of invasive exotic plants in wildlife openings in the Pisgah National Forest, and investigating the use of wildlife crossings within the Ocala National Forest. Workshops are being held for internal and external stakeholders and partners.
Contact: Steve Norman, research ecologist, (828) 259-0535, stevenorman@fs.fed.us
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