In addition, FS R&D’s mission includes the nation’s  forests and rangelands, both public and private. Accomplishments

Forest Inventory and Analysis program. Invasive species. Trends in spending varied across  the research stations, with some experiencing increases and others,  decreases. Overall FS R&D Spending Remained Relatively Flat over the Last Decade, with an Increasing Proportion of Spending Coming from External Sources

Overall, the amount spent by FS R&D—using both Forest Service- appropriated funds as well as resources from external sources such as  cooperating agencies and organizations—remained relatively flat during  fiscal years 2000 through 2009, with funding from external sources  representing a small but growing percentage of total spending. Consistent with FS R&D’s fiscal year 2012 goal (also contained in its 2008- 2012 strategic plan) to obtain a portion of its funding from external  sources, resources spent using external sources increased from  $15 million in fiscal year 2000 to $31.3 million in fiscal year 2009—an  average annual increase of 8.5 percent, or 6.0 percent after adjusting for  inflation (see fig. FS R&D Has Recently Taken a Number of Steps to Improve Its Ability to Fulfill Its Mission, but Challenges Remain, Particularly in Science Delivery

FS R&D has recently taken steps to improve its ability to fulfill its mission  in a number of areas, including science delivery, research relevance,  organizational structure, research funding allocation, research agenda  setting, and coordination with other federal research agencies. Modifications to Science Delivery

FS R&D has worked to create a more formal system for delivering the  results of its research, known as science delivery, at multiple levels within  the agency. Likewise, the Rocky Mountain Research Station created the Science  Application and Integration program, which is dedicated to making  scientific information and research applicable to natural resource  management and planning. Without effective delivery of  FS R&D’s research results, land managers, policymakers, and others may  be unable to promptly and effectively use the knowledge, data, and tools  FS R&D produces, and FS R&D cannot ensure that its research is being  used to its greatest potential. The need for greater clarity about FS R&D’s science  delivery role in relation to State and Private Forestry is consistent with the  results of the Forest Service’s own 2009 assessment of science delivery  within the agency, which highlights deficiencies in this area, such as a lack  of coordination among those conducting research and those delivering  research information and tools, and provides suggestions for  improvement, including greater coordination of efforts between FS R&D  and State and Private Forestry. For example,  it is difficult to fully evaluate how well Water, Air, and Soils is performing  when areas of science relevant to that program area, such as the effects of  smoke on air quality, may be evaluated under Wildland Fire. Other Challenges in Carrying Out Day-to-Day Activities

FS R&D officials also reported several challenges that impede their ability  to conduct their day-to-day research, including computing and information  technology, human capital, and other administrative issues. Recommendations for Executive Action

To maintain and strengthen the science delivery role of FS R&D and help  the agency capitalize on the steps it has taken in this area, we recommend  that the Secretary of Agriculture direct the Chief of the Forest Service to  take the following two actions:    Assess the effectiveness of recent steps FS R&D has taken to improve  science delivery from FS R&D to land managers and other stakeholders,  including the extent to which these steps have helped ensure that FS  R&D’s work is disseminated beyond the agency and communicated to its  broad range of potential stakeholders. Take steps to ensure that individual performance assessments better  balance the various types of science delivery activities. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

We provided a draft of this report to the Forest Service for comment. Key contributors to this report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to identify (1) the scope of research and development  carried out by Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) and  some of its resulting accomplishments; (2) trends in resources used in  performing FS R&D work and the effects of those trends on its research  efforts and priorities; and (3) recent steps FS R&D has taken to improve its  ability to fulfill its mission, and challenges it faces in doing so. Table 2 shows yearly spending by the  research stations.
Why GAO Did This Study

In recent decades, managing the nation's public and private forests and rangelands has become increasingly complex, requiring a sound understanding of science and science-based tools to address these complexities. The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service maintains a research and development program (FS R&D) to help provide scientific information and tools. GAO was asked to examine (1) the scope of research and development carried out by FS R&D and some of its resulting accomplishments, (2) trends in resources used in performing FS R&D work and the effects of those trends on its research efforts and priorities, and (3) recent steps FS R&D has taken to improve its ability to fulfill its mission and challenges it faces in doing so. In conducting this review, GAO analyzed FS R&D funding data for fiscal years 2000 to 2009 and staffing data for fiscal years 2006 to 2009 and interviewed officials from FS R&D, other federal agencies, and nonfederal entities.

What GAO Found

The scope of FS R&D's work spans a range of research organized into seven strategic program areas: invasive species; inventory and monitoring; outdoor recreation; resource management and use; water, air, and soils; wildland fire; and wildlife and fish. Using funds appropriated to it, as well as funds from authorized external sources such as universities and other federal agencies, FS R&D operates a system of research stations, which in turn oversee laboratories, experimental forests, and other research locations nationwide. According to end users of FS R&D's work, its accomplishments are many and varied, including the Forest Inventory and Analysis program, which provides long-term data on the nation's forests; efforts to identify and control invasive pests; and software applications to quantify the environmental benefits of urban forests. Nevertheless, end users also identified areas requiring additional attention by FS R&D, such as social science research to better understand human interaction with natural resources. Overall, spending by FS R&D--using both its own appropriated funds and resources from external sources--remained relatively flat during fiscal years 2000 through 2009, with an average annual increase of 3.2 percent, or 0.8 percent when adjusted for inflation; funding from external sources represented a small but growing portion of the total. Trends in spending varied across research stations, with some experiencing increases and others decreases. In response to these trends, many stations reduced their staffing levels and increasingly sought support from external sources. While doing so has had advantages, it has changed the way FS R&D carries out its work and sets research priorities. For example, because external funding is often short term in nature, reliance on this funding may lead FS R&D to address more short-term research issues. FS R&D has taken steps to improve its ability to fulfill its mission in several areas, including increasing its efforts to deliver knowledge and tools to end users and involving end users in setting research agendas; improving funding allocation processes; and increasing coordination with other federal research agencies. Despite these efforts, challenges persist, particularly in the area of science delivery--that is, how research results are communicated. While FS R&D has created a more formal system for science delivery at multiple levels within the agency, and several research stations have specific programs dedicated to science delivery, numerous officials and end users told GAO that FS R&D places greater emphasis on peer-reviewed journals as a means of science delivery than on other types of science delivery efforts, such as workshops, that are often more useful to end users. According to these officials, the performance assessment system for FS R&D researchers often reinforces this bias. Without improved delivery of research results, land managers and others may be unable to fully benefit from the agency's work. FS R&D officials also reported several challenges that impede their ability to conduct their day-to-day research, including computing and information technology, human capital, and other administrative issues.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Forest Service assess the effectiveness of recent steps FS R&D has taken to improve science delivery and take steps to ensure that individual performance assessments better balance the various types of science delivery activities. In commenting on a draft of this report, the Forest Service agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations.