MONTICELLO - Plans are underway at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) for the construction of the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, which will be housed within the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources (CFANR) at the university.In February 2024, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration received approval to allocate $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to UAM for the construction of the center.The research center will be located on the university's Monticello campus between the University Police Station and the Fine Arts Center. UAM plans to host a groundbreaking ceremony on October 1, 2024, and construction will be completed by the summer of 2026.Forests in Arkansas support $16 billion of the state's economy annually through wood products, tourism and hunting. However, increased threats to forest health from invasive pests, changing disease behaviors and climate stressors such as flooding and droughts pose risks to this important economic asset. Currently, Arkansas has no in-state facilities for testing forest diseases and insects.UAM, as a leader in forestry, allied health and agriculture workforce development in Arkansas, aims to serve the state to remedy this issue. The Arkansas Forest Health Research Center will be among the top facilities of its kind in the Southeast United States."Analyses for the center indicate that it will generate a $157 million annual economic benefit to Arkansas by protecting against lost values of trees and forest products and increasing the workforce for forestry, allied health, agriculture, wildlife and related fields. It's truly exciting to serve our state in this way," Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of CFANR at UAM and director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, said."This is a tremendous boost to the capacity of our College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at UAM to protect the state's forests," Dr. Blazier said. "...
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