The Legacy of Crossett Experimental Forest
Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
In its earliest days, our nation relied heavily on wood. From our buildings to transportation needs and even fuel, timber became one of our most valued resources.
During the turn of the century, the railroad brought opportunity for further expansion out west. But it also brought with it the need for more wood. Crossties, bridges, train stations, and even the fuel for the trains demanded more wood than we were already consuming.
In fact, the Forest History Society claims that we consumed so much of it, by 1850 there was nearly 3.2 million miles of wooden fences in the United States. With that measurement, that means our fences could have circled the globe 120 times.
While our nation grew westward, forest land continued to be cut down and the demand for wood continued to increase. With no real plan for managing the land that was used, many logging companies simply moved on once they had been supplied with all they could get from the region.
As time went on, however, it became evident that our forests were a limited resource and their supply would soon become scarce if we couldn’t efficiently regrow our timber and understand healthy forest management.
With a focused objective to learn how to grow trees more quickly and replant logged areas successfully, among other important conservation efforts, the Forest Service designated experimental forests where research could be conducted.
The Crossett Experimental Forest, established in 1934, quickly became an exceptional model for working, sustainable forests that has since continued to contribute greatly to our understanding of forest management for over 90 years.
As the first field station in the Southern Forest Experiment Station, its main priority was to ensure that high-value saw logs could be produced from the second-growth southern pine stands in the region.
Loggers and landowners knew that first-growth (or old-growth) wood was preferred for its tighter cell structure that made the wood more durable and sturdy than the second-growth wood. So, ensuring they had products that could provide a good return on their investment was critical for their own financial success.
As the decades passed, the objectives of the experimental forest have changed to meet modern needs of our forestry industry. However, since the unfortunate passing of Dr. Bragg in 2023, who had directed the research of the experimental forest for two decades, we’ve seen virtually no research conducted.
As a licensed forester, I understand first-hand the importance of regional, real-world data. What’s more, Arkansas’s forestry industry is a major driver of our state’s economy, and its success and longevity rely on the most modern, science-based practices for how to best manage and conserve one of our most valuable natural resources.
That’s why I was excited to introduce a piece of legislation in August that allows the Crossett Experimental Forest to continue providing opportunities for research through a transfer of ownership from the federal government to the state government.
This week, Arkansas State Forester Kyle Cunningham was warmly welcomed to Washington where he served as a witness for the hearing held by the Committee on Natural Resources to discuss the benefits and possibility of this transfer.
His testimony and support for this proposed legislation are appreciated as we work to secure the great legacy of the Crossett Experimental Forest and keep active, hands-on research alive for future foresters to learn from and enjoy.