Pacific Southwest Research Station

Placerville - Institute of Forest Genetics

The Future Starts Here: Sustainability Science Research, Development, and Exchange

The Institute of Forest Genetics in Placerville was established in 1925. James G. Eddy founded the facility, which was originally named the Eddy Tree Breeding Station, to help find ways to restore forests. He renamed the facility the Institute of Forest Genetics and donated it to the U.S. Forest Service in 1935. U.S. Forest Service photo by Sherri Eng.

The Institute of Forest Genetics (IFG) is a world-renowned facility with a history of excellence in forest genetics and disease research. IFG builds upon that history with new genetic technologies to study both old and new problems facing our nation’s forests, such as wood production, disease resistance, and environmental resilience.

Long-term field studies remain a cornerstone of research aimed at understanding the genetic basis of adaptation and response to climate change. Sustainability research at the Institute includes genetics of hardwood species (oaks and Koa), genetics of biomass accumulation (poplars), and disease resistance of high elevation conifers.

Research at the Institute has also expanded in breadth in recent years, encompassing bark beetle ecology, forest management for fire resilience, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, and plant and animal monitoring tools and techniques.

University partnerships are a cornerstone of the research being conducted through the Institute. Collaborations with various campuses the University of California and the California State University system have been long-standing partners on dozens of projects, with many other Universities from across the nation and around the world also teaming up with Institute scientists to address pressing research questions.

Supporting Natural Resources Management

Support for work on National Forests includes collaborating on projects with the Regional Nursery, growing specialty tree planting stocks for conservation and restoration, and assisting:

The National Forest Genetics Lab (NFGEL): an independent National lab that provides services to National Forests across the country in genetic improvement, restoration, and conservation for a variety of native plant species.

National Forests by providing expertise and support for a wide-range of science-based tools and applications, such as environmental monitoring, disease and pest management strategies, wildlife habitat management approaches, scientific assessments, and other decision-support tools.