Michael Blazier & Peggy Doss

MONTICELLO — Plans are underway at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for the construction of the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, which will be housed within the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources 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. …UAM plans to host a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 1, 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.