Governor, UAM break ground on Arkansas Forest Health Research Center

MONTICELLO — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders highlighted the impending impact the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center at the University of Arkansas at Monticello will have on the entire state at its groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning.

“There’s an old saying that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the second-best time is today,” Sanders said. “The best time to build a facility focused on expanding and preserving Arkansas’ forests was when we were all kids, and the second-best time is right now. We won’t be the students working in the labs and focusing on forest science, but our kids will. We may not see the trees our students plant, but our kids will walk under their shade. And we may never see the full impact this research center has on our state, our economy and our quality of life, but our kids will benefit and our entire state’s future will as well.”

Sanders joined state legislators and leaders from the University of Arkansas System for the ceremonial start to construction of the center, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2026.

State Reps. Howard Beaty (R-Crossett) and Jeff Wardlaw (R-Hermitage) were in attendance along with State Sens. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) and Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs). Sanders thanked the legislators for not giving up on funding the center.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration in February allocated $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward construction of the center, which will be located behind the Fine Arts Center at UAM. The school does not have to match any funds.

“The legislature as a whole approved it, and it was driven by the local legislators here,” said State Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe). “They were pretty diligent in making sure they talk to the membership to make sure it gets across the line. Of course, the governor has been very supportive.”

State Attorney General Tim Griffin surprised attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony with an announcement that his office would contribute another $1 million toward construction.

“Money is only one part of it. Actually moving dirt and running this center is the critical piece to its success,” Sanders said. Completion of the center is projected for the summer of 2026.

UAM is touting the new research center as a top facility of its kind in the Southeast that will lead research for mitigating the effects of insects, disease and environmental stressors on forests. School Chancellor Peggy Doss said the center will be comparable to research centers at two major regional universities, but UAM’s will stand out from those in particular ways.

“We are unique in the sense that we will also be focusing a great deal on how the forestlands and forest research focuses on our other natural resources (and) the things that have to do with tourism like how your healthy forests protects your fishing and your hunting and your wildlife,” Doss said. “It’s that collective piece of what we do at UAM and our College of Forestry, Ag and Natural Resources where we cover all those areas, and the work we do here will be impacting our agriculture community, strongly. Some of your other institutions just focus around forestlands and forestry itself, so like Auburn University and Mississippi State and others that have that more narrow focus … we’re broadening ours.”

The center will be designed to house what the university calls leading edge technology for disease, insect and genetics research; test tree and wood materials for insects and disease; test wild game samples for disease; analyze aerial and satellite data for insect, disease and environmental stress trends; analyze soil and water factors contributing to forest and urban tree health issues; increase education and research capacity for a number of careers; and host training and education events for natural resource professionals and landowners.

UAM officials project the annual economic benefit from the center to the state to be $159 million per year, including $85 million in improved landowner and mill revenues from reduced forest mortality, $40 million in improved wood product volumes for export sales, and $34 million in increased income and graduates of forestry, allied health, wildlife, agriculture and land surveying disciplines. Forests in the state support $16 billion of the state’s economy annually through wood products, tourism and hunting.

“While we are very fortunate to be successful in our research efforts, this very unique center here raises our profile and makes us much more visible and opens new opportunities for grants we can receive to support the work,” Doss said.