Conducting Research in College Forests

To initiate a research, teaching, or demonstration project (RTD Project) in OSU College Forests, contact the College Forests Director.

Protection of your RTD Project site is established through the process of registering your site(s) with the College Forests Director Registration of your RTD Project is required to:

• Ensure protection of your project site from management activities
• Ensure that your project does not conflict with forest management plans or other research projects

Procedure for Initiating Independent Research Projects

1. Call or email your interest to the OSU Director (listed above)
2. The College Forests Director will discuss your location requirements and recommend areas in the College Forests suitable for your research that:
   • Should not be adversely impacted by forest management activities during the duration of your research project
   • Do not contain research projects that could confound your results
   • Do not contain American Indian cultural sites of other sites of historical interest (if your project involves soils disturbance)
3. The College Forests Director will provide you with stand numbers (via email) of possible localities for your research.
   You will then insert these stand numbers into a linked Email Correspondence Interactive Map of McDonald-Dunn Forest to determine if these localities are suitable for your research project.
   
   For an example of the Interactive map. Please see the link below:
   
   Interactive Map of
   McDonald-Dunn Forest
4. Once you have selected a site, the College Forests Director will give you a project number to use in registering your research project.

By registering, you acquire:

• Access to your research site.
• Site protection for the duration of your registered research.
• Notification of activities that may affect your research site.