Since 1945, the USDA Forest Service’s National Technology and Development Program has harnessed the latest technological advances to help the agency and its partners solve complex technological problems. As 2020 draws to a close, the Forest Service reflects on 75 years of the program finding innovative and practical ways to better manage public lands, protect resources and save lives.

After the program began during World War II, the Forest Service established “Equipment and Development Centers” in Montana and California, which were tasked with repurposing surplus military equipment and advancing knowledge and techniques to better fight wildfires. These centers pioneered many of the life- and cost-saving advances firefighters use today, such as standardized hoses, pumps, rappelling and parachuting equipment as well as the interagency wildland fire shelter — credited with saving more than 300 lives.

“We create friction and encourage failure,” said Program Director Alex Gavrisheff, referring to the battery of tests the program’s staff design to push products beyond their limits. “We fail, so others don’t.”

The centers’ scope eventually expanded to include forest management, recreation, engineering and more. The National Technology and Development Program now categorizes its work within three areas: application of innovative science and technology, knowledge synthesis and specifications and standards.

The product specifications developed by the program have saved the Forest Service about $40 million a year through centralized purchasing and inventory management. Rigorous product testing and consultation with private industry also ensures commercial products can meet the needs and demands of employees doing work on the ground.

The program also maintains an extensive online library (https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/) of its findings, and regularly shares its knowledge and collaborates with other national and international government agencies on projects.

“As technology has advanced, so has the scope and depth of the National Technology and Development Program,” Gavrisheff said. “It’s been an incredible 75 years, and we’re excited for what the future holds for technology and how we can bring that to the Forest Service, the land that it cares for and the people it serves.”