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The University of Arkansas at Monticello will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on October 17 at 10 a.m. for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, which will be housed within the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources (CFANR) at the university. Special guest Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the event.

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.

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. 

UAM, as a leader in forestry, allied health and agriculture workforce development in Arkansas, aims to serve the state to remedy this issue. The Arkansas Forest Health Research Center will be among the top facilities of its kind in the Southeast United States. Construction of the research center will be completed by the summer of 2026.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on the university’s Monticello campus between the University Police Department and the Fine Arts Center.

For more information about the ceremony or to RSVP, contact Christy Pace at 870-460-1020 or pacec@uamont.edu. RSVPs should be submitted by October 12.