On Friday, October 2, the University of Arkansas at Monticello will hold a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center on UAM’s Monticello campus.

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. At the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2024, Attorney General Tim Griffin announced an additional $1 million from state settlement funds for the project. The family of John W. Spivey also contributed $400,000 to support the addition of the John W. Spivey Conference Center. 

The research center, poised to be among the top facilities of its kind in the Southeast United States, is designed to address a critical gap in Arkansas’ forest research capacity. Prior to the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, the state lacked in-state facilities to test for forest diseases, invasive insects and climate threats that increasingly threaten its $16 billion annual forestry economy. Estimates indicate the center will generate a $157 million annual economic benefit to Arkansas by protecting against lost values of trees and forest products and increasing the workforce for forestry, allied health, agriculture, wildlife and related fields.

In addition to the research wing and the conference center, the building includes a wing of biology and chemistry labs to benefit all UAM students, including those in natural sciences, allied health, agriculture, natural resources and other highly demanded career fields.

For additional information on the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center and the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held at 132 Science Center Drive, Monticello, Arkansas, on October 2, contact Dr. Michael Blazier at blazier@uamont.edu or 870-460-1152.