Select Background Link About INL About ESER About Radiation ESER Contacts About CESUs

About  Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs)

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) (there are currently 17) are a network of cooperating research, education, and federal natural resource management units established to provide research, technical assistance, and education to resource and environmental managers. To facilitate and enhance ecological and other research through the ESER Program and the NERP, Stoller works with the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin CESUs with universities located across the western United States. This collaboration not only improves and increases Stoller’s ability to conduct research through the ESER Program but also provides DOE-ID a conduit to interact with regional universities and federal agencies on issues as diverse as social concerns, natural resources preservation, ecology, land management, endangered species, National Environmental Policy Act, ecological and human risk assessment, contaminant surveillance, health physics, engineering or nuclear energy. CESUs create additional opportunities for interdisciplinary and multi-agency research, technical assistance, and education. A national CESU Council provides oversight for all of the CESUs in the country.

The CESU Network has several benefits: • A broadened scope of scientific services for Federal agencies, • Increased technical assistance to resource managers, • Additional scientific resources and opportunities for universities, and • Increased diversity of research scientists and institutions.

Rocky Mountain CESU

The Rocky Mountain CESU  was founded in June 1999 as a partnership between ten Rocky Mountain universities and six federal agencies. The University of Montana serves as the Host University. The RM-CESU fosters partnerships among universities and federal agencies in the conduct of research, education, and technical assistance focused on natural resource and environment issues of the Rocky Mountain States and selected national issues. The mission of the RM-CESU is to improve the scientific base for managing ecosystems in the rapidly changing social, cultural, and environmental landscape of the Rocky Mountain Region, and to extend its expertise to national issues where appropriate.

Great Basin CESU

The Great Basin CESU is composed of fifteen academic and seven federal agency partners that have a significant stake in Great Basin management directions and future outcomes. As Host University, the University of Nevada-Reno provides all required administrative services and coordinates activities for the GB-CESU and serves as coordinator of biological, ecological, environmental, economic and social programs. Utah State University, as Senior Partner, provides leadership and coordination to the critical areas of Remote Sensing/Geographic Information System, and information resource management and networking services. The organizational structure recognizes that, depending on the issue or problem area, any individual partner may provide project leadership based on their expertise and resources. Also recognized are the strengths, skills, and needs of the cooperators, and their potential contributions to programs as well as the potential for cooperation and assistance of the partners to their projects addressing the high priority needs of the Great Basin.

Idaho National Laboratory

Idaho Cleanup Project

Department of Energy-Idaho Operations Office

University of Idaho

Idaho State University

Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

Wildlife Conservation Society
 

ESER Team Partners

Rocky Mountain CESU                                     Great Basin CESU

Home | Background | Surveillance |  Land Management | Education | Research | Risk Assessment | Publications |  Links | Feedback | Opportunities