The Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program (YASSP) is an initiative housed at The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment. The program connects academic researchers, policymakers, and those managing lands to answer applied questions about how land management decisions affect the services provided by forests, croplands, wetlands, rangelands, and grasslands.

We work with for- and not-for-profit partners that need to make decisions on sustainable land management practices. Our synthesis work focuses on the regional context within which local management decisions are made, to help maximize ecosystem benefits provided by these land resources, such as carbon storage, sustainable food production, and biodiversity. Our mission reflects the founding principles of The Forest School, which was first established in 1900, to develop applied scientific knowledge to guide effective stewardship of the nation’s forests.

Our work is funded through multiple partnerships and grants, including from the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, the Environmental Defense Fund, US Department of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and Ocean Spray.