The North American Forest Ecology Workshop (NAFEW) provides opportunities for forest ecologists to meet and discuss new findings and trends in basic and applied ecology. The workshop covers a broad array of topics, addressing the range of ecological issues and sub-disciplines while focusing around the individual conference themes. The 7th NAFEW will take place at Utah State University in Logan, Utah from June 22 to 26, 2009. The ecological backdrop will be the “Arid and Alpine Forests of North America’s Interior West”. The program will feature three days of plenary sessions consisting of invited plenary speakers and volunteer presentations and posters.