The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest Research Stations have developed a science synthesis to inform revision of land management plans for 19 national forests within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area, which includes western Washington, western Oregon, and northwestern California. The synthesis responds to agency direction to use best available science in forest planning. The synthesis integrates scientific information across ecological topics such as forest dynamics, at-risk species including the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet, forest biodiversity, and aquatic and riparian ecosystems; and sociocultural topics such as public values, citizen engagement, community socioeconomic well-being, environmental justice, and tribal ecocultural resources. Through short presentations, we will highlight advances in understanding social-ecological system dynamics since the early 1990s when the NWFP was adopted. We will relate those findings to integrated themes including the importance of restoring fire as an ecological process, the role of active forest management in redirecting trajectories toward more resilient conditions, the need for ecosystem conservation beyond federal lands, strategies for enhanced public engagement, and management for resources of ecological and cultural value to tribes. This synthesis was developed using distinctive processes including an online portal for public submission of peer-reviewed literature, peer-review of the draft report led by the ESA, and opportunities for public comment. The session will conclude with open discussion of key issues highlighted in the synthesis, peer review and public comments, and next steps for helping forest managers incorporate and foster scientific advances.