White oak plays a major role in Tennessee’s multibillion-dollar forestry economy and the multibillion-dollar whiskey production industry. The white oak industry is facing a tipping point. Due to land use changes, overharvesting, and poor artificial and natural regeneration success, American white oaks are not regenerating fast enough to keep up with demand, creating shortages of mature hardwoods, increasing prices for timber, and raising concerns about sustainability and future availability. Through current support from the USDA Forest Service, ACRE is developing sustainable white oak outplanting tools to ensure the future availability of timber from these trees. This research includes investigation of biological and climate-based drivers to white oak growth; suitability of white oak provenances; and molecular interactions between white oak and pathogens to inform breeding strategies for enhanced resilience.