The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, also known as the “omnibus” bill, delivered a number of legislative victories for federal forest management. Notably, the bipartisan forestry package gives federal agencies additional funding and new policy tools to support fuels reduction work on public lands. Chief among these victories is a solution to federal “fire borrowing”…
Here a top U.S. Forest Service official illustrates the analysis paralysis that commonly prevents the agency from restoring our national forests. Unlike other agencies it can take four years, at a cost of $1 million, to complete paperwork to implement a single project. Fortunately people like Associate Deputy Chief Chris French (speaking in the video)…
The following article from HFHC Rocky Mountains Regional Director Molly Pitts was originally published in The Timber Line, a publication of the Colorado-Wyoming Society of American Foresters A recent article in the Denver Post titled “Save our National Forests with a Simple Fire Funding Fix” highlighted the well-known fact that how the Forest Service pays…
There are several key decisions pending before the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that could further restrict the management of Washington’ state trust lands, which generate revenue to support essential county services and other beneficiaries, including schools. Timber harvests from these trust lands also support tens of thousands of jobs in Western Washington’s timber…
Our friends at the National Wildfire Institute are encouraging the Trump Administration to adopt a vision and Executive Order on the importance of effective management of our nation’s lands before we lose them due to fire and neglect. Reflecting the Administration’s intention to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfire on federal lands, the Institute has…
Anybody who lives in, or cares about, Western Washington’s timber communities should pay attention to what’s happening with plans to set aside thousands of acres of state trust lands for the Marbled Murrelet, a small seabird primarily found in Alaska and British Columbia. These trust lands generate revenue to support essential county services and other…
Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities recognizes Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) for his work on forestry and rural job creation during the 2018 legislative session. As a member of the bipartisan Oregon Wildfire Caucus and as Vice Chair of the Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus, Rep. Smith was a strong advocate on issues relating to forest…
Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities thanks State Rep. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) for his work to pass bipartisan legislation (HB 4118) promoting the use of Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) in Oregon. Under federal law, GNA allows states to partner with the U.S. Forest Service to perform management activities on federal lands. Several states including Idaho are…
Bark beetles have caused widespread tree mortality on roughly one-fifth of Colorado’s forestland over the past two decades. But the problem of dead and dying trees in the state’s forests offers an opportunity: standing dead trees can hold value for years, and currently are being utilized by wood products businesses in efforts that support forest…
Nearly 3.3 million tons of carbon monoxide was emitted during Oregon’s 2017 wildfire season, according to an estimate by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Carbon monoxide is not only a greenhouse gas, it poses a hazard to public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the most common symptoms of CO poisoning are…