August 1, 2025 HFHC News Round Up
Rising from the Ashes: Treatments Stabilize Carbon Storage in California’s Frequent-Fire Forests (Frontiers)
The stability of seasonally dry Western mixed-conifer forests is threatened by the history of fire suppression, logging, and now increasing climate-driven aridity. Durable aboveground carbon storage in living trees-a key ecosystem service of these fire-adapted forests-is at risk due to the disruption of natural fire cycles. Restoring the relationship between fire and forest structure is essential for long-term resilience. Fuel and density reduction treatments can help reestablish this balance by reducing fire severity and enhancing forest function. We evaluated the effectiveness of 216 thinning treatments implemented across Central California (2015-2023) using a natural experimental design and a novel matching framework.
USDA invests $106M to keep working forests working (USDA)
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U.S. Forest Service is investing $106 million to support state and landowner efforts to conserve private working forestlands across the country. Funded through the Forest Legacy Program, these projects will protect forests vital to the economic and social fabric of local communities – ensuring they remain productive, working forests for Americans and tourists to use and enjoy. “Just like our farms and ranches, working forests are part of the backbone of rural America – providing jobs, timber, clean water, and places for families to hunt, fish, camp, hike and make lifelong memories,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “For too long our forests have been left idle, only to burn and devastate communities. President Trump has made it a priority to properly manage our forests, empowering USDA and our state partners to protect and unleash the full potential of their forestlands to help their communities grow and thrive.”
USDA proposes closing regional Forest Service offices in Portland, moving work to Colorado, Utah (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
U.S. Forest Service offices in Portland charged with wildfire prevention, scientific research, forestland management and conservation across the Northwest would be shuttered and moved out of state under a new plan announced by the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In a July 24 memo, Brooke Rollins, head of the agriculture department that oversees the Forest Service, outlined an agency restructuring plan that includes closing all nine regional Forest Service offices across the country — including the Region 6 headquarters in Portland — and moving their functions over the next year to five “hub locations.” Those are: Fort Collins, Colorado; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Salt Lake City. The Forest Service’s 100-year-old Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, along with six other research stations across the country, are also slated to be closed and consolidated, with their functions moved to the USDA hub in Fort Collins, according to the memo.
The State Of Our Forests: The good, the bad and the ugly (Evergreen Foundation)
Four members of our Evergreen Foundation Board of Directors are U.S. Forest Service retirees. They all held high level field positions within the agency for more than 40 years, so when Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled the Trump Administration’s plan for reorganizing the Forest Service we asked for their evaluation. Without straying too far into the weeds, here’s a sampling: The same things that have plagued the agency for years will now escalate exponentially. There are inconsistencies between unit organizational structure and there is no strong focused effort to address public service or natural resource management. It’s essential that we get in front of catastrophic wildfires. Building a bigger fire department isn’t going to do it. What will, is a faster response time using smoke jumpers, Heli tack crews, and pre-positioning the correct aviation assets across the rural West.
Gov. Newsom seeks to raise $18 billion to shore up state wildfire fund (LA Times)
Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing draft legislation that would add an additional $18 billion to a state fund for wildfire victims that officials have warned could be exhausted by January’s deadly Eaton wildfire. Under Newsom’s plan, customers of the state’s three biggest for-profit utilities would pay another $9 billion to supplement a state fund created in 2019 that holds $21 billion. The other $9 billion would come from shareholders of Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric, according to a draft of the proposal.
From Washington to the Woods: On-The-Ground Lessons for Wildfire Policy (Federation of American Scientists)
Every day, I work on policy solutions to help end the severe wildfire crisis in North America. But that means I spend most of my time buried in my computer screen, poring over legislation and statistics—not in the field seeing the reality of the wildfire crisis unfold. There is a general disconnect between the DC wildfire policy bubble and those tackling wildfire on the ground in our public lands. Just as we at the Federation of American Scientists strive to connect science and public policy, the folks at Safewoods strive to bridge the gap between what is being discussed in Washington and the reality of what it takes to implement wildfire resilience projects.
Grand Canyon, Utah wildfires creating “fire clouds” that can form their own weather systems (CBS News)
Two wildfires burning in the western United States – including one that has become a “megafire” on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – are so hot that they’re spurring the formation of “fire clouds” that can create their own erratic weather systems. In Arizona, the wind-whipped Dragon Bravo Fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge is 9% contained and has charred more than 164 square miles to become the largest fire now burning in the continental U.S. and one of the top 10 largest in recorded Arizona history. Getting around it would be roughly like driving from New York City to Washington, D.C.
Sen. Patty Murray pushes Wild Olympics bill — again (The Chronicle)
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, blocked an attempt on the Senate floor by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to pass a package of public lands bills that excluded Murray’s Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Murray said her legislation has widespread grassroots support in Washington state from a broad coalition that includes Republican and Democratic elected officials, local businesses and economic leaders, Tribes, hunters, fisherman, conservationists, outdoor industry groups, farms, loggers and others. Murray made clear she would be glad to consider a revised package that included her Wild Olympics legislation. The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries — a total of 464 river miles — as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Olympic National Park Wildfire Jumps In Size (National Parks Traveler)
A wildfire burning in Olympic National Park made a massive jump in size and fire officials say it won’t be completely extinguished until Oregon’s wet season kicks in. The Bear Gulch Fire is estimated to have burned more than 3,000 acres, or about 4.5 miles, in the park and adjacent lands as of Thursday afternoon. A week ago, the fire size was estimated at 923 acres. Officials say the growth this week was fueled by warm, dry weather. “Due to the fire’s spread into steep, rugged terrain, the heavy fuels it’s burning in, and extremely dry conditions, the fire will continue to burn into the Daniel J. Evans and Mount Skokomish Wilderness areas until it is extinguished by repeated rain and snow in the fall,” an update Thursday afternoon noted. “It is expected to vary in intensity, spread and duration with fire activity, fuels, and weather.”
New lumber mill coming to Forks (Radio Pacific)
There’s a new lumber mill coming to the City of Forks [WA]. Riverside Forest Products USA, a U.S. subsidiary of the successful Canadian company Riverside Industries, has signed a lease with the City of Forks to establish a sawmilling facility at the Forks Industrial Park. Specializing in kiln-dried Hemlock and Green Douglas Fir dimensional lumber, the new mill will represent a capital investment of around $12 million and create 40–50 jobs in its first phase, averaging over $28 per hour plus benefits. Plans call for a second production shift within 2–3 years, totaling 70–100 jobs in all. In addition to the sawmill, Riverside intends to build a cogeneration power plant.
Rep. Callahan: Demands Action: Hold Canada accountable for smoke choking Wisconsin (WisPolitics)
State Representative Calvin Callahan (R-Tomahawk) is demanding that Canada face real consequences for sending wildfire smoke across our border and choking out Wisconsin communities. “People in northern Wisconsin are fed up with waking up to hazy skies and hazardous air because Canada refuses to get its forest fires under control,” said Rep. Callahan. “This is a public-health crisis, an economic burden, and an affront to our way of life. Canada’s mismanagement is hurting Wisconsinites.” Rep. Callahan thanks Congressman Tom Tiffany for his actions in this crisis and is calling on the rest of the federal government to stand with Wisconsin and push Canada to overhaul its forest-management practices. Including asking to consider targeted diplomatic action against Canada until the Canadian government takes meaningful steps to improve its forest management practices and contain wildfire smoke crossing into the United States.
Judge sides with Utah in first legal test of roads crossing federal land (E&E News PM)
A federal judge has handed Utah and two counties a preliminary victory in a decadelong dispute over ownership of dirt roads and trails crossing public lands that were authorized by a 19th-century mining law. The decision by Judge Clark Waddoups of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah doesn’t resolve the broader, long-standing dispute over title to an estimated 35,000 miles of dirt roads crisscrossing federal lands in the state. But it is the first ruling among 15 bellwether trial cases that will set the stage for the more than 12,000 rights-of-way claims in a 2012 lawsuit by the state and numerous counties. (Subscription Required)
You should be concerned by Washington Forest Practices Board proposal (The Chronicle)
The Washington Forest Practices Board is proposing new legislation pushed by the Washington Department of Ecology that will affect all of us financially. The Washington Forest Practices Board (FPB) is supposedly an “independent” state agency responsible for establishing rules that govern forest practices in Washington state. It’s chaired by the Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. Even if you do not own trees, read on. The FPB is proposing streams that are perennial (flow year-round) with no fish should have the existing no-harvest buffers changed from 50 feet each side of the stream to 75 feet (or more). The proposal affects not only the stream buffer width, but the length of stream buffer and volume of restricted trees.
Price swings have little effect on timber industry momentum (MSU Extension)
Ongoing construction and expansion of lumber mills in Mississippi like the one taking place at Southeastern Timber Products’ Ackerman sawmill are encouraging signs for the state’s forestry industry, despite market fluctuations. “These new and expanded mills will increase the demand for raw timber, which can help absorb the state’s abundant standing timber supply and provide additional outlets for landowners to sell their wood,” said Sabhyata Lamichhane, forestry economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “Over the long term, increased mill capacity is likely to strengthen local timber markets, support higher stumpage prices, and promote more competition among buyers.”
Strengthening the Wood Supply Chain and Logger Workforce (FRA)
I’ve spent four decades in forestry. My career began as a young procurement forester working with loggers to buy and harvest timber. Together, we addressed the difficult issues that come with every job, worked to solve challenges, and always tolerated the unpredictable weather that forever curtailed our “best laid plans.” Forty years on, one thing remains clear: loggers are critical links in the wood supply chain. To ensure this critical profession remains viable, we must explore meaningful ways to inspire the next generation. Asking thoughtful questions and assessing what we’ve learned will help us determine what needs to be done.
Opinion: Sen. Tuberville is fighting to save 5,000 Alabama cabinet manufacturing jobs – 250,000 nationwide (Yellowhammer)
In April 2020, the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission determined that the U.S. kitchen cabinet industry had been greatly hit by the surge of subsidized cabinets from China. In response to this, Commerce imposed strong China-specific tariffs to help save the domestic industry. This appeared to work in the short-term. However, the Chinese Communist Party began to move cabinet products through foreign countries to evade the tariffs. As Senator Tuberville remarked, “China has been cheating the system by moving cabinets through countries like Cambodia, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and dumping things in this country.” These companies receive extensive government subsidies, harvest
Mass Timber Competition Judges Review Innovative K-12 Projects (Softwood Lumber Board)
A panel of leading architects, engineers, and school construction experts convened for two days in June to review 19 innovative project entries in the SLB and USDA Forest Service’s 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools. The judges looked for a variety of themes for each project, including viability, applicability of mass timber, health and wellness impact, community connection, and the project’s ability to expand use of mass timber in other K-12 projects.
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