Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities

By Nick Smith The following column originally appeared in the Medford Mail Tribune Everyone has an opinion on how best to respond to the trend of catastrophic wildfires and smoke. In his Mail Tribune guest column, Derek Volkart floats the

The devastation from last year’s wildfires is still unfolding at a scale that has not even begun to be understood.  The socioeconomic impacts (loss of life, property, natural resources, massive impact on health and healthcare, economic impacts on business and

Professional Forester Paul Kangas offers the following to encourage dialog on our crisis of wildfire and smoke. SUMMARY OF REPORT It’s not “business as usual” in managing forests, wildlands and wildfires after two years of being surrounded by wildfires and

by Nick Smith, Executive Director of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities  Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities (HFHC) was launched over five years ago to give Americans a stronger voice in the management of our federally-owned forests.  A primary goal has always been

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is developing a “long-term conservation strategy” for the Marbled Murrelet that would effectively set aside tens of thousands of additional acres of state trust lands in western Washington from sustainable timber harvests. If adopted, this

The U.S. Forest Service has scheduled upcoming objection resolution meetings for the the Blue Mountains Forest Plans revisions. This is an important phase in the new forest plans that will govern future management of the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National

By Steve Kariainen, HFHC Great Lakes Director The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF) reports timber sales for fiscal year 2018 increased to 128.7 Million Board Feet (MMBF), marking six consecutive years of increased sales. Paul Strong, Forest Supervisor of the CNNF,

By Nick Smith, HFHC Executive Director The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center recently reported the cost of fighting wildfires in Oregon this year has reached an all-time high of $514.6 million.  But the costs are likely much higher, because this figure

by Nick Smith, HFHC Executive Director A common tactic among anti-forestry activists is to claim managed forests are “carbon pollutors” and contributors to climate change.  One notorious and well-publicized study claims more carbon could only be stored by drastically reducing timber

Washington State Representative Jim Walsh understands how the listing of the Northern Spotted Owl devastated communities in his district and others in western Washington. That’s why he’s concerned about the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ Marbled Murrelet Long Term Conservation