Supporting active, multiple-use management of federal forest lands
Note: This blog post responds to an oped in The Hill by Mike Dombeck, Dale Bosworth Tom Tidwell and Vicki Christiansen, former Chiefs of the US Forest Service. Twenty-five years ago, when the Roadless Rule was adopted, few people anticipated
The Forest Service is asking for public comment on a new plan designed to help the agency act faster after severe wildfires on national forests. Wildfires today are larger, more intense, and more destructive than in the past. When fires
The holiday season is filled with familiar traditions, many of which have roots in the forest. From Christmas trees in living rooms, to paper wrapping gifts, to the wood that helps warm homes on cold winter nights, forests play an
Log deck within the salvage area. Decisions made in the days and weeks following a wildfire can shape forests and communities for decades. Idaho’s response to the Rock Fire shows how acting quickly after a fire can deliver lasting benefits
A new study from the University of California Merced shows that thinning overcrowded forests and using prescribed fire produces a wide range of benefits that reach far beyond reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Researchers found that these treatments strengthen forest resilience,
In this special presentation, Rachel Lee Hall of Forest Under Stress captures what she calls the forest’s “breathing system”—the cycle of sunlight, air, and moisture that sustains life on the forest floor. The images in this presentation tell the story
When wildfires strike our national forests, what happens next determines their future. In Oregon’s Willamette National Forest, the 1996 Charlton Fire burned inside a designated Wilderness area where no trees could be salvaged or replanted. Decades later, it continues to
When a lightning strike sparked the Katy Creek Fire in northeast Washington, firefighters found themselves facing a landscape that, like much of the West, had gone a century without a major burn. The dense, overgrown forests were the result of
Across the West, counties surrounded by federally managed forests have long supported responsible timber harvests, not just to power rural economies, but to fund essential public services like schools, roads, and law enforcement. For generations, these communities received a share
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule is one step towards reversing decades of forest neglect that has left millions of acres vulnerable to severe wildfire, insect infestations, and disease. Enacted during the final hours
