Crews on Arizona wildfires contend with wind-driven flames
Wildfires in Arizona are typical this time of year, but high winds have been a key factor in driving the size of the blazes that are threatening rural communities, state…
Read More...Up in Smoke: Fire and Invasives on Western Rangelands
Check out this 5-minute film that introduces the colossal conservation challenge of invasive annual grasses in sagebrush habitats and the rangeland fire it can facilitate. Learn about the scale and…
Read More...Secretary Perdue announces modernization blueprint for the USDA Forest Service
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued a memorandum to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen providing direction that will serve as a blueprint to help modernize the agency’s systems and approaches…
Read More...Bedrock type under forests greatly affects tree growth, species, carbon storage
A forest’s ability to store carbon depends significantly on the bedrock beneath, according to Penn State researchers who studied forest productivity, composition and associated physical characteristics of rocks in the…
Read More...Where the worst wildfire activity is expected this summer
Hot, dry weather and increasing drought conditions across the western United States this summer may result in above-average wildfire potential into September, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) outlook.…
Read More...Climate change is driving widespread forest death and creating shorter, younger trees
Forests across the world are transforming as the Earth heats up and as more frequent and severe droughts, wildfires and disease outbreaks destroy trees. In a new report published in Science magazine,…
Read More...BLM proposes streamlining timber rules to reduce wildfires
The BLM is proposing to streamline rules governing timber harvests, sales and other forest management activities in the name of reducing wildfire risks across the West. The BLM announced a…
Read More...Pandemic relief could become next forest policy battleground
The long-running debate about how best to care for national forests — and what to do with timber that’s taken from them — is quietly brewing again as lawmakers look…
Read More...Shrub encroachment on grasslands can increase groundwater recharge
A new study modeled shrub encroachment on a sloping landscape and reached a startling conclusion: Shrub encroachment on slopes can increase the amount of water that goes into groundwater storage.…
Read More...Agencies revamp strategy to address crews’ virus risk
In new plans that offer a national reimagining of how to fight wildfires amid the risk of the coronavirus spreading through crews, it’s not clear how officials will get the…
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