When wildfire burns a high mountain forest, what happens to the snow?
Record-breaking wildfires in 2020 turned huge swaths of Western forests into barren burn scars. Those forests store winter snowpack that millions of people rely on for drinking and irrigation water.…
Read More...U.S. Department of Interior seeks to increase broadband access, reduce wildfire hazards across rural communities
On Monday, January 11, the Department of the Interior announced three new actions by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service to…
Read More...Hope after rangeland fire
Recalling the Murphy Complex Fire thirteen years later, Idaho rancher Kim Brackett shares her story of fear, anger, partnership, and hope for collaborative conservation.
Read More...Montana officials release plan aimed at forest health, wildfire risk
State officials last week released the final version of a new forest action plan that prioritizes forest management and restoration efforts on 3.8 million acres across Montana. The Montana Department…
Read More...New conservation bill from Senator Bennet would fund wildfire mitigation and river clean-ups, create 2 million jobs
The Outdoor Restoration Force Act would set up a $60 billion fund to support a range of projects from wildfire mitigation to river clean-ups. The money would be split, $20…
Read More...Co-op sparks interest in fire to improve North Dakota grasslands for cattle, wildlife
Fire, along with grazing disturbance, helped maintain the diversity of plant species on the prairie. It suppressed cool season grasses, trees and brush and increased stands of native grasses and…
Read More...USDA seeks public input on guidance defining Nonindustrial Private Forest Land eligibility
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input on Nonindustrial Private Forest Land (NIPF) related to technical and financial assistance available through conservation programs of USDA’s Natural Resources…
Read More...Could spotted owls benefit from forest fires?
It may seem counterintuitive, but forest fires are actually beneficial to spotted owls, according to Penn State biologist Derek Lee. Lee analyzed the results from every published scientific study about…
Read More...Wildfire risk rising as scientists determine which conditions cause blazes
As wildfires burn more often across the Western United States, researchers are working to understand how extensively blazes burn. Their investigation not only reveals that the risk of wildfire is rising,…
Read More...Scientists say Washington wildfire management must go beyond forests
Better management of dry rangelands east of the Cascades is key to slowing catastrophic fires. Many of Washington’s largest fires have burned through rangeland, not timber forests, particularly during the…
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