The Southwest and Inter-Mountain West once had vibrant forest products industries that contributed to social, economic and environmental vitality of many communities. That “forest infrastructure” was decimated as changes in federal forest management all but eliminated timber harvesting from national forests. The costs of these policies continue to mount. Forests in these regions are rapidly deteriorating…
Michael T. Rains, a retired Deputy Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and a board member of the National Wildfire Institute (NWI) shared the following letter with us. It is addressed to President Trump, reiterating the need for a national strategy to confront America’s wildfire crisis. Earlier this year NWI shared such a strategy with…
Last year’s Meyers and Little Hogbackfires in Southwest Montana burned separately for two months, not stopping until the first rain and snow extinguished their growth in mid-September. Combined, these fires spread across multiple national forests, jurisdictions, wilderness areas and private lands. We’re writing to encourage you to review and comment on the Little Hogback-Meyers Salvage Project on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge…
The start of the 2018 wildfire season is a reminder of the importance of active forest management in Southern Oregon. That’s why we’re alerting you to an opportunity to provide public comment on a major forest project northeast of Medford on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. You can comment on this project by clicking here. The…
by Jim Petersen, Evergreen Foundation Oregon lumberman, Ted Freres, 68, died Sunday morning, June 3, in a Salem hospital following a long battle with cancer. Mr. Freres was the youngest of four sons born to T.G. Freres, founder of the Freres Lumber Company, now one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of plywood and veneer, and…
by Tim O’Hara The 2018 Farm Bill offers a reasonable solution to improve young forest habitat on federal lands with provisions for a categorical exclusion for the purpose of creating young forests. Young forests (less than twenty years of age) provide habitat for many wildlife species in the Lake States. Over the last forty years,…
By Kent Jacobson: Good Neighbor Coordinator, Superior National Forest The Superior and Chippewa National Forests in Minnesota are collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forestry, towards the successful implementation of the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). The GNA allows the national forests to enter into agreements with a state forestry agency…
Forest mortality exceeded net growth on America’s national forest timberlands in 2016, based on data publicly available from the U.S. Forest Service. Forest growth was 48 percent of mortality, while timber harvests were just 11 percent of what is dying annually. Forest mortality continues to trend upward. Last year the agency estimated there were 6.3…
by Tim O’Hara: HFHC Great Lakes Director In Federal FY2018 the National Forests in MN, WI and MI are estimating a timber program that has not been reached in more than 20 years. This has been achieved through collaborative efforts between the HFHC, Lake States Federal Timber Purchasers, and State Natural Resources Departments. A key…
U.S. Forest Service Interim Chief Vicki Christiansen recently told a U.S. Senate panel her agency faces a potential $300 million budget shortfall due to increasing wildfire suppression costs. This means once again the agency could be forced to “borrow” money from non-fire programs to cover the shortfall, including funding intended for preventative forest health programs.…