In Washington, DC, there is intense political debate about whether federal laws and regulations provide enough protections for old and mature trees. This debate often ignores real threats to these trees and the practical and bipartisan solutions that exist to save them. Consider California’s iconic Giant Sequoias. Heavy fuels have created tinderbox conditions within the…
On May 20, U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced a pause on prescribed fires on National Forest System lands pending a 90-day review of protocols and practices ahead of planned burning operations this fall. The pause comes after two Forest Service-ignited fires merged to become the largest wildfire in New Mexico history- the Hermits Peak/Calf…
Wildlife managers in NW Montana are working to increase local grizzly bear populations at a time when large swaths of forests are at high risk of wildfires, insects and disease. Unfortunately, efforts to improve forest health and resiliency on the Kootenai National Forest continue to be stymied by lawsuits over alleged impacts to the species.…
On Earth Day, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order recognizing the role that federal forests play “in combating climate change and the importance of maintaining their resilience.” In their news coverage, the media largely focused on provisions aimed at “protecting old growth forests.” As we reported in last month’s newsletter, anti-forestry groups have pressured…
By Chuck Leavell, Owner of Charlane Woodlands and Keyboardist with The Rolling Stones; and Tom Martin, former President and CEO of The American Forest Foundation As we celebrate another Earth Day we can take pride in the conservation progress of the last half-century. Our nation is a richer, safer place with abundant wild places to…
Of the 193 million acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands, less than half (45 percent) are unreserved and available for forest management and timber harvest. The rest are either permanently set aside as Congressionally-designated wilderness areas or national monuments or are “inventoried roadless areas” where management is prohibitive. For a coalition of anti-forestry groups, that 45…
Forest Under Stress (FUS) is a short film about Rachel Lee Hall, a longtime resident of and advocate for the Southern Oregon forest health, and her observations regarding the forest’s diminishing resiliency caused by the continuous disruption in the hydrological water cycle during the last four decades. This disruption adversely affects root systems, aquifer recharge,…
The invasion of Ukraine is a grave humanitarian crisis. It is also another reason for Americans to consider where their consumer products come from. As a variety of Western industries cut ties with Russia, human rights groups have called for a boycott of both Russian and Belorussian timber and wood products. As a result, Western…
We were recently asked about an guest opinion that appeared in the East Oregonian newspaper, which argues that logging and wood processing emits far more carbon than a wildfire. The following is that opinion, along with our response: One of the arguments alleged by proponents of thinning or logging forests is that it would preclude…
The Biden Administration in January announced a 10-year, $50 billion strategy for addressing the nation’s wildfire crisis. Calling it a “paradigm shift” for forest management, the administration says their strategy will reduce wildfire risks on an additional 20 million acres of National Forests in targeted Western “firesheds.” Click here to read the plan. Doubling treatments on fire-prone national forests…