Reforestation Contributes to Cooling Temperatures

Reforestation Contributes to Cooling Temperatures

Researchers have shown that reforestation in the southeastern U.S. has had a cooling effect on the region. The findings of Mallory Barnes and her associates are documented in a Feb. 13 research article in Earth’s Future, published by the American Geophysical Union....
asSAuLTing a Unique Forest on the Toiyabe

asSAuLTing a Unique Forest on the Toiyabe

Reaching 11,918 feet above sea level, Mt. Charleston is the highest peak in the Spring Mountains, a forested oasis on the Toiyabe National Forest west of Las Vegas. Because of its high elevation and drastically different ecosystem than the surrounding Mojave Desert,...
The Northwest Forest Plan Amendment

The Northwest Forest Plan Amendment

The Northwest Forest Plan — the world’s largest ecosystem management plan — was adopted in 1994 after President Bill Clinton essentially imposed the Plan on the Forest Service and other reluctant federal agencies. Of the Washington, Oregon, and California lands...
Researchers Sequence Whitebark Pine Genome

Researchers Sequence Whitebark Pine Genome

Among efforts to stave off the rapid decline of whitebark pine trees, researchers have recently sequenced the genome of this keystone species and are publishing their findings. Conifer genomes can be challenging to sequence as they are 3-10 times larger than the human...
2023 Brings Quietest U.S. Fire Season in Decades

2023 Brings Quietest U.S. Fire Season in Decades

The most current data show 2023 was a relatively quiet fire year. The National Interagency Fire Center reports 54,273 wildfires burned 2,627,112 acres through Dec. 18. While the number of fires was in line with the 10-year average, the number of acres burned was the...
Mount Hood National Forest

Mount Hood National Forest

The Mount Hood National Forest encompasses 1.1 million acres, with about a third of those acres designated as wilderness within eight wilderness areas. The Forest has a rich history and offers year-round recreation opportunities. Its watersheds provide drinking water...
Urge Your Senators to Pass the Wild Olympics Bill

Urge Your Senators to Pass the Wild Olympics Bill

The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Senate Bill 1254) achieved an important milestone when it cleared the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Committee Dec. 14. Sen. Patty Murray (D, Wash.) first introduced the bill in 2012 and...
Restoring the American Elm

Restoring the American Elm

Like the American chestnut, the American elm is threatened by an invasive species, but the future for the elms looks a bit brighter than the fate of the chestnuts. For elms the threat comes from Dutch Elm Disease, introduced in the 1930s, and researchers are making...
Federal Wildfire Commission Issues Report

Federal Wildfire Commission Issues Report

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission and tasked the Commission with creating policy recommendations to address “the wildfire crisis.” In September, the Commission released a report with 148...