Ground Truth Blog
Conservancy, Investors Collaborate on Forest Management
The Nature Conservancy has partnered with BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group through an initiative to sustainably manage forests in 11 U.S. states from the South to the Pacific Northwest. The initiative will address “the twin crises of biodiversity loss and...
Jordan Cove Gas Project Dies; FSEEE Helped Kill It
As reported by E&E News, "The developer of an Oregon liquefied natural gas export terminal told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ... it would not move forward with the embattled ... Jordan Cove project." The project would have carried natural gas from...
FSEEE Comments on What Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Means for Wildfire Management
Noting that President Biden's infrastructure bill allocates $3.3 billion for things like firefighter raises, prescribed fire and defending communities against wildfire, Kylie Mohr contacted FSEEE Executive Director Andy Stahl for an article in High Country News. Mohr...
Study: Severe Wildfire More Common Prior to 1900
A peer-reviewed study published in September finds that severe wildfires were less common during the past three decades than they were prior to the 20th century. William Baker, professor emeritus at the University of Wyoming, authored the study, and his analysis...
Four Forest Restoration Initiative Halted
The Forest Service has halted the largest restoration effort of its kind, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), an effort to thin forests on 2.4 million acres of land in northern Arizona to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. FSEEE has consistently...
FSEEE Wins Injunction Against Post-fire Logging in Oregon
A federal judge agreed with FSEEE, blocking most of a Willamette National Forest commercial logging project that would affect habitat for the northern spotted owl, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In the Nov. 5 order granting the...
New USFS Chief Randy Moore
In July, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Randy Moore the new Forest Service chief. In announcing the appointment, Vilsack said, “Randy Moore has been a catalyst for change and creativity in carrying out the Forest Service’s mission to sustain the health,...
30×30 Update
The Biden administration’s commitment to the “30x30” goal of conserving 30% of the planet’s lands and waters by 2030 remains enigmatic, in part because the administration has changed the playing field. The original concept of conserving 30% of natural spaces addressed...
FSEEE Files Lawsuit to Stop Post-fire Logging in Oregon
As reported by the Statesman Journal, FSEEE has filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service over a commercial logging plan to harvest at least 15,000 acres of so-called “hazard trees” along 404 miles of roads in Willamette National Forest in Oregon. The project would...
FSEEE Reiterates Concerns About Aerial Fire Retardant
Autumn Spanne with Environmental Health News recently spoke with FSEEE Executive Director Andy Stahl about the increasing use of fire retardant in the western U.S. Spanne's article cites a significant increase in aerial wildfire retardant use — 90 million gallons...
Toxic Algae and Fire Retardant
Authorities are looking at toxic algae as a likely cause in the mysterious deaths of a family and their dog while hiking in the Sierra National Forest. The family was reported missing when they failed to return home, and their bodies were discovered the next day. The...
FSEEE Weighs in on Wildfire Policy Debate
A Los Angeles Times article by Anita Chabria and Alex Wigglesworth cites FSEEE Executive Director Andy Stahl in the debate about the U.S. Forest Service “let it burn” wildfire policy. Andy told the Times that, “despite the devastating outcomes, the problem isn’t the...