Ground Truth Blog
Nantahala National Forest
Prior to the 1700s, the land encompassed by the Nantahala National Forest was inhabited by the Cherokee people. Nantahala is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun,” a reference to the steep landscape where sunlight only reaches the valley floor at midday....
Sacrificing national forest land for artificial intelligence
In June, Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz of Oregon introduced H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act, which would transfer ownership of approximately 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest from the citizens of the United States to the City of The Dalles, Oregon....
Forest Service Reorganization: Remodel or Demolition?
The current administration has embraced the tech-bro mantra: “Move fast and break things.” Here’s a quick overview: The Forest Service is currently working on new rules to reduce public engagement in environmental reviews and rescind protection for 45 million acres of...
Republicans Weaponize CRA to Resurrect Boundary Waters Mining Threat
April 28 Update: The Senate voted 50-49 to overturn the 20-year mining ban protecting Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from mining, and President Trump signed the resolution to overturn the ban. Republicans, guided by the Project 2025 blueprint, may have dealt a...
Ag Department Makes Billion-Dollar Deal for Fire Retardant
In spite of a lack of scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of aerial fire retardant, in spite of revelations that show toxic heavy metals in fire retardant, and in spite of setbacks in federal court, Agriculture Department Secretary Brooke Rollins signed a...
‘High Country News’ Article Highlights FSEEE Concerns About FS Reorganization
An article by Christine Peterson in High Country News cites FSEEE Executive Director Kevin Hood's concerns about the Forest Service reorganization that will move the agency's headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, the state that is currently...
Forest Service Reorganization Plan Announced
The Forest Service has announced it will move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin "a sweeping restructuring of the agency to move leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves." The Forest Service posted this...
Federal Judge Protects Tongass Old Growth
A federal judge in Alaska dismissed a timber-industry lawsuit seeking to allow old-growth logging on the Tongass National Forest, the world’s largest temperate old-growth rainforest. Viking Lumber, Alcan Timber, and the Alaska Forest Association sued the Department of...
Speak up Now — the 2026 Farm Bill has Been Weaponized Against our Forests
The House Agriculture Committee is currently marking up the 2026 Farm Bill (H.R. 7567), and it contains a dangerous payload. Core provisions from the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA, H.R. 471/S. 1462) have been folded into this “must-pass” legislation, threatening to...
Court Rules in Favor of Developer in White River National Forest Case
Developers of a luxury subdivision near Vail, Colorado, got a big win when Judge Jia M. Cobb, a Biden appointee, ruled that the 1980 Alaska National Interest and Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) requires the Forest Service to provide “adequate access” for “reasonable...
Act Now to Keep the Public in Public Lands!
Our national forests are facing an unprecedented assault. In a move that prioritizes minimalism and speed over environmental stewardship, the Forest Service has proposed a sweeping new rule that effectively locks the public out of the decision-making process for our...
Can Green Firebreaks Protect Homes From Wildfire?
Strategically-planted strips of fire-resistant vegetation show promise for mitigating the spread of fire, especially near structures in the built environment. Known as “green firebreaks,” this use of fire-resistant vegetation to protect homes from wildfires offers a...