Ground Truth Blog
A Few Trails in Columbia River Gorge Reopen
The Forest Service has reopened a six-mile stretch of road and several hiking trails in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon, a year after the Eagle Creek Fire burned 50,000 acres. However, several popular trails, including in a designated...
Bill Removing Protections for Wolves Passes House
On a largely party-line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation that would remove Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves, with the exception of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest. Republican Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin...
House Democrats Pledge Vigilance on Environmental Issues
Vows from Democrats in the House of Representatives to provide robust oversight of Trump administration policies will extend to environmental issues, key lawmakers said after their party took back control of the chamber on Tuesday. In a press conference yesterday,...
Old-Growth Logging Proposed for Tongass
Forest Service officials today released a draft decision that calls for carrying out large-scale old-growth logging on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest over the next 15 years. As much as 235 million board feet of timber could be cut on Prince of Wales Island....
Utah Seeks Roadless Rule Exemption
Utah is joining Alaska in seeking a state-specific exemption from the Trump administration to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. With the backing of the state’s Republican governor, Gary Herbert, Utah officials plan to submit a petition to the Department of...
Feds Shelve Oil and Gas Leases—For Now
Faced with criticism from top Colorado officials, the Trump administration last week backed away from plans to open nearly 150,000 acres of public land in the state to oil and gas drilling. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet, both Democrats, had...
Facts on Fire
Do facts matter at all? Last week, during a cabinet meeting, President Trump lambasted California officials for leaving the state’s forest “a mess.” He said that “California ought to get its act together and clean up their forests.” He accused them of leaving “old...
FSEEE Featured in Magazine Article on “Backpack Tax”
Faced with a growing backlog of maintenance projects on public lands, support may be growing for a “backpack tax” as a way to generate funds for cash-strapped public agencies. The idea is to place excise taxes on gear such as climbing equipment, outdoor wear, and,...
Visitation Limits Announced for Hanging Lake
One of the primary attractions on the most visited national forest in the country will be subjected to a quota system beginning next spring, Forest Service officials announced earlier this month. Hanging Lake, turquoise-tinted and fed by waterfalls, is accessed by a...
Christiansen Named Forest Service Chief
The word “interim” can be removed from her title. Vicki Christiansen, who has served as interim chief of the Forest Service since March, was sworn in as the agency’s permanent chief during a ceremony this morning in Washington, D.C. Christiansen, who served as state...
Whither Roadless in Alaska?
They are wilderness areas without a capital “W.” They are “inventoried roadless areas,” governed by a rule adopted in the waning days of the Clinton administration designed to preserve the last remaining stretches of national forests that roads had not yet pierced....
Bitterroot National Forest Officials to Consider Allowing Bicycles in Wilderness Study Areas
Forest Service officials in Montana have opened a 45-day objection period regarding a proposal to close about 63 miles of trails in the Bitterroot National Forest to mountain bikes. The trails are located in two wilderness study areas—places being considered for...