Blog
GAO report on federal fire program analysis tool
Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2008Fire program analysis, or FPA, is both a computer model and a broader management system used by the USDA Forest Service and four agencies in the Department of the Interior for developing wildland fire budget requests and allocating funds. A GAO report is recommending, among other things, that the agencies develop a strategic plan for the continued development of FPA and provide Congress with annual updates on (1) their progress in completing the steps outlined in that plan and (2) how they used FPA in developing their budgets.
"Defending Favorite Places" documentary targets hunters and anglers to rally against invasives
Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008The documentary video, Defending Favorite Places, was developed as part of the National Invasive Species Threat Campaign to mobilize the hunting and fishing community against the threat of invasive species. The video was produced with support from Wildlife Forever, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Invasive Plant Management, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and many public and private organizations and individuals.
CSU fire scientists develop wildfire management playbook
Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008Colorado State University researchers have developed a wildfire management playbook for federal agencies to use to strategically manage wildfires. According to a universitry press release, the system, known as Starfire (or Strategic Treatment Assessment Response Spectrum and Fire) is the first of its kind to generate fuel treatment priorities across an entire planning unit or national park; address appropriate management response; and address strategic smoke management where communities and local air quality can be adversely affected.
Latest news on Redesign
Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008The latest edition of the Redesign Update is now available and provides information on the latest activities related to the national guidance for state assessments, performance measures, and the membership of the Redesign Implementation Council. The update is available on the Redesign webpage or can be downloaded here: http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/redesign/nov.pdf
Arizona State Forester position announcement
Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 The State of Arizona is seeking a State Forester who will manage the Arizona State Forestry Division and provide for the fire management and forest management responsibilities outside of incorporated municipalities. Resumes will be reviewed beginning December 15. Apply at: www.azstatejobs.gov and search on the terms "State Forester".
Rahall says fire spending will be at the top of his agenda in January
Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008E&E News (subscription) reports that Congress is likely to revisit the effort to enact legislation to address fire costs, management issues next year. The FLAME Act, which was passed by the House but saw no Senate action, may see new life in the coming months. Click above for an excerpt from the article.
New York Times article on bark beetle impact in the West
Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008"From New Mexico to British Columbia, the region’s signature pine forests are succumbing to a huge infestation of mountain pine beetles that are turning a blanket of green forest into a blanket of rust red. Montana has lost a million acres of trees to the beetles, and in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming the situation is worse." More: don't miss the related video on "America's Disappearing Forests"
Endowment announces selection of Forest Investment Zones
Posted on Monday, November 17, 2008The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has announced the selection of three areas as "Forest Investment Zones" under a multi-million dollar initiative designed to advance healthy working forests and vibrant forest-reliant communities across America.
AL State Forester elected to SFI external panel
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008THE SFI External Review Panel, a group of independent experts who provide external oversight of the SFI forest certification program, has elected four new members. They include Linda S. Casey, state forester with the Alabama Forestry Commission; Deborah Gangloff, executive director of American Forests; Jon W. Gassett, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; and Robin Morgan, assistant director for forest management in the Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
Gov't shifting climate forest experiments to focus on soil
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008A research project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy is being shut down, according to a recent Associated press article. Scientists working on a decade-long project testing how forests will respond to global warming in the next 50 years have been told to chop down the trees, collect the data and move on to new research. The Energy Department, following the advice of a specially convened panel of experts, believes that chopping down the trees and digging up the soil will allow the first real measurements of how much carbon the leaves, branches, trunks and roots have been storing.
Utah's state-run nursery shutting down
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008Lawmakers in Utah have cut funding for the Lone Peak Nursery in Draper, UT, which produces about a million young plants each year. It will stop operating June 30, 2009. There are private operations that sell native Utah plants but none that provide the quantities and types available at the state-run nursery.
National Forest Foundation seeks proposals for grant program
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008The National Forest Foundation is currently soliciting pre-proposals for its 2009 Matching Awards Program (MAP). The grant program provides matching funds on a 1:1 basis to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and Native American tribes to implement action-oriented, on-the-ground and citizen-based monitoring projects that benefit national forests and grasslands. The submission date for pre-proposals is December 12, 2008. To learn more about NFF's Matching Awards Program, visit http://www.natlforests.org/consp_04_map.html.
Satellite images may help inform forest thinning and fire prevention
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008 Research into the best ways to reduce the intensity and spread of forest fires in the Black Hills is being done at South Dakota State University. Satellite images that are being used to study areas before and after fires may provide insight into preventive measures, such as tree thinning and tinder cleanup.
Advocacy group calls for Obama to issue orders on climate, toxics
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008A report from the Center for Progressive Reform proposes a series of Executive Orders for the new President designed to achieve innovative and meaningful federal action on health, safety and the environment. The proposals would launch federal action by the new Administration in key areas, including climate change, toxics in the environment, increasing protections for public lands, environmental justice, and policies of transparency in government.
Planet has 61 trees per person
Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008From NPR's Morning Edition: NASA satellite images are helping ecologists and biologists study the earth's forests. Ecology professor Nalini Nadkarni of The Evergreen State College in Washington used NASA photos to calculate roughly how many trees we have on Earth, and applied that number to population figures.
USFS Assoc. Chief Sally Collins remarks at 2008 NASF Annual Meeting
Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008The U.S. Forest Service has posted remarks made by Associate Chief Sally Collins at the 2008 NASF Annual Meeting, where she reflected on "direct intervention" milestones that have been made in forestry in the last three years.
Trend: high fuel costs have people turning to firewood for heat this winter
Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008- New York Times: Heating with Wood; Warm, Cozy and Cleaner
- Christian Science Monitor: Wood heat rises again
- Litchfield County Times: Wood Heat Is Getting Its Due
- Reno Gazette-Journal: Firewood gains as option for heating
Companies wary as U.S. shapes illegal logging rules
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008A new U.S. law aimed at stopping illegal logging that threatens the world's forests is causing concern among companies affected by the legislation. The 2008 Farm Bill included a broad expansion of the scope of the Lacey Act, which restricts trade in certain plant and animal species. The new mandate, which will be phased in over two years, requires companies to declare the country of origin as well as the genus and species of any wood or other plant material they import.
Georgia voters approve tax relief for forest owners
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008Georgia voters approved an amendment to their state constitution to provide tax relief to owners of private forests in exchange for commitments to leave the land undeveloped.
Voters approve conservation initiatives worth $7.3B
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008Funding for voter-approved land conservation capped a record-breaking year on Tuesday, with voters demonstrating substantial support for open space ballot measures despite the current economic and fiscal crisis facing the nation, according to The Trust for Public Land. Voters backed 62 of the 87 (71 percent) conservation finance measures on ballots across America, generating a single-day record of $7.3 billion in new funding for parks and open space. A complete list of results from local and state balloting on conservation and parks is available at www.landvote.org.
Illinois expands EAB quarantine
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008The Illinois Department of Agriculture has added all or part of four central Illinois counties to its emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine to prevent the artificial spread of the destructive pest through the movement of infested wood and nursery stock.
Several efforts to create sustainability standard underway in agriculture industry
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008A coalition of fresh produce buyers, grower-shippers, trade associations and consumer groups are launching a new project to define and measure sustainability. The effort comes on the heels of another draft standard already underway on sustainable agriculture led by the ANSI-accredited Leonardo Academy, which would be applied to all crops, whether fruits and vegetables, forestry, biofuels, or corn.
Michigan State Forester position announcement
Posted on Monday, November 3, 2008The State Forester position for the State of Michigan has been posted, with an application deadline of December 19, 2008. This position serves as the State Forester for the State of Michigan and also serves as the Assistant Division Chief for Forest, Mineral and Fire Management within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. To access the application process and all related information, please go to the Civil Service website at the following address: www.michigan.gov/mdcs.
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