The Southern Group of State Foresters is holding its 2015 conference in the Alamo City. Alongside colleagues from numerous state and federal agencies, forest-based industries and non-profits, attendees have an opportunity to learn, share and consider the unique challenges and opportunities ahead for southern forests. Texas State Forester and Director of Texas A&M Forest Service Tom Boggus [read more]
The USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are seeking nominations for the 2015 Two Chiefs' Partnership Award. Nominations are due by June 15, 2015. The awards recognize successful forestry conservation efforts made possible through partnerships among the Forest Service, NRCS, State Forestry agencies and conservation districts. The 2015 Two Chiefs' Partnership Award [read more]
Matthew Cimitile is the Communications Coordinator for the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture This week a coalition of government agencies, private organizations and bird partnerships under the umbrella of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative released the 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide to Fish and Wildlife Conservation. This guide is a tool to assist those who work [read more]
Rebecca Nisley is a science writer and editor for the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station. We know that trees provide ecosystem benefits even in cities. The oxygen, cooling shade, and carbon storage are commonly understood, but did you know that trees also remove air pollution? Trees do this by catching small particles of soot and dirt on [read more]
Blog post reprinted with permission from the Arbor Day Foundation. As the nation celebrates Arbor Day today, let’s reflect on the value of trees, and highlight the important ability of trees to restore hope, bring healing, and lift spirits following natural disasters. Trees are vital to successful, long-term recovery efforts – from a critical conservation [read more]
The U.S. Forest Service, the White House, bipartisan supporters in Congress and conservation groups are trying to push through legislation (H.R. 167) so that the costs of fighting catastrophic wildfires would be paid from emergency funds, just as when other natural disasters strike. The Forest Service and Interior Department would continue to fund routine firefighting from their regular budgets. [read more]
Forests are so important to people and our planet that the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21st as the International Day of Forests. Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, providing homes to animals, plants and insects while also supplying shelter, jobs and security to communities around the world. They play an important [read more]
Nicole Leinders is the National Association of State Foresters’ Foundation intern. There is something magical about walking through an avenue of trees in the fall, branches reaching up and surrounding you in a tunnel of color as gold and brown leaves swirl through the air. There’s that smell of fresh earth mixed with a bite [read more]
The Forestry Research Advisory Council (FRAC) is a statutory committee and is chartered to have 20 members representing a) Federal and State agencies concerned with developing and utilizing the Nation’s forest resources; b) the forest industries; c) the forestry schools of the State-certified eligible institutions, and State agricultural experiment stations; and d) volunteer public groups [read more]
The Forest Resources Association honored Anthony B. Andrews Logging Inc. (based in Trenton, North Carolina) as 2014 National Outstanding Logger on May 8th. FRA Chairman Tom Norris congratulated Anthony Andrews and his family and presented them with a special plaque, commenting, “On behalf of the FRA Board of Directors, it gives me great pleasure to [read more]
