Commemorating our National Forests on 'America the Beautiful' quarters
In 2010, as part of the U.S. Mint's "America the Beautiful" Quarters® Program, the Mint began to issue a series of quarters featuring national parks and sites. The Mt. Hood National Forest was the first to be commemorated in 2010. This year, the El Yunque National Forest coin featuring the endangered Puerto Rican parrot and the coqui tree frog amongst tropical vegetation, will be one of five quarters released. Next in line are: the White Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire) in 2013; Kisatchie National Forest (Louisiana) in 2015; Shawnee National Forest (Illinois) in 2016; and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness which is part of the Bitterroot, Nez Perce, Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forests (Idaho) in 2019.
Chief's Newsletter
Law enforcement officers lead day-long rescue of pony trapped in deep snow
On January 8, law enforcement officer Mike Seawall was advised that a local snowmobile club had discovered an abandoned, starving horse on the Routt National Forest. They said a saddle on the horse had become loose and was hanging under its belly; the girth cinch had cut through skin and exposed the horse's bone. The saddle was acting as an anchor and a scoop and didn't allow the animal to move through the deep snow. Seawall and reserve LEO Steve McCone immediately coordinated a response plan with local citizens. They acquired a halter, feed and blanket, and a local veterinarian agreed to accompany them to the horse's location. Snowmobile club members transported the group eight miles through deep snow to the site. There the vet determined that the horse was malnourished and had a severe infection. On the trip out, the snowmobilers created a one and a half mile path of packed snow to provide better footing for the horse to reach a groomed snowmobile trail. Once the main trail was reached, the LEOs and vet led the horse six miles to a waiting trailer. It appears that the horse had been carrying the saddle for over four months. The vet named the horse "SerVivor" and it is making a full recovery in Steamboat Springs.
Chief's Newsletter
Poor horse,it was in some pain. Surprised it survived that long.
US Mint releases coin that honors El Yunque National Forest
A coqui tree frog and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot are featured on a quarter honoring the El Yunque National Forest. The quarter, part of the 56-coin America the Beautiful series, is the second forest depicted in the series, the first quarter released this year and the first coin of the series to feature a site from a U.S. Territory.
The Chief's Newletter
Very sad happening on the Shawnee N.F. from the recent tornado that hit Harrisburg, Illinois.
From: FS-Chief of the Forest Service
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 11:37 AM
To: ALL FS
Subject: FOREST SERVICE LOSS
I am sorry to share the news that one of our employees, Donna Rann, and her husband Randy, died in the recent spate of tornadoes in the Midwest. Donna was an employee at the SO in Harrisburg, Illinois on the Shawnee NF. This is an awful and unexpected tragedy. There is extensive damage on the ground and our folks in the Region are assessing the damage and beginning clean up operations. Thank you for keeping our colleagues in Region 9 in your thoughts, as they work through the aftermath of this terrible event.
Bitterroot N.F.
Bitterroot National Forest Sells 4.5 Million-Board-Foot Timber Sale
Missoulian (February 29) - Bitterroot National Forest Service officials recently announced a major timber sale in the southern reaches of the valley.
Pyramid mountain lumber co. of Seeley Lake purchased the 4.5 million-board-foot lower west fork timber sale after outbidding Tricon of St. Regis.
The timber sale is designed to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface, but was thought to be outside the range of western Montana's remaining sawmills just a couple of years ago.
The E-Forester
Keyboardist of the Rolling Stones named Honorary Forest Ranger
Chuck Leavell, keyboardist with the Rolling Stones, was named this year's Honorary Forest Ranger at a ceremony in Atlanta. He is active in forestry, owning an award-winning tree farm in Georgia. He is very active in conservation issues and has written two books on forestry. "This means every bit as much to me as that Grammy did a couple of weeks ago," said Leavell. The ceremony was held at the Southern Region's regional leadership team meeting on February 27.
Chief's Newsletter
Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of National Forest
The Ashland Current, March 8th
A case involving the Habitat Education Center, Inc. (HEC), the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest was recently decided in the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. HEC, a citizens' organization, two of its officers, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center had sued the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest out of concern for the red-shouldered hawk, the goshawk, and the American pine marten, according to federal court documents. In particular, the groups questioned whether the forest service had complied with the National Environmental Policy Act. A U.S. District Court heard the case and decided that the forest service had taken appropriate corrective action in complying with NEPA.To read more of this article link to: http://www.ashlandcurrent.com/article/12/03/08/appeals-court-rules-favor-national-forest
The E-Forester
Flathead National Forest proposes logging to collect pine cones
The Missoulian, Published by Rob Chaney, March 23rd
Larch tree cones grow near the top of very tall trees, which makes them tough to collect for anything other than squirrels.The Flathead National Forest needs a lot of larch cones for its reseeding efforts, and it's seeking public comment on how best to get them. The trees have brittle branches and bark that flakes off easily, making them difficult for humans to climb. Another alternative is shooting cone-bearing branches off the tree."That's apparently not one we're interested in," Flathead Forest spokesman Wade Muelhof said. The cones aren't much bigger than grapes, and lots of them get lost as the branches fall to the ground.So the preferred alternative involves cutting down about 270 trees over 10 years to supply seedling needs. To read more of this article link to: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/flathead-national-forest-proposes-logging-to-collect-pine-cones/article_635982d0-7565-11e1-8a0b-0019bb2963f4.html
Delay of another timber harvest on public lands.
Judge Orders Forest Service to Rework EIS
Billings Gazette (March 28) - District Judge Donald Molloy has ordered the Forest Service to halt implementation of a logging project in the largest island of public land in southeastern Montana and to issue a supplemental environmental impact statement to address deficiencies in its first one.
Molloy found in favor of the environmental groups-The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council-concerning the failure of the EIS to consider stormwater runoff from road construction. Molloy also said the Forest Service failed to explain why it analyzed road density only at the project level and ranger district level, why it applied the road density standard only to forestland, and for failing to analyze road density during the project's implementation.
The E-Forester
Hey Ron, I accepted the Forest Supervisor job here on the Apache-Sitgreaves yesterday.... 8)
Congrats Rocky!!
Congratulations, Rocky! The Forestry Forum has friends in high places.
Norm
Thanks guys, at least I'm at 7,000 feet (grin).
Great! and congratulations. And you won't have to move? That should be a great job and location.
Congratulations Rocky! Sounds like a great job.
Colorado bill would force feds to sell off national forests: Sale could restrict public access to land
The Coloradoan, Published by Bobby Magill, March 28th
Have you summited one of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks? Skied at a Colorado ski resort? Rafted the Poudre River? Climbed Greyrock or hiked in the Indian Peaks? If so, chances are, you did it on federally owned public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. As currently written, a GOP-sponsored bill making its way through the Colorado Legislature would require the U.S. government to sell off nearly all of that land - 22 million acres of it - to the highest bidder, likely taking it out of the public domain and removing any or all environmental protections, and possibly public access, that land currently has. State Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, said Wednesday an amendment he plans to attach to House Bill 1322 would instead require the federal government to cede the land to the state of Colorado, not sell it. To read more of this article link to: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120329/NEWS01/203290333/Colorado-bill-would-force-feds-sell-off-national-forests
The E-Forester
How many times have we heard this from various states and National Forests?
On the surface may sound like a good idea, "give it to the states".
Which state has the budget to manage these lands "properly"?
Safety concerns close trails on two national forests in Texas
The National Forests and Grasslands office in Texas has closed trails in the Sam Houston and Davy Crockett National Forests while hazard tree and safety assessments are ongoing. Last year, Texas experienced its worst drought in over 100 years, with triple-digit temperatures for 56 consecutive days. Thousands of drought and heat-stressed pine trees throughout East Texas and the national forests have created a public safety issue. Now high winds and heavy rains threaten to topple numerous pockets of dead and dying trees on those forests. The forests are conducting salvage timber sales and cut and leave treatments to mitigate as many hazard trees as possible.
The Chief's Newsletter
Flathead National Forest, Montana
Lawsuit Challenges Proposed Logging Project
Daily Interlake (April 18) - Two environmental groups- Friends of the Wild Swan and the Swan View Coalition-have filed a lawsuit to stop a second forest management project in the Flathead National Forest's Spotted Bear Ranger District.
Represented by the Western Environmental Law Center, the groups filed the lawsuit challenging the Soldier Addition II project in US District Court in Missoula, Montana. The groups filed a lawsuit challenging the nearby Spotted Bear River Project in February.
The groups contend that the projects threaten an array of species, including lynx, bull trout, grizzly bears, wolves, fishers, and wolverines.
The E-Forester
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/10/us/tom...html?hpt=hp_c1 (http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/10/us/tom...html?hpt=hp_c1)
sorry if its a repost, but what do you guys think about this?
ashes
the link was removed, what was it about?
Oh sorry.
The link was about Toombstone AZ. The FS was blocking the city from doing repair on a water pipeline that ran from a wilderness area. I guess the town had established the pipeline before the FS was even established. There were wildfires that had damaged portions of the line and they needed to fix it because the springs were the only water source.
I will try to find a working link.
US Forest Service Considers Using Explosives to Bring Down Trees
Missoulian (May 13) - Paul Bunyan wouldn't have known what to make of Gordon Ash's little logging crew in the Pioneer Mountains last week. Instead of axes or saws, the US Forest Service team went after trees with sticks of high explosive.
Blasting trees makes sense in certain situations. Insect-killed trees in particular can pose hazards that healthy forests don't. They often rot from the inside, making them prone to shattering or falling in unpredictable directions. Put that rotten tree on a cliffy hillside over a road, and there's no safe way for a lumberjack or mechanical cutter to cut it down.
The E-Forester
Amazing what these kids running the USFS these days dream up for solutions. Blowing up frozen cows to now blowing up trees. 8) 8) :D :D :D
No safe way for a lumberjack or mechanical cutter to get to the dead tree, but a dynamite expert can be there in a jiffy, no problem. Hmmm? Maybe they helicopter him/her in there to plant the explosive while hanging from the 'copter?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/10/us/tombstone-water-fight/index.html
This is the link to the article I was trying to show you guys. might have to copy and paste to view because I clearly am uncapable of posting the link.
I read about the use of explosives to remove trees and also the frozen cows. Itchy trigger finger?
US Forest Service Workers Fell Day's Worth of Trees in a Second with Blasts
Missoulian (May 24) - A day's worth of logging took place in less than a second on a hillside above Hahn Creek as a blasting crew distributed about 100 pounds of explosive sticks among 37 dead pine trees that threatened a stretch of the Hahn Creek Road.
The decision to blast instead of saw was driven by several factors. Wednesday's project took out 37 trees with a crew of five working about 2 hours. It would take a single chain saw operator about 10 hours to do the same job, given the steep terrain and lack of maneuvering room for more co-workers.
Trees that have snapped midway up the trunk, or lost part of their roothold, or have tipped and tangled into surrounding timber, all may be too unsafe for a sawyer to tackle. A blaster can place a charge without ever moving the suspect tree.
The E-Forester
R4: Forest Service road crew provides road maintenance training to the Marine Corps
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest road crew personnel will conduct a two-day training session this week with the Marine Corps' Heavy Equipment Section to lengthen the life-span of the road network and maintain water quality. This high-elevation training site's 47,000 acres are located on the Bridgeport Ranger District, near Bridgeport, Calif., along Sonora Pass, in the Eastern Sierras. The Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center is one of the Corps' most remote and isolated posts. They conduct formal schools for individuals and battalion training in summer and winter mountain operations.
The Chief's Newsletter
P.S. Has anyone spent time with the USMC at Bridgeport, CA?
Those guys came to Kirkwood ski area every year that I worked there to train. Mostly to learn to ski and get around for the new guys. It was always fun to have beers with the guys in the evening. The close proximity allowed me to see military aircraft fly around there pretty often.
It was funny to hear the responces when you asked the guys if they enjoyed the skiing. Some thought it was like a vacation, and some got tired of getting beat up on the ski hill every day.
All I met were really nice guys.
Dixie National Forest Pulls Logging Plan
Utah Daily Herald, July 15th
Federal foresters have backed away from logging a high-country swath of spruce in southern Utah, handing a victory to environmental groups fearing for the survival of a rare hawk. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and the Utah Environmental Congress say logging would have removed old-growth forests north of Escalante that support a dwindling population of goshawks. They held up the logging plan in federal courts and took credit for the reversal by the U.S. Forest Service. Logging proponents say the decision leaves conditions in the dense forest ripe for a catastrophic wildfire in the area north of Escalante. "It's dying faster than you can think. Beetles are wiping it out," Bruce Chappell, a logger and log home builder in Lyman, told The Salt Lake Tribune.
The E-Forester
Never knew goshawks to be rare. We have plenty of them around here and the forests are being logged steadily in a mostly sustainable fashion. It xould be the escalante goshawks are in decline due to the maturation of the forest and loss of openings where mice thrive.
R9: Michigan National Forests and The National Wild Turkey Federation join forces
The National Forests of Michigan (Huron-Manistee, Hiawatha and Ottawa) signed an agreement with the National Wild Turkey Federation to increase coordination in achieving wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement. The agreement includes jointly funding a biologist to help with program development and project completion, collaborating to find additional resources for projects, enhancing collaboration in the conservation of turkey habitat and preservation of our hunting heritage, implementing and promoting the use of stewardship contracts and restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems. Other opportunities for increased outdoors activities and volunteer projects include Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship and Wheelin' Sportsmen outreach programs.
The Chief's Newsletter
Ron, do you collect the America the beautiful quarters? If you do, go to a coin store and get a proof set to really appreciate their beauty.
2012 Capitol Christmas Tree preparing for trek to nation's capital
The Blanco Ranger District of the White River National Forest is making final preparations for the harvesting and tour of the 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree. The 73 foot Engelmann spruce will be harvested on Nov. 2 and begin its national tour to the nation's Capitol. There will be a celebration in the town of Meeker after the harvesting. An artfully painted Mack truck, which will transport the tree to Washington, D.C., arrived at the district office this past week. Visit the official website to learn more and track the tree's journey to the nation's Capitol.
The Chief's Newletter
That's pretty cool Ron. I bet those guys are proud. 73' spruce is quite the Christmas tree.
What is DBH on a 73' spruce? I wanna saw something.
US Forest Service waives fees during Veterans Day weekend
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2012 –The U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at most of its day-use recreation sites over the Veterans Day holiday weekend, Nov. 10-12. The fee waivers – the fourth this year -- are offered in cooperation with other federal agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Day-use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the Forest Service. Concessionaire operated day-use sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate.
The Chief's Newsletter
Been on the road for three weeks and glad to be finally home; I see the Region 3 Regional Forester and Region 9 RF have either retired, or are going to at t he end of the year. Also, I've never seen so many district ranger jobs open - I bet 15 - 20 positions across the country. I seen a recent poll on leadership positions above the GS-14 level are in the 80% range for retirement elgibilities...
I talked with Region 9 Regional Forester Chuck Myers at the USFS Convention in Vail Colorado in September and he said that he was retiring the end of September but I haven't heard on the recruitment of a new RF as yet. I've known Chuck since he started on the Allegheny NF in 1978.
Watch for "Seeking the Greatest Good".
A new film produced for PBS by public TV station WVIA of Scranton, PA traces the life of Gifford Pinchot, founder of the Society of American Foresters and first chief of the US Forest Service. The full name of the movie is Seeking the Greatest Good: The Conservation Legacy of Gifford Pinchot.
Forest Timeline
May be getting around to that time agin when our 'leaders' start more talk about combining the USFS under the USDA with the BLM under the Dept. of Interior. Comes up every once in awhile and suspect there are good arguments either way, to save on duplication of management of federal lands.
Chuck Myers was and is an outstanding leader, as is Corbin Newman (RF in 3). I worked for Chuck some in Region 8, and for Corbin in Region 3 for the past 2 1/2 years, two guys who epitomize the phrase "Leaders Intent".
Depending on the outcome of the election I can see the argument for DOI/DOA, BLM and USFS coming up again. We'll waste a few million dollars to get back to the same place again. :o
Yes I know Corbin for his good leadership. He also spent time in Region 9 and was Forest Supervisor of the Huron-Manistee National Forests headquartered here in Cadillac, MI after I retired.
Rocky, would you be able to provide some info, or links to info on the current logging situation around flagstaff/winslow and the white mtns. I had heard of a large salvage sale there being worked with ctl equipment.
I used to live in prescott, and my wife is from the valley.
We have about 15,000 - 20,000 acres of salvage under contract right now under White Mountain Stewardship. I've heard we have all the loggers except one in the State on the salvage. We got about 8,000 - 10,000 acres of green we'll sell in 2013 in the White Mountains. Then....Pioneer, the winners of 4-FRI, supposed to start on us on the west end (Black Mesa on us and northern Payson on Tonto NF) in Jan or late December of this year. It's about 5,000 - 8,000 acres. Then, in early summer the mill supposed to break ground at Winslow and ramp up to 30,000 acres/year - mainly around Flagstaff and haul to Winslow. 150 million dollar mill infrastructure to build, including a biodiesel plant just off I-40 at Winslow. We're busier "than a cat covering up crap on a marble floor" right now......... I'd talk to Pioneer or to Future Forests folks to get a better handle on who's going to be doing what...... The new Vaagan mill is set to start operations in less than two weeks; got 1,000 loads of logs on the yard as we speak. High-speed, small log Hew-saw mill - anticipated output is 1.0 - 1.5 million bd.feet per week (they say it should do up to 2.0 million bd.feet/week when the bugs get worked out of it...
For what product market are they going to be milling? Dimension? specialty? i.e. what is the solid wood product? and what other products....you mentioned biofuel as one.
How many federal dollars going into this?
Lots of dimensional lumber for overseas markets, pellets stock - the mill (pellet) in Show Low supplies 17% of the US consumption - and that's a lot of pellets (Home Depot "Heats" and Lowes "Greentree"). A pallet mill, on-site, mainly going to Mexico with raw stock, Bioenergy (27 Megawatt) power plant in Snowflake AZ. 4-FRI supposed to be specialty products such as glued joint material to make window and door jambs, and the big biodiesel plant coming on-line in 2014. No federal $ except for the prep done by USFS, except still some remnant payments to Stewardship for service associated work. We also have three other smaller mills in the area (2 - 6 million board feet/year processed). It's not as dynamic as the south for timber production yet (meaning, not hotly contested stumpage bidding), but we have one of the largest programs in the country right now. 4-FRI does get planning $ since it is a "Collaborative Forest Landscape Project", but will fly on its own as far as implementation. 4-FRI first contract is 300,000 acres, and has already been let!
Are all the harvesting contracts pretty well sewn up? Or is it an ongoing bid/purchace system for stumpage? The only type of logging I was able to see was a whole tree chip job somewhere up on the rim and a treelength operation just south of prescott.
I heard some talk on our lakestates grapevine that ponsse was supplying several ctl systems to a contractor in operating in the southwest out of montana. Presumably Pioneer. I guess you can gather that I would be interested in a little research into moving back to the state. Purely a twinkle in the eye right now though. I was in construction there till that dried up. I do love that country, and doing this job there seems like it would be great.
besides being that much closer to elk hunting.
I'd give Pioneer a call at 406 655-0624, and ask them to give you Mr. Johnson's (Marlin's) number. He's the one responsible for the woods operation. That number is the best one I have
Thankyou
2012 Capitol Christmas Tree
Following a three-week journey from Colorado's White River National Forest, this year's Capitol Christmas Tree has arrived in Washington, D.C. It is now being decorated with lights and handmade ornaments from Colorado after being placed on the Capitol Building West Lawn.
The 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree will be celebrated at several events the week of Dec. 3. The first celebration will be at the National Museum of the American Indian the morning of Dec. 3 and will include Forest Service leadership and the Ute Tribe of Colorado. On Dec. 4, the Chief's office will host the annual Capitol Christmas Tree program and reception at 2:00 p.m. in USDA's Whitten Building Patio. The tree-lighting ceremony will be broadcast on C-SPAN, on December 4; and a congressional reception will be held that evening.
The Chief's Newsletter
US Forest Service Chief Says Timber Harvest Must Increase
Capital Press.com (December 4) - Representatives of Idaho's forest industry reacted positively to US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell's announcement that timber harvest on federal land would increase by 20 percent over the next couple of years.
Tidwell told members of Boise's City Club Nov. 30 that this year's severe wildfire season is an example of why it's critical to restore forest health by clearing out some of the fuel that is leading to much bigger wildfires.
The E-Forester
Nantahala, Pisgah National Forests Undergo Three-Year Revision to Management Plans, Public Comment Sought
High Country Press (January 7) - The US Forest Service is revising the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan, which will guide management of the forests for the next 15 years.
The revision is a three-phase process that will occur over a three- to four-year period and will be monitored until the next plan revision. It begins with the one-year assessment phase, where the National Forest Service will collect and compile data and other information about the current state of Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. The planning phase will take two to three years to complete.
The E-Forester
White Mountain National Forest to be featured on new quarter
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2013—The Forest Service announced today that the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire has been included in the U.S. Mint's America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The White Mountain National Forest coin depicts Mount Chocorua, the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range, framed by birch trees.
The Chief's Newsletter
Forest Service Plans Big Cedar Planting Project
Associated Press (February 18) — The US Forest Service is planning a big cedar planting project for Alaska's Prince of Wales Island.
The 700-acre project is scheduled to take place over the summer, according to the Ketchikan Daily News.
At 100 yellow cedars per acre, the Forest Service will be planting about 70,000 trees.
The E-Forester
Monster goldfish population could pose threat to Lake Tahoe
A monster goldfish weighing 4.2 pounds and 17 inches long was recently found in Lake Tahoe. A further discovery of over a dozen other goldfish in the lake suggests that they are schooling and spawning. Researchers are concerned that a growth in the population of monster goldfish could pose a significant threat to native species in the lake and contribute to the rapidly decreasing clarity of Lake Tahoe waters.
The Chief's Newsletter
Timber Theft
A federal court judge is attempting to determine the value of something that maybe somewhat priceless: tree stolen from the Olympic National Forest in Washington State. Some of the trees are "old growth" Douglas Fir that started their lives about the time of America's Revolutionary and measured six feet across. Other trees include large maples valued for intricately patterned wood used in musical instruments and cedar used for shingles, shakes and rot resistant construction.
According to the US Attorney's Office, Reid Johnson, the son of a prominent pioneer family on the Olympic Peninsula was convicted of the theft. Johnson was sentenced in December of 2012 to a year in federal prison for stealing more than one hundred trees. He now faces a hearing to determine the amount of restitution he must pay. Matthew Diggs, an Assistant US Attorney who prosecuted the case said, "The fact is you can't replace with a dollar amount a 300 year old tree. It's like taking an antiquity." However, at the hearing experts will try to place both an economic and ecological value on the stolen trees.
Despite the guilty plea, Johnson maintains the trees were on family property, not National Forest land. A land survey proved the trees were on national forest land. Johnson also claims theft of trees is rampant in the State of Washington, where thousands of dollars can be earned in less than an hour's work. He said, "This kind of theft is never going to change. There's plenty of wood on the National Forests and places they can steal."
Law enforcement authorities from the state and federal agencies agree theft of everything from leafy seal plants to huge timber is an increasing problem. Attorney Diggs wrote in a court document, "Theft and damage to forest products have reached near epidemic proportions on public lands." U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Anne Minden commented that it is impossible to say for sure how much timber is stolen.
The Lookout
It does not surprise me that timber theft is rampant with such light sentencing.
Some Local History
http://www.cadillacnews.com/news_story/?story_id=1806496&year=2013&issue=20130307&fb_action_ids=10151490869532162&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151490869532162%22%3A432721023476118%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151490869532162%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
Next to sourwood, sweetgum is my favorite leaf to chew in the woods. Any other good leaves out there?
Group Sues to Stop Hebgen Timber Sale
Bozeman Daily Chronicle.com (March 21) - The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and the Native Ecosystems Council have filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Missoula to stop the Forest Service from moving forward on its Lonesome Wood II Timber Sale.
The area covered by the timber sale is along the western and southern shores of Hebgen Lake. The Forest Service initiated the project, saying logging would safeguard area cabins from wildfires.
The environmental groups claim the old-growth areas are habitat for lynx, grizzly bears, and wolverines.
The E-Forester
and so it goes...
R10: First mushroom publication released to the public
The Alaska Region published the first Forest Service mushroom guide. Mushrooms are plentiful in the coastal temperate rainforests of Alaska and serve a critical ecological and cultural role. "Mushrooms in the National Forests of Alaska" is now in hardcopy and online.
Chief's Newsletter
Lack of Timber Challenges Area Sawmill
MT Standard.com (April 7) - Sherm Anderson, the owner and chief executive officer of Sun Mountain Lumber in Deer Lodge, Montana, says that the lack of available timber is big challenge for his company, and he blames a part of the problem on the US Forest Service, which owns 70 percent of the timber in Montana on 17,048,125 acres, but supplies only 5 percent of the harvest.
According to the Forest Service website, from the 1960s through 1980s, the national forest timber harvest in the country averaged about 10 billion board feet per year. After environmental groups won a series of lawsuits in the 1980s and 1990s for more habitat protection for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, the Forest Service timber harvest plunged to about two billion board feet per year.
The E-Forester
USDA Does About-Face, Won't Jettison Forest Service's Shield Logo
Yakima Herald.com (April 9) - A plan to drop a recognizable logo in this part of the country-the Forest Service's iconic shield-generated so much outrage among the agency's retirees that the idea has been dropped.
In early January, the US Department of Agriculture quietly introduced a policy to phase out all of its subagencies' logos, including the Forest Service's, and replace them with the USDA symbol.
But that policy was kept so under wraps that not even Pacific Northwest forest supervisors were told. Some of them only heard about it in retrospect late last week-after the USDA had decided, in light of the virulent opposition from the Forest Service's "Old Smokies" retiree group, to keep the service's shield logo intact.
The E-Forester
QuoteLack of Timber Challenges Area Sawmill
High time some counter-suits come in to action, to counter the post-card suits the enviro's have used for 50 years to halt tree cutting.
Albeit, one of the problems is that the USFS is infiltrated with the 'ologists to the point they are as much to blame for taking away the "forest management for wood" objectives. Many want to turn all the National Forests over to the Park Service, which may be the underlying motivation for doing away with the USFS shield.
And still others want all of the Forests turned into Wilderness status.
Just my opinion... :)
I hope the poor horse from Routt NF is still doing well.
Wilderness Packer Program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEH2emt4s9g&feature=youtu.be
Group Files Suit to Halt Timber Sale on Lewis and Clark National Forest
Helena Independent Record.com (March 1) - The Alliance for the Wild Rockies has filed suit in US District Court in Great Falls, to stop the US Forest Service's Blankenship Vegetation Treatment Project near Monarch, over concerns for Canadian lynx, goshawk, and wolverines.
The E-Forester
Oregon Environmental Group Opposes Timber Sale
Capitalpress.com (March 10) - A 2,000-acre thinning project in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest has come under fire from environmentalists who argue it will destabilize erosion-prone soils.
Bark, an environmental group, asked a federal judge in Portland on March 7 to overturn the US Forest Service's approval of the Jazz timber sale.
Bark's allegations were countered by attorneys for the Forest Service and Interfor, a wood-products company that seeks to process logs from the Jazz timber sale at its sawmill in Molalla, Oregon, who said the project would improve forest health and bolster the local economy.
The E-Forester
Sad Day for USFS Law Enforcement
Region 8: Memorial services held for slain law enforcement officer and K-9 partner
On March 17, services were held in Marion, N.C., to commemorate Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Jason Crisp and his K-9 partner, both killed in the line of duty March 12 while pursuing a suspect in Burke County, N.C. Several hundred Forest Service employees and thousands of law enforcement officers from across the nation joined together to honor this officer's outstanding service, and express condolences to Crisp's wife and two children.
http://www.wbtv.com/story/24955275/two-people-found-dead-in-burke-co-home-police-looking-for-son
The Chief's Newsletter
The full length (27 minute) movie "Untrammeled" recognizing the 50th Anniversary of designated Wilderness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krtp5gFvixc&feature=youtu.be
One thing about it, if most of the old timber management areas were turned over to the states, there wouldn't be the rash of stamped letters from some enviro groups stopping good forest management. The affected states might even have to hire real foresters and not ecologists or habitat specialists.
Redwood Poaching Spreads to National Forests
Columbian.com (June 15) - The poaching of knobby growths on ancient redwood trees has spread to national forests in northern California and Oregon.
The growths, known as burls, appear at the base of redwood trees, where they send out sprouts. Their intricate grain is prized for furniture and decorations.
The poaching has been a problem in northern California's Redwood National and State Parks for years. Two men recently were convicted in a case there after rangers tracked slabs cut from a tree by chain saw to a redwood burl shop.
More:
"Burl Poaching" Damaging Oregon's Last Redwood Groves
Statesman Journal.com (June 12) - Damage to old-growth redwoods through a practice known as "burl poaching"-the cutting off knotty growths key to the tree's ability to reproduce and protect itself from disease-is apparently impacting groves of the world's tallest trees in southwest Oregon.
But according to the environmental group Oregon Wild, the practice has moved north and is impacting one of the last remaining old-growth redwood groves on Oregon soil, southeast of Brookings in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
The E-Forester
Quote from: Ron Scott on June 20, 2014, 05:44:53 PM...
... through a practice known as "burl poaching"-the cutting off knotty growths key to the tree's ability to reproduce ...
The E-Forester
Must be the Male Trees loosing their "BURLS" :o as that is how to keep dogs from re-producing :D ::) ::) Sorry had to add my 2 cents to the story... ;)
Mark
Draft Forest Plan Adds 700,000 Acres to "Timber Base"
BlueRidgeNow.com (November 16) - Conservation groups are raising the alarm after the US Forest Service unveiled a draft proposal to designate nearly 700,000 acres of the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest as suitable for logging in its new management plan for the next 15-plus years.
Environmental leaders say the proposed "suitable timber base" puts logging ahead of restoration and recreation, while undermining the collaborative process now underway by including contentious areas such as Bluff Mountain, Big Ivy, and South Mills River in zones that could be cut.
US Forest Service officials and groups advocating for more logging to benefit game species say the conservationists are overstating the threat.
The E-Forester
Oil, Gas, and National Forests
USFS Withdraws Oil and Gas Drilling Approval in the Gunnison National Forest
Enewspf.com (January 20) - Conservationists have settled a lawsuit that challenged the US Forest Service's approval of a new natural gas drilling project in Colorado's Gunnison National Forest without conducting the legally required analysis of environmental impacts. Following the conservation groups' opening brief in the case, the Forest Service agreed to withdraw approval of the project.
Group Challenges Permit for Oil Pipeline in National Forest
Miningjournal.net (January 15) - The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit that accuses the US Forest Service of breaking the law when it granted a new permit for an underground oil pipeline in a Michigan national forest without conducting an environmental analysis.
The suit focuses on section of the pipeline that goes through part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Oscoda County, in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. A US Forest Service special-use permit for that section expired in 2012.
The Forest Service issued another permit last month, even though it hadn't prepared an environmental analysis. The National Environmental Policy Act requires US agencies in most cases to perform one of two types of investigations to determine how an important action will affect the environment.
The E-Forester
Smokey Bear on ice
An 8-foot-tall Smokey Bear ice sculpture competed in the 31st annual North American Snow
Festival and took top prize in the Business/Organization category. The sculpture was carved on
evenings and weekends over a two-week period by seven Michigan Department of Natural
Resources employees and five Huron-Manistee National Forest employees. In early February,
Forest Service employee Jae Naugle and state employee Todd Neiss presented the $500 prize
money to a local family. The money will go toward the purchase of a service dog for their 3-year-old daughter, who has Dravet Syndrome.
The Chief's Notes
Chippewa National Forest's Marcell Ranger Station Exemplifies 1930s National Parks Service Architecture
Minnpost.com (March 24) - Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1934 and 1935, the Marcell Ranger Station exemplifies the core principles of the National Park Service's architectural philosophy: minimalist construction and use of native materials
The E-Forester
PROTECT OUR NATIONAL FORESTS AND COMMUNITIES!
Nearly 60 million acres of our National Forests are at risk of increasingly destructive wildfires and experts agree the situation is getting worse each year. These unnatural fires have taken lives and caused enormous property losses, and had profound impacts to our forested ecosystems including serious soil erosion, watershed destabilization, wildlife habitat loss, astonishing carbon emissions, and serious social and economic impacts to many communities throughout the American West.
The good news it is that the U.S. Forest Service knows what is needed to turn this situation around. Taking a science-based approach to thinning our overly dense forests and reducing fuels results in a healthier and more resilient forest, far more resistant to wildfire and disease. So that when fire occurs, firefighters are able to protect communities and minimize extreme impacts to the land. The Forest Service has a proven track record when both the tools and resources have been made available to them, and especially when working with local groups of citizens with varied interests who come together to resolve fire related issues and work together to get results. These collaborative efforts have demonstrably and successfully protected forests and communities.
So what's the problem? The problem is only about 2-3 per cent of the huge area at risk is being treated each year. Why? Because the sheer multitude of laws, regulations, and a 25 year deluge of appeals and lawsuits to block projects to thin dense forests and reduce fuels hazards in the forest have led to bureaucratic processes that are shockingly dysfunctional to reasonable people. Today, it is possible for communities and agency professionals to work 2-3 years to design a project only to have one outside person or group file a lawsuit and stop it in its tracks. And if they win even one minor point on a technicality the government actually pays them for their expenses! Meanwhile, the consequences of delayed or cancelled projects can be very serious.
Congress is prepared to help by providing the Forest Service the tools they need, empowering the use of collaborative groups with carefully balanced and thoughtful legislation, HR 2647, the "Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015" . The bill reduces incentives to file lawsuits. It streamlines the approval process while still protecting the forest and provides for reforestation so our grandchildren can enjoy forests and not brush fields in the future. It's an important step forward. You may hear the typical, universal fears from a few environmentalists stuck in the drama of the last century, who think the status quo is just fine. They will predict the usual ecological Armageddon! Don't believe it. It's pretty low risk to have professional land managers working alongside diverse community groups. But the risks created by inaction are proven and substantial.
Congress must also solve the problem of funding for disaster response to large fires in the same way we pay for hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, without raiding other Forest Service programs such as recreation, wildlife, and even fuels reduction and thinning projects designed to protect communities. Passage of the proposed Wildfire Disaster Funding Act or something similar would fix that. Congress should act on both of these crucial problems or we are certain to continue to lose a lot more of our treasured National Forests and rural communities.
Jim Golden, Chair
National Association of Forest Service Retirees
The National Association of Forest Service Retirees (NAFSR) is composed of men and women who spent their careers involved with protecting, developing and managing our Nation's National Forests and Grasslands, conducting research and development, and involved in state and private forestry and international forestry activities with many partners at home and around the World.
Jim Golden retired from the Forest Service in 2007
Forest Service Seeks Public Comment on a Proposed Policy for Training and Certification of Use of Saws by Forest Service Employees, Volunteers
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment on a proposal that would establish a national policy providing consistent oversight and training on the use of saws by employees, consultants and volunteers on lands managed by the agency. The proposal does not apply to groups including contractors, special use permit holders or private firewood cutters.
"Our first priority is safety," said Leslie Weldon, deputy chief for the agency's National Forest System. "The proposed national policy would ensure that our employees and partners are trained consistently, to help us complete critical work on our national forests in a safe manner."
Since the 1970s, the agency's nine regions have developed policies concerning employee and partner use of chain saws and crosscut saws, which are often used for trail maintenance activities and other work on national forests. The proposed national policy would create a national saw program and standardize instruction, knowledge and skill requirements for all Forest Service sawyers. The policy would also provide consistent national direction on the training, certification and safe use of chainsaws and crosscut saws by Forest Service employees, volunteers, partners, and training consultants who work on National Forest System lands.
Quote from: Ron Scott on June 12, 2015, 12:52:53 PM
PROTECT OUR NATIONAL FORESTS AND COMMUNITIES!
Living in Oregon and into the current fire season, it's hard to read such headlines.
Environmentalists Sue over Tree-Cutting Plan in Beetle-Killed Forest
MTStandard.com (August 7) - The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council filed suit against the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Missoula federal court to stop tree cutting on approximately 40,000 acres of forest east of Deer Lodge.
The Forest Service plan to cut the trees is part of a restoration effort that began in 2006 to restore beetle-damaged forest at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River.
The E-Forester
And so it goes, on and on. The Forest Service is pre-empted again. Fifty years of this and no one should wonder why our public forests are in such poor condition. The taxpayers' pay the Foresters to just fill a chair at a desk...
And we wonder why we are having such fierce forest fires with the heavily added fuel load of dying, diseased, and bug infested timber.
Minnesota: There's a Plan to Trade Some BWCAW Land-and It Got a Lot of People Upset
Bringmethenews.com (August 25) - The state of Minnesota and the US Forest Service have been in talks for years on a land swap concerning the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
They want to trade ownership of thousands of acres of land in northern Minnesota, to solve a decades-old land management issue. But concerns about what will happen to the land after the trade prompted the Forest Service to conduct an environmental review on the land swap proposal.
The E-Forester
Here is a link to a bit more info on the subject, including who wants what in the lands trade and sales.
Not the latest, but from a few months ago.
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/11/bwca-land-swap
Forest Service Already Pulling Firefighting Money from Other Programs
Magicvalley.com (September 7) - The US Forest Service has already surpassed its $1.011 billion wildfire-fighting budget and is drawing hundreds of millions from other programs to cover the cost.
As of Friday (September 4), the Forest Service has spent $1.23 billion on firefighting this year, said Jennifer Jones, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. With 40 uncontained wildfires burning in the West and above-average fire potential predicted in some areas of the Northwest through the end of September, Jones said the cost is likely to keep going up.
The E-Forester
USDA Forest Service Seek Vendors for Wildfire Support
(Silver City, NM - December 5) - U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region announced an information meeting on 1/7/16 for vendors interested in providing fire engines and water tenders with trained operators to support wildfire operations during the course of a three-year agreement.
The E-Forester
US Forest Service Looking to Hire More Women Wildland Firefighters
(Fresno, CA - December 8) - The U.S. Forest Service just completed the training of a group of 25 women at a wildland fire training camp in Los Padres National Forest in an effort to bridge the gender gap on the firelines.
The E-Forester
Stay overnight at the Squaw Mountain fire lookout
Guests looking for a unique experience are able to rent out the Squaw Mountain fire lookout tower on the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests. The lookout is two stories; the glass-enclosed second floor is where the fire lookouts would scout for fires. The fire lookout contains a complete kitchen that includes dishes, pots and pans. Guests need to hike a bit to get to the lookout; the parking area is a mile away in summer and almost two miles during winter months. Guests are rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding Rockies.
The Chief's Notes
Helicopters To Drop Wood Mulch On Scorched Oregon Land
(Baker City, OR – March 14) – A Mountain West Helicopters chopper is dropping hundreds of tons of wood mulch on 88 acres of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest burned by the Cornet-Windy Ridge Fire.
The E-Forester
Sierra Pacific Buys 7.8 Million Board Feet of Federal Timber
(Arcata, CA – March 11) – Sierra Pacific Industries has purchased more than 7.8 million board feet of timber in the Six Rivers National Forest for $604,107 as part of the Kelsey Peak Timber Sale and Fuelbreak Project.
The E-Forester
Quote from: Ron Scott on August 28, 2015, 03:30:35 PM
Minnesota: There's a Plan to Trade Some BWCAW Land-and It Got a Lot of People Upset
Bringmethenews.com (August 25) - The state of Minnesota and the US Forest Service have been in talks for years on a land swap concerning the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
They want to trade ownership of thousands of acres of land in northern Minnesota, to solve a decades-old land management issue. But concerns about what will happen to the land after the trade prompted the Forest Service to conduct an environmental review on the land swap proposal.
The E-Forester
To make this entire thing more unbelievable the USFS acquired land in the Kabetogama Purchase Unit (76,800 acres) and the Pigeon River Purchase Unit (12,600 acres ) when the BWCA was created. Both of these are entirely out of the BWCA. It was designed to be land that would be traded with the state for their land within the BWCA. So the USFS has had the land to do a swap for over 40 years and it sits there, being lightly managed because the attitude at the local USFS ranger district (at least for the Kabetogama unit) is that it could be gone tomorrow.
Clark
Quote from: Ron Scott on March 18, 2016, 12:32:12 PM
Sierra Pacific Buys 7.8 Million Board Feet of Federal Timber
(Arcata, CA – March 11) – Sierra Pacific Industries has purchased more than 7.8 million board feet of timber in the Six Rivers National Forest for $604,107 as part of the Kelsey Peak Timber Sale and Fuelbreak Project.
The E-Forester
I must be doing the arithmetic wrong. Is that less than a dollar per thousand board feet?
Edit: never mind, it looks more like 77 dollars per. I've never seen standing timber prices but having a vague idea of logging prices tells me that's probably fair.
Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan's U.P.
Lighting the way
Situated on Round Island in the Straits of Mackinac and along the ferry route to Mackinac Island
Historic Park, Round Island Lighthouse is easily the most-viewed historic structure on Hiawatha
National Forest. The forest is thrilled to announce that last week a crew of historic structures
experts and engineers made the difficult passage to the little island in order to inventory the maritime
structure. The data gathered will be compiled into a historic structures report, which will assist
the agency and partners involved in management and grant writing for restoration of the lighthouse.
The Chief's Notes
Forest Service rolls out web Visitor Map 2.0
On June 27, the Forest Service released a next-generation interactive visitor map. Visitor Map 2.0 provides the public with an online view of Forest Service roads, trails and recreation sites. The map is fully functional with personal computers, mobile phones and tablet devices using any modern web browser. A key aspect of the new map is inclusion of geo-located Twitter inputs from agency accounts to give field units an additional way of providing local, real-time content to the public through a map interface. In addition, Visitor Map 2.0 displays crowd-sourced imagery from other social networks such as Yonder. This feature allows the public to share their outdoor experiences with each other as well as with the Forest Service. All of these map features align with the agency's strategic objective of Connecting People to the Outdoors. You can learn more about Visitor Map 2.0 on the Forest Service website.
The Chief's Notes
K9 Ice returns to light duty
K9 Ice returned to light duty and was able to visit many of his admirers at the Six Rivers National Forest supervisor's office. Last month, while conducting a raid of an illegal marijuana garden on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, the dog was stabbed by a suspect he was apprehending. Despite multiple stab wounds to the chest and muzzle, Ice remained on the suspect until taken into custody. The dog is expected to be on light duty for at least a couple more weeks, when he will begin physical therapy to ensure full use and mobility of his left shoulder and leg.
Logging OK'd on 40, Acres in N. Idaho
(Boise, ID - September 6) - A federal judge found nothing wrong with the U.S. Forest
Service's approval of the 40,000-acre Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Landscape
Restoration logging project in northern Idaho, despite environmentalists' claims that
it could hurt native trout.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/09/06/logging-okd-on-40-000-acres-in-n-idaho.htm
The E-Forester
Helicopter removes logs from forest
Helicopter logging near Buttercup Campground and Snow Summit took place on San Bernardino National Forest's Mountaintop Ranger District Nov. 8–11. This marks the second year of using a helicopter to selectively thin stands as part of a fuels reduction and forest health project. A contracted helicopter flew logs out of the thinning area, adjacent to Big Bear Lake, due to steep terrain that kept standard hauling equipment from reaching the area.
The Chief's Notes
Forest helps restore Michigan's largest state park
Ottawa National Forest's J.W. Toumey Nursery recently began working with Porcupine Mountains/ Lake Gogebic State Parks on collaborative reforestation efforts in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan's largest state park. Seeds collected from the Porcupine Mountains are being shipped to J.W. Toumey Nursery for cleaning and growing in their bare root fields and greenhouses as container stock. So far, maple seeds and oak acorns have been collected and will be prepared for planting. Other species to be grown out during this partnership include balsam fir, northern white cedar, red pine and serviceberry. The nursery will grow roughly 255,000 seedlings over the next five years. A portion of these seedlings will be shipped to the Porcupine Mountains each spring starting in 2018.
The Chief's Notes
I am very encouraged to see increased harvesting on some of the Northern California forests especially the Lassen and Shasta NFs. There are logging trucks going in all directions. It is like the old days.
Good News!
Forest Service to Attempt to Improve Forest Conditions Through Prescribed Fire
(Ely, MN - April 14) - U.S. Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns in the Superior National Forest over the next few weeks to improve habitat for native wildlife and plants, to prepare sites for planting, and to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
http://www.elyecho.com/articles/2017/04/14/forest-service-attempt-improve-forest-conditions-through-prescribed-fire
Watched Georgia Public Broadcasting program on Longleaf Pine and It's Eco-System. It's covered gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, pitcher plants, cockeyed woodpeckers as well as the Longleaf Pine. Impressive that they have a healthy cockeyed woodpecker population on Fort Benning and that how they capture some of those and transplant them to other National Forests. Also, the indigo snake program. I recommend it as a program you should enjoy. The system depends on lightning fires to rejuvenate things.
Forest Service Plans Prescribed Burns for Upper Peninsula (Gladstone, MI - May 1) -
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to conduct 10 controlled burns on nearly 1,200 acres in the Upper Peninsula's Hiawatha National Forest over the next few months, depending on the weather, to benefit the ecosystem and reduce the wildfire danger.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/05/01/forest-service-plans-prescribed-burns-for-upper-peninsula/
The E-Forester
Quote from: Ron Scott on March 03, 2012, 10:09:03 AM
Keyboardist of the Rolling Stones named Honorary Forest Ranger
Chuck Leavell, keyboardist with the Rolling Stones, was named this year's Honorary Forest Ranger at a ceremony in Atlanta. He is active in forestry, owning an award-winning tree farm in Georgia. He is very active in conservation issues and has written two books on forestry. "This means every bit as much to me as that Grammy did a couple of weeks ago," said Leavell. The ceremony was held at the Southern Region's regional leadership team meeting on February 27.
Chief's Newsletter
Quite the talent, also the keyboard player for the Allmans
http://www.americasforestswithchuckleavell.com/about.html
D
U.S. Forest Service Works to Restore American Elm on Chippewa National Forest
(Cass Lake, MN - June 13) - U.S. Forest Service scientists from the Northern Research Station visited the Chippewa National Forest this week to inoculate more than 1,200 research American elm trees with Dutch elm disease to see if their inbred resistance prevents them from succumbing to the effects of the pathogen.
http://www.walkermn.com/outdoors/u-s-forest-service-works-to-restore-american-elm-on/article_0ce0973a-5035-11e7-9f9a-2318e25e6dbf.html
A Brief History of Minnesota's Superior National Forest (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAkbaBPWJZX8QJK0rCFT8DGnaKrDVU4maaaaRdBQR4PXraa?j=B_tDx~amp;n=Vyhoi3U1xBr~25Eqre3ckYv.Syc~amp;v=2~7E~amp;7=)
MinnPost, Aug. 16, 2021 The topography of the Superior National Forest was carved about 30,000 years ago during the Wisconsinan Glacial Period by the Laurentide Ice Sheet. After thousands of years of glacial expansion and retraction, the ice sheet retreated northward, leaving behind lowland areas that flooded and became many of the lakes in the North Woods. READ MORE (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAkbaBPWJZX8QJK0rCFT8DGnaKrDVU4maaaaRdBQR4PXraa?j=B_tDx~amp;n=Vyhoi3U1xBr~25Eqre3ckYv.Syc~amp;v=2F~amp;n=) |
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The E-Forester
WILDFIRE Every National Forest in California Is Closing Because of Wildfire Risk (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAkbaBPWKAU7QJPS7CGY8DGnaKpDVU4maaaaReBQTEOFiaa?j=B_tDv~amp;n=Vyhoi3U1xBr~25Eqre3ckYv.Syc~amp;v=1F~amp;n=)
NPR, Aug. 31, 2021
The U.S. Forest Service is closing every national forest in California, citing the extraordinary risk of wildfires and forecasts that show the threat will only remain high or even get worse. The closures started Tuesday night and run through Sept. 17. More than 6,800 wildfires have already burned 1.7 million acres of national forest land across California, the Forest Service said, posing a dire threat to people, wildlife and property. The closures could help in at least two ways: by reducing the number of people in harm's way and by removing a potential source of ignition for new wildfires.
READ MORE (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAkbaBPWKAU7QJPS7CGY8DGnaKpDVU4maaaaReBQTEOFiaa?j=B_tDv~amp;n=Vyhoi3U1xBr~25Eqre3ckYv.Syc~amp;v=1G~amp;n=) |
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The E-Forester
Maybe in the East, prescribed burning can be used without thinning first.
In the West, we have overstocked conditions nearly everywhere and thinning is required first. Controlled are best with snow on the ground. The National Park Service and some other agencies are famous for attempting prescribed burns in the fall with devastating results.
Quote from: ppine on September 15, 2021, 12:32:20 PM
Maybe in the East, prescribed burning can be used without thinning first.
In the West, we have overstocked conditions nearly everywhere and thinning is required first. Controlled are best with snow on the ground. The National Park Service and some other agencies are famous for attempting prescribed burns in the fall with devastating results.
The only prescribed burns I know of in the east are in the southern pine forests, not hardwood forests above those. Much different- "many things" in those pines down there where they burn in rotations.
A lot of prescribed burning is done here in northern lower Michigan on the Huron-Manistee NF's and State forest lands to regenerate jack pine for Kirtland Warbler habitat and fuels reduction.
Burning the southern hardwoods is a no-no unless you want to introduce heart rot from fire damage. The pines are fire adapted, not the hardwoods.
Vermonters Protest Logging in Green Mountain National Forest (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAebaBPWMMVdQLDOsCT0uD1daJ5DVU4maaaaQ6BRANEDcaa?p=jkvawpinBx5~2504dspqWmh.gkq~amp;Z=jkvawpinBx5~2504dspqWmh.gkq~amp;h=Hc~amp;1=)
WCAX-TV, Feb. 5, 2022 On Feb. 5, Vermonters took to Church Street to protest clear cutting in Vermont's National Forests. "In the climate crisis, in the water quality crisis that we're dealing with right now for Lake Champlain, with the extinction crisis upon us, we have to let more of our forests grow old," Zack Porter said. Porter is the Executive Director of Standing Trees, a coalition that works to protect native forests in New England. READ MORE (http://sm1.multiview.com/t/gcH1AAebaBPWMMVdQLDOsCT0uD1daJ5DVU4maaaaQ6BRANEDcaa?p=jkvawpinBx5~2504dspqWmh.gkq~amp;Z=jkvawpinBx5~2504dspqWmh.gkq~amp;h=Hd~amp;1=) |
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The E-Forester
Wisconsin's Chequamegon National Forest
https://milwaukeejournalsentinel-wi.newsmemory.com/?publink=136a189cf_134ab9d (https://milwaukeejournalsentinel-wi.newsmemory.com/?publink=136a189cf_134ab9d)