Feature Stories
- Wildfire is driven by three main factors — weather, terrain and fuels. When fighting wildfires, firefighters work to reduce the fuel feeding the fire, either by removing it with heavy equipment
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Ripple effect of fire-resilient forests
April 25,2023
Fire-resilient forests have a ripple effect — from trees to landscapes to communities — as their benefits spread beyond their borders to all of us. The 275,000-acre North Yuba Landscape within -
100 stories honoring volunteers and partners
April 18,2023
We invite you to experience an interactive story map featuring over 100 stories, images and videos of service to the land by Forest Service volunteers and partners. The breadth and depth of volunteer -
Let’s climb a tree
April 13,2023
As a professional paper-pusher, I didn’t expect to get to climb trees for work. I’m a writer for the USDA Forest Service. My job is to sit behind a keyboard, write stories, respond to emails, and - Editor’s note: Prescribed fire is one of the many ways the Forest Service is confronting the wildfire crisis. This practice reduces wildfire risk and is essential to the agency’s 10-year strategy “
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Rediscovering the 'snoring’ dusky gopher frog and restoring longleaf pine forests for the rare species
March 20,2023
In 1987, Glen Johnson heard the call of the dusky gopher frog, which sounds like a snore. He was the first to report hearing its call since the 1950s. He found a breeding population of the dusky -
Seeds sent into space by NASA, Forest Service return to Earth, create new generation of “Moon Trees”
March 16,2023
Kayla Herriman is x-raying tree seeds that recently traveled 40,000 miles beyond the far side of the moon. The seeds completed their epic journey on NASA’s Orion spacecraft as part of the NASA’s -
Protecting the Stanislaus Landscape
March 14,2023
For many residents of California’s Bay Area and surrounding communities, the Stanislaus National Forest is their first interaction with a forest, an alpine lake or even a campground. Located between -
Cross-boundary partnership brings together lands and people to prevent future wildfires
March 7,2023
Across the arid Southwest, prolonged drought, increased fuel loading and past fire exclusion left many communities at risk for catastrophic wildfire. "We've been living in extreme fire danger for far -
The bear necessities
March 3,2023
For many seasoned campers, camping protocols and best practices are second nature. From preparing food in a fire ring to safely emitting waste, veteran campers ensure a safe environment for humans -
Firewood banks expand access to affordable home heating for tribes
February 28,2023
In many parts of the U.S., the months of January and February bring striking winter scenes of mountain peaks blanketed in white snow and streams and reservoirs littered with gray-black ice. Along with -
Fires of winter
February 16,2023
Snow melts and becomes water, and the newly heated water becomes vapor as piles of dry wood and other plant debris start to burn slowly when firefighters, one after another, dip their drip torches -
Study shows wood products markets reel long after hurricanes subside
February 15,2023
When Hurricane Michael made landfall in October 2018, it was a Category 4 storm that damaged more than 6 million acres of forest and destroyed 10 billion cubic feet of timber across Alabama, Georgia -
Understanding your taxes as a forest owner
January 17,2023
Tax implications for forest landowners depend on the activity or activities on your land. Tax Tips for Forest Landowners: 2022 Tax Year can help forest owners understand the basics of forest-related -
Yuletide splash
December 29,2023
Harvesting and decorating a live Christmas tree is a holiday tradition in millions of U.S. households. Equally important and beautiful traditions surround taking down the coniferous holiday icon to