Feature Stories

There are days we remember forever; from the people we shared them with to the feelings they evoke within us. Most of these days are full of joy and celebration—a wedding, a birth, a graduation. Then

Forestry Technician Doug Phelps grew up visiting Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. He never could have imagined how much the place would come to mean to him. “I remember visiting the

In the 1880s, Douglas Island, now part of Juneau, Alaska, was the site of the largest gold mining complex in the world. A 14-mile-long aqueduct carried water from a subalpine lake at what is now known

Imagine a garden where leaves rustle in the breeze, casting dappled shade over ripe strawberries. Grapevines climb tall fig trees while bright orange butterflies dance in and out of their tendrils. A

If someone asks, ‘hey what is so unique about Alaska’s National Forests – the Tongass and the Chugach?”, the hardest part about answering this question might be deciding where to begin. For example

At first glance, a person looking out at the Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands might notice areas of sparse grass, numerous fences and scattered cows. But on closer look and with a little more

Sunlight dapples through the verdant forest canopy above you. A gentle breeze cools the late summer warmth. Occasional white blazes peeking from trees reaffirm you’re going the right way. Flame

USDA Forest Service is reducing wildfire risk and forging unusual, unique partnerships. The Gila National Forest and Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery work together to reduce wildfire risk across

“I’m the project overseer,” said Mayordomo Vicente Fernandez humbly when asked specifically about his mayordomo title. Vicente is the community manager of a 71-acre parcel in the Carson National

We’re celebrating Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday, by honoring wildfire prevention heroes. Heroes like Lassie, Walt Disney Productions and the San Diego Padres, who have all been awarded for their

Sarah King remembers one time when she was focusing on the day’s task of preparing an area of the Custer Gallatin National Forest in southwestern Montana to be burned to reduce the threat of future

Bordering southern Idaho, in Owyhee, Nevada, winter temperatures can dip below zero degrees on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. For Shoshone-Paiute Tribal members, burning wood to heat their homes

Across the West, lands are scarred with reminders of overuse and undermanagement. A century of fire suppression has resulted in unhealthy and overstocked forests. The cost to treat an acre of land can

What do student-produced documentaries, a crosscut saw competition and cultural performances all have in common? The answer: the 2024 Centennial Anniversary of the Gila Wilderness, the first

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest extends like a long finger down the Idaho-Wyoming state line with seven ranger districts scattered from the storied lawless zone the U.S. Constitution forgot near