forest health

Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced the first investment of a $1 billion effort to mitigate wildfire risks as the nation faces an ongoing wildfire crisis.  USDA announced a $197 million investment for 100 projects that benefit 22 states as part of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program.  The For...

Washington representative Kim Schrier kicked off a tour of the 8th district Friday with a Farm Bill listening session in western Washington.  Schrier said regardless of where she goes in the district, there are certain themes of the Farm Bill that always rise to the top.   “...

Washington State University’s Forest Owners Winter School takes place this weekend.  Natalie Johnson with the state Department of Natural Resources, said the full day event is geared toward small forest landowners.   "It's everybody from very small forest land owners to moderate size," said Johnson.  "Our definition of...

A delay in the state’s wildfire risk map may have put a portion of Senate Bill 762 on hold.  But another part of that legislation that looks to mitigate wildfires is enjoying some success.   SB762 set aside $20 million in grants for nonprofits, local governments, conservation districts, private landowners and federal partners to make their landscapes more resistant to wildfire.  Grant Coordinator

A non-native bug is damaging “white oak” trees around Oregon.  State Department of Forestry’s Christine Buhl said the oak lace bug has been here since 2015, but this year, things are looking especially bad.   “It is an aesthetic pest that can make oaks look pretty bad, and so that’s a concern for the typical homeowner, even though it’s not killing the trees. But, the larger concern is always that

The Washington state Department of Natural Resources announced this week it is expanding its wildfire response team across the state.  DNR will add 60 positions, including hand crews, heavy equipment operators and more.  Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz says these new positions, made possible by House Bill 1168, won’t be limited to a wildfire fighting role, they’ll also be trained to do f

The University of Idaho announced three new shortened degree programs Wednesday that the school says will address growing workforce needs. The College of Natural Resources programs prepare students for jobs in fire mitigation, forestry operations and nursery management after two years of education, rather than four ...

The Washington DNR and WSU Extension Forestry will host a series of Forest Stewardship planning courses this spring. Extension forester, Patrick Shultz, said the multi week course covers a variety of topics, making it almost a crash course when it comes to the world of forestry. ...

Oregon Republicans have 19 gubernatorial candidates to choose from in May’s Primary. Eleven of those candidates joined Timber Unity, in Hillsboro last week, to debate topics related to natural resources. On wildfires, Bob Tiernan, Tim McCloud and Bill Sizemore agreed forest management is needed, but their ideas on how to accomplish that goal varied widely. “ ...

The Department of Agriculture is preparing for the first-ever National Agroforestry Survey. NASS is mailing the survey to 11,000 farmers and ranchers to gather information on agroforestry practices used for climate, conservation, and production ...