By Bob Simpson, NASF Forest Health and Science Committee Staff Biological control (biocontrol) is the purposeful use of natural enemies of dangerous, damaging and otherwise undesirable pests through parasitoids, predators and pathogens to reduce the risk and damage caused by harmful organisms to acceptable levels. It is not a new science; early uses include ancient [read more]
Guest post by the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region | This is a cross-post that also appears here on the USDA Forest Service's website Working hand-in-hand with state partners, the Forest Service created a summary report that identifies common themes across 21 state Forest Action Plans, providing a roadmap for collaboration and shared priorities for [read more]
By Whitney Forman-Cook with contributions from the Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water and the Southern Group of State Foresters | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Spring 2022 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. Forests and trees play a critical role in watershed health and are key to ensuring safe [read more]
The sign-on of the National Association of State Foresters makes 30 members for the Source Water Collaborative. Since its start in 1920, NASF has served as a leading authority on forest management in the United States. NASF’s membership is composed of the directors of forestry agencies in the 50 states, five U.S. territories, three nations [read more]
By Hannah Wagner Happy Groundhog Day! One of the strangest American traditions took place this morning, and the ending wasn’t ideal. A famous groundhog named Phil saw his shadow… What a bummer! While I’m sure you’re disappointed to have to bear six more weeks of winter, have you ever wondered what cold weather means for [read more]
By Keith Wood The Partners in Community Forestry conference was held November 17-18, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. This year’s conference brought back together nearly 400 in-person attendees in addition to remote audience members. Those in attendance were bursting with enthusiasm to be back together presenting, learning, and networking all things urban and community forestry (U&CF)! [read more]
By Marvin Brown | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Fall 2021 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. In Congress and in the media, climate change is receiving a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Scientists agree climate change is fueled by human-generated air pollutants called greenhouse gases. The most common [read more]
By Mikayla Manthiram Young children and teenagers today are growing up amid looming, existential threats, not least of which is a changing climate. Catastrophic wildfire, drought, and extreme weather events, all exacerbated by climate change, have created a generation of climate conscious young people. Project Learning Tree (PLT) is a program for these students. It [read more]
By Marvin Brown | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Summer 2021 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. Landowner assistance programs are a core function of state forestry agencies. States combine their own funds with support from the USDA Forest Service Stewardship Program to provide landowners with information, education, and plans [read more]
By Keith Wood If you live in a city or town, did you realize you actually live in a forest? It is estimated that 138 million acres of trees comprise the urban forests in cities and towns across the United States. These forests span many ownership boundaries and provide numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits [read more]
