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 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 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]
By Robyn Whitney Last week before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen provided glowing testimony on the efficacy of state and private forestry programs, including those most important to state foresters and their agencies. Below are a few choice excerpts from the hearing: On Forest [read more]
By Emma Hanigan On August 10th, a derecho—best described as an inland hurricane—swept through eastern Iowa and left behind widespread destruction. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimates that 724,480 acres of forest and trees were lost across the 27 counties most directly impacted. A derecho is a straight line wind event that produces [read more]
While NASF leadership was in town this week for the first of three 2020 Executive Committee meetings, the state foresters of Virginia, South Dakota, and Nebraska held a Hill briefing for U.S. House of Representatives staffers on urban and community forestry. State-led Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) programs provide critical assistance to communities in establishing [read more]
Hosted by Hawaii State Forester David Smith and the Hawaii Department of Forestry, members of the NASF Forest Science and Health (FS&H) Committee, staffed by Bob Simpson, held their Annual Partners and Stakeholders Meeting on the island of Hawaii in Waikoloa Village. This annual meeting consists of three segments: the FS&H Committee Business Meeting, the [read more]
By Josh Knoll In response to a devastating wildfire year in 2018—and in anticipation of the wildfire year ahead of us—Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas has reintroduced the Resilient Federal Forests Act, bipartisan legislation that would expedite National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review for necessary salvage harvests by expanding the use of “categorical exclusions,” or [read more]
March is a great time to prune trees. While pruning can be done at any time during the year, new growth is maximized, wound closure is fastest, and pest risks are lowest if pruning takes place before spring growth. Correctly pruning a tree lengthens its life and increases its value, however poor pruning—especially "topping"—can lead [read more]
By Parker Jones According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), dead or dying ash trees are potential dangers to hunters. Falling from tree stands is the number one cause of serious injury in hunters. "Infested or dead ash trees are not as structurally strong as healthy trees, so they are not a good place to [read more]
