forests

A network of cameras using artificial intelligence is now watching for smoke across BLM lands in Oregon and Washington — and fire chiefs say catching a fire in its first minutes makes all the difference.

Republicans in Oregon’s Legislature are calling for the Wildfire Hazard Map, which shows properties in the state at high risk of wildfire, to be repealed.  House Minority Leader Christine Drazan said rural residents feel targeted.   "Orego...

Last week, Oregon’s Board of Forestry voted on rules regarding the new Wildfire Hazard Map.  The group spent time discussing the implications of the map and what it means for property owners, especially in areas designated as high hazard.   “The o...

Trust would be operated in same manner as public land money use for education etc.

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

A new study out of Oregon State University shows leaves in forest canopies may not be as resistant to climate change as once thought.  OSU Professor Christopher Still used thermal cameras mounted in forests around the country and in Panama.  His res...

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says he hopes that they can begin to find foreign markets that are open to purchasing more U.S. wood products and expand the timber trade.   Perdue spoke to the meeting of the National Association of State Foresters noting that forests are just like farms.  ...

As the Northwest prepares for another wildfire season, the US House has approved a bipartisan bill to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires in national forests.  Oregon’s Greg Walden said he supports the Resilient Federal Forests Act, which he says would bring active management back to the forest.  Walden s...