u.s. forest service

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee is resurrecting an old idea to shake up the Forest Service: Get the agency out of the Department of Agriculture.

Last week, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new directive prioritizing land use efficiency when evaluating proposals for power generation projects on National Forest System Lands.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and many others too time earlier this month to wish a happy birthday to Smokey Bear.

Summer camps are no longer just for kids.  University of Idaho Extension’s 4-H Alpine Family Camp, launching this summer serving eastern Idaho, will enable parents to share in the outdoor fun and activities with all of their children.  UI Extension ...

A new report shows the health of Oregon’s forests, following years of drought and historic wildfires.  And researchers are relying on aerial fly-overs to gather critical data.  Oregon’s Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service work together...

USDA announced $23 million in grants to support transporting hazardous fuels, such as dead or downed trees, from national forests to processing facilities.  Through the USDA Forest Service’s Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program, these grants will reduce the hazardous fuels that pose wildfire threats to communities, critical infrastructure and recreation areas.  Unlike high-v...

USDA layoffs and office consolidations are raising bipartisan concern in Congress.  Staffing levels could be pared by nearly 10% starting by early May, with the remaining staff relocated to three hubs around the country.  That’s according to briefed USDA officials, who are cited in a report by Government Executive, a government business news daily.   The layoffs and ...

Reports continue to say the Trump administration is planning to severely scale back or end all funding for many of the key programs in the Agriculture Department.  According to White House documents obtained by Government Executive, the Administration wants to cut workers and whole offices at the local level.   ...

Cuts to the federal workforce will have a greater impact on rural Oregon.  Oregon is home to more than 28,000 federal employees.  Gail Krumenauer, an economist at the Oregon Employment Department, said, based on the population, federal workforce cuts in rural counties will have a greater impact because they have a higher percentage of federal workers.   "It does t...

Earlier this month, thousands of U.S. Forest Service employees were fired, as part of an effort to downsize the federal government.  Isabella Isaksen was among those let go… and says the positions lost support wildfire efforts and other important work across Oregon.   “Permit...