National News

Forest Service Issues Emergency Order to Close Caves and Abandoned Mines to Protect Bat Species from Fatal Disease

DENVER, July 27, 2010—Deputy Regional Forester Tony Dixon is issuing an emergency order today that will close all caves and abandoned mines on National Forests and National Grasslands in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service: Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. The emergency closure order will be in effect beginning Tuesday, July 27, 2010, for a period of one year.

Interior and Agriculture Departments Announce Joint New Climate Change Research Projects on SE and NW Freshwater Systems

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today announced joint scientific research projects that address the effects of climate change on freshwater systems and sensitive aquatic species in the northwestern and southeastern United States.

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Spotlights

The USDA Forest Service has a long-standing history and tradition of supporting the Boy Scouts of America! We will be posting daily information, photos and news about the wide-ranging displays and interactive exhibits we prepare for every Jamboree at this special link. Follow for our Twitter notes and check out our Facebook posts about the Jamboree over the next 10 days to see how the Scouts and the Forest Service join in to care for our natural resources for this and future generations at the Jamboree 2010!

Read or Download the Forest Service National Road Map for Responding to Climate Change

The National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change is the Forest Service's blueprint for responding to a changing climate and is part of the overall and ongoing effort by the Agency to restore forest and grassland landscapes. One of the measurement criteria of the Forest Service’s roadmap is a scorecard rating system to be used by all national forests and grasslands to gage the success of efforts to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.

Wilderness ranger writes of birth, struggle for life in Alaska

Tim Lydon spends much of each summer in the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness on the Tongass National Forest. He writes for the Forest Service's FS Today and his stories also are printed in the Juneau Empire. This issue, he lets us witness the birth of a harbor seal and the harsh realities of nature, one of many reasons that make visiting the Tongass an adventure. "I'm perched on a ledge about 400 feet above an ice-choked Tracy Arm, and the seal is lying on a berg in the middle of the fjord. She's more than a mile away, but I'm guessing that her constant repositioning means she's in labor. Then it happens. The ice berg turns red, and when the mother shifts again I see she is no longer alone. A tiny pup lies beside her. The mother cranes her neck to touch noses with her newborn, imprinting its scent.

Read this story and more in the latest issue of FS Today.

Issues

Photography and Non-commercial Filming (.DOC): The USDA Forest Service has issued a revised Interim Directive (.DOC) for still photography and non-commercial filming on all National Forest System lands and in designated wilderness areas. The goal of this Interim Directive is to provide clarification for considering proposals for commercial film permits in wilderness areas, and provide a more permissive environment for the issuance of special use permits for commercial filming appropriate in wilderness areas. Contact your local Forest Service offices for more information about Special Use permits.

ARRA Projects: The Forest Service also plays a key role in stimulating the economy by distributing $1.15 billion of American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act funds. So far, more than 700 Forest Service Recovery Act projects have been funded across the nation, with nearly all of those projects underway. Those projects have put Americans back to work while also making communities safer by providing for healthy forests and clean and abundant water supplies.

Climate Change: The Forest Service has several inter-related programs to help forests, grasslands and humans mitigate and adapt to global climate change.

Water: The Forest Service manages the largest single source of water in U.S., with about one-fifth originating from 193 million acres of land.

Bark Beetle: There are forests in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota that are experiencing bark beetle epidemics at a historically unprecedented scale.

Planning Rule: The Forest Service hosted a series of public meetings across the country in April and May 2010 to provide opportunities for public input and dialogue on the development of a new planning rule.

Features

Forest Service Recreation -- Inspiring Passion for the Land

National forests and grasslands provide some of the greatest opportunities for outdoor recreation in the world. Recreation activities are not only fun; they create memories, provide physical challenge, provoke interest, and inspire wonder and awe of the natural world. Recreation contributes greatly to the health of individuals, bonds family and friends, and provides economic benefit to communities. Indeed, outdoor recreation is an essential part of American culture.

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Website Information

Web Survey

As you leave our site, a pop-up window may ask you to complete a survey that will help us improve the Forest Service website. The survey gathers no personal information about you. We hope you will take time to respond!

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