http://www.fs.fed.us/ National news from the U.S. Forest Service en-us http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/10/community.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/10/community.shtml The USDA Forest Service today published the implementation rules for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, which encourages the creation of community forests and fosters rural economies. Press Office 2011-10-14 The findings of a new U.S. Forest Service study indicate that wood should factor as a primary building material in green building, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today. Press Office 2011-09-29 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/secure-schools.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/secure-schools.shtml The 2012 President's Budget proposes a five-year-extension of the act that provides funding to historically forest-dependent communities that have been impacted over the last several decades by downturns in the forest-products industry. Press Office 2011-09-22 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/fall-colors.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/fall-colors.shtml Fall Colors 2011 is underway with the U.S. Forest Service leading the charge to urge people to get outdoors, spend time in rural communities, and enjoy one of nature's most spectacular seasons. Press Office 2011-09-20 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/public-lands.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/public-lands.shtml The Forest Service is waiving fees at hundreds of recreation sites across the country on Saturday, Sept. 24 in recognition of Public Lands Day. Press Office 2011-09-16 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/statement.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/statement.shtml The Forest Service is working hard right now with our federal, state and local partners to combat fires in Texas, California and several other states. I want to assure the public that the Forest Service has ample aircraft strategically placed around the country to support on-the-ground teams combating this year's wildfires. Press Office 2011-09-08 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/tree-planting.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/tree-planting.shtml A forestation technique developed by the USDA Forest Service's Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, in Stoneville, Miss., is helping to reduce carbon emissions through the planting of millions of trees in the South and Midwest. Press Office 2011-08-22 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/wallow.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/wallow.shtml U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today restated his agency’s commitment to an accelerated rehabilitation of the lands devastated by the Wallow fire, which occurred this spring. Press Office 2011-08-17 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/health.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/health.shtml The USDA Forest Service recently awarded $726,000 to organizations in New York, Texas and Illinois for projects advancing understanding of the relationships between the urban forest, climate change and public health. Press Office 2011-08-16 Recreational activities on national forests and grasslands continue to make large economic impacts on America's rural communities, contributing $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Press Office 2011-08-09 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/sacred-sites.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/sacred-sites.shtml The U.S. Forest Service has opened for public comment through the Federal Register a draft report that outlines its policies and procedures on Indian Sacred Sites. Press Office 2011-08-05 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/thinning.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/08/thinning.shtml In the largest ever study of fuel treatment effectiveness, U.S. Forest Service researchers have found that intense thinning treatments that leave between 50 and 100 trees per acre are the most effective in reducing the probability of crown fires in the dry forests of the western United States. Press Office 2011-08-01 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/07/airtanker.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/07/airtanker.shtml The U.S. Forest Service announced today that it has terminated its contract with Aero Union of Sacramento, Calif., because the company failed to meet its contractual obligations. The company was providing six airtankers under exclusive-use contracts to the Forest Service. Press Office 2011-07-29 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/07/carbon.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/07/carbon.shtml Forests play a more significant role in removing carbon from the atmosphere than first reported by absorbing one-third of carbon emissions annually, a new U.S. Forest Service study says. Press Office 2011-07-14 The United States has 751 million acres of forests that have remained remarkably stable during the past 50 years, according to the U.S. Forest Service's 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests that was released today. Press Office 2011-07-07 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/stewardship.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/stewardship.shtml The new green curriculum of the Forest Service's Job Corps will expand employment opportunities for its graduates, help revitalize local economies in rural communities and enhance the mission of the agency, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said today. Press Office 2011-06-21 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/mendenhall.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/mendenhall.shtml Tourism spending in the Juneau, Alaska area is expected to reach $160 million this summer season with many of those visitors flocking to the newly upgraded U.S. Forest Service Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Press Office 2011-06-16 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/testimony.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/testimony.shtml In testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources this morning, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell gave details on his agency's wildfire response capabilities. Press Office 2011-06-14 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/go-day.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/06/go-day.shtml U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell is encouraging kids and their families to reconnect with nature and have fun by participating in the 4th annual National Get Outdoors Day, Saturday, June 11.The event, known as 'GO Day', is an effort to attract new, diverse communities to outdoor activities and to motivate kids to explore their national forests and other public lands. Press Office 2011-06-07 USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today unveiled a plan that will help farmers, ranchers and woodland owners enhance productivity, profitability and environmental stewardship by using the practice of agroforestry. Press Office 2011-06-06 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the release of a new map that characterizes the health and condition of National Forest System lands in more than 15,000 watersheds across the country. Press Office 2011-06-03 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/poster-contest.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/poster-contest.shtml U.S. Forest Service Associate Chief Mary Wagner today announced that a Woodland Hills, Calif., elementary school student is the 2011 Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl Poster Contest winner during a special ceremony at the annual meeting of the National Garden Clubs Inc., a Forest Service partner that organizes the contest. Press Office 2011-05-27 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/honored.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/honored.shtml U.S. Forest Service today announced the National Garden Clubs Inc. as a winner of the Golden Smokey Bear Award for the group's 50-year commitment to wildfire prevention education. Press Office 2011-05-27 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/prepare.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/prepare.shtml Nine out of ten wildfires are preventable. In other words, nine out of ten wildfires are caused by people from carelessness. But homeowners and others are not powerless against wildfires. In fact, homeowners who exercise common sense tactics, such as clearing brush and debris away from structures, play a vital role in slowing the spread of fire and protecting their property. Press Office 2011-05-27 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/fire-retardant.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/05/fire-retardant.shtml In response to a 2010 court decision, the U.S. Forest Service released a draft environmental impact statement today that will help inform the agency's decision whether to continue aerial application of fire retardant and, if so, under what conditions. Press Office 2011-05-13 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the publication and start of a 90-day comment period for the proposed Colorado Roadless Rule, developed collaboratively to address the needs of Colorado's unique and precious roadless areas. Press Office 2011-04-14 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/04/urban-planners.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/04/urban-planners.shtml New research funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help city planners make better decisions about their urban trees for a range of benefits, including energy savings and improved access to nature. Press Office 2011-04-13 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/04/pollinator-live.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/04/pollinator-live.shtml The U.S. Forest Service-sponsoredPollinatorLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure will broadcast and webcast a live discussion with scientists and educators on the life-sustaining interaction of plants and insects from 11 a.m. to noon EST April 13 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin. Press Office 2011-04-08 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $1 million in cost-share funding for children's programs in 18 states and Puerto Rico, furthering USDA's commitment to connect young people around the country with America's great outdoors. Press Office 2011-04-04 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today USDA's strategy to promote the use of wood as a green building material. At an event this evening to launch the International Year of the Forest, Secretary Vilsack will lay out a three-part plan addressing the Forest Service's and USDA's current green building practices. Press Office 2011-03-30 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/wildfire-management.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/wildfire-management.shtml Today the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) released two documents to address the wildland fire management challenges across America -- A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy) and The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act of 2009 - Report to Congress. Press Office 2011-03-28 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/i-tree.shtml.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/i-tree.shtml.shtml The U.S. Forest Service and its partners released this morning the newest version of their free i-Tree software suite, designed to quantify the benefits of trees and assist communities in gaining support and funding for the trees in their parks, schoolyards and neighborhoods. Press Office 2011-03-10 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/lichens.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/lichens.shtml A new U.S. Forest Service study is the first of its kind to establish how much nitrogen lichens can tolerate -- strongly indicating that the small plant may prove to be a natural barometer for excessive pollution. Press Office 2011-03-07 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/wildfire-risk.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/wildfire-risk.shtml The U.S. Forest Service reduced the risk of wildfire to communities and natural resources on nearly 3 million acres of National Forest System lands across the country in 2010, according to Congressional testimony today by U.S. Forest Chief Tom Tidwell. Press Office 2011-03-03 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/invasive-threats.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/03/invasive-threats.shtml Scientists, educators and volunteers from across the U.S. will meet in Washington today to receive awards for their efforts in battling bat-killing fungi, waging war on weeds and stamping out other invasive species. Press Office 2011-03-02 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed a proclamation today recognizing the beginning of the centennial celebration of a landmark piece of environmental legislation that led to the creation of nearly 20 million acres of new national forests in the eastern United States. Press Office 2011-03-02 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/bird-count.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/bird-count.shtml The U.S Forest Service is encouraging the public to consider a forest or grassland as their "backyard" for the Great Backyard Bird Count, a long-running citizen science program spearheaded by Cornell University that creates a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the continent. Press Office 2011-02-14 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/trident-surge.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/trident-surge.shtml Since January 18, USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations officers are participating with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of Interior in Operation Trident Surge, a joint initiative to secure and protect the Arizona/Sonora corridor, and improve national security and counterterrorism efforts on federal lands along the U.S. borders. Press Office 2011-02-14 The USDA Forest Service unveiled its proposed Forest Planning Rule today which would establish a new national framework to develop land management plans that protect water and wildlife and promote vibrant communities. Press Office 2011-02-10 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/natural-inquirer.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/natural-inquirer.shtml U.S. Forest Service scientists are putting the wonders of climate change into the hands of middle school students through the latest edition of the Natural Inquirer, a science education journal that showcases in-depth scientific research in a format for young people. Press Office 2011-02-07 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/smokey-bear.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/smokey-bear.shtml The nomination process for the prestigious 2011 Smokey Bear Awards closes Feb. 17, 2011. Press Office 2011-02-07 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/green-fire.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/green-fire.shtml The U.S. Forest Service has partnered with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature in the first feature-length, high-definition documentary about the legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold. Press Office 2011-02-03 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/iyof.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/iyof.shtml The U. S. Forest Service, today with partner organizations, the National Association of State Foresters and the American Forest Foundation, announce the U.S. celebration of the official United Nations International Year of Forests 2011. Press Office 2011-02-02 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/sacred-sites.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/02/sacred-sites.shtml The USDA Forest Service will conduct a second national listening session focusing on department policies and procedures for Indian Sacred Sites on Feb.14, 2011. Press Office 2011-02-01 http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/01/private-lands.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/01/private-lands.shtml The U.S. Forest Service recently published Threats to At-Risk Species in America’s Private Forests,a report emphasizing how increased housing density near and on private forests is threatening habitat for plants and animals already at risk of decline or extinction. Press Office 2011-01-06 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that more than $389 million is being distributed to 41 states and Puerto Rico for public schools and roads and specific county programs. Press Office 2011-01-03