WASHINGTON, May 22, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 15 advisory committee members and five alternates tasked with providing guidance and recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service as it transitions to a young growth timber program on the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Also today, the Forest Service released for public comment a Notice of Intent to amend the 2008 Tongass Land Management Plan.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. May 22, 2014-- As part of the Department of the Interior’s ambitious youth initiative to inspire millions of young adults and veterans to play, learn, serve and work in the great outdoors and the President's 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Initiative, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced $6.7 million in grants to support conservation employment and mentoring opportunities at 43 projects on public lands across the country – a 60 percent increase over last year’s funding.

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2014—In the face of what is shaping up to be a catastrophic fire season in the Southwest, the U.S. Forest Service is adding four additional aircraft to its next-generation firefighting fleet, bringing the total amount of aircraft to 21 large airtankers (with opportunities to add additional aircraft, if needed) and more than 100 helicopters.  The new aircraft will enter service in the coming weeks and support over 10,000 firefighters for the 2014 wildfire season.

"We continue to increase and modernize the fleet of aircraft available for wildland fire suppression activities," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.  "These new planes will combine with our existing fleet to support to our heroes on the ground fighting wildfires to keep our resources and communities safe."

Get the latest fire information on InciWeb.

FACES of the Forest: Shyh-Chin Chen

Meet Shyh-Chin Chen, who immigrated from Taiwan to pursue academic and career interests, a research meteorologist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station in California. Why is he so passionate about his work? Maybe because he and his family live in Southern California where they have lived through and continue to experience wildfires literally on their doorstep. He relates his 2003 and 2007 wildfire experiences and nearly faced evacuation again this May.