#USDA Forest Service

[sitting-on-me-bum]

The Appalachian grizzled skipper sounds tough because it is. This rare butterfly species occurs in south-facing shale barrens and ridges, which can be some of the hottest and driest habitats in the Northeast.

Photo by USDA Forest Service

[intlforestday]

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME - Celebration of the International Day of Forests 2024.

On March 21st, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the United Nations Trusteeship Council chamber, New York;

- OPENING SESSION - Opening remarks: Ms. Juliette Biao, Director, UN Forum on Forests Secretariat  H.E. Ambassador Paula Narváez, President of the UN Economic and Social Council  H.E. Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General, DESA - PANEL SESSION - Chair: Ms. Leticia Zamora Zumbado, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. QU Guangzhou, Director, FAO Liaison Office, New York  Speaker tba, USDA Forest Service  Ms. Anna Rathmann, Executive Director, Jane Goodall Institute  Speaker tba, International Forestry Students’ Association  Mr. Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada  Mr. José Carlos da Fonseca, Executive Director, The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá)  Mr. Kai Lintunen, Head of International Communication, Finnish Forest Association - GENERAL DISCUSSION- Chair: Mr. Javad Momeni, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau Statements by Member States, UN entities and other accredited IGOs and Major Groups FOREST VIDEO SHOWCASE Short films from FAO and the 2024 World Wildlife Day Film Showcase (CITES and Jackson Wild)  Forests and innovation – new solutions for a better world  How Old Cell Phones Are Protecting the Rainforest  This New AI Forensic Tool is Fighting Illegal Logging  NASA Joins Jane Goodall to Conserve Chimp Habitats

United Nations Forum on Forests, UNDESA on the International Day of Forests 2024.

[stone-cold-groove]

Remember - only you can prevent forest fires!

[vintagecamping]

USDA Forest Rangers stop for lunch.

Oregon

1969

[plethoraworldatlas]

The Bureau of Land Management recently announced that it will no longer allow the use of “cyanide bombs” on its lands. The M-44 devices are often used to protect livestock from animals like foxes or coyotes.

Several environmental groups lauded the decision, saying it makes public spaces safer for people and animals.

“Cyanide bombs” are baited, spring-loaded traps that release deadly poison into the air when triggered. Wildlife agents – often from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – usually set them to control predators, especially in remote areas.

M-44s killed more than 5,000 animals last year, according to the USDA, and were deployed in 10 states, including Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.

Colette Adkins, Carnivore Conservation program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the devices are dangerous because of their indiscriminate nature.

“Anything that tugs on the spring-loaded device will be sprayed with this deadly poison, whether it's a kid, an endangered species or a target animal like a coyote. They really are just too dangerous to be used in public places,” she said.

This issue made national headlines in 2017 when a “cyanide bomb” killed a family pet and injured a boy in Idaho. Since then, several groups have been petitioning to end the use of M-44s on public lands.

With the BLM’s move, the devices are now banned from all lands administered by the U.S. Interior Department. Still, M-44s are allowed on U.S. Forest Service lands and in some states.

[aigle-suisse]

Salt River Dance par Jeff Goldberg

[epoxyconfetti]

Been loving the urban forestry webinars at the USDA website. Wednesday, 1/10/2024, 1 – 2:15pm EST

[archivedotorgfan]

images of hands working by the usda forest service & forest health protection, 1970s.

[herpsandbirds]

Active Periodical Cicada Broods of the United States

Andrew M. Liebhold, Michael J. Bohne, and Rebecca L. Lilja

USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry (May 2013)

via: Wayback Machine (archive.org)

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Good. These things are horrifying for a whole host of reasons. First, it's mind-boggling that the USDA kills as much native wildlife as they do; last year's report showed that they killed over 56,000 (no that's not a typo) coyotes intentionally, over 5,000 of which died via cyanide M-44s. The report lists hundreds of other species, many native, intentionally killed by the USDA, plus a number that were unintentionally killed as well, for a total of 383,731 native wild animals killed by the USDA in 2022.

But M-44s also don't discriminate. Any animal that disturbs one--a pet, livestock, an endangered animal, or a human being--can get a deadly dose of cyanide. They're baited so that animals manipulate them with their mouths, meaning they literally get a mouthful of cyanide.

While the US Forest Service still uses M-44s, they will no longer be used on any Department of the Interior land. Here's hoping the Forest Service will follow suit.

[bearpoll2023]

[grubloved]

the public comment period for the deregulation of the darling 58 chestnut tree has been extended until january 26th, 2023. american chestnut trees were at one point essential and common to forested ecosystems across the eastern american seaboard but were wiped out by fungal infections brought from the old world. the darling 58 chestnut tree is a genetically modified version of the american chestnut, with one gene inserted from wheat that gives the tree the ability to create an enzyme that breaks down the toxin secreted by this fungus, allowing the tree to survive. this is the first instance of genetic modification being used for ecological restoration instead of agriculture! it needs to be approved by the FDA to be allowed into distribution.

[cavevulpis]

Right now real life federal wildland firefighters are fighting 50% reduction in pay. We need them now more than ever.

The Grassroots Wildlife Firefighter Foundation has put together a very easy to use letter to send to your senators to urge them to pass a permanent fix on this pay issue.

If you are American, you can just put your name and address and it will use the template to contact your senators for you!

Let them know that you support a permanent pay fix for Federal WFFs in the next CR or emergency supplemental.

Failing to act could mean that federal firefighters will endure a pay cut of up to 50% of base pay, up to $20,000.

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) and Grassroots Wildland Firefighters have built this letter campaign to make it easy for you.

PS. You can copy paste this (or things from the petition page) and post them on different platforms to forward! I don’t have instagram or a TikTok platform so those would be great!

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Department of the Interior:

Today, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce released a report outlining recommendations to enhance community-led economic development by creating jobs in the sustainable forest product sector and outdoor recreation while supporting healthy, resilient forests. This report was developed in response to climate change impacts, workforce and housing shortages, and barriers to intergovernmental coordination in rural forest-dependent communities and builds on President Biden’s Executive Order on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies (E.O. 14072), which he signed on Earth Day 2022.  

The report’s release comes during Climate Week, as the Biden-Harris administration continues demonstrating its commitment to addressing the climate crisis. 

America’s forests provide millions of jobs and underpin local economies, particularly in rural communities. The Biden-Harris administration is mobilizing historic resources to help these forests and communities thrive. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and Great American Outdoors Act—in addition to annual appropriations—the Administration is providing historic funding for wildfire risk reduction, innovative forest products that create jobs, restoration and forest management to help our forests better withstand extreme weather events, outdoor recreation investments such as campgrounds, and research and development programs. The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management’s 21st Century Blueprint for Outdoor Recreation, USDA Forest Service’s Reimagine Recreation initiative and Department of Commerce’s U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation program are also advancing public lands management and the outdoor recreation and tourism industries, for the benefit of current and future rural communities.  

Today’s report provides recommendations to further these efforts by encouraging greater collaboration among federal agencies to deliver the resources and services that rural, forest-dependent communities need and to foster economic resilience.

The report proposes fostering community resilience by better connecting communities with the many existing tools to navigate climate-based risks in a way that also builds sustainable economic development and healthy forest practices. In addition, coordination across the federal government and with partners can help communities tap into existing resources to pursue their economic development plans and address bottlenecks or barriers to delivering support.  

The report also emphasizes how forests benefit underserved communities, including Tribes, which are disproportionately affected by climate impacts. For example, the Interior Department and Forest Service's Equity Action Plans seeks to enhance Tribal co-stewardship and promote equitable access to cultural and recreational opportunities for all communities. 

[sunflower-spirit]

September 1938, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest - US Forest Service. Nymphs and dryads dance before the feast table. Still from motion picture “4,000 GIFTS FROM THE FOREST” (USDA Forest Service photo by Asahel Curtis)

[burnsoregonphotoblog]

1965. Spray helicopters. Burns Douglas-fir tussock moth control project. Oregon.

Credit: USDA Forest Service, Region 6, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection. Collection: Region 6, Forest Health Protection historical files located at the Mt. Hood National Forest in Sandy, Oregon.

Image provided by USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection: www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/forest-grasslandhealth

Note: "During the period of June 10 to July 1 , 1965, a total of 65,945 acres were sprayed with DDT for control of early-instar larvae (Perkins and Dolph 1967). Application was by helicopter and at the rate of 0. 75 pound DDT in 1 gallon of fuel oil formulation per acre. Because of public concern at this time about side effects of DDT in the environment, impact of the spray on other resources, including fish, water, soil, forage, and cattle, was evaluated by scientists working independently of the project (Crouch and Perkins 1968, Tarrant et al. 1972). In addition, a small test was made of two other candidate insecticides, Dursban, an organic phosphate, and Zectran, a carbamate." From: Wickman, B.E.; R.R. Mason; and C.G. Thompson. 1973. Major Outbreaks of the Douglas-fir Tussock Moth in Oregon and California. GTR-PNW-5. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 18 p. www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr005.pdf