Latest news with #forestmanagement
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Supporters Of Appointment To Lead The US Forest Service Say He's The Right Man To Reshape The Agency
Idaho's Michael Boren faces questions during his hearing to become Undersecretary of Agriculture ... More overseeing the U.S. Forest Service. Little confirms that you're the right choice for the Trump Administration quite like an attack piece by the New York Times. For Idahoan Michael Boren, an appointment to serve as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, a job that would put him atop the US Forest Service, has come with scrutiny over previous dust-ups with the agency that he may soon oversee. While some view his previous encounters with the agency as disqualifying, others see them as proof that he's exactly the right man for the job to course-correct an agency that has been widely criticized in recent years for mission drift from its traditional role of active forest management to one of forest preservation. Boren at home on the range in Idaho clearing forest trails. The policy shift has been blamed for myriad problems for the agency that oversees more than 200 million acres of federal land, not the least of which is a decline in biodiversity and a rise in catastrophic wildfires across the West. 'Active management of our forests is essential for wildlife, healthy habitat, and wildfire mitigation' says Kyle Weaver, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. 'Eventually you come to the conclusion that we're not managing our forests and that has to change—for the sake of people and wildlife.' For Boren, one of the founders of Clearwater Analytics, a Boise-based investment and accounting software company, also owning ranch properties in the West has brought him firsthand experience dealing with what some see as cumbersome and sometimes oppressive federal agencies like the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 'Reflecting President Trump's outsider-driven, disruptive leadership style,' says Chris Cox of Cap6 Advisors, a Washington D.C. based conservative strategy and public policy firm, 'changing agency culture isn't likely to come from within, but from outsiders who've experienced these agencies as the citizens they're meant to serve.' Boren with his wife Joan. The couple have owned multiple ranches in Idaho for many years. With a headline, 'He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service,' the Gray Lady didn't waste time questioning Boren's appointment. Never mind, however, that the grass airstrip was on Boren's own ranch property which he made available for Forest Service use as an emergency landing site for aircraft in distress and for search and rescue efforts. 'Mike's strip was not illegal,' says long-time friend and lawyer Jon Christianson. 'There is nothing in the law nor in the easement covering his property that prevented him from using it both as a pasture and a grass airstrip. In fact, he did not need to get approval from the county under the zoning ordinance. Ultimately, the county planning and zoning commission and the county commissioners both approved the use of the pasture as an airstrip. And for the record, I have seen far more herds of elk and antelope on that 'airstrip' than I have airplanes.' The Times even sent a photographer to capture an aerial view of the airstrip which looks remarkably like the pasture surrounding it. Had they wanted to photograph mule deer or elk grazing on the strip, there's little doubt they could have. 'I've known Mike Boren for 10 years,' says Charles Potter, President and CEO of the Chicago-based Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. 'He's been a strong advocate for improving public access and has granted it to the BLM on his Idaho ranch properties. As a pilot, he's also flown countless missions at his own expense to aid in firefighting and backcountry search and rescue missions.' The Trump Administration wants the Forest Service to return to active forest management as part of ... More an effort to reduce the impact of forest fires. Boren is being tapped for the post largely because of the Administration's belief that the Forest Service needs reforming to better manage our forests, minimize catastrophic wildfires, drive forest products investments to improve rural economies and provide better fish and wildlife habitat along with recreational opportunities that all stem from active forest management—not forest preservation that has become the agency's direction in recent years. 'The notion that cutting trees is bad for the environment is simply false,' says Potter. 'The reality is that without active forest management we will continue to see many species of wildlife decline—especially many woodland bird species including ruffed grouse and woodcock, very popular game birds for hunters in the eastern US. Timber harvest creates jobs, revitalizes ecosystems, and improves air and water quality. It's truly a win-win-win.' As for the Times' report regarding Boren's brushes with the Forest Service, Potter says it misses the fact that Boren has consistently worked with the agency. Keystone, South Dakota, USA - April 2, 2013: The emblem of the US Forest Service, part of the ... More Department of Agriculture outside of Keystone, South Dakota. 'He has a long track record of working with the Forest Service on his ranches. You cannot ranch in the West without working with agencies like BLM or the Forest Service. His properties are considered models for sustainable ag practices,' says Potter. 'He maintains lower livestock levels to provide for abundant wildlife—particularly elk and deer—which also improves water quality in mountain trout streams.' 'Unfortunately, those who oppose him are doing so mostly down political lines because they see a successful businessman and Trump supporter rather than a problem solver with vast experience managing and improving land in the West,' says Potter. 'He's just what the Forest Service needs at exactly the right time.' 'The Forest Service is broken and needs an outside businessperson to execute a turnaround,' says Christianson. 'There are few successful business professionals that know both forests and the Forest Service as well as Mike does. The nation is lucky that someone as capable as he is would be willing to take on this difficult but important task.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vancouver Islanders call for better access and environmental oversight of private forest lands
A survey by a private forest management company on Vancouver Island shows thousands of outdoor enthusiasts want better access to forest land — but an alliance of wilderness advocates is also raising concerns about environmental accountability. Mosaic Forest Management, which oversees roughly 550,000 hectares of privately owned forest land between Victoria, Sooke and Campbell River, reports that the survey received over 7,600 responses and the feedback was clear: open the gates. According to Mosaic's website, the company has over 20 gates on the Island that it can open and close to control recreational use — including those controlling access to popular hikes like Century Sam in Comox and Mount Arrowsmith near Port Alberni, and front-country camping sites like Nanaimo Lakes. Access to the areas is often limited to weekends between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Steve Mjaaland, Mosaic's manager of forest protection, says the company would like to enhance recreational access, but gate closures are often necessary for safety and to prevent wildfires. "It's a working forest. There are a lot of high-risk hazards, especially hauling on the roads, which would probably be the biggest risk with traffic," he said. Among those calling for better access: Jenn Holland, who currently chairs an alliance of almost 30 grassroots groups on the Island called the Vancouver Island Private Managed Forest Land Action Alliance. "There's gates everywhere and people can't get to beloved waterfalls or lakes or camping sites that they used to be able to access," she said. Holland says the issue goes beyond recreation. "We can't get in there, and we can't see what they're doing back there. We can't see if there's been a landslide. We can't see if a water course has been logged. We can't see that they've logged an entire watershed," she said. "It's not just access for recreation, but it's access for accountability that's missing." WATCH | Hikers call for greater access to the Island's backcountry: Issue goes beyond the gates, say conservationists Holland says that while hiking access is something that the public can easily grasp, she's focused on bigger issues, like conservation, private forest landowners and the province, that go beyond Mosaic's control of the gates. Dave Weaver, a retired forestry worker who now volunteers with the Beaufort Watershed Stewards, one of the groups that make up the Vancouver Island Private Managed Forest Land Action Alliance, says he takes issue with the Private Managed Forest Land Program, which was established in 2003 under the Private Managed Forest Land Act. According to the province's website, the program works by setting out management objectives for forest landowners, who in turn develop management strategies most appropriate for their land. Weaver says the act sets a low bar for forestry practices, especially in comparison to regulations for public forest lands, which have more restrictions on harvesting and clearcuts, and greater requirements for public accountability. "We need to have these difficult conversations very soon, with all the parties involved — with the provincial government, with the landowners," he said. WATCH: Vancouver Island groups call for forestry reform on private land: In 2019, the province undertook a review of the Private Managed Forest Land Act, where Weaver says extensive feedback was collected from the public, local government and First Nations. The province published its findings, which show there was a recurring theme of concern about the sustainability of forestry practices and the effects on things like watersheds on privately managed forest land — but Weaver claims no tangible change ever came from the review. In an emailed statement, the Ministry of Forests said it's working to modernize the act following the 2019 review, and that "many of the issues raised during the review are being addressed through the government's work to make sure forestry supports ecosystem values." But Weaver says he believes even that review would be out of date by today's standards and is joined by the alliance in calling on the province to undertake a new review. In a statement, Mosaic said it would be willing to work with community partners toward a sustainable strategy. "Mosaic supports enhanced collaboration between private forest landowners, First Nations, the Province, and communities to ensure responsible forest management plays a key role in BC's economic, reconciliation and climate strategies," said Karen Brandt, the senior vice president of public affairs and partnerships at Mosaic Forest Management.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Forest road rule in New Mexico faces potential change
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The feds are working to peel back a rule barring new roads from being paved through federal forests, and now, many are wondering what it could mean for two million acres in New Mexico. For decades, the federal 'Roadless Rule' has blocked new road building across New Mexico's untouched back country, but it may soon be a thing of the past. Story continues below News: New Mexico Supreme Court throws out embezzlement charges against former official Trending: A 'professional courtesy': How an officer crossed the line Community: Funding for farming internship program at APS in jeopardy KRQE Investigates: Embattled McKinley County DA asks for emergency funding to keep her office running 'We're going to go back to common sense forest management to ensure that our forests are here for generations to come,' said US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who states that the choice will in part help with wildfire prevention. But conservation groups, such as the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance are skeptical of the Trump Administration's choice. They fear what it could mean for some of the state's forest land. 'Lands the New Mexicans know and love would be at risk because of this rollback,' said NM Wilderness Alliance Executive Director Mark Allison. 'Which was intended to open up these places for industrial activity and development like commercial logging, mining, and oil and gas development.' Other concerns include the impact on outdoor recreation areas, habitat, and sacred tribal lands, as well as the potential of poaching endangered species like the Mexican Grey Wolf. But some New Mexico lawmakers are in favor of the rule change. Silver City Republican Senator Gabriel Ramos says it may help protect communities from wildfire, floods and property damage. 'If you look at every forest fire out here in the Gila, they've used dozers and they've actually cut lines,' said Ramos. 'And if they already had a road there, it would be a lot easier for them to go ahead and cut that line and try and stop the fire from growing.' NM Wilderness Alliance thinks what's being floated as a solution to the wildfires could actually cause more, citing studies showing most fires are human-caused and 90% occur within half-a-mile of a road. 'When you have more roads, you have more people, which means you have more human-caused fires,' said Allison. Near the Carson National Forest, Taos Democratic Senator Bobby Gonzales says there needs to be a balanced approach. 'I know that harvesting timber is important,' said Gonzales. 'But it has to be done that it meets the needs of everyone… Now, just to come in with wide open – developing roads- that does a lot of harm to the land and to restore it back is not that easy.' The US Forest Service still has to go through a long process before repealing the Roadless Rule, which is expected to include public comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Grand Canyon blaze shows how managing a fire can go suddenly sideways
U.S. land managers are racing the clock as hotter, drier weather raises the risk of wildfires in the nation's overgrown forests with each passing year. One tool is to use the flames from lightning-sparked wildfires when conditions allow or to plan prescribed fires for other times of the year to clear out dense vegetation as a way to limit future risks. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona for decades has been a leader at using fire to make the ecosystem more resilient. A lightning-sparked fire along the North Rim that started July 4 presented an opportunity for fire to play its natural role. After a week conditions quickly deteriorated. Wind-whipped flames rushed toward the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and the surrounding historic cabins. Many were reduced to rubble and ash. It's not the first time firefighters have been on the losing end of trying to wrangle the forces of nature. Still, experts say fire is a critical land management tool, pointing to countless examples where the work has paid off. 'We focus so much on the fires that go bad and almost nothing on the 99% plus that do great work,' said Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science and forest policy at the University of California, Berkeley. 'Unless we get the forests in a more resilient condition with low fire hazards, we will be chasing our tails forever.' Searching for new tools On the North Rim, managers working the Dragon Bravo Fire say crews had constructed containment lines and were prepared for more defensive maneuvers before conditions rapidly changed. Uncharacteristically strong winds pushed the flames past multiple containment lines, prompting mandatory evacuations for remaining North Rim residents. Crews in New Mexico also were forced to change their strategy in battling a blaze burning in the Santa Fe National Forest after a spot fire was discovered beyond containment lines. Ranchers there shared pictures of dead cattle on charred grazing allotments, criticizing officials for not putting out the flames sooner. Experts agree there's always room for improvement when it comes to managing wildfires and planning for prescribed fires, especially as technology improves to help fire managers predict what the flames might do. University of Utah atmospheric scientist Derek Mallia is among those working on new forecasting tools. He's tracking fires in Utah and Arizona in preparation for a project next year that will focus on pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or those towering thunderstorms that sometimes form above wildfires. Mallia said fire forecasting hasn't advanced as quickly as tools for other severe events like tornados and hurricanes. That's partly because fires happen on a finer scale, making the work more difficult. Managers also have to account for the legacy of built-up fuels in the forests and the compounding factor of climate change, he said. For example, he said fires are burning hotter at night than they used to. 'That used to be a time of the day where there was a good opportunity to kind of jump on a fire, get it contained and make a lot of meaningful progress,' he said. 'That's a lot more difficult now.' Researchers also are trying to better understand how fires affect weather patterns. Mallia explained that fires are part of a more complex feedback loop that makes forecasting even more challenging. Still, the biggest issue is the condition of the forests and their susceptibility to high severity wildfire, said Stephens, the California professor. Andi Thode, a professor of fire ecology and management at Northern Arizona University and the lead at the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, agreed. She said using a lightning-sparked fire or taking years to plan a prescribe burn is a matter of deferred risk for fire managers. 'Do you want to take your risk now with a lightning ignition that seems to be functioning in the way that you want it to with weather predictions that are not too bad? Or do you want to push that risk back to later in the worst time of the year?' she said. 'Fire managers are always juggling this now.' Lessons already learned For Native Americans, fire has long been a part of life and crucial for forest health. Westward settlement all but eradicated those attitudes until ecologists ignited a shift in the way policymakers thought about fire. The first wilderness fire management program was established in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks more than a half-century ago, as policies shifted from suppression to management. Other parks followed, with thousands of lightning-sparked fires being allowed to burn under carefully monitored conditions in dozens of parks across the U.S. But there have been costly lessons, including at Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico, where a prescribed fire was set in the spring of 2000 to treat 2 square miles (5.18 square kilometers) of dense forest. Strong winds, dry conditions and insufficient resources contributed to the destruction of homes as the fire ballooned to nearly 75 square miles (194.25 square kilometers). Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the nations' premier nuclear weapons labs and the birthplace of the atomic bomb, also closed. The Cerro Grande Fire forever changed the landscape around Los Alamos, prompted congressional inquiries, led to a host of recommendations from nonpartisan government watchdogs and formed the basis of new training programs. Changing conditions It's not that the lessons faded from memory, but the circumstances are more dire with a drier landscape across much of the U.S. West. That was the case in 2022, when the U.S. Forest Service forged ahead with a pair of prescribed burning operations in New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains as pressure mounted to address the wildfire threat. Outdated models and miscalculations by managers resulted in what was the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. Rural communities were uprooted and the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire wasn't contained for four months. During the conflagration, the Forest Service put on hold its prescribed fire program and conducted a lengthy review that resulted in numerous reforms. Congress approved billions in recovery dollars, with FEMA paying out about $2.6 billion so far. A 2024 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office noted 43 prescribed fire projects between 2012 and 2021 out of 50,000 prescribed fire projects. That included blazes in national forests in more than a dozen states — from the California-Nevada border to Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, North Carolina and Arkansas. The Forest Service alone ignites about 4,500 prescribed fires each year, with the agency saying most are successful. But support wavers each time a fire escapes, like in New Mexico and now with the lightning-sparked fire at the Grand Canyon. Thode said fire managers weigh many variables when making decisions — from wind speed and topography to the dryness of the fuels and moisture deficits within the atmosphere. 'There's a lot of science that goes behind what the folks are doing on the ground to manage these ecosystems,' she said.
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
Grand Canyon blaze shows how managing a fire can go suddenly sideways
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. land managers are racing the clock as hotter, drier weather raises the risk of wildfires in the nation's overgrown forests with each passing year. One tool is to use the flames from lightning-sparked wildfires when conditions allow or to plan prescribed fires for other times of the year to clear out dense vegetation as a way to limit future risks. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona for decades has been a leader at using fire to make the ecosystem more resilient. A lightning-sparked fire along the North Rim that started July 4 presented an opportunity for fire to play its natural role. After a week conditions quickly deteriorated. Wind-whipped flames rushed toward the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and the surrounding historic cabins. Many were reduced to rubble and ash. It's not the first time firefighters have been on the losing end of trying to wrangle the forces of nature. Still, experts say fire is a critical land management tool, pointing to countless examples where the work has paid off. 'We focus so much on the fires that go bad and almost nothing on the 99% plus that do great work,' said Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science and forest policy at the University of California, Berkeley. 'Unless we get the forests in a more resilient condition with low fire hazards, we will be chasing our tails forever.' Searching for new tools On the North Rim, managers working the Dragon Bravo Fire say crews had constructed containment lines and were prepared for more defensive maneuvers before conditions rapidly changed. Uncharacteristically strong winds pushed the flames past multiple containment lines, prompting mandatory evacuations for remaining North Rim residents. Crews in New Mexico also were forced to change their strategy in battling a blaze burning in the Santa Fe National Forest after a spot fire was discovered beyond containment lines. Ranchers there shared pictures of dead cattle on charred grazing allotments, criticizing officials for not putting out the flames sooner. Experts agree there's always room for improvement when it comes to managing wildfires and planning for prescribed fires, especially as technology improves to help fire managers predict what the flames might do. University of Utah atmospheric scientist Derek Mallia is among those working on new forecasting tools. He's tracking fires in Utah and Arizona in preparation for a project next year that will focus on pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or those towering thunderstorms that sometimes form above wildfires. Mallia said fire forecasting hasn't advanced as quickly as tools for other severe events like tornados and hurricanes. That's partly because fires happen on a finer scale, making the work more difficult. Managers also have to account for the legacy of built-up fuels in the forests and the compounding factor of climate change, he said. For example, he said fires are burning hotter at night than they used to. 'That used to be a time of the day where there was a good opportunity to kind of jump on a fire, get it contained and make a lot of meaningful progress,' he said. 'That's a lot more difficult now.' Researchers also are trying to better understand how fires affect weather patterns. Mallia explained that fires are part of a more complex feedback loop that makes forecasting even more challenging. Still, the biggest issue is the condition of the forests and their susceptibility to high severity wildfire, said Stephens, the California professor. Andi Thode, a professor of fire ecology and management at Northern Arizona University and the lead at the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, agreed. She said using a lightning-sparked fire or taking years to plan a prescribe burn is a matter of deferred risk for fire managers. 'Do you want to take your risk now with a lightning ignition that seems to be functioning in the way that you want it to with weather predictions that are not too bad? Or do you want to push that risk back to later in the worst time of the year?' she said. 'Fire managers are always juggling this now.' Lessons already learned For Native Americans, fire has long been a part of life and crucial for forest health. Westward settlement all but eradicated those attitudes until ecologists ignited a shift in the way policymakers thought about fire. The first wilderness fire management program was established in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks more than a half-century ago, as policies shifted from suppression to management. Other parks followed, with thousands of lightning-sparked fires being allowed to burn under carefully monitored conditions in dozens of parks across the U.S. But there have been costly lessons, including at Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico, where a prescribed fire was set in the spring of 2000 to treat 2 square miles (5.18 square kilometers) of dense forest. Strong winds, dry conditions and insufficient resources contributed to the destruction of homes as the fire ballooned to nearly 75 square miles (194.25 square kilometers). Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the nations' premier nuclear weapons labs and the birthplace of the atomic bomb, also closed. The Cerro Grande Fire forever changed the landscape around Los Alamos, prompted congressional inquiries, led to a host of recommendations from nonpartisan government watchdogs and formed the basis of new training programs. Changing conditions It's not that the lessons faded from memory, but the circumstances are more dire with a drier landscape across much of the U.S. West. That was the case in 2022, when the U.S. Forest Service forged ahead with a pair of prescribed burning operations in New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains as pressure mounted to address the wildfire threat. Outdated models and miscalculations by managers resulted in what was the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. Rural communities were uprooted and the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire wasn't contained for four months. During the conflagration, the Forest Service put on hold its prescribed fire program and conducted a lengthy review that resulted in numerous reforms. Congress approved billions in recovery dollars, with FEMA paying out about $2.6 billion so far. A 2024 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office noted 43 prescribed fire projects between 2012 and 2021 out of 50,000 prescribed fire projects. That included blazes in national forests in more than a dozen states — from the California-Nevada border to Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, North Carolina and Arkansas. The Forest Service alone ignites about 4,500 prescribed fires each year, with the agency saying most are successful. But support wavers each time a fire escapes, like in New Mexico and now with the lightning-sparked fire at the Grand Canyon. Thode said fire managers weigh many variables when making decisions — from wind speed and topography to the dryness of the fuels and moisture deficits within the atmosphere. 'There's a lot of science that goes behind what the folks are doing on the ground to manage these ecosystems,' she said.
