Trees Forests
-
George Wuerthner does an interview on the KBSU public radio program “Off the trail” with Jyl Hoyt. Wuerthner describes the upside of forest fire. You can listen to a stream of the interview here.
-
The Ahorn and Fool Creek fires are behaving erratically and lightning has started a bunch of new fires in this wilderness area just to the south of Glacier NP. Story in the Great Falls Tribune. By Eric Newhouse Photos of the Ahorn Fire in the “Bob” post 1342
-
Rocky Barker’s blog today fleshes out what a lot of people are talking about right now in Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Utah — the coming forest fire season. The winter had below normal precipitation and the spring was generally dry. Dry springs actually reduce the range fire potential because the flammable seasonal grasses don’t grow…
-
Despite the headline, the article says isn’t clear what the huge pine die-off in Alberta (and, not mentioned in the article, nearby B.C.) will have on the grizzly bear. Scientists using bears to battle bugs. By Jeff Holubitsky, CanWest News Service post 1116
-
The Salt Lake Tribune published a welcome editorial about a federal court decision regarding forest plans. The editorial also boldy illustrates the importance of wildness and its uplifting affect. Value of a forest: Federal ruling is a victory for conservation Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
-
Various pine beetles are attacking pines all over North America with an extraordinary vengeance. In Yellowstone the high valued whitebark pine, which grows, and grows but slowly, at high elevations continues under attack. This pine is especially valuable to grizzly bears who eat its fat rich nuts in the fall to fatten up. In years…
-
Perhaps the most important environmental decisions the Forest Service makes is the 15-year (on the average) forest plans for each of national forests. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has always been at the core of the forest plans. NFMA, the National Forest Management Act, requires the forest plans and their updating, but it’s NEPA…
-
This is a story about beaver being reintroduced to places in southeast Idaho where they have been wiped out. Because of the natural abundance of aspen and willows in Eastern Idaho, the area is naturally better beaver habitat than points north, such as central Idaho and Yellowstone. In the past, many beaver dams were deliberately…