Lmst

#US Forest Service downsizes, loses 15% workforce Firefighters face shortages after 1,500 support staff leave, critics say #USFS says firefighters ready for above-normal fire year prediction

All-female ‘Forest Corps’ fills federal agency gaps for Wyoming trail projects A Bridger-Teton nonprofit created the team of former federal staffers in the wake of DOGE cuts to assist depleted Forest Service field crews. #Wyoming #WY #USFS wyofile.com/all-female-f...

All-female ‘Forest Corps’ fill...

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cmRJ8Y7clbA&si=jks7K9G3470YkgUA

Great video on roadless areas around #lassenpark in #EasternCalifornia by a forest manager and cartographer.

Logging risked areas may not help with fire and land management. There's a lot of nuance that goes into proper stewardship of forests, highly managed forests of dense monocrop trees burn hotter than less continuous and varied stands actively managed with prescribed fire.

#USFS #logging #LandManagement #ProtectOurPublicLands #forestry #GIS

Fire Danger Rating Sign and Smokey Bear in Trinidad, California, yesterday. Image credit Kurt Angersbach / Westernlabs. Learn more at https://smokeybear.com/en/smokeys-history?decade=1940 and https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/projects/firedangerrating#:~:text=The%20National%20Fire%20Danger%20Rating,and%20simplify%20fuel%20model%20inputs. and https://www.fire.ca.gov/ and #smokeybear #forest #publiclands #photography #newtopographics #usfs #forestservice #smokey #calfire #nfdrs #sign #california

Smokey Bear, with hat and shovel, stands next to a National Fire Danger Rating System sign at the CAL FIRE Humboldt-Del Norte Trinidad Station in Trinidad, California. The current fire danger for the area is listed as “moderate.” Green trees, blue sky, and a small section of the roadway complete the picture.

#TheGremlinZoo #GOP #Budget #USFS

From AP.com: GOP plan to sell more than 3,200 square miles of federal lands is found to violate Senate rules

https://apnews.com/article/public-land-sales-senate-mike-lee-bf4c3a046a107efc7d4ffe005fdb9d2d

#TheGremlinZoo #RoadlessRule #USFS

From NPR.org: Trump to rescind 'Roadless Rule' protecting 58 million acres of forest land

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/23/g-s1-74136/trump-to-rescind-roadless-rule-which-protects-58-million-acres-of-forest-land

more details on the proposed public land sale:

https://wessiler.substack.com/p/a-simple-guide-to-the-great-public

#publiclands #blm #usfs

All of this area of the Inyo Mountains where we camped last weekend is possibly on the chopping block, proposed for sale under the Big Ugly Bill. It could be privatized, mined, logged, access removed. We saw plenty of evidence of Native American use, big horn sheep passing through, historic structures and remnants. It is a truly special place that needs to be preserved. #InyoMountains #InyoNF #USFS #PublicLands #BigUglyBill

A view across from the Inyo Mountains towards the Sierra near sunrise. My wife stands in the foreground taking in the scenery. Pinyon pines are scattered throughout the area.

A view across to the Sierra from the Inyo Mountains. Owens Valley is below. The sky is cloudless. Snow is on most of the Sierra peaks. The town of Big Pine is below.

A view northward across the Owens Valley from the Inyo Mountains. The town of Bishop is in the valley in the distance. Snow capped White Mountain is in the distance towards the right. A few dead ancient looking pine trees are in the foreground.

A long cloud is lit up and turned pink by the sunset above the Sierra mountains. The view is from across the Owens Valley up in the Inyo Mountains.

wait, what? selling off over 3 million acres of public land?
that's a lot of land. take a look and see!

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=821970f0212d46d7aa854718aac42310

https://www.publicdomain.media/p/federal-land-sales-senate-budget-mike-lee

including areas near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)? NOPE. No. NO.

what do you think will happen when the land is clear-cut and/or mined? erosion, water contamination, etc. that stuff isn't an easy fix. much easier to protect it now.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-165269031

#publiclands #BWCA #minnesota #BLM #USFS

Republicans want to sell *your* land.
h/t @downriver

Vast amounts of public land are proposed for sale.

Red = Public land owned by you/me/everyone and managed by the US Forest Service
Dark green = Senate reconciliation bill says this public land can be sold. This data layer is *slow* to load.
Diagonals = Designated #wilderness will remain as-is.

When the map opens it is centered near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington State. The data the map can display covers all the USA.

To search on an address or town, open the map and click Menu > Search.

Thanks to the Wilderness Society for hosting the GIS data showing land that will be available for sale per the current reconciliation bill. Here is their article:
https://www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/120-million-acres-public-lands-eligible-sale-senr-budget-reconciliation-package
#USFS #Hiking #Camping #PublicLand

Open GISsurfer map:
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?center=47.376723,-121.365299&zoom=11&basemap=USA_basemap&overlay=Wilderness_diagonal_fill,Wilderness_outline,Proposed_USFS_land_sale,USFS_owns_surface_red&data=https://mappingsupport.com/p2/recreation/USFS_recreation.txt

Big increase in logging in the national forests??

See the underlined links in this story. No paywall.
https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/california-national-forests-logging-20263873.php

But if existing mills are running at capacity then it is unclear if a big increase in the rate of logging in the national forests will actually happen.

The USFS ArcGIS server has a layer showing the USFS land where a big increase in logging is intended to happen. That data is shown as red on this map.

To search on a town or address, click Menu > Search.
#Camping #Hiking #Fishing #USFS #NationalForest

Open GISsurfer map:
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?center=45.406873,-116.280602&zoom=6&basemap=USA_basemap&overlay=HFRA_Emergency_outline,HFRA_Emergency_fill&data=https://mappingsupport.com/p2/recreation/logging_increase.txt

H.R.3637, sponsored by Rep. MaMalfa, is probably intended to make it easier to contract out fuels management. Since, you know, the USFS lost over 1600 people so gotta start privatizing that work at far more expense #USFS #USPol https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3637

Text Shot: H.R.3637 - To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 with respect to third-party contracts for wildfire hazard fuel removal, to amend the National Forest Management Act with respect to the threshold for advertised timber sales, and for other purposes.

Jacob Margolis at #LAist and researchers at #USC teamed up to figure out what #CalFire, the #USFS, and the manufacturers wouldn't tell them about fire retardants.

https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/how-much-toxic-heavy-metal-is-in-that-bright-red-fire-retardant-we-had-it-tested-to-find-out

#firefighting #ecology #forensics

A Nice Time article about free seedling bare-root #trees cultivated jointly by the #USFS and the State and distributed during Arbor Day in #Missouri.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/planting-for-future-generations-the-life-of-tree-seedlings-that-travel-the-state/article_dc9e3eb9-2c5b-43f8-8d67-acd2f74e75c5.html

Reader mode can get beyond the JavaScript paywall… “Arizona's Coronado Forest open to logging under new federal plan” https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/article_482bf212-034d-4415-bef1-1bab425e9061.html #USFS

NPR: Trump's Forest Service cuts have people in tinder dry New Mexico on edge https://www.kpbs.org/news/national/2025/04/17/trumps-forest-service-cuts-have-people-in-tinder-dry-new-mexico-on-edge

#wildfires #politics #usfs #NMwx

Working on damage assessments for a heavily flooded area of our state. Then I remembered that the headwaters had burned over last summer, meaning increased runoff, faster snowmelt, etc. So I logged on to USDA's Burn Severity Portal... And all the past fire reports appear to have been deleted including recently completed ones from last summer's fires. Many links are dead.

I'll try contacting the forest offices to see if we can get a backup. This is a critical resource for the environment, our health, life, and safety.

I am at a loss, mad, and sad. These actions being taken are making our jobs and lives so hard and truly hurting everyone regardless of ideology.

#USDA #USFS #DOGE #EatTheRich

"This action builds on Secretary Rollins’ announcement last month to unleash American energy by directing the USDA Forest Service to take action to remove burdensome Biden-era regulations that have stifled energy and mineral development on Forest Service land. As part of these decisive actions, the agency also canceled two mineral leasing withdrawals on Forest Service land that will help boost production of critical minerals." https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/04/04/secretary-rollins-announces-sweeping-reforms-protect-national-forests-and-boost-domestic-timber #USDA #USPol #USForestService #USFS
#Climate

Mono Lake and the Owens Valley today. Image credit Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District. For more information https://www.gbuapcd.org/District/AboutUs/ and #nps #nationalparks #usfs #nationalforests #interpretation #publiclands #photography #landscapephotography #newtopographics #geology #geography #clouds #california #airquality #mountains #snow #lakes #infrastructure #monolake

A small figure can be seen working on some infrastructure near Mono Lake. It’s a bright day despite the clouds that appear on the left. The lake is barely discernible in the distance on the right. A fence cuts diagonally through the image.

A view of the Owens Valley looking south. In the foreground, rocks and vegetation can be seen on the slopes. The valley below is a variety of tans and browns. Rising in the distance are snow-covered mountains. The sky above is blue and clear.

#NCwx #NorthCarolina #Wildfires #USFS #RattlesnakeBranchFire
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.. Firelines create an area of bare soil and act as a buffer to slow down or stop fire progress. Firefighters are engaging tools such as small bulldozers and leafblowers to remove fuel.

State Highway 276 remains open but please drive carefully- firefighters and equipment are working in the area.

The fire started on private land and is under investigation.

#USFS

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