The West has a plethora of land and a shortage of houses. Some are wondering if a solution lies within.
U.S. Forest Service
Posted inMarch 2024: Fertile Ground
Underground seed banks hold promise for ecological restoration
Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western
ecosystems.
Posted inArticles
How a small town with limited resources is planning for climate change
Oregon’s Grants Pass is known for its climate, and its sustainability plan aims to keep it that way.
Posted inArticles
Mountain towns are trying all sorts of solutions to the housing crisis
A new report details the many ways that high-altitude communities are wrestling with ballooning housing costs.
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Forest Service proposes storing CO2 under public land
‘It’s the opposite of a virtuous cycle.’
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
Horrible holly: A festive plant runs amok
Meet the scientists and conservationists fighting to save the Northwest’s forests from an invasive plant.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dangerous consequences of wildland fire dispatcher burnout
An internal Forest Service survey shows a critical link in the wildfire fighting apparatus is struggling.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Wildlife and the inescapable impact of road noise
The ‘blab of the pave’ disrupts animals’ lives everywhere, even in national parks.
Posted inArticles
Federal court derails proposed Utah oil railroad
Failures to assess risks to Colorado River and ‘numerous NEPA violations’ in project’s impact analysis highlighted.
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People are starting a lot of fires in the Pacific Northwest
The Forest Service reports 197 human-caused or undetermined starts since the beginning of June.
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When the woods get noisy, the animals get nervous
New study uses trail cameras and speakers to isolate what human sounds do to animals.
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Fire retardant kills fish. Is it worth the risk?
A lawsuit could change how the Forest Service fights fires.
Posted inArticles
After the feds accidentally burned down their homes, they made it hard to return
FEMA told survivors of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history that it aimed to put temporary housing on their land. But because of its strict, slow-moving bureaucracy, that has happened only twice.
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In the once-cool forests of the Pacific Northwest, heat poses a new threat
Drought can stress trees to death, but heat’s effects are less known. New research could hold the keys to protecting conifer forests.
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How far will you go to reduce your wildfire risk?
It may depend on how you see the world.
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Does thinning work for wildfire prevention?
The rundown on what scientists find actually works to protect forests and homes.
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‘Roadless rule’ protections for the Tongass National Forest are back
The Biden administration has reinstated pre-Trump protections in the Tongass. See what’s at stake.
Posted inArticles
How to save the whitebark pine
The tree is getting federal protection. But plenty of people were already trying to save it.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
What if Indigenous women ran controlled burns?
The Karuk Tribe’s first-of-its-kind training seeks to extinguish hypermasculinity in firefighting culture.