USFS Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Reactions from PNW on nationwide directive to protect old-growth forests

By Lauren Gallup January 5, 2024

Many federal old-growth forests were protected in the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. (Credit: Paula Swedeen / Conservation Northwest)

The United States Forest Service, under the directive of the United States Department of Agriculture, has announced plans to apply consistent standards to the conservation, restoration and maintenance of old-growth across the country’s national forests. It’s a first of its kind standard that many say is necessary, given threats from climate change and varied management Read More

Thousands of Northwest jobs could come from new Forest Service plan

By Lauren Paterson December 5, 2023

A sunrise over blue mountains. The mountains are dotted with evergreen trees.

A sunrise over the Rocky Mountains from Rocky Ridge Campground in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests on August 8, 2020 (Credit: Lauren Paterson / NWPB) Listen (Runtime :59) Read A […]Read More

More firefighters needed to control wildfire hotspots in Eastern Washington

By Lauren Paterson April 19, 2023

A white tanker plane drops bright orange flame retardant onto a smokey forest of evergreen trees.

A tanker airplane drops fire retardant on a wildfire burning near Twisp, Wash. Three firefighters were killed battling the blaze. (Credit: Ted S. Warren / Associated Press) Listen (Runtime 1:07) […]Read More

Western organizations push back on lawsuit seeking to restrict aerial fire retardant use

By Lauren Gallup March 15, 2023

Aerial firefighting crews drop fire retardant on a fire outside of Spokane in 2022. Photo by Jay Wilkins.

The use of aerial fire retardant to fight wildfires could be further restricted to protect the environment. A handful of groups from western states filed a motion last week to intervene in a lawsuit brought by an Oregon environmental group against the U.S. Forest Service for inadvertently dumping fire retardant into streams. Read More

Federal government allocates over $6 billion to wildfire technology and management

By Lauren Gallup January 24, 2023

Firefighters stand in the distance with drip torches along a road surrounded by trees. A fire burns in the foreground of the picture. It's climbing up some smaller trees.

Lawmakers are allocating over $6 billion this fiscal year to support the Department of the Interior and the United States Forest Service in wildfire response. It’s an increase of 14% from the last year’s funding, and will support wildfire suppression, operations and a new research hub to aid fire management. This fiscal year, the forest service will see an increase of Read More

New Research Says Northwest Forests Will Weather Climate Change Better Than Others In The West

By Jes Burns November 19, 2018

A roadside reminder in southwest Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest that homes in the "wildlands urban interface" need special landscaping, building materials and maintenance to reduce the risk of being destroyed by a wildfire. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA

Climate change is expected to increase drought and wildfire vulnerability in forests across the West. But new research out of Oregon State University shows that some places will fare better than others. Read More