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USDA Forest Service
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Land & Livestock Report
BLM & USDA Forest Service announce 2026 grazing fees
BLM & USDA Forest Service announce 2026 grazing fees
2026-02-13
00 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 43: Snow Groomer: A Recreation Technician's Artistry
In this episode, we ride along with a Recreation Technician from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest while he grooms 55 miles of trails for snowmobilers and ask him more about his work throughout the year, how does he make that corduroy pattern, what is that big red button for, and other hard snowball hitting questions. Then, we get behind the wheel. How hard can it be?
2026-02-11
42 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 41: Wandering after Wolves
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) became extirpated, or locally extinct, in California in the 1920s. But this large member of the dog family was once a native species in California that ranged widely here and throughout much of the United States. In recent years, gray wolves have been returning to California. Their slow comeback is a natural progression of population growth happening in others western states. Wildlife specialists with the USDA Forest Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are working together to monitor and conserve this recovering species by looking for signs of their whereabouts with boots...
2026-02-11
38 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 40: Pacific Southwest Research Station 101
In 2024, the Pacific Southwest Research Station was part of the Forest Service's research and development organization. R&D employed more than 500 scientists, as well as several hundred technical and support personnel, located at 67 sites throughout the U.S. In this episode, we focus on three employees to share who they are and how they have contributed at the station.
2026-02-11
1h 57
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 39: Tree Mortality from a Bird's-Eye View
When it comes to getting perspective on forest health, sky-high observations are a big help in California. With over 30 million acres of forested land throughout the state, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, each summer, Forest Service aerial tree survey specialists spend several weeks in the aircraft gathering observations on tree mortality in lands of all ownerships.
2026-02-11
13 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 38: Frog Fridays
[Croak. Ribbit. Croak. Ribbit.] This is the anthem of Frog Fridays. This May-time wildlife survey is held within a stream on the Tahoe National Forest, where foothill yellow-legged frogs lay their eggs. Each outing is part training exercise, part data collection for future habitat restoration and part protection mission. And it is where we will literally get our feet wet in wildlife conservation.
2026-02-03
21 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 36: Seeing Our Forests With Sound
National Forests are locations where we can listen to a concert of wildlife sounds. The caws, croaks, howls, growls and squeaks we might hear are gems of information about wildlife and their habitat. The USDA Forest Service and partners work together to conserve and restore land that wildlife species need to survive but to avoid unintended negative impacts on wildlife, it is essential to know what species are in a forest and where they are located.
2026-02-03
21 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 35: Cone Camp
This is the audio version of our first Videocast (Search Cone Camp: I Feel the Need, the Need for Seed on YouTube) from one of the four Cone Camps held in 2023. The camps are built around a day in the classroom and a day in the field. Participants network and learn from industry experts from American Forests, USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and the California Cone Corps. On the agenda: cone phenology, monitoring and collection techniques, seed needs, cone collection planning, contracting and coordinating with agencies, reporting crop sightings, field logistics, safety and more.
2026-02-03
27 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 32: Reforesting Sequoias with a Silviculturist
Springtime is defined as an early or flourishing stage of development, and after a wildfire damages the landscape, we sometimes see teams of people replanting trees within the burn scar during the early part of the year. Jamie Hinrichs helps explain reforestation efforts in a very special place in the forest.
2026-01-29
19 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 30: Observing Tree Diseases with a Stump Buster
In this episode, we learn about tree disease and how it affects forest health from Jamie Hinrichs. Jamie was featured in Episode 28: Trails and Transformation when she took us to the Inyo National Forest backcountry to hear from a California Conservation Corps trail crew. Expect to hear more from Jamie and her adventures into the forest in future episodes in what we will start calling an occasional series, Echoes from the Understory.
2026-01-29
24 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 28: Trails in Transformation
In this episode, we meet up with a backcountry trail crew on the Inyo National Forest. California Conservation Corps members and the United States Forest Service staff tell us what it takes to live and work on the trail. As we shall soon learn, the combination of partnership, funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, and True Grit brings transformation for the trail and the crew.
2026-01-22
19 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 26: Chinese Heritage Sites on California National Forests
National Forests are loved by many people for many things beyond the recreational benefit they provide. We will tie in Episode 22: Employee Spotlight: Hydrologist, Stewardship Coordinators with another amazing benefit carved into the national forest landscape. History. Historical markers can be found throughout California's forests, parks, cities and towns that speak towards the Native American tribes that lived off the land, to the pioneers who served and explored, and to those who shaped what California is today.
2026-01-22
39 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 27: Placerville Nursery: From Seed to Reforestation and Restoration
In this episode, we focus on how reforestation and restoration projects begin. It all starts with a seed. What happens when a national forest in California needs to replant trees after the damage of a wildfire, insects or other harmful activity that has scarred the landscape? What they need are seedlings adapted to grow in specific elevations and climates. What they need to do is call the seed specialists at the Placerville Nursery, located in Camino on the Eldorado National Forest.
2026-01-22
1h 02
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 25: National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month
In this episode, we focus on National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month. With the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture there is certainly a connection between these harmful invaders and the threat they pose to our nation's food security, backyard gardens and natural resources.
2026-01-22
49 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 24: A Forest Service Employee's Tribal Connection
In this episode, we focus on a former Forest Service employee with the Modoc National Forest, his career, his connection with the Choctaw tribes, and his chance of a lifetime to work with Bison and the Modoc Nation.
2026-01-13
53 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 22: Employee Spotlight: Hydrologist, Stewardship Coordinators
In this episode, we focus on three employees and talk about their childhood, how they got involved in the Forest Service and more. So join us in welcoming a hydrologist, a shared stewardship coordinator, and the acting National Forest Stewardship Program manager in Incorporative Forestry.
2026-01-13
48 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 21: Nature's Benefits 101—Part 2
We learned in Episode 19 about Ecosystem Services or Nature's Benefits in an introduction-type show. This show, we dive back in with Part 2 of that series with our first forest benefit spotlight shining on - Water. A research associate with the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center joins us to talk about this critical need.
2026-01-13
20 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 16: NEPA's 50th Anniversary
In this episode of Forest Focus, Steve Dunsky, a videographer and historian of the Forest Service for more than 30 years, speaks with Char Miller about the 50th anniversary of NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. Char Miller is Director of the Environmental Analysis Program and W.M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Dr. Miller is the author of many books, articles and blog posts on environmental history and politics. He has consulted on, and appeared in many documentaries including The Greatest Good, a history of the U.S. Forest Service.
2025-12-12
1h 01
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 17: Pack Stock Center of Excellence
In this episode of Forest Focus, we explore backcountry and wilderness packing with the Pacific Southwest Region's Pack Stock Center of Excellence. Have a listen to a tradition, one covered in over a hundred years of trail dust, that is still critical and relevant today in supporting fire management, ecosystems and forest management.
2025-11-18
25 min
Forest Focus
Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 20: This Is Who We Are—Working During the Pandemic
In this episode we speak with Sarah LaPlante, a Forest Service employee, about her challenges of working as a District Ranger on the Stanislaus National Forest during the COVID-19 pandemic and balancing her workload with her new role as a mother.
2025-11-18
18 min
Kansas Canopy
Forestry for the Bats: How Forest Management Supports Kansas Bat Populations
Forests aren’t just for trees—they’re vital habitats for bats, too. In this episode, Rural and Community Forester Chelsea Hanson joins us to explore how thoughtful forest management can support healthy bat populations across Kansas. From protecting roost trees and managing riparian buffers to using prescribed fire and timber harvests wisely, Chelsea explains how forestry practices can create better conditions for bats to roost, forage, and thrive. Tune in to learn how landowners and communities alike can help keep Kansas’s forests—and its bats—healthy for generations to come.KDWP: https://ksoutdoors.g...
2025-11-05
26 min
Forest Focus
Episode 53: OHV Recreation on the Stanislaus National Forest
Put your seatbelt on and hold on tight. In this episode, we ride along with the Joaquin Jeepers, a 4x4 club based out of Stockton, California, and an official partner with the Stanislaus National Forest, on their adopted trail, Slick Rock. The club shares their outdoor ethics, how they care for their trail, their relationship with the Forest Service and their passion in keeping OHV trails open to offroad enthusists. This episode is also available as a videocast, which can be watched here: https://usda-fs.wistia.com/medias/j3o1eke8ux
2024-12-21
56 min
Forestcast
Afire: The 13th Fire & Mr. Mann Gulch (Mann Gulch 75)
On a scorching August afternoon in 1949, a small fire in Montana's Mann Gulch turned catastrophic in just minutes. Through storyteller David Turner, experience this haunting tale that transformed wildland firefighting forever, and discover how this fire claimed the lives of 13 smokejumpers and sparked a revolution in fire safety and science. Join Forestcast as we travel to Helena, Montana to commemorate this monumental moment in Forest Service history, and find out how science is part of this story. Related Research: The Thirteenth Fire The Legacy of the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949 The 75th Anniversary of the Mann...
2024-12-11
44 min
Forestcast
Afire: A Chief's Perspective on Fire
How does research shape a Chief’s decisions about fire? Through personal stories and reflections, Chief Randy Moore shares how scientific discoveries have transformed our agency’s understanding of fire, and explains how research informs decision-making at the highest levels, the role of partnerships in advancing fire science, and the future of fire management across our landscapes. Related Research: Confronting the Wildfire Crisis Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment Forestcast is an official USDA Forest Service podcast, and is produced by USDA Forest Service Research and Development. Want more information? Visit us at https...
2024-12-04
15 min
Forest Focus
Episode 52: For the Frogs - Reintroduction
This is the fifth and final installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination called For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health and can deepen our connections with public lands, but they are also in a state of decline. Fortunately, a village of specialists are devoted to conserving these species. The stories of their resolute conservation efforts, pursued through obstacles and setbacks, provides portraits of determination that we can pocket and apply to our own personal experiences w...
2024-11-28
25 min
Forest Focus
Episode 51: For the Frogs - Investigation
This is the fourth installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination called For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health and can deepen our connections with public lands, but they are also in a state of decline. Fortunately, a village of specialists are devoted to conserving these species. The stories of their resolute conservation efforts, pursued through obstacles and setbacks, provides portraits of determination that we can pocket and apply to our own personal experiences with adversity. T...
2024-10-06
17 min
Forest Focus
Episode 50: Wood Innovations and Biomass Utilization
In our 50th episode we turn back towards Nature's Benefits and cut further into Timber and Wood Products by discussing Wood Innovations and Biomass Utilization with a program specialist from the Pacific Southwest Regional Office. We talk grants, mass timber, forward-thinking projects, tribal initiatives, urban forestry and more with guests from the Angeles National Forest and a sawmill owner in Los Angeles. Pacific Southwest Region's Wood and Biomass Utilization Program National USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations For tons more information (Forest Focus Ep. 50 Homepage)
2024-09-13
1h 31
Forest Focus
Episode 49: Wilderness Walking
We're taking a wilderness walk in recognition of this anniversary year of the 1964 Wilderness Act, which created the National Wilderness Preservation System. But long before the Wilderness Act, and long before we were even using the word "wilderness", these lands were used and stewarded by Indigenous communities. So, designated wilderness areas are both Tribal homelands and places for recreation. Taking a walk in these lands is an opportunity to think about wilderness means to us, which can help us connect to nature and each other. Show Notes Available HERE. Transcript Available HERE.
2024-09-07
06 min
Forest Focus
Episode 48: For the Frogs - Construction
This is the third installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination called For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health and can deepen our connections with public lands, but they are also in a state of decline. Fortunately, a village of specialists are devoted to conserving these species. The stories of their resolute conservation efforts, pursued through obstacles and setbacks, provides portraits of determination that we can pocket and apply to our own personal experiences with adversity. T...
2024-08-09
19 min
What’s Up, Interpreters? A Podcast from the National Association for Interpretation
Toby Bloom, National Program Manager for Travel, Tourism, and Interpretation, USDA Forest Service
This week's podcast features Toby Bloom, the National Program Manager for Travel, Tourism, and Interpretation at the USDA Forest Service. Toby shares her journey into this role, the significance of interpretation within a federal agency, and her collaborative efforts with international sites. NAI’s Paul Caputo and Song Stott join the conversation.
2024-08-08
23 min
What’s Up, Interpreters? A Podcast from the National Association for Interpretation
Toby Bloom, National Program Manager for Travel, Tourism, and Interpretation, USDA Forest Service
This week's podcast features Toby Bloom, the National Program Manager for Travel, Tourism, and Interpretation at the USDA Forest Service. Toby shares her journey into this role, the significance of interpretation within a federal agency, and her collaborative efforts with international sites. NAI’s Paul Caputo and Song Stott join the conversation.
2024-08-08
23 min
Forest Focus
Episode 47: For the Frogs - Restoration
This is the second installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination called For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health and can deepen our connections with public lands, but they are also in a state of decline. Fortunately, a village of specialists are devoted to conserving these species. The stories of their resolute conservation efforts, pursued through obstacles and setbacks, provides portraits of determination that we can pocket and apply to our own personal experiences with adversity...
2024-07-05
24 min
Forest Focus
Episode 46: For the Frogs - Translocation
This is the first installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination. We're calling the miniseries For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health, and once we get to know them, they can deepen our connections with public lands. But each of these species is in a state of decline due to overlapping threats, including pathogens, introduced predators, habitat loss, drought and wildfire. Fortunately, there is a village of specialists devoted to conserving these species despite the colossal c...
2024-06-01
14 min
Forest Focus
Episode 45: Snow Groomer: A Recreation Technician's Artistry
In this episode, we learn how to snow groom trails. Uh, wait, scratch that, we try to learn. We travel to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in March to meet up with Jeremiah Tabor, a Recreation Technician, and speak to him about his job, seasonal tasks, and how do you get that corduroy look in groomed trails.
2024-05-31
31 min
Forestcast
Afire: Understanding Different Fire
Prescribed fire plays a vital role in creating healthy landscapes that better survive natural and human-caused disturbances, while reducing wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources. Episode 3 of "Afire" highlights three scientists and partnerships that are attempting to better understand and utilize prescribed fire. From Georgia, ecologist Joe O’Brien explains how researchers and forest managers are forming unique meetings that spark fresh ideas and advancements in prescribed burning across the South. In California, forester David Weise begins research into the processes related to pyrolysis to better estimate how prescribed burning affects people. And, in...
2024-04-24
51 min
Forestcast
Afire: Understanding Fire
Fire is a form all of its own, but a simple way to understand fire is as a swarm. A swarm of bees. Or starlings. Or mosquitos. A spreading fire is a swarm of ignitions, a series of small fires over and over. Season 4 of Forestcast is a series of fires, a series of voices. It’s a 360-degree introduction to fire from a scientific standpoint. The story of how fire research shapes our landscapes, and our lives. Through kaleidoscoping voices from across the country, listeners will be taken inside the largest forest research organization in...
2024-04-10
1h 06
Forest Focus
Episode 44: Crawling in Caves
There are portals within many national forests that offer entry into realms of the most curious forms of biodiversity. These underground chambers and hallways are called lava tubes or caves. In these landscapes below the ground, tiny creatures creep in the shadows in costumes of faded hues. Their pallor is paired with neighboring life forms that sparkle when hit by a flashlight, as if dusted with glitter. And these subterranean spaces are also archives that contain records of our Paleolithic and climatic past. To explore within, a readiness for crawling will be required. Fortunately, we have an experienced caver...
2024-03-10
22 min
Meet Me In Tennessee
16. Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest: A Look into USDA Forest Service's Mission
In this engaging discussion with Leslie Morgan and Chris Joyner from the USDA Forest Service, the mission of the Forest Service and its multi-use approach towards the Cherokee National Forest is dissected. From timber harvesting, wildlife conservation to recreation, the conversation navigates through the involvement of volunteer groups in forest maintenance, the challenges of land management, and future plans. The term 'Disney effect' is explored noting the misconception of the reality of the outdoors, and the talk culminates with suggestions for public involvement in preserving public lands, with notable mentions of organizations like Friends of the Cherokee National Forest...
2024-02-16
1h 19
Forest Focus
Episode 43: Wandering after Wolves
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) became extirpated, or locally extinct, in California in the 1920s. But this large member of the dog family was once a native species in California that ranged widely here and throughout much of the United States. In recent years, gray wolves have been returning to California. Their slow comeback is a natural progression of population growth happening in others western states. Wildlife specialists with the USDA Forest Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are working together to monitor and conserve this recovering species by looking for signs of their whereabouts with...
2024-01-26
38 min
Forest Focus
Episode 42: Pacific Southwest Research Station 101
The Pacific Southwest Research Station is part of the Forest Service's research and development organization. R&D employs more than 500 scientists as well as several hundred technical and support personnel located at 67 sites throughout the U.S. In this episode, we focus on three employees to share who they are and what they do at the station.
2024-01-24
1h 57
Forest Focus
Episode 41: Tree Mortality from a Bird's-Eye View
When it comes to getting perspective on forest health, sky-high observations are a big help in California. With over 30 million acres of forested land throughout the state, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, each summer, Forest Service aerial tree survey specialists spend several weeks in the aircraft gathering observations on tree mortality in lands of all ownerships.
2024-01-20
13 min
Forest Focus
Episode 40: Frog Fridays
[Croak. Ribbit. Croak. Ribbit.] This is the anthem of Frog Fridays. This May-time wildlife survey is held within a stream on the Tahoe National Forest, where foothill yellow-legged frogs lay their eggs. Each outing is part training exercise, part data collection for future habitat restoration and part protection mission. And it is where we will literally get our feet wet in wildlife conservation.
2023-11-29
21 min
Forest Focus
Episode 39: Finding Fishers
Species are designated as endangered when their population is in significant decline, which often means documentation of these species in their natural habitat is increasingly challenging. Perhaps as difficult as landing on a conclusive verbal description of how they look. But knowing where endangered species, like the fisher, are in the landscape and how many of them are there, is essential for their conservation and recovery.
2023-11-17
20 min
Forest Focus
Episode 38: Seeing Our Forests With Sound
National Forests are locations where we can listen to a concert of wildlife sounds. The caws, croaks, howls, growls and squeaks we might hear are gems of information about wildlife and their habitat. The USDA Forest Service and partners work together to conserve and restore land that wildlife species need to survive but to avoid unintended negative impacts of wildlife, it is essential to know what species are in a forest and where they are located.
2023-11-16
21 min
Forest Focus
Episode 37: Cone Camp
This is the audio version of our first Videocast from one of the four Cone Camps held in 2023. The camps are built around a day in the classroom and a day in the field. Participants network and learn from industry experts from American Forests, USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and the California Cone Corps. On the agenda: cone phenology, monitoring and collection techniques, seed needs, cone collection planning, contracting and coordinating with agencies, reporting crop sighting, field logistics, safety and more. [Video version]
2023-11-15
27 min
Forest Focus
Episode 36: Being Beavers
In the episode we learn the valuable connection between beavers and meadows. In a meadow, the squish of mud and splash of a slightly flooded landscape are signs of health. It can be easy to overlook meadows with national forests, perhaps simply because our attention is more often drawn to things that fill a space - a lake, a mountain, a grove of trees - rather than what appears to be merely open space.
2023-11-14
26 min
Professional Development for Women and Minorities
2023 WOC (1780) The Effects of Climate Change: Exciting Challenges for STEM Professionals Presented by the USDA Forest Service
Learning Objectives: Enhance your understanding of the role STEM professionals play in the research and management of the effects and mitigation of climate change, with a particular focus on disturbances such as fire, with outstanding leaders and scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. Climate change is affecting disturbance regimes across the globe. These include catastrophic wildfires, drought, hurricanes, flooding, and extreme weather that threaten the health and resilience of our communities, lands, waters, and wildlife. Now more than ever, science-based management of natural resources is increasingly important for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate chang...
2023-10-26
1h 13
Forest Focus
Episode 35: Bark Beetles: The Science of Scents
Have you ever wondered why some trees — in certain locations, a lot of trees — are brown and dying? The connection between bark beetles, drought and tree mortality is a topic of this episode and how researchers are looking into making trees less attractive...to bark beetles, not tree huggers.
2023-08-28
17 min
Forest Focus
Episode 34: Planting Trees for Tomorrow's Climate
In this episode, we'll meet Forest Service conservation geneticist Dr. Jessica Wright within a post-fire landscape on the Plumas National Forest. In collaboration with others out there with her, Jessica is planting three very different tree species - ponderosa pine, incense cedar, and valley oak, within an experimental plot as part of a study on assisted migration. With this climate adaptation option, seeds are collected from a warmer habitat taken to a nursery for analysis or to grow into seedlings and then planted in a cooler habitat.
2023-08-09
15 min
Forest Focus
Episode 33: Reforesting Sequoias with a Silviculturist
Springtime is defined as an early or flourishing stage of development, and after a wildfire damage the landscape, we sometimes see teams of people replanting trees within the burn scar during the early part of the year. Jamie Hinrichs helps explain reforestation efforts in a very special place in the forest.
2023-08-09
19 min
Forest Focus
Episode 32: Nature's Benefits: Carbon
In this episode, we return once again to our series on Nature's Benefits. Today, we will focus on a benefit you can't see. Well, you can see the effects of it... it's a bit hard to explain. Luckily for me, we have Lara Buluc back to handle the reins, along with experts to talk about: Carbon.
2023-08-09
22 min
Forestcast
Flying the Nuthatch Home
Once spanning nearly 6 million acres in Missouri's Ozarks, the shortleaf pine and oak woodland ecosystem has dwindled to 100,000 acres today. Along with the loss of this habitat, a bird—the brown-headed nuthatch—disappeared as well. However, after decades of woodland restoration, the brown-headed nuthatch has returned to Missouri—by plane. Over two summers in 2020 and 2021, a team of scientists successfully captured and flew 102 birds from Arkansas to Missouri, marking the bird’s return to the state after being locally extinct since 1907. Weighing in at a mere one-third of an ounce, approximately the combined weight of a nickel and a qu...
2023-06-27
44 min
Forest Focus
Episode 31: Observing Tree Diseases with a Stump Buster
In this episode, we learn about tree disease and how it affects forest health from Jamie Hinrichs. Jamie was featured in Episode 29 - Trails and Transformation when she took us to the Inyo National Forest backcountry to hear from a California Conservation Corps trail crew. Expect to hear more from Jamie and her adventures into the forest in future episodes in what we will start calling an occasional series, Echoes from the Understory.
2023-05-15
24 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Our Sustainable Future with Cindi West
Cindi West has over 30 years of experience working across private industry, academia, and federal government in a variety of jobs to ensure sustainability of natural resources. In February 2021 she assumed the position of Director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Lab. She has served in various leadership roles in the Forest Service, including as the Director of the Office of Sustainability & Climate Change, Associate Deputy Chief for R&D, Director for Resource Use Sciences, and Deputy Station Director for Pacific Northwest Research Station. Cindi holds a BS degree in Forestry Management, an...
2023-04-13
27 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Scientific & Ethical Integrity with Maggie Hardy
Maggie Hardy is the program manager of the Rocky Mountain Research Station Forest and Woodland Ecosystems Program, a group of scientists that develops and delivers scientific knowledge and management tools for sustaining and restoring the health, biodiversity, productivity, and ecosystem processes of forest and woodland landscapes. Before joining the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Maggie served as Chief Regulatory Scientist and as an Executive Director with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. In these roles, Maggie managed areas of policy; regulation and budget; provided strategic stakeholder engagement; and led integrated learning and development initiatives. In previous federal...
2023-04-10
35 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Changing the World Through Soil with Deb Page-Dumroese
Research soil scientist Deb Page-Dumroese’s research interests center around maintaining soil productivity during and after land management activities. As site principal investigator for several North American Long-Term Soil Productivity Study plots, Deb is well-versed in the pre- and post-treatment sampling necessary to determine changes in above- and below-ground nutrient properties associated with harvesting, organic matter removal, and biochar additions. In partnership with the Missoula Technology Development Center (Keith Windell) and Dr. Nate Anderson (RMRS) she developed a biochar spreader to easily distribute biochar on forest sites. Related Research: Biochar Basics: An A-to-Z Guide to...
2023-04-06
24 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: A Life of Healthy Forests with Jenny Juzwik
Research plant pathologist, Jenny Juzwik, conducts studies on diseases of trees that impact forest health and productivity. Her career-long interest and passion has been the study of interactions among microorganisms and insects associated with disease occurrence and development. One particular focus has been on the insects responsible for transmission of the oak wilt fungus, Bretziella fagacearum. In 2014 she completed research that involved elucidation of the major biotic determinants of hickory decline and investigation of the role(s) putative pathogens play in the complex. In 2010, she initiated 13 years of investigations of bark and ambrosia beetles associated with eastern...
2023-04-03
21 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: The Nature of Stewardship with Lindsay Campbell
Research social scientist, Lindsay Campbell, explores the dynamics of civic stewardship, environmental governance, and sustainability policymaking--with a particular emphasis on issues of social and environmental justice—all from New York City. She is a founding member of the New York City Urban Field Station, which was jointly created by the Northern Research Station and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The Urban Field Station develops and applies adaptive management and science to improve human well-being and the environment in urban metropolitan areas. She creates transdisciplinary spaces of collaboration between land managers, scientists, artists, and ot...
2023-03-30
28 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Plots to Blocks with Sjana Schanning
Ecologist Sjana Schanning’s fieldwork has taken her from the Rincon Mountains of Arizona, to the the winter woods of Wisconsin, to the summer shores of Michigan’s Isle Royale. But, she’s recently shifted away from the field towards data analysis, our cities’ trees and the Urban FIA Program. Sjana collects field data and performs data analysis and reporting for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. FIA data provides critical status and trend information to resource managers, policy makers, investors, and the public through a system of annual resource inventory that covers both public and private...
2023-03-27
27 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Juggling Motherhood & Ornithology with Susannah Lerman
Ecologist Susannah Lerman walks us through her career and life, from falling in love with birds in Israel, to making something more of mowing, to hosting a motherhood workshop, to the mentors that enabled her to create a career out of science. Susannah’s research goal is to improve the sustainability of urban and human-dominated landscapes for birds, bees and other wildlife, and advancing human well-being through strengthening connections between people and nearby nature. Related Research: Juggling Parenthood and Ornithology: A Full Lifecycle Approach to Supporting Mothers through the American Ornithological Society (2021) To Mow or...
2023-03-23
30 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Watershed Moments & Moms with Chelcy Miniat
Ecologist Chelcy Miniat shares watershed moments of her career and life, from a spark of science in sixth grade, to her time at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, to her decisions about if and when to have children. Chelcy is the program manager of the Rocky Mountain Research Station Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems (MRDE) program, a group of scientists that investigates the biology, use, management, and restoration of grasslands, shrublands, and deserts. Her own research is centered on developing a mechanistic understanding of watershed ecosystem function by studying how abiotic and biotic factors (species, environmental variables, disturbances) regulate...
2023-03-20
25 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: An Ode to Mentors by Sara Brown
Ecologist Sara Brown takes us through eight chapters of her career and the 10 mentors that made her, from wildland firefighting, to smokejumping, to teaching in New Mexico, to directing the Missoula Fire Science Lab. Sara is a classically trained ecologist, with a focus on fire ecology. Before her return to the Forest Service in 2015, she was an Assistant Professor of Forestry at New Mexico Highlands University. She taught wildfire science and ecology courses, and enjoyed working on research problems in the field with students. Her applied research program provided graduate and undergraduate students with opportunities to work...
2023-03-16
38 min
Forestcast
Women of Research: Twenty-Five Years of Mentorship with Laura Kenefic & Susan Stout
To celebrate the immeasurable impact of women in our nation’s history, and to honor the scientists who have inspired others to dream, work, study, serve and succeed, Forecast is kicking off a special 10-episode series highlighting women’s perspectives in research over the past 50 years. Eleven scientists from the Northern Research Station and Rocky Mountain Research Station will share their experiences from before, during and after careers with the USDA Forest Service. Stories of mentors and mentorship, motherhood, rural and urban stewardship, passions for science, leadership, and beyond. To kick things off, a conversation betw...
2023-03-13
39 min
Forest Focus
Episode 30: Nature's Benefits: Recreation
In this episode, we focus on another nature's benefits: recreation. This continues our series on the many benefits forests provide so let's take a long hike and chat about how we understand outdoor activities. The diverse landscapes and climates in California's 18 National Forests provide many outdoor recreation opportunities to nearly 24 million people annually including: hiking, camping, picnicking, water activities, winter sports, horseback riding, motorized activities, and green space for gathering, practicing cultural traditions, or solitude. From primitive, unconfined solitude to formalized group activities and the broad spectrum of activities in between these outdoor experiences, these recreation opportunities help people...
2023-02-24
22 min
Forestcast
Backcross: How A Bird Influences Beech Resistance Patterns (BONUS)
Beech bark disease has been killing American beech trees in eastern North America since the late 1890s. In northern New England, New York, and the Maritimes where the disease is most severe, groups of disease resistant trees occasionally occur. Genetic studies reveal that trees in groups are families, and distribution patterns suggest that they were “planted” by blue jays. Related Research: American Beech Resistance to Cryptococcus fagisuga (1983) Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 75 (1983) Dispersal of Beech Nuts by Blue Jays in Fragmented Landscapes (1985) Spatial and Temporal Development of Beech Bark Disease in the Northeastern United States (2005) Beech Bark Dise...
2023-02-07
26 min
AJ Daily
2-1-23 Higher land values, cash rents; USDA continues laying foundation for more and better markets with pilot Cattle Contracts Library; NCBA statement on launch of Cattle Contract Library pilot program; USDA Forest Service accepting grant applications
2-1-23 AJ DailyHigher Land Values, Cash RentsAdapted from an article by Jim Jansen & Jeffrey Stokes, University of Nebraska–Lincoln USDA Continues Laying Foundation for More and Better Markets with Launch of Pilot Cattle Contracts Library Adapted from a release by the USDA NCBA Statement on Launch of the Cattle Contract Library Pilot Program Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association USDA Forest Service Accepting Grant Applications for Wood Innovations Projects, Community Wood Energy Facilities Adapted from a release by the USDA...
2023-02-01
04 min
Forest Focus
Episode 29: Trails in Transformation
In this episode, we meet up with a backcountry trail crew on the Inyo National Forest. California Conservation Corps members and the United States Forest Service staff tell us what it takes to live and work on the trail. As we shall soon learn, the combination of partnership, funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, the true grit brings transformation for the trail and the crew.
2022-12-20
19 min
Professional Development for Women and Minorities
WOC 2022: (1777) USDA Forest Service, Leading as a Climate-Smart STEM Professional
Learning Objectives: Enhance your understanding of the best available science and the role of STEM professionals in the management of climate-smart forests, communities, and economies with outstanding leaders and scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. Drought, hurricanes, flooding, extreme weather, and catastrophic wildfires driven by the growing climate crisis threaten the health and resilience of our communities, lands, waters, and wildlife. Now more than ever, science-based management of natural resources is increasingly important for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Thinking about your personal and professional goals a...
2022-11-03
1h 14
Forest Focus
Episode 28: Placerville Nursery - From Seed to Reforestation and Restoration
In this episode, we focus on how reforestation and restoration projects begin. It all starts with a seed. What happens when a national forest in California needs to replant trees after the damage of a wildfire, insects or other harmful activity that has scarred the landscape? What they need are seedlings adapted to grow in specific elevations and climates. What they need to do is call the seed specialists at the Placerville Nursery, located in Camino on the Eldorado National Forest.
2022-10-17
1h 02
Forest Focus
Episode 27: Chinese Heritage Sites on California National Forests
National Forests are loved by many people for many things beyond the recreational benefit they provide. We will tie in Episode 22: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with another amazing benefit carved into the national forest landscape: History. Historical markers can be found throughout California's forests, parks, cities and towns that speak towards the Native American tribes that lived off the land, to the pioneers who surveyed and explored, and to those who shapred what California is today. Episode 27: Chinese Heritage Sites on California National Forests
2022-09-26
39 min
Forest Focus
Episode 26: National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month
In this episode, we focus on National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month. With the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture there is certainly a connection between these harmful invaders and the threat they pose to our nation's food security, backyard gardens and natural resources. Episode 26: National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month
2022-09-26
49 min
Forest Focus
Episode 25: California Climate Investments Grant Awards Projects
In this episode we focus on our collaboration with the State of California and particularly CAL FIRE. Since 2015, the U.S. Forest Service and our partners have received roughly $209 million in grants fudning for work on and around National Forest System lands. This funding is managed by CAL FIRE's Forest Health and Fire Prevention grant programs, which are both part of California Climate Investments, funded with proceeds from California's Cap-and-Trade auction revenues. We talk how this funding assists us to increase the pace and scale of our ecological restoration and speak about successes from the past several years. Episode 25...
2022-09-26
19 min
Forest Focus
Episode 24: Native American Heritage Month
In this episode, we focus on National Native American Heritage Month and speak with a former Modoc National Forest employee about his career, his Choctaw heritage, and his chance of a lifetime to work with Bison and the Modoc Nation. Episode 24: Native American Heritage Month
2022-09-16
53 min
Forest Focus
Episode 23: Bats
In the episode, Ted Weller, an ecologist with the Pacific Southwest Research Station, helps us go batty for bats. Each year, Bat Week is observed the week before Halloween and is used by bat enthusiasts, scientists, conservation groups, and others to educate the public, dispel myths, and bring attention to the struggles they face. The beneficial impact these amazing creatures have on our ecosystem should be celebrated far beyond the season of spooky ghosts, skeletons, and vampires. Episode 23: Bats
2022-09-15
1h 02
Forest Focus
Episode 22: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In this episode, we focus on Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by speaking with three employees about their childhood, how they got involved in the Forest Service and more. So, join us in welcoming a hydrologist, a shared stewardship coordinator, and the acting National Forest Stewardship Program manager in Incorporative Forestry. Episode 22: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
2022-09-15
48 min
Forest Focus
Episode 21: Nature's Benefits 101—Part 2
We learned in Episode 19 about Ecosystem Services or Nature's Benefits in an introduction-type show. This show, we dive back in with Part 2 of that series with our first forest benefit spotlight shining on - Water. A research associate with the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center joins us to talk about this critical need. Episode 21: Nature's Benefits 101—Part 2
2022-09-15
20 min
Forest Focus
Episode 20: This Is Who We Are—Working During The Pandemic
In this episode, we speak with Sarah LaPlante, a Forest Service employee, about her challenges of working as a District Ranger on the Stanislaus National Forest during the COVID-19 pandemic and balancing her workload with her new role as a mother. Episode 20: This Is Who We Are—Working During The Pandemic
2022-09-15
18 min
Forest Focus
Episode 18: National Greening Fire Team - Recycling at Fire Incidents
The focus of this episode is recycling. What happens when a large wildfire requires the creation of a fire camp or incident command post, where hundreds or even thousands of personnel support the firefighting effort? The amount of trash that accumulates could match that of a small town. We speak with the National Greening Fire Team, ambassadors, and recycling vendors who work to lessen this environmental impact. Episode 18: National Greening Fire Team - Recycling at Fire Incidents
2022-09-12
21 min
Forest Focus
Episode 19: Nature's Benefits 101—Part 1
Millions of us understand what the benefit of being outdoors has on our mind, body, and spirit. But, what other benefits does the natrual world provide on your national forests? Well, this episode we explore how nature benefits our daily lives with an introduction into ecosystem services, otherwise known as nature's benefits. Episode 19: Nature's Benefits 101 - Part 1
2022-09-12
12 min
Forest Focus
Pack Stock Center of Excellence
In this episode we explore backcountry and wilderness packing with the Pacific Southwest Region's Pack Stock Center of Excellence. Have a listen to a tradition, one covered in over a hundred years of trail dust, that is still critical and relevant today in supporting fire management, ecosystems and forest management. Episode 17: Pack Stock Center of Excellence
2022-09-12
25 min
Forest Focus
NEPA's 50th Anniversary
In this episode, Steve Dunsky, a videographer and historian of the Forest Service for more than 30 years, speaks with Char Miller about the 50th anniversary of NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. Episode 16: NEPA's 50th Anniversary
2022-09-06
1h 01
AJ Daily
6-24-22 Modifying the body's immune system to help treat Type 1 diabetes; NFU statement on Senate ag committee markup; Chairman David Scott announces farm bill listening session; USDA Forest Services to open comments on Rainy River mineral withdrawal
6-24-22 AJ DailyModifying the Body’s Immune System to Help Treat Type 1 DiabetesAdapted from a release by University of Missouri NFU Statement on Senate Agriculture Committee Markup Adapted from a release by Lyndsey Medsker, National Farmers Union Chairman David Scott Announces Farm Bill Listening Session in California Adapted from a release by the U.S. House Ag Committee USDA Forest Service to Open Comments on Rainy River Mineral Withdrawal in Northern MinnesotaAdapted from a release by the USDA Compiled by Paige Ne...
2022-06-24
04 min
Forestcast
Backcross: Will Ash be the Blueprint for Tree Restoration?
The number one way you can stop an insect invasion or pathogen from spreading is by stopping it from ever starting. Who says geneticists and ecologists can’t act in the same way—taking action before a tree is ever in danger? With ash, proactive and collaborative breeding is already taking place, and it could be a roadmap for the future of combating tree species restorations. Related Research: Green Ash Trees That Survive Beetle Infestation Pass on Their Resistance Through Propagation and Planting (NRS) The Key to Rescuing Green Ash from Emerald Ash Borer is i...
2022-03-29
24 min
Forestcast
Backcross: A Return to Elm Street
Dutch elm disease (DED) is one of the most commonly known and destructive tree diseases in the world. The disease was first observed in Ohio in 1930, and by 1976, only 34 million of the estimated 77 million elms present in U.S. urban locations remained. Research on American elm from the 1970s to the present has focused in large part on the identification of American elm individuals that can withstand the DED pathogen. To increase American elm’s long-term recovery as a canopy tree, it is crucial to increase the genetic variation of tolerant elms available for planting in urban an...
2022-03-22
29 min
Forestcast
Backcross: The Past, Present and Future of American Chestnut
A hundred years ago, the American chestnut was the redwood of the East. It was big, and it was everywhere, especially in the southern Appalachians. But, today, it’s just a shrub and is, functionally, extinct. With chestnuts having gone through such a dramatic decline, restoration has been a priority, and it’s been a restoration effort unlike many others. It’s been one of the most passionate efforts an American tree has ever seen. Related Research: American Chestnut Oral History Project (2009) American Chestnut Restoration (NRS) “Reintroduction of American Chestnut in the National Forest System”...
2022-03-15
41 min
Forestcast
Backcross: How Do You Breed Better Trees?
Tree species restoration—especially with species that are threatened with extinction—isn't even on the table unless you have resistant planting stock. But, trees live on another timescale than humans—a much longer one. And, to be a geneticist, to breed, your job is to infiltrate that timeline, and to understand it. By understanding that timeline, you can begin to fiddle with it, fiddle with time, and with the future. The future of that plant, but also the future of our planet. Genetics allow us to make better trees, make a better world, and do it all by fooling our fo...
2022-03-08
19 min
Forestcast
Backcross: Tree Species Restoration & Resistance Breeding
In season one of Forestcast, entomologists showed us the ways we slow insects from attacking and killing trees. This season, we’ll meet another set of scientists, scientists who have been attacking the issue of non-native invasive insects and pathogens from a different angle. Chemicals and biological control can buy trees time, but they cannot completely control the non-native insects that are attacking trees that have never experienced these insects before. We need something on top of those controls, and these scientists, they’ve been working towards a solution — a long-term resistance. What is it? Well, it’s simple...
2022-03-01
09 min
The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast
Episode 69 - David Bengston Ph.D. is an Environmental Futurist and Social Scientist with the Strategic Foresight Group of the Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service.
Dr. David Bengston is an Environmental Futurist and Social Scientist with the Strategic Foresight Group of the Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, and is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota where he teaches a seminar on environmental futures. Dr. Bengston has published more than 160 research publications, including papers in the Journal of Futures Research, World Futures Review, Futures, and The Futurist. He was the Chair of the North American Forest Commission’s Foresight Working Group and is a member of the World Futures Studies Federation and the As...
2022-02-18
52 min
Forestcast
Searching for Cicadas in the Chattahoochee
Mac Callaham, a research ecologist, goes searching alone in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest for one of Brood X’s most-southern cicada emergences. Scientist: Mac Callaham, Research Ecologist, Southern Research Station, Athens, Georgia Produced by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. Questions or ideas for the show? Connect with Jon at: jonathan.yales@usda.gov
2021-07-15
06 min
Forestcast
The Two-Sided Story of Periodical Cicadas
Any day now, periodical cicadas will emerge across 15 states stretching from Illinois to New York and northern Georgia. Two scientists, one who’s tracked the aboveground movements of these cicadas, and another who’s unearthed the belowground impact of these insects, take you inside the many mysteries and forgotten elements of these evolutionary enigmas. Related Research: Sharp boundary formation and invasion between spatially adjacent periodical cicada broods (2021) Periodical cicada emergence resource pulse tracks forest expansion in a tallgrass prairie landscape (2019) Competition and Stragglers as Mediators of Developmental Synchrony in Periodical Cicadas (2018) Avian predation pressure as a po...
2021-05-05
30 min
The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast
Episode 32 - Lara Roman is a Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia Field Station.
Lara Roman is a Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia Field Station. She studies the temporal dynamics of urban forests, including tree mortality and growth, canopy cover change, historical development of urban forests, species composition change, and citizen science monitoring. She has led or co-authored over 40 publications, including both academic journal articles and research summaries for professional arboriculture magazines. Her studies take a participatory research approach, collaborating with practitioners for study design and implementation. She received a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in biology, and a...
2021-04-12
55 min
Forestcast
A Window of Resurgence for Red Spruce
In the 1970s, red spruce was the forest equivalent of a canary in the coal mine, signaling that acid rain was damaging forests and that some species – especially red spruce – were particularly sensitive to this human induced damage. In the course of studying the lingering effects of acid rain, scientists came up with a surprising result – decades later, the canary is feeling much better. Related Research: “The Surprising Recovery of Red Spruce Growth Shows Links to Decreased Acid Deposition and Elevated Temperature” (2018) “Quantifying the Legacy of Foliar Winter Injury on Woody Aboveground Carbon Sequestration of Red Spruce Trees...
2020-05-14
37 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: The Future of Forest Threats
In addition to studying and monitoring the non-native insects already here, scientists are monitoring pests that have potential to become problems if they ever do arrive, whether from overseas or from other parts of North America. Related Research: “The Challenge of Modeling and Mapping the Future Distribution and Impact of Invasive Alien Species” (2015) “Reproduction and potential range expansion of walnut twig beetle across the Juglandaceae” (2018) “Enhanced Mitigation and Rapid Response to Reduce Spread and Impact of Spotted Lanternfly in the United States” (2019) Scientists: Robert Venette, Research Biologist, Northern Research Station, St. Paul, Minnesota Melody Keena, Resea...
2020-04-02
17 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: The Hornless Asian Longhorned Beetle
The Asian longhorned beetle has the makings of a disaster pest poster — a wide possible geographic and climatic range, a number of host trees, and few control options. Lucky for us, it just doesn’t seem to spread far on its own. There are biocontrol and predator options, but nothing is ideal, or especially effective. At this time, there isn’t much we can do other than chop down and chip infested trees. Related Research: “New York's Battle with the Asian Longhorned Beetle” (1997) “Mapping of the Asian Longhorned Beetle’s Time to Maturity and Risk to Invasion at Co...
2020-03-26
18 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: When A Single Clone Caused An Invasion
With no parasitic wasps — like we have for emerald ash borer — and no miracle fungal pathogen — as with gypsy moth — our control options for the nonnative insect threatening Eastern hemlock forests, the hemlock woolly adelgid, have been tricky. Hemlock forests, and the hemlocks in your yard, are paying the price. Related Research: “Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Non-Native Pest of Hemlocks in Eastern North America” (2018) “Mitochondrial DNA from Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Suggests Cryptic Speciation and Pinpoints the Source of the Introduction to Eastern North America” (2006) “Vegetation and Invertebrate Community Response to Eastern Hemlock Decline in Southern New England” (2012) “H...
2020-03-19
25 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: Slowing the Spongy Moth's Spread
Insect biological control comes in all shapes and sizes — parasitoids, predators, or pathogens. So, what happens when neither a parasitoid nor a predator are feasible? Well, sometimes we have to turn away from using insects to attack insect pests, and turn to using an even smaller organism, something microscopic: a pathogen — in this case a fungus. Related Research: “Introduction and Establishment of Entomophaga maimaiga, a Fungal Pathogen of Gypsy Moth in Michigan” (1995) “Discovery of Entomophaga maimaiga in North American gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar” (1990) Scientists: Andrew "Sandy" Liebhold, Research Entomologist, Northern Research Station, Morgantown, West Virginia Dav...
2020-03-12
18 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: Wasps vs. Emerald Ash Borer Beetles
With global trade and travel, organisms are moved around easily and abruptly, causing biological invasions. What’s our best hope to combat these rapidly spreading pests? Sometimes, it’s to do the exact same thing, to start moving around organisms — on purpose — to attack unwanted pests. This is called ‘biological control.’ It is one of the most cost-efficient and environmentally acceptable long-term approaches for managing invasive species. And, it’s been a crucial component to managing the damage caused by the most destructive forest insect in U.S. history — the emerald ash borer beetle. Related Research: E...
2020-03-05
25 min
Forestcast
Balance & Barrier: A Slow Explosion of Damaging Forest Insects
A biological invasion is an enormous increase in population of some kind of living organism. It happens when an organism — like an insect — arrives somewhere beyond its previous range, when it breaks out past its natural barrier, unbalancing the biological order. More than 450 non-native insects have invaded our forests and urban trees since European settlement. In this series, we'll explore four of these insects, and the scientists studying and combating these pests. In 1957, a British ecologist, Charles S. Elton, gave three radio presentations entitled “Balance and Barrier.” Within a year, he had expanded these ideas into what was to b...
2020-02-24
23 min
Forestcast
Welcome to “Forestcast”
The Northern Research Station invites you inside the largest forest research organization in the world — the USDA's Forest Service — for conversations with scientists at the forefront of forest research. Forestcast brings you stories, interviews, and special in-depth anthologies of the science that's examining and explaining how forests affect our lives, and how we affect our forests. To kick things off, a special six-part series on one of the most significant environmental threat to our forests, and the scientists studying and combating these threats. Coming soon! Produced by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. W...
2020-02-24
02 min
Marti Oakley & TS Radio
TS Radio Network: The USDA Hour Updates
Lesa donnelly: vice president, USDA Coalition of Minority Employees, representative & spokesperson for abused women & class complainants (Forest Service in the western region). Shannon Reed: fired/former, women western region class member & USDA forest service employee & out spoken advocate for woman's rights Denice Rice: present forest service employee, women class member western region & outspoken advocate for women in the forest service. Tonight we will be discussing the USDA Office of General Counsel (OGC) The lack of USDA civil rights accountability, to include poor case processing & administration Potential congressional hearings of...
2019-03-01
1h 29