Region Archives: US East

Three South Carolina men and a juvenile were charged with a misdemeanor Tuesday after authorities said their failure to properly put out their cigarettes sparked the Table Rock Fire, which has burned more than 13,000 acres. …The Table Rock Fire was sparked by their handling of cigarettes while they were hiking in Table Rock State Park on March 21, the Forestry Commission said. …The fire was 30% contained Tuesday. No injuries have been reported. …The charge of negligently allowing fire to spread to lands or property of another is a misdemeanor punishable with a minimum of five days in jail and a maximum of 30 days in jail if convicted or a fine of $25 to $200. …In South Carolina, 12,652 acres have burned, and 635 acres have burned in North Carolina, the Forestry Commission said in a daily update.

At Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve in rural Albany County, the white spruce trees are struggling. Planted in the 1920s at what was then the southern part of the trees’ range, the plot now has no white spruce saplings, and “the adults are not doing well either,” said Andrei Lapenas, a professor at the University at Albany’s Transformational & Ecosystem-based Climate Adaptation. Lapenas, said higher temperatures from climate change have slowed older trees’ growth, while younger trees are being out-competed by the mature ones. Meanwhile, a different species, red spruce, has established itself in the preserve… He speculated that in the next 20 to 40 years, the preserve “will be overtaken by other tree species, and red spruce is a good candidate for this.”

Nearly 18,000 acres in the lower Blackfoot River watershed prized for its habitat and wood products could become publicly owned if the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) follows through with its planned acquisition. Missoula County last week signed a letter of support backing the BLM’s proposed acquisition of the former private industrial timberland in the Gold and Twin Creek drainages northeast of Missoula. Chet Crowser, chief lands and communities officer with the county, said that acquiring the parcels would permanently protect public ownership and provide benefits for decades to come… More than 60% of Missoula County is covered with public lands – lands the county claims sustain local economies through restoration and active management.

New York has a new interactive web tool to track the state’s progress in an ambitious goal by Gov. Kathy Hochul to have people plant 25 million trees within a nine-year period. The new online “Tree Tracker” enables state residents to self-identify as a private landowners, group members, paid professionals, municipality workers or state agency employees and input information about their tree planting. “New York is taking decisive action to protect our environment and strengthen communities’ ability to withstand severe weather,” Hochul noted in statement unveiling the online tool last month. “Our progress toward the 25 Million Tree goal is a testament to the power of community-driven action, and the new Tree Tracker will make it easier for New Yorkers to track our progress, share updates and contribute to a healthier environment for the future.”

PITTSBURG, Pennsylvania — Local officials are pushing for more logging in Pennsylvania’s only national forest, and the federal government might grant their wish. President Trump warned of a reliance on imported wood amid threat of Canadian lumber tariffs and called for more logging in federal forests. The Allegheny National Forest spans over 500,000 acres, drawing thousands of people for camping, hunting, boating and other outdoor activities. Local officials can’t rely on property tax from the federal land, but they do receive a 25% share of revenue from timber sales in their counties. mOfficials hope for increased timber sales to generate more cash for their budgets. …U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre County, “I welcome reforms that will ensure a robust forest industry, strengthen rural economies and benefit local education.” …“I am in favor of [increased logging], but it has to be done wisely. You can’t overcut,” said Ken Klakamp, Warren County commissioner.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A coalition of conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service over its Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan, arguing the agency violated federal law by downplaying the harmful impacts of a dramatic expansion in logging and by failing to include binding standards to restore important native ecosystems. The Plan guides the long-term future of North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests… The Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan outlines where activities like logging and roadbuilding will occur and sets objectives for future timber harvests. The Plan will determine what happens on these Forests for a generation. The Forest Service was handed a collaboratively developed Forest Plan proposal that allowed for logging while minimizing harmful impacts. However, the agency rejected the compromise out of hand in favor of a Plan that aims to quintuple the amount of logging in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests and expand logging and roadbuilding into sensitive habitats. 

OKLAHOMA — The former head of the Oklahoma Forestry Service is speaking out after he was fired by Gov. Kevin Stitt for his agency’s response to a wildfire outbreak earlier this month. Mark Goeller, who was let go by the state on March 26, posed on social media Sunday evening, claiming he has been falsely accused of not meeting the standards required by his position. …”The Agency to which I dedicated over 40 years of my life was said to have performed poorly. Preparations were made well in advance, the public was notified of the impending fire danger, firefighting resources were ordered and in place.” He said nothing was held back regarding his agency’s response to the wildfires, and it was because of their efforts the fires were not as impactful as they could have been.

MICHIGAN — A crippling ice storm in northern Michigan has knocked out power to at least 90,000 residential and business customers. As of midday Sunday, half an inch to three-quarters of an inch of ice had accumulated in much of northeast Lower Michigan, and an inch and a half had accumulated in Elmira, near Gaylord. …Virtually all customers of the Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op and Alpena Power Co. were without power Sunday, some for more than 30 hours. Presque Isle reported about 32,000 electric members and reported about 32,000 outages. Alpena Power serves about 16,750 electric customers covering 250 square miles in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and said 99% of its customers were without power. The two utilities serve much of Michigan’s northeastern Lower Peninsula. “This storm is unlike anything we have experienced,” Presque Ile co-op president and CEO Allan Berg said.

The Women in the Woods program, developed by Louisiana Tech University professors Dr. Heidi Adams and Dr. Nan Nan, is designed to encourage young women to explore careers in forestry through mentorship, community outreach, and hands-on learning. The initiative, supported by the USDA NIFA Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program, has recently received a $200,000 grant. “Our goal is to create an inclusive, supportive environment for young women interested in forestry,” said Adams. “This program offers real-world insights into the profession and inspires young women to consider forestry as a viable career path.” A recent survey of female college students with forestry-related leadership experience found that many women do not view forestry as a potential career because they rarely see women represented in the field.

Gov. Stitt announced the firing of the State Forester earlier this week, citing concerns about the department’s response to the fires that have burned across the state. Following the announcement, multiple fire stations and firefighters posted on social media in support of Mark Goeller, head of the Forestry Department. “I was extremely surprised when I saw the news that Mark Goeller got fired,” said Tulsa Fire Department Engine Captain Shawn Clark. Clark said he also works as an AD firefighter with the forestry department. When asked about Goeller’s departure, Stitt said, “As far as Mark’s departure, we had a horrible, horrible wildfire in the state of Oklahoma and didn’t think they did a really good job.”  Goeller served in the department for more than 40 years.  …When asked what he would like to see happen, he replied, “I’d really like to see Mark reinstated.” 

Just weeks after devastating fires ravaged Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt revealed the man in charge of the state’s forest management is out of a job. Mark Goeller has roughly 40 years of forestry experience and has worked as Oklahoma’s State Forester since 2018. Stitt panned the agency’s response to the wildfires that raged across the state in mid-March, burning more than 170,000 acres, killing four, injuring hundreds and destroying more than 400 homes, including one owned by the governor near Luther. At a Wednesday press conference, the governor was asked why Goeller would no longer work in his role. “He’s the head of the forestry department, and we had a horrible, horrible wildfire in the State of Oklahoma, and I didn’t think they did a really good job,” Stitt said in response. It’s unclear what part of the wildfire response Stitt did not like.

Millions of federal dollars promised to Maine woodland to improve harvest practices has been stalled for months without explanation. Landowners and logging companies are increasingly anxious about the funding blockade, and will have to make tough decisions if the money doesn’t come through. Baskahegan Co. Vice President Kyle Burdick said it was banking on federal reimbursements to sustain logging operations on its Down East timberland this year. But if the money doesn’t come through, it will have to potentially lay off logging contractors. Baskahegan was one of six Maine landowners that last year agreed to try out forestry practices that thin out woodlands to encourage bigger tree growth. The pilot project, funded through a $32 million climate smart commodities grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was intended to store more carbon and generate valuable wood products in the future. The funding has been blocked since President Donald Trump put money …under review.

A quiet collapse is sweeping through America’s hardwood log export industry, completely devastating working families in rural communities who’ve been left behind as trade battles play out far above their heads. On March 4, China abruptly banned imports of U.S. hardwood logs, citing pest concerns — though industry insiders believe it was thinly veiled economic retaliation to the Trump administration’s recent tariffs. The impact was immediate and massive: China is the dominant buyer of U.S. logs, importing the vast majority of what America exports. Without that market, the entire industry lost its economic lifeline, according to Seth Riggio, a 35-year-old log broker based in Greenville, South Carolina. The move set off a chain reaction that has pushed loggers, exporters, truckers, and rural communities across the country into financial ruin. …These aren’t corporations with reserves. Most loggers don’t have savings accounts or college degrees. What they have are contracts, equipment, and a forest to work. 

As a log truck driver, I want to share my perspective on the proposed increase in truck weight limits in Alabama. This issue is critical to the livelihoods of many hardworking people and to the… state’s forestry sector. The challenges of operating a log truck have grown significantly in recent years. Insurance premiums keep rising, fuel prices fluctuate unpredictably, and truck maintenance costs have soared due to the increasing price of parts and repairs. Despite these mounting expenses, the rates paid to haul raw wood remain relatively stagnant because of supply and demand constraints. Timber is so plentiful that mills often hit capacity before the end of the workweek, forcing them to impose quotas and stop purchases early. These restrictions directly impact our ability to make a living and keep our businesses afloat. …If weight limits are not raised, the future of Alabama’s log trucking industry — and by extension, the forestry sector — remains uncertain.

NEW YORK — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company’s Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. The verdict marks the latest in a long-running series of court battles Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict. The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. That marks one of the largest legal settlements reached in a Roundup-related case to date. …Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with more than 177,000 lawsuits involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases. Monsanto said Friday’s verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” 

Virginia loggers hope steps taken by President Donald Trump will breathe new life into parts of the Commonwealth they feel have long been abandoned. …Canada is the largest exporter of lumber into the US. The lumber industry in the United State has a long history and has been financially rocky in recent decades. Unregulated cutting up to the 1980s damaged land and water systems. Regulations followed. Then international trade agreements saw production shipped overseas, further denting an industry that literally built America. But loggers in Virginia have stuck with it. Among them is Vance Wright. …Trump’s shortest-term impact on logging may be with tariffs. But logging and timber have long been subject to different international trade deals. And while those international markets arguably killed Virginia’s manufacturing, think Martinsville’s now-shuttered furniture factories, it also opened doors to new opportunities.

…The vast majority of Ohio forestland is privately-owned. While many owners may be tempted to cut and sell trees in the state’s commercial timber market, the Nature Conservancy in Ohio’s Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) outlines a different path forward. The conservation program pays private landowners to protect their forest and capture more carbon. Sustainable Forestry Director Tom Rooney said each participant is guided on how to best care for their individual forest. …These landowners are key to helping Ohio regain lost forestland, Rooney said. When European settlers arrived in Ohio, trees covered an estimated 95% of the state. By the turn of the 20th century, much of the land was cleared to make way for agriculture and industry. Today, only around 30% of Ohio is forested. …Through the program, landowners can sell carbon credits to large companies who want to offset their emissions. 

President Trump wants to ramp up timber production by fast-tracking projects under laws that protect endangered species and other environmental regulations, which could expand logging of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. …The president’s order also directs agencies to convene a committee under emergency regulations that could bypass endangered species protections to clear the way for logging projects. …Environmental groups like the Environmental Law & Policy Center argue that more logging would damage national forests and harm recreation, wildlife and water quality. …A USDA spokesperson said it will continue to protect wildlife under the Endangered Species Act while meeting Trump’s directive.” …Logging advocates like Henry Schienebeck with the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association said stakeholders may have to take a closer look at demand and the capacity of mills to handle more lumber. He said the order represents a golden opportunity for the public to have healthy, well-managed forests.

Conservation Resources, a New Hampshire-based investment firm, has launched a new program for its Alabama timberland. With 15,000 acres of Alabama’s trees in its domain, CR is implementing a program for its holdings that it terms “regenified” management. Regenified is a practice and outcome-based land verification and certification program driving the growth of regenerative agriculture and the adoption of certified products. CR was the first institutional timberland manager to have properties certified by the program. The firm is also perusing the 100 Million Acres Initiative. Founded by partners that include Conservation Resources, the program aims at transitioning 100 million acres — the approximate size of California — nationwide to regenerative management practices. In conjunction with the 10-year initiative, CR pledges to transition 100% of its managed lands to regenerative practices. …The program focuses on restoring the health of the entire ecosystem. It encourages biodiversity, soil health, water conservation and climate resilience.

PELLSTON, Mich. — It is commonly assumed that as forest ecosystems age, they accumulate and store, or “sequester,” more carbon. A new study based at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) untangled carbon cycling over two centuries and found that it’s more nuanced than that. The synergistic effects of forest structure, the composition of the tree and fungal communities, and soil biogeochemical processes have more influence on how much carbon is being sequestered above and below ground than previously thought. …“Time is a playing field, and the rules of the game are things like canopy structure, tree and microbial community composition, and soil nitrogen availability. That means that changes in things like structure, composition, and soil nitrogen are what control forest carbon trajectories, whether quickly or slowly, and whether we are influencing those changes through management or letting them happen on their own terms,” Dr. Luke Nave said.

Don Bragg — one of three inducted into the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame — was a forester who loved science and sharing that passion with others. The late Bragg joins the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame roster along with Greg L. Hay and Pete Prutzman. The hall is housed in the Forest Resources Building at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Plaques honoring the three were officially hung this month following last November’s induction ceremony at the Ouachita Society of American Foresters. The Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to forestry in Arkansas, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Kirsten Gillibrand

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are reintroducing the Forest Conservation Easement Program Act, which would help conserve working forests and give landowners more options to ensure their land is protected. The bill would expand the Healthy Forests Reserve Program and rename it the Forest Conservation Easement Program, which would aim to: Prioritize keeping forests as forests, benefiting the economy and the environment; Help landowners restore and protect habitats for at-risk species while simultaneously increasing carbon sequestration; and Enhance the abilities of the Natural Resources Conservation Service so it can effectively conserve working forests through conservation easements. Landowners would be provided with two options for placing voluntary easements on their land: Forest Land Easements and Forest Reserve Easements.

WASHINGTON — Three former Environmental Protection Agency leaders sounded an alarm Friday, saying rollbacks proposed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin endanger the lives of millions of Americans and abandon the agency’s dual mission to protect the environment and human health. Zeldin said Wednesday he plans to roll back 31 key environmental rules on everything from clean air to clean water and climate change. Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy called Zeldin’s announcement “the most disastrous day in EPA history.” …Zeldin’s comprehensive plan to undo decades-old regulations was nothing short of a “catastrophe” and “represents the abandonment of a long history” of EPA actions to protect the environment, said William K. Reilly, who led the agency under President George H.W. Bush and played a key role in amending the Clean Air Act in 1990. …Environmentalists have vowed to fight the changes, saying it would result in “the greatest increase in pollution in decades″ in the U.S.

…Taylor, Liberty, Nassau and Dixie counties were “critically dependent” on forestry, according to the most recent analysis by the University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department, with the industry accounting for more than 20% of jobs in each. Amid the economic challenges, some timber owners in these communities turn to a copper-colored side hustle: pine straw. The woody needles can be raked annually, offering earlier, more consistent income than timber alone. Profit margins are slim, but generally enough to pay the land’s taxes: a compelling business for producers whose land is already planted in pine. …In a tumultuous timber market, baling pine straw can bail out landowners.

University of Florida: Managing Pine Stands for Straw Production

A new proposed bill would provide real property tax incentives to landowners who voluntarily place permanent protective easements on their forested lands. State law currently provides real property tax reductions for landowners who manage a minimum number of acres of their land for timber production for a period of at least ten years pursuant to a timber management plan approved by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Landowners who meet these criteria receive a real property tax exemption of up to 80 percent of the assessed valuation of the lands subject to the approved timber management plan. The new bill would provide similar real property tax relief for landowners who place at least ten acres of forested land under a conservation easement that ensures that the tract will be permanently maintained as wild forest land and prohibits the cutting, removal or destruction of trees on the tract (with certain exemptions such as DEC-approved actions to address invasive species).

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. — The still-burning Carolina Forest wildfire highlights the need for more investments into education and prevention programs, the state’s top forestry officials told lawmakers Wednesday. “The agency’s risk of losing these important positions reduces its ability to implement successful prevention campaigns, and (to) assist communities with wildfire mitigation projects which would result in more, larger wildfires and more damage to homes,” Scott Phillips told a Senate Finance subcommittee. “I want to give you a real-world example. At the Covington Drive fire, there were two communities that were severely impacted: Walkers Woods and The Reserve at Walkers Woods,” Phillips said. “Those two communities had very different outcomes.” While no structures were destroyed, Phillips said homes in The Reserve were damaged, while those in Walkers Woods weren’t, since the latter is part of Firewise USA –– a nationwide preparedness program spread across 42 states.

Winter in the South can bring about a sharp change in conditions that impact forests and their many inhabitants. However, new research from the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources finds that, despite these seasonal shifts, forest management efforts are supporting healthy bat populations. As white nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease, ravages bat populations, wildlife ecology and management professor Steven Castleberry wanted to ensure all other aspects of bat livelihood were being maintained. “There’s nothing really we can do about that disease. All we can do is continue to provide proper habitats,” Castleberry said. “As those populations recover, we ensure that those quality forests and habitats are still there.”.. Castleberry points out that most privately owned forests already provide a suitable balance for bats during the winter. Moving forward, forest managers should maintain this equilibrium rather than make drastic changes.

Paul Jackson

Louisiana Tech University has named Dr. Paul Jackson the new director of the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry. Jackson, a faculty member with more than 12 years of experience at the University, brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and leadership to his new role. A native of Hargis, Louisiana, Jackson has made significant contributions in both the classroom and the community. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northwestern State University, a Master of Science in Environmental Biology from Louisiana Tech, and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Auburn University. Jackson has taught several plant science courses at Tech, including greenhouse management, pest management, landscape plants, and landscape design and contracting. His research focuses on tree seedling nursery management, with the goal of improving seedling quality and survival rates for successful planting.

HORRY COUNTY, S.C.  — As the Covington Drive fire in Carolina Forest reaches Day 11, the South Carolina Forestry Commission told News13 the agency will cover all its costs associated with fighting the blaze but that it’s “too early to know” what the actual price will be. “We will cover all our costs associated with the fire — personnel, food, lodging, equipment, etc,” the agency said. “Since the Southeast Compact was activated, we will reimburse the Florida IMT for their costs — personnel, food, lodging, equipment. As with all large incidents of this type, there will be expenses we don’t even know about yet that we will have to pay for.” The forestry commission said since the fire management assistance grant was approved, FEMA will reimburse agencies and fire departments for 75% of approved costs. 

Does the Black Hills need a viable timber industry to help manage its forests? Absolutely. Recently, U.S. Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden have been pressuring U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to increase timber harvesting in the Black Hills National Forest. Paradoxically, this may lead to the demise of the Black Hills timber industry. The quantity of trees suitable for logging — known as the standing timber inventory — in the Black Hills National Forest has been in contention for at least 10 years. …If the amount of timber harvested in the Black Hills returns to levels that are not sustainable, the timber industry could cut itself out of business. The forest already has few options for finding more timber.

On Thursday in a joint statement, the Vermont Woodlands Association (VWA) and Vermont Loggers Education to Advance Professionalism (LEAP) announced they are merging. “As many of you know, VWA and LEAP have always shared a common goal—supporting responsible forest stewardship and the professionals who implement the practices that keep our forests healthy, productive, and resilient. With the upcoming retirement of David Birdsall as Executive Director of LEAP, VWA and LEAP are working to bring LEAP under the VWA umbrella as a continued program.” …Bringing VWA and LEAP under one roof will better support Vermont’s forest stewards, landowners, forestry professionals, and loggers and strengthen our collective commitment to forest stewardship and professionalism. We are excited about this new chapter and the opportunity to continue supporting Vermont’s woodland community together.

Legislation introduced by the Alabama Forestry Association would significantly worsen the condition of local and state roads and bridges, as well as hinder safety inspections of commercial vehicles. “The legislation is to allow significantly heavier axle weights to be hauled by large trucks — a move that is difficult to comprehend when the truckers already complain of sky-high liability insurance rates and serve as the primary target of advertising by personal injury law firms,” said Alabama Department of Transportation Deputy Director George Conner… “The math is simple: heavier truck axle weights are exceptionally dangerous and destroy roads and bridges; even heavier axle weights will be more dangerous and will destroy roads and bridges even more quickly.” …The Forestry Association’s proposal would increase the legal limit for a single axle from 20,000 pounds to 22,000 pounds while increasing the legal limit for two axles (tandem axles) from 34,000 pounds to 44,000 pounds.

CHEYENNE, Wyoming — Rep. John Eklund thought back a half century, to an era when commercial sawmills processing Wyoming timber abounded and logging was the Equality State’s third-largest industry. “We should be able to get back to that,” the Cheyenne Republican said Tuesday morning in the Wyoming Capitol. …Commercial logging in national forests around the country, including Wyoming, has fallen off dramatically from its heyday. Cut and sold timber has stagnated at a fraction of what it was from the 1950s through the 1980s for three decades running, U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows. …Trump’s order isn’t the only prospective policy change afoot that could revitalize commercially cutting American forests. The “Fix Our Forests Act,” has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and moved to the U.S. Senate. The bill, proving divisive in big commercial timber country, would further expedite environmental reviews — and could potentially have immediate impacts in Wyoming.

Angela Bartholomay

BOTTINEAU – Angela Bartholomay, an associate professor of Science at Dakota College at Bottineau, is the recipient of the 2025 Project Learning Tree (PLT) Leadership in Education award. Bartholomay has been honored for her work promoting environmental stewardship through education for more than 30 years, according to a DCB news release. PLT, an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), is an award-winning education program that advances environmental awareness, forest literacy and green career pathways, using trees and forests as windows on the world. The Leadership in Education award recognizes educators who make significant contributions in their state to PLT and youth environmental education. …Bartholomay, along with Butch Bailey, a forester and instructor for Mississippi State University Extension Service, and Susan Cox, Conservation Education coordinator for the USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, will be honored at the 2025 PLT Annual Conference in Clemson, South Carolina, from March 10-14.

The US Department of Agriculture revoked a federal tree-planting grant to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful in a move the nonprofit’s CEO Kranowitz said may be the result of anti-DEI initiatives coming from the Trump Administration. The money would have helped KIB plant more trees throughout the city, and those plantings should not be all the same kind of tree, Kranowitz explained. The $400,000 grant for urban forestry projects was awarded to the organization in January through the Arbor Day Foundation, but was then clawed back on Tuesday. There’s growing evidence that words like “biodiversity” are being targeted by federal agencies bent on terminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives across the country. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently cancelled a federal contract in Hawaii for an agency meeting on biodiversity and has identified and canceled other training programs on environmental justice claiming they run “contrary to the values of millions of American taxpayers.”

Justin Baker and Mirela Tulbure, both professors of forestry and environmental resources in the College of Natural Resources, are among 20 early- and mid-career NC State faculty to be named 2024-25 University Faculty Scholars. Established by Chancellor Randy Woodson in 2012, the University Faculty Scholars program recognizes faculty for their outstanding academic achievements and contributions to NC State through their teaching, scholarship and service to the university and beyond. Baker, who holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University, joined the College of Natural Resources in 2019. …Tulbure, who holds a Ph.D. from South Dakota State University, also joined the College of Natural Resources in 2019.