Region Archives: US East

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. 

A group of scientists has been quietly working for decades on a project to improve tree genetics, with white oaks among the target species for the UT Tree Improvement Program. For those who are curious, genetics in organisms refers to the study of genes and how they are passed down from generation to generation. Genetics in trees, however, focuses on the study of genes within tree species and examines how their genetic makeup influences traits such as growth rate, wood quality, and resilience to environmental stresses. Scott Schlarbaum, a distinguished professor of forestry at UTIA, leads the UT Tree Improvement Program and is among the co-authors of the paper that describes the white oak genome and how local adaptations may have implications for the species in relation to heat and drought stress. Photo by A. Mains, courtesy UTIA.

Gov. Kemp joined Georgia Department of Natural Resources leaders in recognizing four corporate forest landowners for stewardship and land management practices benefiting Georgia wildlife. Georgia Power, Weyerhaeuser, PotlatchDeltic and Forest Investment Associates were named DNR’s Forestry for Wildlife partners for 2025. Forestry for Wildlife Partnership is a voluntary, 30-year-old program that promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable forestry as part of forest management. Partner projects are coordinated by DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division and focused on improvements synced with the Bobwhite Quail Initiative and State Wildlife Action Plan, two statewide strategies. Work varies from restoring habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers to preserving wetlands used by rare amphibians and prairies harboring endangered plants.

ASHEVILLE – Caroline Becker was on a list of probationary employees who would soon lose their job with the U.S. Forest Service. Becker, 23, who was employed as a GIS specialist at the agency’s Asheville headquarters, would have celebrated her one-year anniversary as a full-time employee on Feb. 25. Instead, Becker received a letter from Dedra Fogle, the U.S. Forest Service’s human resources director, notifying Becker of her termination. …“The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest,” Fogle wrote. …A program manager with the U.S. Forest Service who spoke to the Citizen Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from her employer, said the recent firings are a huge strain on the already understaffed agency and pose a major threat to the Helene recovery effort and future wildfire response.

Additional coverage from Colorado, Montana and Idaho: More than 150 Forest Service workers managing public land in Colorado lose jobs as part of Trump cuts – Several of the fired workers shared the Feb. 14 email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management that informed them they were being fired. The email said they were losing their jobs based on performance. One Forest Service worker told The Sun that neither they nor any of their fired colleagues had ever received any negative feedback on annual performance reviews. 

On Feb. 6, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun wrote to the United States Forest Service (USFS) asking for the immediate withdrawal of a forest management project that would log 5,000 acres and burn over 15,500 acres of the Hoosier National Forest—204,000 acres of woodland located in south central Indiana. It is known as the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project, and it would directly impact Tucker Lake, Springs Valley, Youngs Creek and Lick Creek Trails, affecting the habitats of Indiana wildlife and a popular recreation site. The project is set to begin this month. Braun is selling property close to the project area for $1,675,000 and has a listed asset of over $250,000 worth of “timber ground” in the French Lick area. …A USFS newsletter explains the reasoning behind the project: concerns about disease and wildfires from dry plant matter and trees in the area and carbon emissions from decaying wood. …Braun and many other Hoosiers are still in opposition. 

A recent letter penned by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun urged federal officials to “immediately withdraw” a controversial plan to log and burn nearly 20,000 acres of The Hoosier National Forest. The Buffalo Springs Restoration Project, proposed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), seeks to log 5,000 acres and burn 15,500 acres of the national forest land in southern Indiana.  Although USFS originally estimated a decision on the project would come in January — and that work could begin early this year — a final determination is still pending. When proposed in 2021, it was pitched as a way to improve sustainability of the forest’s oak-wood ecosystem. The removal of non-native pine trees would also regenerate native hardwood communities and “improve overall forest health and wildlife habitat,” according to the federal agency. But in a letter sent last week to USFS Chief Randy Moore, Braun pointed to increasing pushback from Indiana residents, and said the project could threaten the drinking water for more than 100,000 Hoosiers.

Texas A&M Forest Service awarded over $951,000 to 168 landowners to conduct prescribed fires this year. This funding will treat 35,138 acres. Prescribed fire is a strategic land management tool that uses low-intensity fire on a specific area of land to achieve set goals. Prescribed fire is the most effective and efficient land management tool for decreasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires by reducing hazardous fuels. “Over the past 10 years, our prescribed fire grants have treated over 100,000 acres helping reduce the risk of wildfire,” said Karen Stafford, Texas A&M Forest Service Community Resiliency Coordinator. “Our prescribed fire grants prioritize wildfire mitigation and emphasize protecting homes, communities and natural ecosystems.”.. Following the burn, management goals and the ecosystem are monitored by Stafford and her team.

Lookout Mountain native Kerry Phillips, 34, said he is “humbled” to be given the Georgia Forestry Commission’s 2024 Director’s Award. This is the first time the honor has been presented to a GFC employee for their performance excellence. Phillips has been serving as Acting Chief Ranger for GFC’s Dade County Unit for the past year. He stepped into the role after a harrowing wildfire accident injured his predecessor early last year. …The Director’s Award recognizes Phillips’ ability to manage emergency situations, especially as the north Georgia drought worsened and wildfire conditions increased. His leadership in Dade County ensured operations continuity, though faced with numerous geographical, demographical, and political challenges. He is credited for working tirelessly on region-wide projects and trainings, and contributing to important leadership initiatives. Phillips is well known for his professionalism and his commitment to the wildland firefighter core values of duty, respect, and integrity.

Alabama’s roads and bridges are already under immense strain, but two bills moving through the Legislature could accelerate their decline—adding 150 million dollars in maintenance costs annually, reducing highway lifespan by up to 30 percent, and forcing weight restrictions on hundreds of bridges. Senate Bill 110 and House Bill 204 would allow heavier log trucks to operate on Alabama highways while simultaneously limiting enforcement by requiring state troopers to escort overweight trucks to permanent platform scales—effectively halting roadside safety inspections for extended periods. Experts warn that these changes could have devastating consequences for infrastructure durability, public safety, and taxpayer-funded repairs. The push for heavier loads is being driven by logging and timber industry interests, which stand to benefit financially from relaxed restrictions. However, transportation and infrastructure experts warn that the cost to the public far outweighs any economic gain.

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to safeguard the nation’s white oak tree population, which is key to several commercial industries and vital to wildlife. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced the White Oak Resilience Act of 2025, which will “mobilize” more federal resources and research in protecting the tree’s population. The senators say the trees are essential to the ecosystem and a “trademark” for several American industries. In addition, the White Oak is regarded as “the most important hardwood tree” in the eastern half of the country. The trees are also vital to multiple wildlife species. However, bourbon is likely binding the neighboring commonwealths while forging a bipartisan endeavor to protect the historic tree. The wood from the white oak has long been used to age Kentucky’s most famous spirit, where bourbon, bluegrass and horses reign supreme. 

Senator Mike Rounds has re-introduced a bill that would require National Forest superintendents to submit remediation plans if their timber production falls well below the allowable amounts laid out in forest plans. The remediation plans would be required to bring timber production in the respective forests back to at least 75% of their allowable amounts. Rounds says timber production in the Black Hills has far below its allowable 181,000 units. “Three years ago, we did about 80,000, the year before last we did about 60,000, and we’re down to about 59,000 units this year, and so the bottom line is not even a third of what we should be harvesting in the Black Hills is actually being done,” Rounds said. “But it also means some of those forests that could be more properly managed, based upon their own plan are not being harvested, the plan is not being followed,” Rounds said.

Wadood Y. Hamad

ATLANTA — TAPPI, the leading association for the pulp, paper, tissue, packaging and converting industry is pleased to announce that Wadood Y. Hamad, Ph.D., TAPPI Fellow, has been named winner of the prestigious Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award. Dr. Hamad is Chief Technology Officer at Seprify AG (Switzerland), where he leads efforts to scale-up the production of cellulose particles and hybrid materials, including a flagship product, cellulose white pigment, and develop applications in a multitude of sectors spanning foods, pharma/nutraceuticals, cosmetics, paints, coatings and organic electronics. “Dr. Hamad’s work has made a tremendous impact in colloid science, materials physics, chemistry and nanotechnology,” said TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague. “His [work] embodies the true meaning of the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award.” …First presented in 1985, the prestigious Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award is TAPPI’s highest technical honor in recognition of an individual’s exceptional industry contributions. 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Yesterday, Joel Hambright, Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Operations Chief, received the 2024 Texas A&M University Board of Regents Fellow Service Award. Hambright began his career at Texas A&M Forest Service in 1994 as a District Forester in Cleveland following his graduation from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management. Since then, Hambright has served as District Forester and Regional Forester in Huntsville. He now serves as a Regional Operations Chief, where he oversees the operations of agency programs within 13 Southeast Texas counties. Hambright also holds National Wildland Coordinating Group qualifications as a Firefighter Type 1; Firefighter Type 2; Heavy Equipment Boss; Single Resource; Strike Team Leader; Incident Commander Type 5; and Liaison Officer. …The Regents Fellow Service Award is the highest honor annually presented by the Texas A&M University System

Melissa Singletary

The Asian longhorned beetle, a threat to U.S. trees, will soon have a new foe: Labrador retrievers bred and trained by Auburn University to search for the invasive species. The retrievers are part of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Canine Performance Sciences (CPS) program, which uses canines to detect plant and animal species in ways that benefit ecological research, management and conservation. As part of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this project will reach its goal to train operational dogs for Asian longhorned beetle detection in 2025 with an anticipated spring start date. Their work will help find the beetle sooner, which in turn helps the agency stop the beetles’ spread. CPS Assistant Director Melissa Singletary said finding the beetles is important because they damage economically and environmentally important hardwood trees.

The State of New York last week announced the launch of two new interactive tools for recording and tracking the number of trees planted as part of a climate initiative to reach 25 million trees by 2033. Developed by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and its Office of Information Technology Services, the Tree Tracker allows state agencies and private organizations and individuals to report the number and location of trees planted, as well as planting dates, species and tree size. “New York is taking decisive action to protect our environment and strengthen communities’ ability to withstand severe weather,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in the press release. “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.”

While artistic beauty may be a matter of taste, our ability to identify trees in works of art may be connected to objective—and relatively simple—mathematics, according to a new study. Led by researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of New Mexico, the study investigated how the relative thickness of a tree’s branching boughs affected its tree-like appearance. This idea has been studied for centuries by artists, including Leonardo DaVinci, but the researchers brought a newer branch of math into the equation to reveal deeper insights. …The math the duo used to approach their question of proportions is rooted in fractals. Geometrically speaking, fractals are structures that repeat the same motifs across different scales. …“We measure branch diameter scaling in trees and it plays the same role as fractal dimension,” Mitchell Newberry said. “It shows how many more tiny branches there are as you zoom in.” .

David Stahle

Arkansas — David Stahle is a distinguished professor and director of the tree ring laboratory at the University of Arkansas, but you won’t always find him in the lab at Ozark Hall on the Razorback campus. You’re just as likely to find the world renowned dendrochronologist in the old growth forests of Oklahoma, the swamps of North Carolina or traversing the Great Plains as he searches for trees and takes coring samples from them. …For more than four decades this has been his chosen work, reconstructing climate and making chronologies, and Stahle has done it all over the world — in both the southwest and southeast regions of the U.S., in California, Africa, Nepal, and in Mexico partnering alongside a colleague in the Mexican Forest Service. …Stahle is working on book called “The Ancient Cross Timbers: A natural history of the old growth forest that bordered the Southern Plains” 

ATLANTA — In response to the widespread devastation of Hurricane Helene to Georgia’s farming and timber industries, several state senators filed legislation to provide relief to those impacted by the storm’s damage. Senate Bill 52, the Timberlands Recovery, Exemption and Earnings Stability, or TREES, Act, would provide for economic relief and exemptions on taxes to those working in the Georgia timber industry. According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, and cited by the state legislature, the timber industry saw as much as $1.3 billion in losses from Hurricane Helene as of November 2024. …If voted to pass by both the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate, and then signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, the bill would take effect immediately, helping to provide relief to members of Georgia’s timber industry.

Julia Letlow

MONROE, Louisiana – Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced a legislative proposal meant to improve disaster relief programs for forest landowners. Letlow introduced the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act in response to the 2023 Louisiana Wildfires that burned more than 60,000 acres of forest land. The legislation adds on to existing programs within the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 — the Emergency Conservation Program and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). Under Letlow’s proposed bill, farmers and nonindustrial forest landowners would get advanced emergency payments to implement urgent measures after natural disasters. …Craig Anderson, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Forest Landowners Association, said Letlow’s legislation is vital to ensuring private forest landowners are properly supported after a natural disaster.

…While Maine is known for its abundant forests and cooler climate, the risk of large-scale wildfire remains real. History reminds us of this. In 1947, devastating wildfires burned over 200,000 acres and destroyed over 800 homes. In 2024 alone, Maine saw 652 wildfires that burned 296 acres. The Maine Forest Service is at the forefront of protecting 17.5 million acres of forest land, covering 89% of the state. …One cornerstone of our efforts is the Open Burn Permit System, which provides real-time updates on current conditions, helping communities make informed decisions about burning activities. Additionally, during our wildfire season, from March to November, our wildfire danger broadcasts are vital for tracking fire risk. …As a founding Northeast Forest Fire Protection Compact member, we share resources and expertise with New England and the Eastern Canadian provinces. …National lightning detection and heat signature systems enable rapid notification of wildfire starts in remote areas.