Region Archives: US East

The USDA Forest Service is proposing a project it says will improve forest health at Houston South in the Hoosier National Forest. The project involves logging and prescribed burns in the northwest corner of Jackson County and the northeast corner of Lawrence County in the Brownstown Ranger District of the Hoosier National Forest. It seeks to improve the oak-hickory tree population, wildlife habitats, and reduce tree density in order to improve forest health. In a press release the USDA said “these actions are critical to the long-term well-being of the watershed as a whole and the wildlife that depend on the habitat within it.” It also said it’s “confident that the actions proposed…will not cause harm to our water sources, wildlife, or any other resource.”

Minnesota — Fire crews on the Superior National Forest fire have begun their spring prescribed fire season and, weather permitting, they hope to burn just over 7,000 acres over the next several weeks within the two million acres of the national forest located outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (prescribed burns in the BWCAW are planned separately). Prescribed burning often has a narrow window of opportunity, as it is usually conducted in the spring and fall before green up and after green vegetation has died off, when vegetation is more combustible. While the forest has prescribed fire plans developed to burn up 7,059 acres, burning all planned acres depends on many factors such as weather and vegetation conditions, fire staff availability, and other considerations. Early spring drought has also reduced prescribed burning opportunities.

In a ceremony held in the Arboretum & LaCross Botanical Gardens on 24 April, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business dedicated the Faculty Forest, a tribute to the enduring influence of its emeritus faculty members. “In dedicating the Faculty Forest, we celebrate you, the individuals who have built the School and the cyclical narrative of growth, renewal and enduring fortitude that each tree embodies,” said Dean Scott Beardsley. “This forest, with its roots entrenched in the heritage of Darden and branches reaching to the sky, symbolizes our collective journey and commitment to cultivating the future leaders that will make the world a better place, standing tall through seasons of change.” The Faculty Forest features 25 trees dedicated either in honor or memory of distinguished professors who have contributed significantly to the School’s legacy.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA — Asheville-based nonprofit MountainTrue and others await responses from the U.S. Forest Service after filing a flurry of legal actions against the federal agency over its Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan. The latest lawsuit, submitted April 18, alleges that logging proposals in the forest plan could put endangered bats at risk, therefore violating the Endangered Species Act. (See previous Xpress coverage at avl.mx/dme.) Two other lawsuits filed since January focus on the Forest Service’s approach to its timber harvest program. The latest lawsuit, filed jointly by SELC, MountainTrue and four other conservation groups, argues that the USFS ignored its own research when drafting its 2023 Pisgah-Nantahala land management plan, showing that some specific timber projects would drastically harm the habitat and feeding grounds of four endangered bat species.

AKELEY, Minnesota — Minnesota is known and loved, in part, for its majestic deep, dark forests. …But our Northwoods are in trouble, according to local scientists, and are at risk of becoming grasslands in as little as 50 years because trees can’t adapt as quickly as our weather is warming. …It’s spring, and that means the Badoura State Forest Nursery in Akeley is humming, with seedlings boxed by the hundreds. …But this operation is a fraction of what it once was in Minnesota, according to Doug Tilma, forestry manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “If you go far enough back in history, yes, we had more tree nurseries,” Tilma said. “I think in the early 60s the state produced about 40 million seedlings per year, that was towards the peak. So you can see that, you know, there’s been ebbs and flows in the amount of seedling production in our history.”

VIRGINIA — Almost 20,000 acres have been lit by flames that primarily torched the western and central parts of the state so far during Virginia’s 2024 spring fire season. With about a week left until the season ends, that is double the amount of acres affected annually in the state across its 10-year average. There’s no question that the fires visibly caused an immediate loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat, but state and federal officials said in interviews with the Mercury last week the blazes provide some benefits and are a centuries-old resource management tool. “It does play an important role in the ecosystem,” said Michael Downey, at the Virginia Department of Forestry. “In the public’s eye it is a natural disaster, but we do try to keep it in a controlled, contained environment.” …It’s the unruly nature of the wildfires that can cause concern, particularly given the proximity to neighborhoods.

For four years, Vilas County residents who live near the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest have alleged that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has violated its mandatory logging best management practices by cutting too many trees too close to shorelines. Last year, a review of those practices by an international auditing firm quietly ended with the finding that in some cases the agency had been harvesting trees thinner than the rules suggested but that the flexibility of those rules means there has not been a violation — allowing the DNR to retain its certification as a responsible steward of the state’s forests. That conclusion has raised eyebrows among conservation groups and outside scientists who believe the review’s secrecy is an intentional effort to keep public attention away from the Northwoods and that the episode casts doubt on the validity of the whole global forestry certification system.

MADISON, Wis. — The USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory held an Earth Day celebration to showcase the work they’re doing to make the earth greener. The lab’s work revolves around wood and products that come from trees. Researchers study everything from the anatomy of a tree to the ways a tree can be used. “We work on sustainability, we work on reducing our footprint, we want to be more eco-friendly,” said Alicia King, Assistant Director of Communications said. “So, a lot of the research that we do enables us to discover more ways to utilize trees, all of their glory, and all of the fun things that can come from that.” Visitors got a glimpse at cutting-edge research being done at the lab, from testing the durability of different types of wood products, to products that help reduce waste.

MISSOURI — A recent investigation of illegal tree harvesting on the Mark Twain National Forest that led to the indictment of a southern Missouri man used DNA from an illegally harvested log. This case marks the first time that tree DNA was used to investigate a federal timber poaching case in the eastern US. …After identifying eight freshly cut walnut stumps at the site, a Forest Service special agent investigated a nearby lumber mill, where he found one log with dimensions matching one of the stumps. …The special agent contacted Richard Cronn, a USDA Forest Service research geneticist in Oregon, who pioneered the use of tree DNA in illegal logging investigations. …Cronn’s lab showed that the samples were identical across 80 genetic markers. …The defendant pled guilty in July 2023 to one felony count of depredation of Government property.

John Ralph

The world’s top prize in forestry research has been awarded to University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemistry professor John Ralph for work that has led to new uses for one of the world’s most abundant natural resources. The Marcus Wallenberg Foundation awarded the 2024 Marcus Wallenberg Prize to Ralph and collaborator Wout Boerjan, a professor at Ghent University in Belgium, for their groundbreaking research on the molecular structure of lignin, one of the main components of plant cell walls. Dubbed the “Nobel Prize for forestry” as the highest award in the field, the prize honors scientific achievements that contribute to knowledge and technical developments in forestry and the forest products industry, from growing trees to using forest-based products. …The winning scientists developed and innovatively applied advanced analytical techniques in ways that enhance understanding of lignin biosynthesis and structure in trees and provide a basis for new ways to deconstruct wood and use lignin.

A new University of Vermont (UVM) study is flipping the script on what we know about forests and climate. The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, explores forests that experience “cold-air pooling,” a phenomenon where cold air at higher elevations drains down into lower-lying valleys, reversing the expected temperatures—warm at the bottom, cold at the top—that typically occurs in mountainous areas. That is, the air temperature drops with descent from mountain to valley. “With temperature inversions, we also see vegetation inversions,” says lead study author Melissa Pastore. “Instead of finding more cold-preferring species like spruce and fir at high elevations, we found them in lower elevations—just the opposite of what we expect.” “This cold-air pooling is fundamentally structuring the forest,” says study coauthor and UVM professor Carol Adair. This insight “can help …preserve cold-loving species as the climate warms,” says Adair.

CONCORD, New Hampshire — The state has rejected a proposal by the owner of New Hampshire’s largest private single-tract forest to reduce logging there and sell more credits on the carbon stored in the trees, saying the plan violates a conservation easement. The New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources said the 10-year management plan proposed for the 146,000-acre Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Forest, located mostly in the Coos County town of Pittsburg, defies the easement’s stated purpose — to ensure the North Country parcel “largely remains an undeveloped productive working forest.” “Responsible forestry play a large part in New Hampshire’s long and proud tradition of environmental stewardship,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. “As proposed, the plan would have detrimental impact on the traditional forest use, conservation of wildlife habitat and take a serious economic toll on the North Country.

Jake Peer

There tends to be a negative reaction when you hear the word “clearcut.” That term tends to be associated with destruction of forests… However, a clearcut is a silvicultural harvest technique that creates an even-aged, early successional forest. One of the big reasons a forester might recommend you use a clearcut is because the forest has been mistreated and it needs to be reset. If the forest has had all the quality timber removed in a high-grade harvest, the best option may be to start over entirely. …Another reason to do a clearcut is if you want to manage for trees that are shade intolerant. …My favorite reason to recommend a clearcut harvest is to create specialized wildlife habitat. Ohio has a lot of mature forests with very little early successional forest. …Clearcuts are an under-used tool but can be an exciting opportunity to create a dynamic ecosystem on your property. 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. has gained approval from the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) for their proposed methodology and sponsorship of a Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for national forests. The scope of the assessment includes the national forests in the lower (contiguous) 48 states, and the USDA Forest Service is a key partner for the project. The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is a procurement and traceability standard that assures biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources. The SBP is not a forest certification standard—i.e., the standard applies to those purchasing material, not to the landowner or manager—and the completion of an SBP RRA process does not result in certification of any specific lands or forests.  The scope of the SBP RRA includes identifying and mitigating risks associated with sustainable sourcing of fiber. …The goal is to support biomass market opportunities for wood sourced from national forests.

For the second year in a row, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia welcomed women from the Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers as they participated in an all-female fire assignment. The varied skill levels among the crew allowed everyone to learn from one another as the 10-person module conducted a prescribed fire assignment. “Having all women creates a different culture and environment that is really supportive,” said Rebecca Roller, lead firefighter of the Cabin Lake Wildland Fire Module, with the agency’s Pacific Northwest Region. “it was a very different experience that I will cherish and will be a very important experience in my career for the rest of my life.” Women in the Forest Service have a long and dedicated history of stewardship on public lands. Coupling them with students in the Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers encourages and trains women from diverse backgrounds to excel in the traditionally male-dominated field of wildland firefighting. 

NEW JERSEY—Amidst escalating risks posed by wildfires in the eastern United States, fire researchers at Silas Little Experimental Forest are making significant contributions to better understand the relationship between fuels and the way fires spread across the landscape. With over a century of data for reference and a mature culture of wildland fire management that spans federal and state agencies and private landowners, the Silas Little Experimental Forest is the “model landscape” for scientific fire research.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Loggers behind one of Maine’s heritage industries claim the state and its biggest landowners are sharing confidential information about them through a forest certification program. Tension between logging contractors and the state forest service along with the influential Maine Forest Products Council has existed for years but flared more publicly in Augusta this month through a bill from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, a fifth-generation logger. The loggers say the state and forest products group use a certification program to exchange information about them — such as names, locations and potential violations — if they face investigations but have not yet been notified of the probes. Loggers said it has added to the pressure they face. The Maine Forest Service pays dues to Maine Forest Products Council to remain in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, one of several certification programs the state uses. [to access the full story a Bangor Daily News subscription is required]