Region Archives: US East

In 2009, while examining an old quarry, Charles Ver Straeten, the curator of sedimentary rocks at the New York State Museum, noticed something unusual. He was scouting the area with colleagues, planning a potential field trip. Although paleobotanists have explored the former highway department property since the 1960s, something different caught Ver Straeten’s attention. His trained eye spotted wandering gutters in the stone—features typically found in marine rocks. But this land, even during the Middle Devonian period, was never submerged under the sea. As Ver Straeten traced eleven of the lines, they all converged at a single point. It was then that he realized these lines were the roots of an ancient, massive tree, dating back to a time when forests were still a novel feature on Earth.

Just in time for Halloween, federal scientists this week announced new research into so-called “ghost forests,” spooky tracts of dead trees common along the Eastern Seaboard. According to NOAA, they are “the watery remains of a once verdant woodland.” The new research suggests the deathly landscapes are home to tiny organisms that play a fascinating role in climate change. Here’s how they form: As the globe warms and sea level rises, more and more saltwater encroaches on the land, according to an online fact sheet from NOAA’s Ocean Service. “Along the world’s coasts and estuaries, invading seawater advances and overtakes the fresh water that trees rely upon for sustenance. The salty water slowly poisons living trees, leaving a haunted ghost forest of dead and dying timber.”

Virginia officials on Tuesday announced that low-interest loans will be available to small agriculture and forestry businesses in certain localities impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Helene… “Virginia’s farmers and forestry professionals are the backbone of our economy, and their resilience has always been a testament to the strength of our Commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “Through the Agricultural Disaster Microloan Program, we’re ensuring that these vital industries have the resources they need to rebuild. This program is a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to restore and revitalize the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.”

ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST, Pa.—There aren’t many men like Alex Zimmerman left in the forests of northwest Pennsylvania. When the weather is cold or dry enough, the 28-year-old logger can be found roaming the woods, chain saw in hand, bringing down big hardwoods for a nearby sawmill. …The industry, a fixture of the regional economy, has been in decline for decades. A series of shocks since 2018 has accelerated the decline: a trade war with China, a collapse in exports due to Covid, China’s real-estate slump, and falling U.S. home building. Roughly two dozen sawmills in the region have gone out of business in the past year or so, auctioning off their machinery, said Tom Inman, president of trade association Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers. …The Eastern U.S.’s hardwood production has fallen to its lowest level in records going back to 1960, according to the Hardwood Market Report, an industry publication.

Months before the Texas Panhandle erupted with destructive wildfires, fire crews in Borger were igniting fire intentionally on a seven-mile, roughly 250-foot wide ribbon of land on the edge of town. The prescribed burn in November removed dense grass and brush next to homes on the southwest side of the town. When the Windy Deuce fire ravaged the region in February, the prescribed burn area acted as a fireproof wall that stopped the blaze in its tracks. …Before modern firefighting and fire suppression techniques, fires across forests and grasslands were a part of the Earth’s natural cycles. Prescribed burning is an ancient technique still practiced by some Native Americans. In the range ecosystem that dominates the United States from the Texas panhandle through the Great Plains, land managers and firefighters are recommending prescribed burns to protect communities and restore natural fire cycles. But in Texas, prescribed burning has yet to be widely accepted.

LINCOLN, Neb.–Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Arbor Day Foundation pledges to plant 10 million trees in the six states affected by the disasters. “In seeing the devastation of Helene and Milton, we felt a strong pull to make a bold commitment to recovery. We received an outpouring of calls and emails from people eager to help the communities and forests impacted by these storms and we’re proud to be in a position to help make restoration happen,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive officer of the Arbor Day Foundation. …The Arbor Day Foundation aims to plant the 10 million trees over the next four years in communities and forestlands in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. …the Foundation will collaborate with public and private partners as well as local tree planting partners to determine an appropriate timeline for replanting to begin.

Hurricanes are among the most destructive forces found in nature, capable of causing extensive environmental damage — a factor that can raise the risk of wildfires, according to Robert Scheller, a NC State professor of forestry and environmental resources. “When a hurricane makes landfall, the strong winds and heavy rain can topple trees, leaving behind needles, leaves and branches that can act as fuels for wildfires,” said Scheller. Scheller said pine trees pose a higher wildfire risk than other species, because the needles contain higher concentrations of flammable resins that easily ignite when exposed to a heat source, allowing the pine needles to quickly catch fire and burn rapidly, especially in dry conditions. They also decompose slowly due to a waxy coating that makes it difficult for bacteria and fungi to break them down. As a result, the needles typically remain on the ground longer compared to other foliage.

Countries are meeting in Colombia this for the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Conference. The convening comes as habitat loss, climate change and other human-induced pressures continue to diminish the planet’s flora and fauna, despite efforts to reach the UN’s “30×30” goal to protect 30% of Earth’s lands and waters by 2030. Unfortunately, the United States remains the only major nation that has failed to sign on to this worthy effort, so it’s imperative that NGOs and other organizations do what they can now, right here at home. Science tells us there is a proven approach to dramatically cut extinction risk: forever-wild land conservation. …The land trust model as deployed by my organization, Northeast Wilderness Trust, is an effective way to create new wildlands. …Less than 4% of Vermont is protected as forever wild. The numbers for New England at large, with more than 80% forest coverage but just over 3% wildlands, tell a similar story. 

WASHINGTON — The red-cockaded woodpecker, an iconic bird in southeastern forests, has recovered enough of its population to be downlisted from an endangered species to a threatened one, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday. “The downlisting of the red-cockaded woodpecker marks a significant milestone in our nation’s commitment to preserving biodiversity,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a statement. At one point in the 1970s, the red-cockaded woodpecker population had dipped as low as 1,470 clusters — or groups of nests, wildlife officials said. Today, there are an estimated 7,800 clusters. …“The species still has a long way to go for a full recovery,” said Ramona McGee, senior attorney and wildlife program leader at the Southern Environmental Law Center. “Removing endangered species protections now could reverse past gains.”

Maine’s forest-based economy is a pillar of the state’s identity. However, as global economic and environmental challenges evolve, Maine has an opportunity to position itself as a leader in sustainable forestry innovation. Faced with the challenge of declining markets and multiple papermill closures across the state, a core of collaborators across the sector including industry, communities, government, education, and non-profits came together to establish Forest Opportunity Roadmap / Maine (FOR/Maine — formaine.org). FOR/Maine developed a strategic roadmap for adapting and diversifying Maine’s sustainable forests and products to maintain a leading role in the global forest economy and support economic prosperity in the state. This roadmap focused on identifying emerging markets and opportunities in the forest sector, responsible forest management to protect ecosystem health, supported the development of forest-based technologies to market, and empowered local communities in decision-making processes. Throughout FOR/Maine, the University of Maine has served as a key partner to the state.

When the sun rose on the morning after Hurricane Helene, many in Southeast Georgia woke up to what can only be described as devastation, as mother nature left her mark on the region. …“Soon after, the week after the hurricane hit, we started a timber damage assessment; driving around looking at what areas were hit hardest. We can use these numbers to determine what areas of the state need the assistance and we can then get on the ground with landowners,” says Matthew O’Connor, Region 4 Forester for GFC. After assessing the damage, officials are saying that Hurricane Helene traversed 8.9 million acres of forest land, equating to what is being estimated at almost 1.3 billion dollars as the region is a huge timber producing area, with many “prime timber” stands now having to be salvaged for a fraction of what they were worth.

Effective immediately, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is suspending public access to the eastern half of Franklin State Forest in Franklin and Marion Counties. This follows serious threats against the safety of visitors to and professionals working within the forest. This week, criminals claimed to have spiked areas of the forest where loggers are conducting a harvest operation. If areas have been spiked, this poses a very serious threat to the safety of forest visitors, state forest management staff, and logging crews, as well as locals employed at sawmills. Spiking is a form of forest industry sabotage where a metal rod or other material is hammered into a tree trunk either near the base of a tree where a logger or firefighter might cut, or higher up where it would affect a sawmill. …The Tennessee Agricultural Crime Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting a thorough investigation.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–LP Building Solutions (LP), a leading manufacturer of high-performance building products, today announced the expansion of its partnership with the Forest Workforce Training Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to developing a skilled workforce for the nation’s forestry and forest products industries. Through this collaboration, LP will continue to support the Institute’s ForestryWorks® program, highlighting its commitment to cultivating diverse talent, particularly in the fields of manufacturing, forestry, and construction trades. …Launched in 2018 with LP’s direct involvement, ForestryWorks® is a workforce development initiative designed to ensure a steady supply of skilled workers for the forestry industry through education, career promotion, and hands-on training. Currently active in 10 states, the program is expanding rapidly to meet the growing demand for qualified professionals.

David Tracy Moskovitz & Bambi Jones

More than 45 years ago, David Tracy Moskovitz and Bambi Jones bought 100 acres to start an organic farm in the midcoast town of Whitefield. Over the next four decades, they purchased hundreds more. They learned sustainable forestry practices and built trails on the connected parcels they had acquired. In 2007, they used 1,000 of those acres to establish the Hidden Valley Nature Center. The center is now owned by the Midcoast Conservancy land trust, which includes sustainable forestry as one of its pillars because of the couple’s efforts. On Saturday, they became the first Maine winners of the Leopold Conservation Award for New England, which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. …It honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond and inspire others with their dedication, according to the foundation.