Category: Sound Off

October 22, 2018 — Do facts matter at all? Last week, during a cabinet meeting, President Trump lambasted California officials for leaving the state’s forest “a mess.” He said that “California ought to get its act together and … More

August 1, 2018 — For a clear-eyed analysis of the threats to our national forests posed by disastrous provisions in the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill, check out this op-ed, published today on the news website, … More

July 25, 2018 — A big thumbs up to Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, who yesterday introduced legislation that would protect one of the most remote slices of the state’s coastal mountains from logging, mining and other development. DeFazio’s … More

June 22, 2018 — It’s back, and worse than ever. The House of Representatives yesterday approved a 2018 Farm Bill that would gut environmental laws, hamstring citizen legal challenges and open now-protected stretches of Alaska’s Tongass and Chugach … More

May 30, 2018 — Every now and then, the Forest Service does the right thing when it comes to reining in irresponsible target shooting. Kudos to staff with the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon for listening to local … More

April 26, 2018 — On Tuesday, Vicki Christiansen made her first Hill appearance as Forest Service chief, albeit with an “interim” asterisk. Her written testimony focused on fire funding and “active forest management,” aka, logging: The funding and … More

March 8, 2018 — With the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service all without permanent directors, it’s anyone’s guess when the Forest Service can expect a new chief to replace the retired … More

February 12, 2018 — You know the authoritarians are in charge when firefighters and cops get more money and everyone else gets less. That’s the bottom line in Trump’s FY 2019 Forest Service budget, which was released earlier … More

February 1, 2018 — At 17 million acres, the Tongass is America’s largest national forest. Its 19 wilderness areas and two national monuments draw a million cruise-ship visitors annually, employing more than 7,400 recreation industry workers, and provide habitat that supports another 4,300 fisheries jobs. Together, … More

January 17, 2018 — Cliven Bundy is a free man. His cattle are free to roam the public estate. More than $1 million in unpaid grazing fees remains unpaid. The self-styled militia crowd is emboldened. Public land managers … More