Despite environmental harms, the agency continues to rely on aerial drops to battle blazes.
U.S. Forest Service
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To protect a forest, a town agreed to leave it alone
With wildfires looming, Flagstaff came together to support national forest closures.
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What it’s like to fight wildfires in the West
A photojournalist and firefighter describes the challenges of battling wildland blazes.
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Mountain bikes shouldn’t be banned from wild landscapes
Conservationists, cyclists and other wilderness visitors all value public lands.
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Military jets shouldn’t shatter the peace of public lands
The piercing sounds of war training assault visitors to Olympic National Park.
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Wildfires hit the West: ‘We’re stretched to our limits’
Fires this year have covered 1 million more acres than the 10-year average from January to July.
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Feds eye changes to a bedrock environmental law
A clash over the National Environmental Policy Act follows familiar fault lines.
Posted inJuly 23, 2018: Pay for Prey
After Malheur, side effects of the Bundys’ extremism linger
But in Harney County, Oregon, collaboration around public lands grows.
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Caught in the crossfire at a Colorado campground
A writer endures a night of bullets and bonfires in a previously serene gulch.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
Latest: What volcanic eruptions can teach us
Mount St. Helens research enlightens the response to the recent Hawaiian eruption.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
Extreme mountain biker group fights for wilderness access
A new law could change the nature of wilderness travel.
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The Forest Service faces a century-old call for equality
As early as 1924, women were asking the agency for equal treatment.
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Firefighters, it’s time we led the way on ending harassment
Allegations that the Forest Service enabled a culture of harassment were no surprise.
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Fire funding fix comes with environmental rollbacks
The legislation sets up an emergency disaster fund but also weakens protections for trees and wildlife.
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In Congress, both parties agree on one public lands bill
A bill allowing public land sales for conservation inches towards passage.
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Forest Service chief resigns over allegations of sexual misconduct
Tony Tooke stepped down from his role but disputes allegations against him.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
We have better options than killing bison
Annual culls, loss of genetic diversity and climate change set the odds against American bison.
Posted inJanuary 22, 2018: A Separatist State of Mind
Latest: Idaho gets nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve
Designation recognizes decades of work to reduce light pollution.
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Logging isn’t the solution to our wildfire problems
We can’t ‘solve’ fire any more than we can ‘solve’ hurricanes.
Posted inDecember 11, 2017: Scorched Earth
Why Western wildfires are getting more expensive
This year’s fire season was the costliest on record, burning more than 9 million acres.