Forests in the News : February 1-14, 2008

A tankful of trees - Minnesota's paper mills and wood-burning plants could produce more ethanol than the state's corn farmers thanks to new technology that can turn trees into liquid fuel, Duluth News Tribune

Biofuels are worsening global warming, Mongabay News

Biofuel: Bad for the Environment?, ABC News

Biofuel crops 'increase carbon emissions', The Telegraph

Biofuels May Hinder Antiglobal-Warming Efforts - Carbon Emissions Could Increase As Land-Use Shifts, Wall Street Journal

Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat, New York Times

Palm trees: Food-based biofuels can spur climate change, Reuters

Converting land for biofuel worsens global warming: study, AFP

Biofuel Crops That Require Destroying Native Ecosystems Worsens Global Warming, Science Daily

Clearing Land for Biofuels Makes Global Warming Worse, National Geographic News

Studies Say Clearing Land for Biofuels Will Aid Warming, Washington Post

Biofuels Are Bad for Feeding People and Combating Climate Change, Scientific American

Lawmakers complain Bush budget cuts fire prevention money, SF Chronicle AP

Forest Service: Another round of cuts proposed for non-fire programs, Greenwire at American Lands Alliance

Non-fire programs at Forest Service face budget axe, Environmental and Energy Daily at American Lands Alliance

Bush offers counties $200 million - The reduced amount is a place to start bargaining, Oregon's delegation says, The Oregonian

State projects would take hit under Bush's spending plan, Seattle Times

Bridger-Teton Forest ups sale acreage - Forest Service budget documents regarding the sale of the Forest headquarters in Jackson now include the possibility that the entire 16-acre site could be sold..., Jackson Hole Daily

Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act: Restrictions and Management Weaknesses Limit Future Sales and Acquisitions, GAO Report [pdf]

Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Announce 2008 Grazing Fee, USFS

Senators Bingaman, Domenici introduce forest, ecosystem restoration bill, Carlsbad Current-Argus

S.2593: Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, The Library of Congress

Bush's Chainsaw Massacre - The White House's plan would leave 2.4 million acres of Tongass forest in Alaska open to logging, E Magazine

Ocala NF: U.S. Forest Service changes road-numbering system, Daytona Beach News-Journal

We Have a Roadmap: Bali Action Plan, Claremont Portside

Growing money on trees, Red Pepper

Whoever loses, the Bank always wins, Bretton Woods Project

To save a forest: World eyes grand plan of payoffs to preserve trees, protect climate, PR-Inside

The Preservation Predicament: Climate Change, New York Times

Rainforest Action Network and Social Justice Groups Call for Moratorium on Biofuels, Biofuels Journal

Mad tree farmer takes on Congress - Forest landowners want renewable biomass definition changed, Batesville Daily Guard-Record

Thune bill would alter biomass definition - Legislation would allow wood waste from national forests to count toward renewable-fuels standard, Rapid City Journal

Wildfire Risk Reduction and Renewable Biomass Utilization Act - To promote as a renewable energy source the use of biomass removed from forest lands in connection with hazardous fuel reduction projects, The Library of Congress

Americans Spend Less Time on Nature Activities - Study, Reuters

Evidence for a fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.

Americans Spending Less Time in Nature, NPR

National parks too outdoorsy? - In a boomer and video age, wilderness sites are making the green experience a little more 'comfy', Toronto Star

Luring Kids to Nature, Wild Wilderness

Unlocking the Recreation Vault - Partners Outdoors 2008, Wild Wilderness

How nature became something for sale, Wild Wilderness

Notice of Availability: USDA Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy, Federal Register

Stop Pesticide Use & Subsidized Private Farming on Public Lands, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics

Researchers analyze fire retardant use, Missoulian

Cut out fees, but keep money flowing, Baker City Herald

Senator Ken Salazar Co-sponsors Fee Repeal Bill, Wild Wilderness

Forest Service Bake Sale?, Wild Wilderness

Forest recreation plan before public - Plan includes increasing campground fees and axing some services on the Helena National Forest, Helena Independent Record

Forest Service Encourages Kids To Get Outdoors, USFS

George Wuerthner Gets it Right on Fire, Ecosystems, Management, Forest Policy - Forest Practice

On the fire line, women find tough, rewarding career, Star-Tribune

R.S. 2477: Utah guv stakes a claim on roads - The idea is to keep the byways open for energy drilling and recreation, Salt Lake Tribune

R.S. 2477: PLURAAC recommends that Lincoln county claim four White Oaks-area roads in the Lincoln National Forest, Ruidoso News

Forest Economist Explores Trends and Biz Opportunities, Pallet Enterprise

New U.S. Forest Service Data Reveals Positive Gains, Abundant Forests Alliance

New Interactive Abundance Map, bringing the size and health of U.S. forests to life, Abundant Forests Alliance

Unnatural Preservation, High Country News

Forest Stewardship Council acknowledges certification system flawed by 'conflict of interest', FSC-Watch

Rainforest 'Death' Alliance SmartWood targeted in protest at ancient forest destruction, FSC-Watch

Wal-Mart Buying Illegal Russian Wood to Make Products for US Market Report Alleges, Sustainable is Good

Global hardwood pulpwood prices reaching new highs, Wood Resources International

New Product: TimberWolf composite fencing, Los Angeles Times

Report reveals 'alarming' rate of mangrove habitat loss, The Guardian

Rain forests fall at 'alarming' rate - Deforestation fuels climate change, Yahoo News AP

There is a way to save the rainforests - World's forests in dire need of protection , The Independent

Forests Finally Emerging as Climate Issue, World Resources Institute

Earthworms Steal the Floor - Invasion by nonnative earthworms triggers decline in plant diversity: Chippewa and Chequamegon NFs study, Conservation Magazine

How bleak is future in beetle country? - Infestation is killing forests from Alaska to Colorado to the Southwest, Vail Daily News

Campaign for America's Wilderness director discusses hurdles to passing wilderness bills, E&E TV transcript

Making moves on the Sierra checkerboard - Conservation groups and the Forest Service have been left with a land-ownership legacy left by the railroad, Nevada Appeal

The Chief's Desk - People, Places and Things: February 1, 2008, USFS

The Chief's "State of the Forest Service", USFS

WORLD NEWS

Canadian province enlists trees in climate fight, Reuters

Forests can keep us alive - Carbon sinks in the tropics, Herald Tribune

In Brazil, a rain forest success story is unexpectedly cut short, Star-Telegram

Steel production drives deforestation in Brazil's Pantanal, Mongabay News

Kenya: Loggers Capitalise on Violence in North Rift to Venture Into Forests, The Nation (Nairobi)

Biofuel Demand Leading to Human Rights Abuses, Report Claims, The Guardian

B.C. announces new eco-based logging regime for central coast - Companies will market timber as an ecologically sound product from the Great Bear Rainforest, Vancouver Sun

The Carbon Premier sees many trees in our future, Vancouver Sun

Logging road recommendations would cost $1b: Coleman, Vancouver Sun

Report calls for changes to resource roadways, Prince George Citizen

Logging road report panned, Times Colonist

Logging truck traffic worries residents, Prince George Citizen

Carole James has come up with a five point "action plan" for forestry, CKNW News

TimberWest to close Elk Falls sawmill, Reuters

BC Hydro wants wood-based power producers, Vancouver Sun

16,000 Coquitlam trees getting the axe, BC Tri-City News

Holes in trees can be home sweet home to birds and squirrels; If a tree falls in the forest, let it be, The Orillia Packet & Times - Ontario, CA

N.B.: Province pulls closed mill's wood allocation, Times & Transcript

Brazil: Pantanal Indians Threatened by Deforestation, IPS News

As world warms, scientists seek answers to Amazon puzzle , Observer-Reporter

Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees, Mongabay News

New uakari monkey discovered in the Amazon rainforest, Mongabay News

Guyana Forestry Commission seems to be making a long overdue attempt to restore its operational mandate, Stabroek News

Guyana: The punitive requirements imposed by the Forestry ommission on timber producers have severely affected them, Stabroek News

France blocks controversial rainforest gold mine in French Guiana, Mongabay News

Natural Resources Ministry to Blunt Axes, Kommersant Moscow

The carbon offset industry is booming. But how fair is the trade? - In Uganda, a debate rages over the benefits of tree-planting schemes, Plenty Magazine

Ghanas forests under threat ' whats the way out?, My Joy Online (Ghana)

Culture in peril as satellite TV comes to Borneo's Penan, Borneo Bulletin

First rainforest-for-carbon-credits deal becomes a reality, Mongabay News

Carbon Trading May Reward Indonesians for Saving Rainforest, Bloomberg News

Logging carbon offsets: Tokyo ward, Nagano Pref. city to trade CO2 quota - Forest thinning improvement program will ensure forests absorption of CO2, The Daily Yomiuri

Snow storms destroy one tenth of China's forests: report, Agence France-Presse

Carbon tax would make China greener and reduce warming risks, Mongabay News

Forestry Ducks Bornemissza Stag Beetle Issue, Tasmanian Greens

Otways draft management plans loom - At the end of June, the final logging licence will expire and logging in the Otways will end, ABC News

Union slams pulp mill blockade plans, Yahoo! News

Greenpeace report angers furniture retailer - South Island retailer Smiths City is embroiled in a row with Greenpeace over a report critical of its outdoor-furniture imports, Christchurch News

NZ: Timberlands to be chopped - The Government has given state-owned forestry company Timberlands the axe, New Zealand's National Business Review

Greens call for logging halt to save bornemissza stag beetle, ABC Tasmania

From sink to source: Risk of natural disturbances makes future contribution of Canada's forests to the global carbon cycle highly uncertain, National Academy of Sciences

Saving our boreal forest, The Recor

Protests Push OfficeMax to Keep Promise on Indigenous Rights, Rainforest Action Network

Indonesia's 'Asia Pulp & Paper' set to buy B.C. pulp mills, Vancouver Sun

The Old-growth Inland Rainforest and the mountain caribou are facing extinction, ROBIN WOOD

Why are so many rich guys buying into forest firms?, Victoria Times-Colonist

BIP, BAM, Thank You Ma'am... or how Vancouver Island's forests are drifting out to sea, Lichenology

Harvest Level Set For Morice Timber Supply Area, British Columbia: Ministry of Forests and Range

Allowable Annual Cut Set For Tree Farm License 25, British Columbia: Ministry of Forests and Range

Scientists: Brazilian rain forest nearing 'tipping point', The Chronicle-Telegram

Brazil's Johnny Appleseed - Restoring Brazil's Atlantic rainforest, Forbes

Understorey herbs in riparian tropical forests, Journal of Tropical Ecology

Ecuador: Cerro Candelaria Forest saved!- Land destined for logging saved by corporate donation, Conservation Project News

Ireland: Planning for the future of forestry, Independent.ie

Scotland's forestry industry needs to adapt to climate change, Timber Trade Journal

Sweden's Ex-Premier to Lead Timber Co, Chronicle

Sierra Leone: Power Struggle and Illegal Logging Threaten Remaining Forests, Global Witness

Uganda: Kiboga Forest Residents Face Eviction, The Monitor (Kampala)

Cameroon: Britain Pledges FCFA 8 Billion for Congo Basin Forest Management, The Post (Buea)

Paper mill runs short of materials - Lorries loaded with logs had been hijacked in the forest, Daily Nation

Kashmir: 1,50,000 trees felled during coalition rule: NC - Artificial scarcity of timber created to benefit blue-eyed, Daily Etala'at

Rot and More Rot - After Kundal, CAG pinpoints mess in Forest Department, Kashmir News

Trees in trouble - Plans are afoot to fell thousands of trees to make way for roads, Deccan Herald

Laxmi Taru: 'Tree of paradise' repels fever, yields butter, Mangalorean

Palm Oil Giant Wilmar promises to improve practices after complaints, iNSnet

Indonesian Govt Told To Check Raw Timber Supplies, Jakarta Post at Orangutan Outreach

Sime Darby gives RM25m to save orang utan, New Straits Times

Conserving Sabah's treasure trove, The Edge Daily

Nature conservation can be big business, New Straits Times

Help save Sierra Madre: Tribe leader urges media to help stop renewed illegal logging, Philippine Inquirer

1.8 million trees planted in Central Luzon, Sun.Star Pampanga

The trees for legacy program, The Manila Times

Teak villagers suspect conspiracy - Villagers seeking to protect the Mae Yom teak forest in Phrae province from the Kaeng Sue Ten dam project suspect the recent poisoning of trees is a conspiracy to destroy the reserve, The Nation -Thailand

Thailand: No plans to lift the restrictions on teak - As the forests in the country keep shrinking every year, calls to change the way growing areas are managed are falling on deaf ears, Bangkok Post

Singapore: Save our albizia trees, Bird Ecology Study Group

Willmott Timbers wins sawlog tender, promising, Bombala Times

Hobart: City log trips axed, Mercury

Murray logging appeal, Herald Sun

Western Australia Forest Alliance fights to save Chester, Margaret River Mail

'Log out for now' - Shire of Yarra Ranges calls for ban on logging in Melbourne's water catchments, Star News -Australia

Saving Wellington Forest, Bunbury Mail

'Bleak outlook' for Tasmania's forest industry, The Australian

Gunns Pulp Mill Continues Despite Viability Questions, Epoch Times

Tree top protests continue in the Styx Valley, Tasmania, Critical Times

Loggers lament protest costs, ABC News

Forest And Wood Industries Take To The Air, NZ Wood

Canadian Mill Towns Pay For U.S. Housing Collapse, Washington Post

It's always the little guys - Natural disturbances likely to turn Canada's forests into carbon source, not sink. Journal Watch

Forest and paper executives and stakeholders to meet in Vancouver to discuss industry challenges, PricewaterhouseCoopers

The Liberals are running out of ideas on forestry, Times Colonist

New forestry exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Forest NewsWire

Assessing environmental flaws in Canada, Helium

Cold snap kills beetles, The Leader-Post (Regina)

Mexico mines 'green gold': fruit of the aguacate tree, Chicago Tribune

Araucaria forest: Indigenous peoples win conservation successes in Chile,WWF

Argentina: Ban on Logging Approved - Pressure exerted by civil society and the creation of a compensation fund were crucial in securing the passage of a national law suspending all logging in native forests in Argentina, until such time as each province has a land use plan defining forest areas to remain untouched, and those that may be developed, IPS News

Satellites Show Logging Decline in Peru's Amazon Region, Tierramérica

Brazil unable to curb Amazon destruction, Reuters

Reports: Brazil's Silva Says Amazon Deforestation Rise Unproven, Causes Uncertain, Yahoo News AP

Forests in question: As world warms, scientists urgently seek answers to Amazon puzzle, International Herald Tribune

Amazon logging means short-lived prosperity, The New Nation -Bangladesh

Study: Amazon rain forest to shrink 20 percent by 2030, The Star

MP's Campaign For Amazon Rainforest, Wirral Globe

Brand Name Wilderness - Marketing European Parks in Madison Avenue Style, Conservation Magazine

Wal-Mart Buying Illegal Russian Wood to Make Products for US Market Report Alleges, Sustainable is Good

Forest copper mine triggers controversy in Armenia

Prince Charles's wish: to save rainforests, The Telegraph

Africa: Loss of Mangroves Alarming, UN FAO

Rain forests fall at 'alarming' rate, Yahoo News

NFC to invest up to $80M in reforestation-for-energy project in Uganda, Biofuels News

GPS helps Pygmies defend forest, BBC News

Ghana: The Chainsaw Menace, Ghanaian Chronicle

India: Timber smuggling network busted, The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata)

Bhutan:Timber pricing policy needs review say sawmillers, Kuensel Newspaper

Cambodian conservation work - not just a man's world, WWF

Burma: Crackdown on Thai loggers poaching teak in the border area, Bangkok Post

Thailand: Mangroves eyed as carbon sink project, Bangkok Post

Flaws in the Forestry Bill, Bangkok Post

Tragedy in the Forest - Government policies which don't recognise the simple fact that ethnic Thais have been living in harmony with the forests for centuries result in a form of structural violence against these people, Bangkok Post

Indonesian Pulp Supply to be discussed at the Paper Strategies Conference, TerraChoice Market Service Inc

PNG: Logging Threatens 16 Endemic Bird Species, Pacific Magazine

Malaysia: Lost wetlands being recovered, New Straits Times

Researcher: Forest fires contribute to South Asian atmospheric smog, Earth Times

The Gunns pulp mill will come at a cost of $300 million to the Tasmanian economy, a new study has found, Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Garrett blasted on Gunns mill, Sunday Tasmanian

Fury as Garrett okays mill clearing, Mercury

Styx protesters 'threatened with machetes', Mercury

Call For Forest Industry Leaders To Condemn Violent Intimidation Of Protesters, Tasmanian Greens

Tasmanian sawmill competition heats up, ABC News

Climate change forces cut to logging quota, West Australian

Bombala softwood plant promises hundreds of new jobs, ABC News

Flannery's plan: buy forests to help environment, BrisbaneTimes

Australian scientist proposes auctions to save PNG forests, Radio Australia

CONGRESS & WASHINGTON

Forest Service could lose 2,700 jobs - Rep. Dicks calls Bush budget plan "an unmitigated disaster", Missoulian

Wyden, others introduce forest health bill - Legislation intended to prevent severe fires, boost rural economies, The East Oregonian

HR 4832: Wildland Fire Safety and Transparency Act of 2007, Library of Congress

HR 4096: Wild Fire Prevention Act, Library of Congress

HR 4249: Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests Land Exchange Act of 2007, Library of Congress

H.R.3756: Colorado Wilderness Act of 2007, Library of Congress

HR 4228: Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2007, Library of Congress

HR 4162: San Bernardino Biomass Use Facilitation Act, Library of Congress

HR 4280: Aerial Firefighter Relief Act of 2007, Library of Congress

H. R. 4092: To establish the Mountaintown National Scenic Area in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia, Library of Congress

HR 5151: Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places, The Library of Congress

HR 4292: Superior National Forest Land Adjustment Act of 2007, Library of Congress

HR 4291: North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act of 2007: Superior and Chippewa NFs, Library of Congress

H.R. 3757: Alaska Rainforest Conservation Act, Library of Congress

National Park Visitation Debate -- Here We Go Again, National Parks Traveler

Smell the Wildflowers, Kids, Seattle Times

Special Lures for the Great Outdoors, Wild Wilderness

Recreation info from the other side, Wild Wilderness

Privatization: State targets local government services, Salt Lake Tribune editorial

Those Utah Lefties, Wild Wilderness

Bush budget seeks 26,000 more employees - The Forest Service could lose about 2,700 employees, Federal Times

Bush budget cuts fire money - Lawmakers warn of massive layoffs at Forest Service, East Oregonian

What Bust? Bush Wants to Unload Some Real Estate, Washington Post

USA Going Out of Business Sale, Wild Wilderness

Western senators float restoration bill to combat wildfires, invasives, E&E Daily at American Lands Alliance

S.2593: Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, The Library of Congress

Stop mining giveaways - Drilling permit near Grand Canyon brings mining law's obsolescence into focus, Las Vegas Sun editorial

Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act: Restrictions and Management Weaknesses Limit Future Sales and Acquisitions, GAO Report [pdf]

Thune bill would alter biomass definition - Legislation would allow wood waste from national forests to count toward renewable-fuels standard, Rapid City Journal

Mad tree farmer takes on Congress - Forest landowners want renewable biomass definition changed, Batesville Daily Guard-Record

Bush offers counties $200 million - The reduced amount is a place to start bargaining, Oregon's delegation says, The Oregonian

Forest Service: Another round of cuts proposed for non-fire programs, Greenwire at American Lands Alliance

Non-fire programs at Forest Service face budget axe, Environmental and Energy Daily at American Lands Alliance

Senators Bingaman, Domenici introduce forest, ecosystem restoration bill, Carlsbad Current-Argus

S.2593: Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, The Library of Congress

S.2581: Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places, The Library of Congress

Senator Ken Salazar Co-sponsors Fee Repeal Bill, Wild Wilderness

Cut out fees, but keep money flowing, Baker City Herald

Chinese Words of Wisdom on Entrance Fees, Wild Wilderness

Rogue River-Siskiyou NF: Wilderness area backed by Senate committee, Mail Tribune

Thune faces battle to get timber waste into law, Rapid City Journal

U.S. Department of Energy Selects First Round of Small-Scale Biorefinery Projects for Up to $114 Million in Federal Funding, Department of Energy

News from the NPS, Department of the American Recreation Coalition, Wild Wilderness

Frisky Frolicking, Strage Bedfellows and Popcorn Playgrounds, Wild Wilderness

Feds Let States Delay Bridge Inspections - The worst record was at the Forest Service, which owns the most federal bridges: 54 percent of its bridges went past two years, MSNBC

NORTHERN REGION (Region 1):
Montana and Northern Idaho

Bitterroot NF: No public travel plan hearing to be held, Missoulian

Flathead NF: Citations piling up for sleds off-limits. Missoulian

Snowmobile violations increasing, Daily InterLake

Fire policy should reduce cost, increase safety, restore forests, Billings Gazette

Ranchers offered offset grasslands, Bismarck Tribune

Green Group Feud Stifles Efforts to Protect Roadless Lands, New West Network

Denver's 'Major Ventures' proposes forest drilling: Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, Montana Standard

Proposed Rock Creek Mine will affect wildlife, Missoulian

More input needed on best way to reduce fuels on Tenmile Creek, Helena Independent Record

Bark beetle breakout largest in decades, Billings Gazette

Let us burn what we want in our stoves, Ravalli Republic letter

Tweak wildfire policies, say forestry profs, Billings Gazette

Experts call on Legislature to tweak state fire policy, Missoulian AP

Current management locks out off-highway vehicle users, Missoulian

Home on the Range (HOTR) and the US Forest Service Medora Ranger District Dakota Prairie Grasslands receives national recognition, The Dickinson Press

Wild pigs in Turtle Mountains targeted, The Dickinson Press

Final forest draft: Plan calls for more logging, wilderness in Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, Montana Standard

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Officials release land-use proposal, Missoulian

Plan calls for logging near homes - Some places chosen for wilderness opposed by locals, Billings Gazette

Fire threat needs to be addressed - Getting a grip on increasing development and fire risks in Flathead County's wildland urban interface is long overdue, Daily InterLake

Clearwater National Forest Travel Management Plan Revised Notice - Due date for scoping comments has been extended to February 29, 2008, Federal Register

Hungry Horse USFS office celebrating grand opening, KAJ Kalispell

Reports on controversy hurt hunting outfitters, Billings Gazette letter

BLM recommends reducing Pryor Mountain wild horse herd, Union Tribune

Preserve Idaho's Pristine Wildlands Today!, WildWest Institute

Beetles damaging Yellowstone whitebark pine trees - More than 170 trees killed per acre, Billings Gazettte

Forest recreation plan before public - Plan includes increasing campground fees and axing some services on the Helena National Forest, Helena Independent Record

Researchers analyze retardant use, Missoulian

Fire retardant could promote noxious weed growth, study finds, Billings Gazette AP

Standing outside, late, in a charcoal forest, High Country News

Hard salvage: Going gets tough on wintertime project, Missoulian

Custer NF: Logging proposed to clean up damage, Billings Gazette

Big Sky Coalition to host biomass symposium, Missoulian

On the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Partnership agreement, Montana Standard op-ed

Forest partnership is no guarantee for logging, Montana Standard letter

Flathead NF Travel Plan: Motorized vehicles in Cedar Flats area, The Hungry Horse News

Clearwater National Forest, ID; Travel Management Plan

Comment Period Extended for Clearwater Travel Management Plan, USFS

Lewis and Clark NF: Agency rejects landowner's proposed land swap, Billings Gazette

Helena NF Elkhorn Mountains: Elk, cattle could share land, Helena Independent Record

Work is a pane: Windows of historic Forest Service cabins, towers restored, Missoulian

Appeals court upholds $10.2 million award to injured snowmobiler - Forest Service must pay 40 percent of the award for the crash, Havre Daily News

Live wild, live free - But 'frontier living' is increasing cost of fire protection for Flathead County, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Flathead County addresses fire threat through planning - As more developments push into the forest, Flathead County faces the difficult task of responding to and mitigating the threat of wildfire, Daily InterLake

Commissioner continues fight over Flathead NF fish poisoning, Daily Inter Lake

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION (Region 2):
Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming

Update: Hayman Fire Starter, Springs Gazette

Deadline looms for San Juan NF Artist-in-Residence gig, Ouray News

San Juan NF: Chimney Rock Mystery May Be Related To Lunar Cycle, CBS News

Wolf Creek Development Plans Halted - New EIS required, New West Network

Roosevelt NF: Radio tower requires impact study, The Coloradoan

Middle Bald Mountain tower foes threaten legal action, The Coloradoan

Beetle coalition formed - Ritter seeks to coordinate epidemic fight, Rocky Mountain News

Agencies ponder Lower Blue usage cap - Permit system, seasonal restrictions eyed as management tools, Aspen Times

HR 4249: Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests Land Exchange Act of 2007, Library of Congress

H.R.3756: Colorado Wilderness Act of 2007, Library of Congress

Forest scientists to discuss climate change, Rapid City Journal

Bighorn NF: Forest Service proposes changes to recreation sites, The Lovell Chronicle

Forest Service takes step toward new planning rules, Montrose Daily Press

San Juan Public Lands: Draft management plan meetings set, Durango Herald

Wolf Creek builders to seek new EIS - Process could delay village several years, Durango Herald

Rio Grande NF: Wolf Creek base area development faces another environmental review, Aspen Times

Agencies ponder Lower Blue usage cap - Permit system, seasonal restrictions eyed as management tools; open house on Tuesday, Summit Daily News

'Cherry stem' won't be bypass - Cornerstone is seeking an emergency access permit on the cherry stem from the U.S. Forest Service, Ouray News

Yampa Ranger District honored, Steamboat Pilot

Black Hills NF Trail May Go To Mount Rushmore, KELO News

Nobel Prize Winner to Speak February 20th - Talk Focuses on Climate Change on Forest Management. Black Hills Portal

When the forests die, then what?, Rocky Mountain News editorial

Dead trees may be put to use, Billings Gazette

Beetle battle - Allenspark residents join forces to save forests from infestation, Longmont Times-Call

Udall: Wildfire Risk Reduction and Renewable Biomass Utilization Act: H.R.5216 - To promote as a renewable energy source the use of biomass removed from forest lands in connection with hazardous fuel reduction projects, The Library of Congress

S.2546: Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act, The Library of Congress

Thune bill would alter biomass definition - Legislation would allow wood waste from national forests to count toward renewable-fuels standard, Rapid City Journal

BLM trims trees near Canyon Creek - Effort may reduce wildfire danger for area residents, Aspen Times

County residents ask to be removed from scenic-roads list, Rapid City Journal

How bleak is future in beetle country? - Infestation is killing forests from Alaska to Colorado to the Southwest, triggering economic worries, Vail Daily News

Dots worth connecting: beetle kill to motor fuel, Rocky Mountain News

Udall: bills push renewable energy uses for Colorado's dead trees, Aspen Times

Feds securing money for forest health - Allard promises more money; Udall wants to streamline projects, Aspen Times

Udall legislation to remove beetle-kill trees raises activist flags, Denver Post

Pine beetle epidemic: 2 letters, Denver Post

Plan for San Juan National Forest draws big crowd, Pine River Times

San Juan NF Hermosa Landscape Grazing Analysis NOI to prepare an EIS: Correction, Federal Register

On forest roads, clearing snow homeowners' job - Vallecito couple fights to have path plowed, Durango Herald

Rules apply if homeowners plow, Durango Herald

Cyclists weigh wilderness proposal - Mountain bikers fear loss of trail access, Durango Herald

San Juan NF: Public comments sought about Durango Mountain Resort's changes, Durango Herald

Battle brews over Breckenridge plan - Resort wants to spread out intermediate skiers on Peak 6 - Scoping comments due Feb. 17, Aspen Times

Let the bidding begin to rename the Tenmile, Summit Daily News

The Lakewood Pipeline revisited -- once again, Boulder Daily Camera

Rapid loss of aspen forests prompting research, Montrose Daily Press

Humans banned on federal lands near Gunnison, Denver Post

Forest Service eyes Mesa land sale, Aspen Times

Will Congress Protect Roubideau and Escalante-Dominguez?, Montrose Daily Press

Protection should include Roubideau, Montrose Daily Press

Forest service boosts 2008 Black Hills timber harvest, Rapid City Journal

Thune faces battle to get timber waste into law, Rapid City Journal

Wood chip ethanol plant gears up, Billings Gazette

Shoshone NF: Mining millionaire in trouble after mountain wilderness pit stop, The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)

SOUTHWESTERN REGION (Region 3):
Arizona and New Mexico

Calamity at canyon - Uranium exploration permit near Grand Canyon park in Kaibab NF underscores need for mining reforms, Tucson Citizen editorial

1872 Mining Law reform a bottomless pit, Gallup Independent

Opposition Builds To Uranium Drilling Near Grand Canyon, KOLD News

Groups challenge drilling near canyon, Star-Tribune AP

Conservationists Call for Grand Canyon Uranium Decision Withdrawal, Center for Biological Diversity

Forest Service challenged on Grand Canyon area drilling plan, ABC15 News

Spotted-owl protections upheld in four states - Ranchers lose their challenge as 8 million acres of Western land is ruled "critical habitat", Denver Post

Stakeholders use science to find common ground on wood supply from forests, Northern Arizona University

HR 4228: Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2007, Library of Congress

Buckman diversion: Feds OK permit, project passes 'major milestone' - Area northwest of Santa Fe will supply city and county utility systems, The New Mexican

Buckman Project Gets Federal OK , Albuquerque Journal

Pecos-Las Vegas District Ranger Taking D.C. Job, Albuquerque Journal

Valles Caldera Board Should Consider WildEarth's Offer, Albuquerque Journal editorial

A Cattle-Free Valles Caldera?, Albuquerque Journal

A forest ransom effort to save our dying air, Santa Fe New Mexican editorial

Fish and Wildlife Finishes Counting Highly Endangered Mexican Gray Wolves - Only 4 breeding pairs left, Albuquerque Journal

State to reverse gray wolf decline, Quay County Sun

Fed judge backs owl habitat, Tucson Citizen AP

Judge upholds habitat for Mexican spotted owl, Star-Tribune AP

Forest Guild: Ask candidates about public-land commitment, New Mexican op-ed

Santa Fe NF: Stop forest assault by OHV culture, Santa Fe New Mexican op-ed

Love Your Library Day highlights N.M. endangered species, Silver City Sun-News

Fix the flooding in Tonto Basin, Arizoan Republic

Ironwood Forest trip well worth the hassle, Tucson Citizen

Prescott forest seeking ideas, Arizona Republic

Tonto Forest Public Input Deadline February 15th. Gila101.9 News

Stop mining giveaways - Drilling permit near Grand Canyon brings mining law's obsolescence into focus, Las Vegas Sun editorial

Senators Bingaman, Domenici introduce forest, ecosystem restoration bill, Carlsbad Current-Argus

S.2593: Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, The Library of Congress

Court Upholds Critical Habitat Protection for Mexican Spotted Owl, Center for Biological Diversity

Insurance rates threaten wildfire management, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF: Ruidoso seeks conveyance of forest service land for Townsite purposes- a Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ruidoso News

Gila National Forest offers free basic wildland firefighting courses, Deming Headlight

Uranium Exploration Near Grand Canyon on the Kaibab National Forest, New York Times

R.S. 2477: PLURAAC recommends that Lincoln county claim four White Oaks-area roads in the Lincoln National Forest, Ruidoso News

Perk-Grindstone Fuels Reduction Project alternatives considered, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF Ranger Buck Sanchez explains Perk-Grindstone position, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF announces staff changes, Alamogordo Daily News

Lincoln NF Mine Opponents Vent, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF: Of grave concern: Friends of the Capitans speak out, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF: Mine officials again hear from angry residents, Ruidoso News

Lincoln NF: Stewards of the land, Ruidoso News

Editing the editor is not how they drew it up - I oppose open-pit mining in the Capitan Mountains, Ruidoso News editorial

Tree seedlings available to landowners, Ruidoso News

Eddy County Wildfire Protection Plan set for public presentations, Carlsbad Current-Argus

Pumice Mining Proposals are Complex Matters: Santa Fe NF Jemez Mountains, Albuquerque Journal op-ed

Valles Caldera Battle Headed to Trial - Condemned mineral rights worth $2 million or $14 million?, Albuquerque Journal

Gila NF: Catwalk, Cliff Dwellings remain closed due to flooding damage, Silver City Sun-News

Road in Glenwood, Gila National Forest Catwalk Still Closed Due To Flooding, Albuquerque Journal AP

Controversy over private Gila ATV park revs up, Silver City Sun-News

Coconino NF: Legislation will be costly to ATV riders, Arizona Daily Sun

Kaibab NF: Uranium test holes set near Tusayan, Arizona Daily Sun

Uranium mining plunders the earth, Arizona Daily Sun

Fire-prone homes under fire, Arizona Daily Sun

Becoming firewise shouldn't take a court order, Arizona Daily Sun

Coronado Forest Plan eyed by Cochise County Board of Supervisors, Sierra Vista Herald

Hand it to Tucson for its display of palms, Arizona Daily Star

INTERMOUNTAIN REGION (Region 4):
Southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and SW Wyoming

Jacksonites want to save Bridger-Teton NF headquarters, Planet News, Jackson Hole Wy

Roadless Areas Under Attack…..Again, New West

ICL scolds Otter for bighorn sheep policy - Environmental group calls it a 'top down approach', Twin Falls Times-News

Logan River cries out for Wild and Scenic River protection, Salt Lake Tribune

Bountiful gets OK for land swap with Forest Service, Salt Lake Tribune

Privatization: State targets local government services, Salt Lake Tribune editorial

Those Utah Lefties, Wild Wilderness

Public blasts Bridger-Teton HQ move, Jackson Hole News

Bridger-Teton NF: Gov Freudenthal seeks drilling plan delay, Star-Tribune

Forest Service could quash leases, Casper Star-Tribune

Idaho roadless areas at crossroads? - Draft rule for managing roadless lands concerns some locals, Idaho Mountain Express

Ranger Rau leaving Challis for new job, Challis Messenger

Sen. committee approves local land trade, Challis Messenger

Off-highway vehicle forum features Humboldt-Toiyabe forest supervisor, Reno Gazette-Journal

Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act: Restrictions and Management Weaknesses Limit Future Sales and Acquisitions, GAO Report [pdf]

Bridger-Teton NF, BLM Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental EIS to analyze and disclose new information relative to oil and gas leasing of 44,720 acres on the Big Piney Ranger District, Federal Register

Will the 'domino' fall?, Star-Tribune

Caribou-Targhee NF Centennial Salvage Timber Sale: Notice of withdrawal of NOI to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Sawtooth NF: Voices in the Wild - Proposed cell tower raises questions in Sun Valley, Boise Weekly

Blaine County Commissioners will Host a Public Meeting on the Idaho Roadless Rule, Sun Valley News

Preserve Idaho's Pristine Wildlands Today!, WildWest Institute

Study urges bringing new water to Basin, and from the Uintah River by building a new dam on U.S. Forest Service land , Vernal Express

The Abajos: How to protect a little-known natural wonder..., Moab Times-Independent

Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee: Notice of meeting February 21 at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Federal Register

ICL to address Idaho's roadless forest land - Group will host presentation in Hailey on Feb. 6, Idaho Mountain Express

Roadless hearing mostly draws critics of plan, KLEW - Lewiston, ID

Idahoans have made it clear, we want public lands protected, Idaho Statesman

Livingston Mill has contaminated company - Senate begins consideration of Mining Act reforms, Idaho Mountain Express

Wheelchair-accessible trail planned north of Ketchum - Forest Service officials seeking comments, Idaho Mountain Express

Budget writers hear pitch to raise wildfire crews' pay - Agency head seeks pay raise for wildfire fighters hired by state, Idaho Statesman

Rethinking timber stock - Idaho officials looks to increase harvest on state lands, Idaho Business-Review

R.S. 2477: Utah guv stakes a claim on roads - The idea is to keep the byways open for energy drilling and recreation, Salt Lake Tribune

Rockville native left SUU a lasting legacy of trees, Salt Lake Tribune

Wild and Scenic Rivers plan draws public input, Vernal Express

Bridger-Teton National Forest: Another company proposes drilling in Wyoming Range, Jackson Hole News&Guide

Bridger-Teton drilling proposal stirs up opposition, Billings Gazette

Bridger-Teton NF: Hoback wells process frustrates opponents, Jackson Hole News&Guide

B-T calls drilling meeting, Jackson Hole News&Guide

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST (Region 5): California

Forest Service studying loss of U.S. firefighters to Calif. force, Victorville Daily Press

Bush proposal cuts national forest fire prevention budget, Press Enterprise

Pacific fisher: Weasel-like animal threatens forest logging plan, Fresno Bee

Pacific Lumber in deal to drop $1B claim, Business Week

Two loggers first to meet greenhouse gas standards, Sacramento Bee

The Pacific Forest Trust and Natsource Announce Landmark Transaction of First Forest-Based CO2 Emission Reductions Certified Under California Rules, PR Newswire

NY Company Buys First Californian Forest Carbon Credits, Reuters

HR 4162: San Bernardino Biomass Use Facilitation Act, Library of Congress

HR 4280: Aerial Firefighter Relief Act of 2007, Library of Congress

Redwood wrangle - It may be a new day for logging, San Francisco Chronicle

Cutbacks Could Deepen Federal Firefighter Shortage, Firefighting News

California Receives Extra Fire Funding. Canyon News

Malibu Homeowners Get Fire Gel Demonstration, Canyon News

Basin-wide burn project seeks public input - Large-scale burn suggested to reduce fuels, North Lake Tahoe Bonanza

New Lassen 'CEO' seeks forest balance, Paradise Post

Inyo NF: Group blazes trails to unity as Mammoth grows, Los Angeles Times

Forest volunteers get lowdown on expectations, Riverside Press-Enterprise

Forest Service offers Tahoe meadows treks, Reno Gazette-Journal

'Carbon-offset' forest registers its biggest sale yet, Sacramento Bee

A Chance To Protect The Ancient Redwoods, The Nature Conservancy

Great...but what about clearcutting, herbicides and steep slope logging?, Humboldt Forest Defense Association

Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Cost to save bighorn pegged at $26.7m - Sierra ranchers may face grazing limits on federal land, Fresno Bee

Fremont: Neighbors angry over fate of ravine's trees, The Argus

Community's deeply rooted values should include trees, right?, Redding Record Searchlight

Multiple Groups Seek Control of Pacific Lumber, Humboldt Forest Defense Association

U.S. sending $35 million to San Bernardino National Forest for fire cleanup and prevention, Riverside Press-Enterprise

The Chaparralian - California's raging fires fuel one man's fight for the much-maligned "elfin forest", High Country News

The National Chaparral Recreation Plan - Designate the Cleveland, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Los Padres National Forests as National Chaparral Recreation Areas, The Chaparralian

The Chaparral, California Chaparral Institute

OSHA issues final report on Esperanza fire, Idyllwild Town Crier

Los Padres NF: Forest Supervisor Approves Pine Mountain Club Project, One Bakersfield News

Making moves on the Sierra checkerboard - Conservation groups and the Forest Service have been left with a land-ownership legacy left by the railroad, Nevada Appeal

Buy local applies to forests, too, The Californian

Lake Davis, Calif. reopens to fishing, Nevada Appeal

County officials visit Congress to ask for funds, Vallejo Times Herald

Inyo NF: Want to climb Mount Whitney this summer? Get ready now, Reno Gazette-Journal

Cares drop away in the Sierra Nevada, Denver Post

Yellow starthistle menaces flora, fauna, San Francisco Chronicle

Klamath National Forest Thom-Seider Vegetation Management and Fuel Reduction Project NOI to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

PACIFIC NORTHWEST (Region 6):
Oregon and Washington

Wyden, others introduce forest health bill - Legislation intended to prevent severe fires, boost rural economies, The East Oregonian

Scales tilted in 'balanced' forest plan, Register-Guard

Lawmaker drops Silver Falls proposal - National park idea raises questions, Rep. Girod says, Statesman Journal

"Ax Men": TV crews will follow Oregon logging crews, Longview Daily News

DNR chief maps out forestland plans, The Olympian

Truce In The Woods Leads To National Award For Conservation Work - Two Chiefs' Award Also A Win For Local Communities, Watershed, Oregon Wild

A forest of responses to WOPR, The Register-Guard

Public Comments Received on the WOPR Draft EIS, BLM

Bush budget cuts fire money - Lawmakers warn of massive layoffs at Forest Service, East Oregonian

Siuslaw National Forest gets local input on road map proposal, KCBY News

Umpqua NF: Public still has a say on proposed D-Bug timber sale, News-Review

Umpqua Watersheds rocks for wilderness, New-Review

39 New Recreation Fees, 1000s more to come, Wild Wilderness

Umatilla National Forest FLREA Notice of Proposed New Fee Sites, Federal Register

Mount St. Helens: County rethinks Hoffstadt Bluffs visitor center sale, Longview Daily News

Cantwell opposes mine near volcano, Longview Daily News

Timber giant Weyerhaeuser reels from woes in housing, Seattle Times

The Thursday R6 Update for February 7, 2008, USFS

Bush offers counties $200 million - The reduced amount is a place to start bargaining, Oregon's delegation says, The Oregonian

State projects would take hit under Bush's spending plan, Seattle Times

Judge spurns timber group's suit over bird, The Oregonian

Copper Salmon Wilderness Campaign, Friends of Elk River

Board seeks comment on old growth forests, East Oregonian

At what cost? - Real estate versus working timberland: Which will timber companies, and Oregonians, choose?, Oregon Business Magazine

Housing slump brings shutdowns at 18 Pacific Northwest sawmills, Post-Intelligencer AP

Shutdown ordered at Longview Simpson mill, Longview Daily News

BLM WOPR plan based on outdated ideas, Register-Guard

Graduate students and Native American tribes will tap forests, farms for biofuels, University of Washington

Olympic NF: Slopes of Mount Walker spared from timber harvest, Peninsula Daily News

Fisher Re-introduced to Washington State Forests, Wildlife Extra

Cut out fees, but keep money flowing, Baker City Herald

Ready to take Hoodoo's helm - Hoodoo has grown its summer business to include managing and collecting fees on 74 Forest Service campgrounds, Bend Bulletin

Rogue River-Siskiyou NF: Wilderness area backed by Senate committee, Mail Tribune

BLM aims for balance in forest plan, Register-Guard op-ed

Letter: Road-closure plan not reasonable or balanced, Wallowa County Chieftain

Tough Times Ahead In Wood, Register-Guard

Good Work Keeps Oregon Logger Going: 'We're Very Environmentally Careful, and That Brings Us Work', TimberLine magazine

State logging group honors coast's Martin Nygaard, Daily Astorian

Oregon to get first cellulosic ethanol plant, Sustainable Industries

Environmentalists push $1 million program to save urban trees, Post-Intelligencer

Olympic NF: Mount Walker has been spared from logging, Kitsap Sun blog

The Thursday R6 Update for January 31, 2008, USFS

SOUTHERN REGION (Region 8):
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Ocala NF: Rainbow Family warned to leave Forest campsite, Ocala