Ground Truth

November 8, 2018 — Vows from Democrats in the House of Representatives to provide robust oversight of Trump administration policies will extend to environmental issues, key lawmakers said after their party took back control of the chamber on … More

November 2, 2018 — Forest Service officials today released a draft decision that calls for carrying out large-scale old-growth logging on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest over the next 15 years. As much as 235 million board feet of … More

October 30, 2018 — Utah is joining Alaska in seeking a state-specific exemption from the Trump administration to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. With the backing of the state’s Republican governor, Gary Herbert, Utah officials plan to submit … More

October 25, 2018 — Faced with criticism from top Colorado officials, the Trump administration last week backed away from plans to open nearly 150,000 acres of public land in the state to oil and gas drilling. Colorado Gov. … More

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

October 18, 2018 — Faced with a growing backlog of maintenance projects on public lands, support may be growing for a “backpack tax” as a way to generate funds for cash-strapped public agencies. The idea is to place … More

October 15, 2018 — One of the primary attractions on the most visited national forest in the country will be subjected to a quota system beginning next spring, Forest Service officials announced earlier this month. Hanging Lake, turquoise-tinted … More

October 11, 2018 — The word “interim” can be removed from her title. Vicki Christiansen, who has served as interim chief of the Forest Service since March, was sworn in as the agency’s permanent chief during a ceremony … More

October 8, 2018 — They are wilderness areas without a capital “W.” They are “inventoried roadless areas,” governed by a rule adopted in the waning days of the Clinton administration designed to preserve the last remaining stretches of … More

October 4, 2018 — Forest Service officials in Montana have opened a 45-day objection period regarding a proposal to close about 63 miles of trails in the Bitterroot National Forest to mountain bikes. The trails are located in two … More