Forests

"Brenda and Francis Dairy's small ranch house, tucked into the Oregon woods, was built to withstand a wildfire. The siding was concrete, the roof metal. It didn't matter. On Sept. 7 of last year, as the sky turned dark orange and the air grew thick with smoke, flames tore through nearby trees and engulfed the house entirely."

"President Joe Biden on Wednesday said climate change is driving an increased threat from wildfires as he announced new federal response plans during a meeting with governors from western states facing a record-breaking heat wave."

"Veteran forester Randy Moore has been named chief of the U.S. Forest Service, the first African American to lead the agency in its 116-year history."

"After a forest burns, the resulting erosion can contaminate drinking water supplies for up to a decade."

"Police in western Canada have arrested more than 270 people as a conflict over old growth logging in British Columbia’s ancient rainforests continues to grow."

"Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles announced his resignation Wednesday, giving up his post amid sharp criticism of his tenure and two investigations into his actions involving allegedly illegal timber operations."

"Most U.S. cities have tree-planting programs, but not all urban tree canopies are created equal, according to a new analysis from American Forests."

"A wildfire in northern Arizona crept closer to the region’s largest city Tuesday, threatening to force people from their homes. The lightning-caused fire near Flagstaff was one of dozens that have scorched large swaths of the U.S. West and kept firefighters busy as they hold out hope that the monsoon season will deliver some significant rain."

"The record-breaking heat wave roasting the West is expanding its grip on Thursday, with the focus of the triple-digit heat shifting into California — particularly the Central Valley and desert regions."