Latest US Forest Service Stories

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) disputes the claims by several member of Congress that multiple, next generation large air tankers could be deployed in wildland firefighting as early as this year, if recently announced contract awards by the US Forest Service (USFS) go unprotested. Neptune Aviation Services of Missoula, Montana, which failed to secure one of the multi-year contracts, has...

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The American Helicopter Services And Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) has cited significant airframe modification and operational issues, should the US Forest Service (USFS) pursue a proposal to acquire surplus C27J cargo aircraft for deployment as air tankers in wildland firefighting. Under the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 2013, up to 14 of the twin-engine, turboprop airplanes--built in Italy by Alenia--would be...

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Private sector aerial firefighters report their aircraft are mission-ready for what could be another devastating fire season in the US, as dry conditions continue to persist over much of the country. In fact, according to a US Forest Service (USFS) spokesman, the 2013 fire season is projected to be similar to last year's, when 9.3 million acres of wildland were destroyed, by a total of 67,674 fires. Operators of helicopters and...

The American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) requests action by the Forest Service to award airtanker contracts now. WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The American Helicopter Services And Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) is extremely concerned about a shortage of fixed wing slurry bombers for the upcoming fire season and has cited the US Forest Service (USFS) for prolonged lack of action toward replacing a dwindling number of...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Representatives of the US aerial firefighting industry predict ongoing challenges involving fleet modernization, as legacy aircraft continue to age, and the Federal government has yet to sign off on a viable transition plan for operational funding of proposed, new generation, large airtankers. "The private, aerial firefighting industry has submitted a viable plan to replace today's dwindling number of former Cold War Era military...

Grants for trees and clean water go to projects in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Illinois, Indiana. WASHINGTON, DC (PRWEB) October 11, 2012 The U.S. Forest Service announced today nearly $3 million in grants to improve tree canopy, forest cover and ultimately, water quality in six Great Lakes states, including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Illinois and Indiana. The grants are part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a cooperative effort between federal, tribal, state...

CARBONDALE, Colo., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A proposal to designate the Sand to Snow National Monument encompasses some of the most scenic lands and diverse ecosystems in California--coniferous forests, riparian woodlands, and low-lying desert. The Wilderness Land Trust has now protected 640 acres of new wilderness in a key piece in this complex puzzle, by transferring 640 acres of private land within the San Gorgonio Wilderness to the US Forest Service, San Bernardino...

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rollcast Energy, (www.RollcastEnergy.com), a developer of clean, renewable bioenergy projects, announced today that its Greenway Renewable Power project in LaGrange, GA has been awarded a $250,000 grant as part of the US Forest Service Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program. "We're excited about the award and about working with the Forest Service to move forward our second woody biomass project in Georgia," says Penn Cox, President of...

Pacific Southwest Research Station/USDA Forest Service Science that makes a difference... Climate change is projected to have far-reaching environmental impacts both domestically and abroad. A recently published report by the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) examines the impact of climate change on forest diseases and how these pathogens will ultimately affect forest ecosystems in the Western United States and Canada. Drawing on a large body of published...

The U.S. Forest Service is offering its 193 million acres of forests and grasslands as a prescription for healthier kids through an initiative of the National Environmental Education Foundation that connects children to nature. Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 28, 2012 The U.S. Forest Service is offering its 193 million acres of forests and grasslands as a prescription for healthier kids through an initiative of the National Environmental Education Foundation that connects children to...