Happy 80th Birthday, Smokey Bear!
We Also Honor This Year’s Smokey Bear Award-Winners

We’re celebrating Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday, by honoring wildfire prevention heroes. Heroes like Lassie, Walt Disney Productions and the San Diego Padres, who have all been awarded for their devotion to wildfire prevention with the Smokey Bear Award! First issued in 1957 by President Eisenhower, the Smokey Bear Award  is the pinnacle of honor in wildfire prevention and increases public recognition and awareness of the ongoing need for wildfire prevention efforts.  Read more…

Heart of the Appalachian Trail
Introducing the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest

Sunlight dapples through the verdant forest canopy above you. A gentle breeze cools the late summer warmth. Occasional white blazes peeking from trees reaffirm you’re going the right way. Flame-colored Canada lilies hang shyly, waiting patiently for discovery just off the trail path, while birdsong swells for all denizens of this green tunnel to enjoy. Then, you turn a corner, the forest opens, and a spectacular view unfolds. The lush valleys rise to rolling stacks of rounded mountains, each offering a different shade of golden-green against the perfection of a blue, humid sky. This natural beauty sits within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest , the heartland of the Appalachian Trail. Read more…

Monks Chip Away at Wildfire Risk

Benedictine monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery answer many calls – the call to serve God and their faith, the call to their nightly vesper’s service and even the call to reduce wildfire risk in their community near the Gila National Forest in western New Mexico. In fact, they are leading an effort to bring Silver City community members together around reducing risk from wildfire. Read more…

Water is Life: Part 1
Wildfire Risk Reduction Restores Water

In the heart of New Mexico lies the Carson National Forest. Like many national forests, it is surrounded by communities that rely on it for water and must partner with it for wildfire response. But at the Carson National Forest, there are unique holdovers from the Spanish colonial days: acequias, pronounced “uh·say·key-ahs.”

These irrigation districts are a fascinating blend of Indigenous, Spanish colonial and modern government practices. In this two-part series, we’ll explore how they interact with the Carson National Forest to meet irrigation and wildfire risk reduction needs. Read more…

Water is Life: Part 2
Water and Wildfire Risk Reduction Bring Communities Together

“’Water Is life,’ like everybody says, but when you actually get into it, it’s true,” said Ames Austin, Mayordomo for the Vigil y Romo Acequia on the southwest end of Taos, New Mexico. “It is one of the most important aspects of our existence, and it’s the main way we revitalize the land and grow food for ourselves in such an arid, dry desert. It brings life to the land.”

In the high desert of Northern New Mexico, water is everything. Because of the unique historic cultural system of irrigation ditches, or acequias, communities can fully use the snowpack from the upper elevations on the Carson National Forest. The ongoing wildfire risk reduction work on the Enchanted Circle Landscape not only provides a healthier forest, but also can potentially increase the amount of water that flows downstream to family farms and communities. Read more…

Mending Disrepair in Our Forests
Year 4 of the Great American Outdoors Act

Nature can be rough on our forests, especially to the amenities that help us enjoy the outdoors. Kind of like when your favorite sweater can’t take one more cycle in the washing machine, and the seams fall apart in your hands. The same disrepair is happening to vault toilets, bridges, trails and more throughout our national forests.

Luckily, the Great American Outdoors Act is hitting its stride as we come up on its four-year anniversary on August 4. This act helps the USDA Forest Service improve outdoor recreation with repairs and upgrades to vital infrastructure. In turn, visitors get better resources and expanded access to our national forests. Read more…

Boots and Bassinets
The Cultural Change of Balancing Motherhood with Wildland Fire Management

Sarah King remembers one time when she was focusing on the day’s task of preparing an area of the Custer Gallatin National Forest in southwestern Montana to be burned to reduce the threat of future wildfire. Maintaining her balance, she carefully swung her large chainsaw over her baby bump and suddenly found herself contemplating the questions many moms-to-be ask, “Can I stay in this job? Can I be the mom I want to be?”