Beat the summer heat with some cool Forest Service feature stories

An area treated using digital marking. Fewer trees, farther apart helps promote a healthy forest by reducing the amount of fuel for a potential wildfire. (Image courtesy of The Nature Conservancy)

Going digital – Brushing paint aside for digital tree-marking methods to thin forest, improve timber production Timber-marking crews cover thousands of acres of Forest Service lands each year, prepping critical thinning projects to reduce the number of trees and move forest lands toward a condition less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. With this laborious operation, many began to ask: Couldn’t there be a more efficient way of marking trees? Read more…

This completed wet meadow restoration grade control structure, called a one rock dam, was hand-built at the Gunnison Ranger District, located in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. This area is a wet meadow within Gunnison sage-grouse designated critical habitat. Efforts have been ongoing in the area since 2015 to preserve and enhance habitat for wildlife. Structures like these stop soil erosion and enhance the area’s capacity to retain moisture, which in turn strengthens its drought resistance and supports local wildlife. (USDA Forest Service photo by Matt Vasquez)

Reviving sagebrush wetlands: A conservation story Sagebrush landscapes are often thought of as dry, rugged and lacking plant and wildlife diversity. I am here to tell you—nothing is further from the truth. Having spent years working in these ecosystems, I’ve seen firsthand how wetlands within these arid landscapes are essential to biodiversity and habitat restoration. These overlooked areas provide critical resources for species that rely on them and shape the delicate balance of life in sagebrush country. Read more…

After Forest Service silviculturists identify which damaged or fallen trees need to be removed, a timber sale is held, and the winner of the contract collects and removes the timber. Part of a post-storm salvage sale, these efforts help reduce hazardous fuel loads and support local rural economies.  Here, Timber Sale Administrator Andrew Weeks discussing loader operations at logging deck with shear operator. (USDA Forest Service photo by Mandy Chumley)

Salvaging success: Fast action and local partnership fuel forest recovery When a tornado swept through the Sabine National Forest in March 2025, it left behind a trail of broken trees, downed limbs and hundreds of acres of damaged timber. But in just 28 days, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,  turned destruction into opportunity by mobilizing resources, assessing the damage and awarding two salvage stewardship sales to help restore forest health and support local communities.