The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) took formal steps this week to rescind a decades-old rule that protects 58.5 million acres of wild areas in national forests, including 4.4 million acres in California. The agency...more
The United States Forest Service (“Forest Service”) recently announced plans to amend all its land management plans for National Forest System units, affecting 128 plans in total. The Forest Service did so in a scoping notice...more
U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a June 23rd memorandum titled: Climate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship of America’s National Forests and Grasslands (“Memorandum”) ...more
Thirty-nine environmental organizations transmitted a January 28th letter to Kevin Shea, Acting Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), requesting that it immediately: . . . implement a targeted,...more
United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a June 12th memorandum to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen titled: Secretarial Memorandum to the Chief of the Forest Service (“Memorandum”) - The...more
The greater sage-grouse—a ground-dwelling, chicken-like bird—has been the focus of controversy pitting conservation against energy development and ranching interests across the inter-mountain west. The greater sage-grouse’s...more
On November 24, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has released a report that details the pathway to commercializing affordable, renewable, and biodegradable...more