Spotlight
New Children's Book Teaches About Tree Cutting
 The newest publication from the Northeastern Area is Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down? In taking care of forests, towns, or backyards, it is sometimes necessary and even helpful to cut trees down. This book is meant to introduce everyone from elementary students to adults to different reasons that foresters and arborists might cut trees down. more >>
The FY2013 Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry (S&PF) Competitive Allocation Request for Proposals
This competitive allocation process is a significant way that the Northeastern Area (NA) is helping State Forestry agencies achieve the priorities of their respective state forest action plans while meeting the regional and national priorities of the US Forest Service. more >>
Gypsy Moth Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement approved
In time for the 2013 gypsy moth season, the final version of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement has been approved! View the SEIS and the Record of Decision.
Forest Restoration Strategy for the Chesapeake Watershed
We are pleased to introduce the Forest Restoration Strategy, developed as a key supporting action in the 2010 Executive Order (13508) Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. A broad array of partners contributed to the process of forming the Strategy, the purpose of which is to improve ecosystem function and provide community benefits in targeted areas of the landscape. The target areas are urban and community forests, mine lands, contaminated lands, agro-forestry, and fish and wildlife habitat.
Forests are a critical ecosystem component that supports major Chesapeake Bay goals—clean water, healthy watersheds, wildlife habitat, fisheries, land conservation, citizen stewardship, and climate change response. This document responds to new drivers for a restored Chesapeake Bay and provides an up-to-date look at programs that support tree planting efforts in these targeted areas.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
This interagency program is directed by the Environmental Protection Agency and co-sponsored by many agencies, including the US Forest Service, for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. EPA funds administered through the Northeastern Area will support projects that address near-shore health, nonpoint source pollution, and toxic substances that impact water quality in identified Areas of Concern. more >>
State Forest Action Plans
Every State forestry agency, with input from the public, has completed a Forest Action Plan. The Forest Action Plans contain assessments of the threats facing forests and outline strategies to ensure that forests continue to provide multiple benefits such as clean air and water, places for recreation, wildlife habitat, and forest products. more >>
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Information
Forest Service Overview
USDA ARRA page
Redesign Project Summaries, Fiscal Year 2008
In 2008, the Forest Service launched a “Redesigned” State and Private Forestry (S&PF) program based on a down-to-earth idea—targeting resources to areas of greatest need as the most effective and efficient way to make a difference with limited resources. more >>
Carbon Market Opportunities
Global climate change happens in part because human activity releases greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere. Trees absorb CO2 and fix, or “sequester,” carbon in their structure and release oxygen into the air. A standing forest is a “bank” that accumulates carbon as it grows. In the United States, private forest owners may be able to fight global climate change and generate revenue by enrolling in the voluntary carbon market. more >>
Protect the Nation's Forests – Don’t Move Firewood
This camping and hunting season… purchase your firewood from a vendor close to your destination. Don’t pack your own firewood for use at your campsite or cabin. Unfortunately, our native trees and forests are being threatened by invasive insects and diseases that live in dead and dying wood. In many cases, these pests are being accidentally spread to new locations by homeowners and recreationists moving firewood from one location to another. more »
Northeastern Area Seminar Series
The Last Unfinished Business of Gifford Pinchot
 As the first Chief of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot pioneered forest conservation in the U.S. Near the end of his life, Gifford celebrated his accomplishments creating the National Forest System and setting in motion strong State forestry agencies, but referred to private forestry as his 'last unfinished business.' This presentation looks at his efforts and how the issue has evolved since his time.
View Presentation »
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Webcasts
Visit the USDA Channel on YouTube!
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Producing and Merchandising from Underutilized Waste Wood Resources
(presentation length 63:43)
Thom Labrie talks about ways to recover and add value to wood resources that might otherwise be wasted. Labrie is the president of Auburn Enterprises LLC, and an award-winning veteran of more than 30 years in the wood business. view »
Estate Planning Options
(presentation length 50:06)
 Attorney Roger L. Deffner presents an overview for woodland owners of wealth management, financial planning, and estate planning. He is only presenting an overview and not legal advice and viewers need to consult a personal attorney for any particular situation.
view »
Property Ownership and Distribution: Who Will Get Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?
(presentation length 79:07)
 Personal property transfer is an issue frequently ignored until a crisis occurs - that is not the time to make important decisions. As Dr. Karen Goebel of the University of Wisconsin explains, transferring non-titled property brings up many important issues. The presentation encourages people to make appropriate arrangements that are fair to all parties concerned and covers tools used to accomplish the transfer of property.
view »
Call Before You Cut
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Consulting a professional forester before a cut, and using a master logger if choosing to harvest trees, helps woodland owners protect both their woods and their financial interests. more »
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What You Can Do To Help - Get Involved
Landowners and homeowners can be helpful in the fight against invasive plants.
more »
Features
Wildfire Prevention
Many people believe that lightning starts most wildfires, but the fact is 9 out of 10 wildfires nationwide are started by humans and can be prevented! The main causes are unattended campfires, trash burning, carelessly discarded smoking materials, barbecue coals, and operating equipment without spark arresters. Click here to find out more about wildfire prevention, and here to learn about fire as a forest management tool.
Woodsy Owl
 Woodsy has been America's environmental champion since 1970, and is most recognized for his wise request, "Lend a hand, care for the land." Join the US Forest Service in introducing children to this fanciful creature! »
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News Block
NA News
Forest Service report spotlights fire risk for homes on the edge of wildlands
5/9/13
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Forest Service researchers recently found that about 90 percent of fuel reduction treatments on national forests were effective in reducing the intensity of wildfire while also allowing for better wildfire control. more »
US urban trees store carbon, provide billions in economic value
5/7/13
WASHINGTON, D.C.—From New York City’s Central Park to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, America’s urban forests store an estimated 708 million tons of carbon, an environmental service with an estimated value of $50 billion, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service study. more »
U.S. Forest Service to host seminars on bioenergy and heat treatment of wood
4/29/13
PRINCETON, WVa—The U.S. Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) in Princeton, WVa, will host two seminars in May. The first is a 2-day biomass and bioenergy seminar on May 6 and 7. On May 21, WERC will host a seminar on treating firewood and logs using a steam heat and vacuum technique. more »
Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down? Newly-released Forest Service book reveals all
4/26/13
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.—The US Forest Service just released a beautifully-illustrated, non-fiction children’s picture book that discusses why trees are sometimes cut down. more »
Warmer temperatures herald spring fire season
4/22/13
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.—Colder temperatures persisted into April, but within the past week spring finally appeared to arrive in the Northeast and Midwest. The U. S. Forest Service and State Forestry agencies want to remind residents to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires. more »
Forest Service announces participation in 2013 fee-free days
1/8/13
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Forest Service joins other federal agencies in offering fee-free days on public lands in 2013, beginning Jan. 21 in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. more »
Restoration creates thousands of jobs, protects communities from wildfire
12/19/12
WASHINGTON—A Forest Service restoration program created and maintained more than 4,500 jobs in Fiscal Year 2012 and improved the fire-resiliency of 380,000 acres of forestland near communities from 2010-2012, according to a new report.
more »
Chesapeake Bay forest restoration strategy signing ceremony held
12/13/12
ANNAPOLIS, MD—State Foresters from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia joined EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Director Nick DiPasquale and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell in Washington, DC, on December 5 to sign the Chesapeake Bay Forest Restoration Strategy.
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Oak decline on the rise in the Midwest
10/31/12
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Forest health managers are predicting oak decline will pose a bigger problem across several Midwest states in the coming years.
more »
Bur oak blight spreading concern in the Midwest
10/17/12
Signs of disease are showing up on more bur oaks in the Midwest. Bur oak blight, or BOB for short, is a newly identified native disease that causes late season leaf browning. Symptoms of BOB include darkened veins and large wedge-shaped brown areas. Some leaves can turn totally brown.
more »
Chesapeake Bay Report: 650,000 Ag and Forest Acres Conserved in 16 Months
4/4/12
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—A new report from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that with NRCS assistance Chesapeake Bay region farmers, forestland owners, and other partners put conservation practices on 650,000 acres of working land between May 2010 and September 2011.
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Working Lands for Wildlife Introduced
3/8/12
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The Departments of Agriculture and Interior announced a new partnership to use innovative approaches with farmers and forest landowners to restore and protect the habitats for specific wildlife species.
more »
News from the States
DCNR Web Map to Chart Progress of Gypsy Moth Aerial Spraying
5/15/13
HARRISBURG, Pa.—The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has developed an interactive, web-based map enabling users to track progress of gypsy moth spraying operations across the state. more »
MDC offers free community forestry workshop in Kansas City, and webinar
5/15/13
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Missouri Department of Conservation will host a community forestry workshop 2-4 p.m. on June 4, at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City. Experts will discuss urban tree issues, research findings, and trends regarding trees on public and private lands. more »
Forest tent caterpillar population is building
5/13/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Forest tent caterpillar populations have been rising in some northern and west-central Minnesota counties since 2007, and that trend is expected to intensify, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said. more »
DNR adds burning restrictions for 4 additional counties
5/13/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is placing burning restrictions on four additional counties in northern Minnesota because receding snow cover has created conditions conducive to wildfire. more »
WVDA Gypsy Moth Treatments to Begin Mid-May 2013
5/9/13
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The West Virginia Department of Agriculture will treat approximately 3,777 acres in Grant and Preston Counties starting in mid-May for the control of gypsy moth through the Cooperative State-County-Landowner Suppression Program. more »
DCR Releases 2013 Update of Terra Firma No. 2—Caring For Mature Trees
5/8/13
BOSTON, Mass.—The Department of Conservation and Recreation is pleased to release the newly revised and updated Terra Firma #2—Caring for Mature Trees. This new edition replaces the 2006 original edition, which has been out of print and available only online since 2010. more »
Gov. Markell Celebrates Arbor Day at Blackbird State Forest
5/7/13
TOWNSEND, Del.—At Arbor Day ceremonies at Blackbird State Forest, the State of Delaware announced it had completed the purchase of the historic Wilson Farm, an 85-acre parcel of forestland that will become part of the 12,500-acre Redden State Forest near Georgetown, Sussex County. more »
Public tour at Cabwaylingo State Forest scheduled for May 18
5/7/13
BECKLEY, W.Va.—West Virginia Division of Forestry officials will conduct a public tour at Cabwaylingo State Forest Saturday, May 18. more »
Avoid invasive trees such as Bradford pear in landscape plantings
5/7/13
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—An oft-planted ornamental tree – Bradford pear – has become an invasive species that harms native plants or trees that support wildlife. more »
Emerald Ash Borer traps ready to catch invasive forest pest
5/7/13
DOVER, Del.—Hanging purple beetle eaters? No, they’re not lyrics from a 1958 novelty song, but instead are vital tools in Delaware’s fight to protect the First State’s trees from a dangerous forest pest. more »
DNR places burning restrictions on additional counties
5/6/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Statewide fire conditions have led the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to place burning restrictions on additional counties. more »
Think native when replacing landscape trees
5/3/13
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Stately oaks that once shaded front yards lost the battle with drought. Ornamental pear trees that used to bid ironic farewells to winter with blizzards of white blossoms were wrecked by winter storms. As home and business owners set about replacing lost landscape trees, the Missouri Department of Conservation has a word of advice – natives. more »
Wildfire Risk Continues to Grow in the East
5/2/13
PETERSBURG, W.Va.—National trends show that wildfire risk and the size of many wildfires are growing. The West Virginia Division of Forestry continues to educate residents and communities about what they can do to prepare before a wildfire strikes their area. more »
Missouri landowners invited to Tree Farm Conference in Kirksville
5/2/13
KIRKSVILLE, Mo.—Woodland landowners from around the state are invited to attend the 34th annual Missouri Tree Farm Conference May 31 – June 1 at the Days Inn in Kirksville. The conference is part of the Missouri Tree Farm Program, which provides help to landowners on woodland management for wildlife and timber production. more »
Winter brush burning can spark spring wildfires
5/2/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Winter is generally a good time to burn large brush and slash piles left over from logging and land clearing, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry Division. However, if not properly extinguished and monitored, burned piles can rekindle and spark wildfires in the spring. more »
Annual forest stand examination list available for review
5/2/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The annual stand examination list for potential timber sales on state-administered forest land in the upcoming fiscal year is now available for public review, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said. more »
Governor O’Malley Signs Landmark Forest Legislation
5/2/13
ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Governor Martin O’Malley today signed into law first-of-its-kind legislation that amends Maryland’s forest conservation policy to maintain the State’s current 40 percent tree canopy - a no-net-loss. more »
Forest Legacy Program nomination applications now available
4/25/13
LANSING, Mich.—The Department of Natural Resources today announced that the application to nominate forest land for enrollment in Michigan's Forest Legacy Program is available online. The program protects private forest lands from conversion to non-forest uses. more »
DNR urges homeowners to resist pruning or removing conifers with red needles until late spring
4/18/13
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Conifers growing in Minnesota have had a long, hard winter with plenty of opportunities for winter injury, according to the Department of Natural Resources. more »
Plant Some Shade Tree Distribution Events Planned for Spring
4/16/13
DES MOINES, Iowa—Residential customers of MidAmerican Energy Company who live in Iowa can reduce future energy use, landscape their properties, and green up their communities through Plant Some Shade®. more »
DNR advises caution to prevent spread of oak wilt disease
4/15/13
LANSING, Mich.—April 15, Tax Day, is also the beginning of the yearly window when oak wilt can be transmitted from diseased to healthy red oak trees, the Department of Natural Resources announced today. more »
Burn permits required following snow melt
4/1/13
RICHLAND CENTER, Wis.—Department of Natural Resources’ fire control staff remind citizens that state laws require a burning permit from January 1 through May 31 unless the ground is completely snow-covered where the burning will take place in areas where DNR has primary wildland fire control responsibility. more »
To avoid oak wilt, don’t prune oaks April through July
3/28/13
MADISON—If you value your oak trees, do not prune them from April through July. Spring and early summer pruning makes oak trees vulnerable to oak wilt, a fatal fungal disease of red oaks. more »
Ohioans Cautioned about Safety with Burning during Spring Wildfire Season
3/14/13
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohioans are urged to be aware of the state’s outdoor burning regulations and take necessary precautions if they are planning to burn debris this spring, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. more »
DCNR Announces Funding to Help Volunteer Firefighters
2/26/13
HARRISBURG, Pa.—With the approach of spring and increased risk of forest and brush fires across the state, federal grants are now available to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities better guard against the threat of fires in forested, undeveloped and unprotected areas. more »
Vermont Foresters for the Birds Project Wins National Award
2/25/13
WATERBURY, Vt.—The Foresters for the Birds project has won national recognition from the U.S. Forest Service Wings Across the Americas program for its collaborative approach to forest and bird habitat conservation in Vermont and along the Atlantic Flyway. more »
Stream Restoration Challenge to Award More Grants
2/19/13
ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Stream Restoration Challenge is once again accepting applications from local governments, school systems, and non-governmental organizations looking to carry out projects to improve Chesapeake Bay water quality and create service learning and environmental literacy activities for students. more »
Eight Operation ReLeaf Events Planned for Spring
2/5/13
DES MOINES, Iowa—A popular program offering landscape quality trees at a deep discount to Alliant Energy customers will be held at eight locations across Iowa this spring. more »
State’s Online Tree Nursery Now Open
10/10/12
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting tree seedling orders through the John S. Ayton State Forest Tree Nursery. There are more than 40 tree species available to meet a variety of aesthetic and environmental needs. more »
RSS News
Success Stories
Vinton Furnace Partnership Protects Ohio's Largest Privately Owned Forest more »
Planning and Analysis in Timber Harvesting: Software Tool Helps Companies Expand, Contract, and Plan for the Future more »
Using Wood in the Aftermath of EAB: Opportunities in Southeastern Michigan more »
all success stories »
"Town Study Showed Threefold Savings" The last, vast forested area along the Interstate 95 corridor
between Boston and Washington, D.C. sits amid the
borderlands of Connecticut and southern Rhode Island.
Within this 200 square mile region lays West Greenwich,
RI, a small, rural town split roughly down its geographic
center by I-95. more »
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Estate Planning
Hot topic! Who will inherit your family's forests? Plan now to protect and conserve this vital natural resource. Learn more
Forests, Water and People Analysis
This analysis highlights the connection between the forests and faucets of the Northeast and Midwest - how forests protect surface drinking water quality.
Updated Web Site »
Landowner Resources
Do you own more than 10 acres of land? The US Forest Service Northeastern Area has a number of programs and publications that can help you manage your land. more »
Tax Tips
Homeowner Resources
Do you want to improve the beauty and value of your residential property? Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10% to a property’s value. Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and can save 20-50% of the energy used for heating your home. more »
Our 42 page, full-color guide with tip sheets was designed specifically for landowners with less than 10 acres. more »
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