USDA Blog

It is quite a phenomenon to be the first of anything and to be recognized for it. It is especially noteworthy when you have a passion for the land, and are willing to work and care for it as a volunteer. That’s what Gloria Owen did as the first official volunteer in the U.S. Forest Service’s history...

A 12-year study on the U.S. Forest Service’s Harshaw Experimental Forest near Rhinelander, WI is challenging long-held assumptions about how future forests will respond to the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

As a little girl, actress Betty White dreamed of becoming one. Gary Locke, U.S. ambassador to China, also shared this childhood dream. What makes Jana Desrocher different is that she is living this dream. Since May, Desrocher of Hemet, Calif. has been doing many of the duties of a forest ranger on...

The U.S. Forest Service’s HistoriCorps program in Golden, Colo., is one of 23 award winners honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation during its 2011 National Preservation Conference Oct. 20 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Hiking the backcountry in a national forest is a special experience where you will see wildlife and nature in its basic elements. But just in case you run into problems, there are wilderness rangers on some trails to lend a hand.

Thousands of young people have successfully passed through the Anaconda Jobs Corps Civilian Conservation Center in a mile-high valley on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The facility in southwest Montana is on the largest national forest in the state and boasts two wilderness areas and...

As far back as 1902, a national U.S. Forest Service library formed with the transfer of 3,000 books from the Department of Agriculture library. It grew steadily over the years providing a range of services to research customers. Gradually interest grew in expanding service to other Forest Service...

The Forest Service has managed wildfires for more than 100 years and is considered the best wildland fire organization in the world. As leaders, we are continually striving to gain a better understanding of fire behavior with cutting edge research and technology. Sharing our expertise through...

Knowing your forests and how climate change is affecting their health was the overarching theme on a recent Emerald Planet Inside Scoop program. David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Advisor, was the sole guest on the hour long live broadcast that was simulcast on CSPAN and the...

Jumping out of planes via parachutes to put out remote wildland forest fires isn’t your typical American job and it isn’t for the faint of heart. Since 1939, the technique called smoke jumping has attracted physically fit, courageous and adventurous firefighters and has helped keep communities safe...