Today, environmental justice at USDA refers to meeting the needs of underserved communities by reducing disparate environmental burdens, removing barriers to participation in decision making, and increasing access to environmental benefits that help make all communities safe, vibrant and healthy places to live and work.

Reducing fire risk is not the responsibility of one agency or group, but of everyone who lives and works in a community.

On hilly terrain, drought’s impacts on vegetation are muted.

View current drought conditions and forecasts from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

View wildfire updates on InciWeb, the interagency all-risk incident information management system.

The most enjoyable months of the year for many can also be the most dangerous simply because more time in the great outdoors means more risk for injury or illness. Everything from sunburn to animal attacks can sour a chance for a wonderful experience.

Out of the nursery, into the wild.

How many pine cones can managers expect from their longleaf pine forests? very year, U.S. Forest Service research ecologist Dale Brockway attempts to answer this question. His most recent report suggests that 2017 will be a good year for longleaf pine cone production.

Land managers expect that exotic invasive plants will quickly move in following a disturbance, especially after a fire. Though exotics initially might have an edge over native plants on burned ground, this may not always be so as time goes on, according to a U.S. Forest Service study.

Residential moves account for 85 percent of all new gypsy moth infestations, and approximately 40 million Americans will relocate their households this year. Slowing the movement of the gypsy moth is the reason the U.S. Department of Agriculture asks homeowners to inspect for and remove gypsy moth egg masses from household goods before they move from an infested area to a non-infested area.

U.S. Forest Service researchers now have a better understanding of the variation in the timing of spring and autumn across a diverse mountain landscape.

Boise, Idaho is famous among college football fans for the blue turf on the Boise State University Broncos’ field. But in wildland fire management circles, the city is just as well-known as home of the National Interagency Fire Center or NIFC.

Forest management can reduce coyote predation.

Despite their impressive appearance and popularity among insect collectors, the ecology and habitat requirements of giant stag beetles are relatively unknown.

If ecological restoration is your vocation, think: location, location, location.

View monthly State of the Climate reports from the National Climatic Data Center.

Researchers analyzed traits of 339 U.S. tree species and predictions of climate-related pressure, including exposure, sensitivity, and capacity to adapt to a changing environment.