forest service

By the time October comes around, store shelves are stocked with Halloween candy, costumes, and decorations. Bats are often situated among this imagery, whether as silhouettes in the background or as blood-sucking monsters.

Sansavilla, GA lies at the heart of Georgia’s forest industry. Its well-managed forests annually support more than 130 timber-related jobs and contribute $13.2 million in timber sales and shipments.

Sweet sourwood honey flowed, and pickled banana peppers, beets, pearl onions and more stood proud in the Cherokee Fall Festival in Cherokee, North Carolina. There was also stunning, blue ribbon-worthy sewing and needlepoint, plenty of fresh cobs of Indian corn, and vibrant gourds and squash in oranges, rusts, golds, browns and other glorious fall colors. The items were homegrown and handmade by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Student volunteers sold the items at the fair and chatted with visitors.

Deep in the heart of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, above Lake Chelan, a dramatic sight has unfolded for the last five summers as dozens of bulldozers, graders, loaders and excavators worked to reshape a rock-strewn mountain side.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen parts of our country devastated by natural disasters. People in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands experienced devastation that affected every part of their life, including food, housing, and their livelihood. President Trump called on leaders and government officials at all levels to put bureaucracy aside and lend a helping hand to those in need. At USDA, we have done our best to answer that call.

Fall is here and it’s time to go wild! Or at least go to where nature’s brilliant hues of reds, yellows, and oranges are dotting our autumnal landscape: America’s national grasslands.

In fact, there are millions of square miles of these grasslands, and more than 16 million acres of them are managed by The Forest Service alone. While a lot of folks may not be aware of this, our 2017 theme of “Where the Wild Colors Are” is designed to let them know that fall is also beautiful in our National grasslands.

National forests and grasslands deliver countless benefits to the American people. They support economies. They create jobs. They’re home to countless species of fish and wildlife. They offer world-class recreation opportunities. They purify our water and air. The list goes on.

In 2001, Forest Service Incident Management Teams and crews responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11th with a well-coordinated response of multiple local, state, and federal emergency personnel. Our response to this national crisis highlighted the critical role of incident management systems when responding to an unforeseen national emergency.

A solar eclipse is a marvel to behold. Finding yourself in the narrow path where the sun is totally eclipsed is a rare opportunity. On August 21, millions of people are expected to flock to this "path of totality" that stretches from Oregon to South Carolina.

Sandra Cummings is an African American woman who is a part owner of two forested landscapes in Georgia. Her first property, 325 acres of land with a home in the city of Madison, was passed down by her maternal great-grandmother, who was born a slave. The second property consists of 165 acres of land in the town of Portal, which was passed down by her paternal grandfather.