Blog Archives for Bethanie Walder

By Bethanie Walder - August 27, 2010    The Forest Service has finally released their FY10 final list of Legacy Roads and Trails projects.  Though the funding increased significantly from 2009 ($50 million) to 2010 ($90 million), when comparing the total projected accomplishments between the two years you might notice that the anticipated outcomes are not necessarily doubled.  We are pleased to see that numerous regions and forests have dedicated at least a portion of FY10 funding to project planning, survery and design.

By Bethanie Walder - July 23, 2010    The House Interior and Environmental Appropriations subcommittee approved legislation yesterday to provide Forest Service and other agency and environmental funding for fiscal year 2011.  While there are many steps yet to go, we are very happy to report that the subcommittee included $90 million for the Forest Service Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative. For more information, read the news directly from Congressman Norm Dicks' office.

By Bethanie Walder - July 22, 2010   On July 20, the Forest Service released their new Climate Change Roadmap, along with a new “scorecard” that will enable the national office to annually rate how each individual national forest is adapting to and mitigating for climate change.

By Bethanie Walder - June 23, 2010    For the past several years, Wildlands CPR has been posting the Forest Service’s annual Road Accomplishment Reports (RAR).  The RARs show how many miles of roads are maintained, improved, or decommissioned in any given year and on any given forest.  The RARs also show which funds were used to pay for the work.

By Bethanie Walder - June 22, 2010   On June 11, 2010, the US Department of Agriculture released it’s 2010-2015 strategic plan, including it’s overarching plans for the Forest Service.   Forest Service management was basically addressed in the second of the plans four goals: Ensure our national forest and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while enhancing our water resources.

By Bethanie Walder - June 14, 2010   I spent two days last week at a “Place-Based Forest Agreements and Law Symposium” here in Missoula.  The Symposium was sponsored by the National Forest Foundation and the University of Montana’s Bolle Center for People and Forests.  It was a thought-provoking and interesting two days, with lots of good discussion about excellent collaborative efforts going on around the country.  

By Bethanie Walder - May 20, 2010    The title of this article certainly caught my attention when it popped on my computer today: Dear john case: Filching a biffy costs Ely mayor $3,600.  

By Bethanie Walder - April 15, 2010    The Ecosystem Workforce Program at the University of Oregon just released three new reports about jobs related to forest AND watershed restoration. (There are two versions of each report, all available at the link above.)

By Bethanie Walder - April 2, 2010    The Miami Herald has a great article about hiking in Big Cypress National Preserve today.  The reporter joined a Sierra Club outing led by activist Matthew Schwartz into a newer section of the Preserve, called the “Addition Lands.”  My husband and I were lucky enough to go for a hike there with Matthew just a few weeks ago while on a visit to FL, in addition to visiting numerous other native FL ecosystems threatened by off-road vehicle and road development.  Wildlands

By Bethanie Walder - March 17, 2010    NY Time commentator Olivia Judson posted a terrific piece today, Divide and Diminish, about habitat fragmentation and biodiversity.  While the information isn't necessarily new, her explanations about island biogeography and related processes puts things in good perspective. Here's an excerpt: