Massive forest die-off for CA & OR

California and southwest Oregon are in the midst of a massive forest die-off, with an estimated 66 million trees killed in CA during 2015 & 2016. Drought, pests, and disease have taken a destructive toll on the region’s forests. Dying trees are fuel waiting to feed a fire, and when forest managers and loggers can’t remove them, the consequences are deadly. Concerns are mounting that the die-off is creating an abundance of fuel likely to trigger costly and damaging wildfires. CA Governor Jerry Brown, and CA Sens. Feinstein and Boxer, wrote to US Forest Service Chief Tidwell, requesting that the US Forest Service to respond to the tree mortality crisis. Rep. Walden (R-OR) is the lone Oregon government representative to pursue urgent remedies to this problem with the USFS...more