Scientists have had little information about how prescribed fire and cattle grazing—common practices in many Western ponderosa pine forests—affect plant abundance and reproduction in the forest understory. Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists began to explore how these practices affect vegetation in a five-year study of postfire vegetation in eastern Oregon ponderosa pine forests where cattle have been routinely pastured from late June or early July through early to mid August. For this area of eastern Oregon, they found that excluding cattle grazing during peak growing season increased native plant cover and grass flowering capability in ungrazed areas compared to grazed areas. Because vegetation was measured prior to releasing cattle on the land, the study's results tend to reflect lasting grazing impacts rather than simple consumption.

Concerns about forest health and the threat of wildfire across the Western United States increasingly provide the impetus for communities to find land management solutions that serve multiple interests. Funding and procedural changes over the past decade have positioned federal agencies to put greater emphasis on multistakeholder partnerships and public outreach efforts. Partnerships build slowly over time, but can result in a healthier resource, reduced fire risk, greater stability for agency planning processes, and more resilient communities. Drawing on interviews with stakeholders representing broad interests in a partnership between the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition and the Colville National Forest, we examine some of the critical factors leading to the partnership's success and identify challenges along the way. We illustrate how the citizens of Colville, Washington, overcame conflicts by learning to communicate their interests and use existing resources to advance a variety of goals, ranging from fuels reduction and active forest management to roadless area and wilderness management. We highlight a set of important organizational themes that have emerged from Colville to provide managers and other stakeholders with ideas for similar efforts.

The U.S. Forest Service has adopted the concept and language of ecosystem services to describe the beneficial outcomes of national forest management. We review the economic theory of ecosystem services as it applies to public lands management, and consider what it implies about the types of biophysical and other data that are needed for characterizing management outcomes as changes in ecosystem services. Our intent is to provide a guide to policymakers, managers, researchers, and others for evaluating and describing the tradeoffs involved in the management of public lands. Characterizing ecosystem services fundamentally is about explaining the benefits of national forests to the American public, with an emphasis on addressing their interests and concerns about how public lands are managed. Our hope is that this report will foster dialog about what people value about national forests and how public land management agencies might best go about securing those benefits.

The economic linkages between national forests and surrounding communities have become increasingly important in recent years. One way national forests contribute to the economies of surrounding communities is by attracting recreation visitors who, as part of their trip, spend money in communities on the periphery of the national forest. We use survey data collected from visitors to all units in the National Forest System to estimate the average spending per trip of national forest recreation visitors engaged in various types of recreation trips and activities. Average spending of national forest visitors ranges from about $33 per party per trip for local residents on day trips to more than $983 per party per trip for visitors downhill skiing on national forest land and staying overnight in the local national forest area. We report key parameters to complete economic contribution analysis for individual national forests and for the entire National Forest System.

These are the proceedings of the 2005 workshop titled implications of bringing climate into natural resource management in the Western United States. This workshop was an attempt to further the dialogue among scientists, land managers, landowners, interested stakeholders and the public about how individuals are addressing climate change in natural resource management.

The U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station today released a new report that outlines a climate adaptation strategy for yellow-cedar in Alaska.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station is pleased to announce the arrival of Matt Rollins as the Threat Characterization and Management (TCM) Program Manager.

Carbon storage and flux estimates for the two national forests in Alaska are provided using inventory data from permanent plots established in 1995–2003 and remeasured in 2004–2010. Estimates of change are reported separately for growth, sapling recruitment, harvest, mortality, snag recruitment, salvage, snag falldown, and decay. Although overall aboveground carbon mass in live trees did not change in the Tongass National Forest, the Chugach National Forest showed a 4.5 percent increase. For the Tongass National Forest, results differed substantially for managed and unmanaged forest: managed lands had higher per-acre rates of sequestration through growth and recruitment, and carbon stores per acre that were higher for decomposing downed wood, and lower for live trees and snags. The species composition of carbon stores is changing on managed lands, with a carbon mass loss for yellow-cedar but increases for red alder and Sitka spruce. On unmanaged lands, the Chugach National forest had carbon mass increases in Sitka spruce and white spruce, and the Tongass National Forest had increases in western redcedar and red alder.

This report investigates the interactions between household location decisions and community characteristics, including green space.

On February 4, 2014, a seven-member expert panel provided objective technical information on the potential effectiveness and feasibility of activities to manage raptors (northern harriers and great horned owls) to aid the recovery of western snowy plovers.

We reviewed the literature to synthesize what is known about the use of fire to maintain and restore oak forests, woodlands, and savannas of the upper Midwestern United States, with emphasis on Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

This report addresses the need for developing consistent regional guidelines for stand-level management that integrates goals and objectives for dry forest restoration and habitat management for the northern spotted owl.

A conservation and management strategy for yellow-cedar in Alaska is presented in the context of climate change.

Understanding the capacity to reduce wildfire risk and restore dry forests on Western national forests is a key part of prioritizing new accelerated restoration programs initiated by the Forest Service.

The Forest Landscape Assessment Tool (FLAT) is a set of procedures and tools used to rapidly determine forest ecological conditions and potential threats.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens produced a massive landslide and consequent pyroclastic currents, deposits of which blocked the outlet to Spirit Lake. Without an outlet, the lake began to rise, threatening a breaching of the blockage and release of a massive volume of water. To mitigate the hazard posed by the rising lake and provide an outlet, in 1984–1985 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bored a 2.6-km (8,500-ft) long tunnel through a bedrock ridge on the western edge of the lake.

Study objectives were to evaluate yearly fluctuations in herbage canopy cover and production to aid in defining characteristics of range condition guides. Sites are located in the forested Blue Mountains of central Oregon. They were selected from those used to develop range condition guides where soil, topographic, and vegetation parameters were measured as a characterization of best range condition. Plant community dominants were ponderosa pine/pinegrass, ponderosa pine/bitterbrush/Idaho fescue savanna, low sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass, and rigid sagebrush scabland. None of the sites were grazed during the previous 30 years or during the 27-year study. Each location was permanently marked by fence posts, and a meter board was placed 10 m down an established transect line. Photographs (color slides) were taken down the transect with closeups left and right of the meter board. Sampling was limited to August 1-4 each year when canopy cover and herbage production were determined. Both total canopy cover and herbage production varied by about a 2.4-fold difference on each site over the 27 years. Apparently "good range condition" may be something of a "running target" and lacks a well-defined set of parameters. Canopy cover is a poor parameter for characterizing range condition. Three of the four plant communities were dominated by bunchgrasses. Abundance of seedheads is commonly used to indicate good range health. But on these sites, seedheads were not produced about half the time. Because these sites were in "good range condition," lack of seedhead production may indicate maximum competition in the community. Maximum competition and maximum vigor do not seem to be synonymous. These bunchgrass communities varied in their greenness on the first of August each year from cured brown to rather vibrant green suggesting important annual differences in phenology. The pinegrass community, being dominated by rhizomatous species, showed surprising variance in seedhead production. Pinegrass did not flower, but Wheeler's bluegrass, lupine, and Scouler's woolyweed were quite variable, averaging inflorescences only 75 percent of the time.

In July 2006, more than 170 researchers and managers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico convened in Boulder, Colorado, to discuss the state of the science in environmental threat assessment. This two-volume general technical report compiles peer-reviewed papers that were among those presented during the 3-day conference. Papers are organized by four broad topical sections—Land, Air and Water, Fire, and Pests/Biota—and are divided into syntheses and case studies.

The Pacific Northwest Research Station launched a Biodiversity Initiative to assist natural resource professionals in integrating complex biodiversity concepts into natural resource management processes. We canvassed clients from various affiliations to determine the main challenges they face in biodiversity management, to define their information needs, and to understand how best to deliver biodiversity information within a collaborative framework. The biodiversity management challenges that emerged included (1) the lack of well-defined biodiversity management policies, (2) understanding and quantifying the interaction effects between a number of factors (e.g., disturbance types, management practices) and biodiversity, (3) the lack of applied biodiversity monitoring strategies, (4) difficulty in locating and accessing biodiversity information, and (5) balancing conflicting values relating to biodiversity. We also list the biodiversity information product needs of clients, as well as preferred technology transfer methods, and we discuss the future direction of the Biodiversity Initiative.

The first phase of the multi million pound development in Durham city is under way and is expected to take 18 months to complete

Simon Cowell took the while at the Britain's Got Talent auditions by David isn't happy when crashes into another vehicle

YAMANAIR CREATIVE, has launched an “Emergency Creative Relief Package” (ECRP) for the industry. The package allows radio sellers to custom order, via a simple web portal, any type … more

NASCAR's return to racing on MAY 17th at DARLINGTON will kick off radio coverage on MOTOR RACING NETWORK and PERFORMANCE RACING NETWORK, with seven races in 11 days. MRN's return to … more

Comedian/actress WENDY HAMMERS is bringing her long-running stage storytelling show "TASTY WORDS" to podcasting. The show has run 18 years as a live event in LOS ANGELES and has … more

Get free quotes, run your own portfolio, see market summaries from the DOW, NASDAQ, and more when you visit the ALL ACCESS STOCK PAGE. … more

"The identification of this male is of vital importance to this investigation"

"A remarkably independent, principled woman with a vivacious sense of humour and a huge passion for life."

ALL ACCESS extends congratulations to BLACK RIVER ENTERTAINMENT artist ABBY ANDERSON, who got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, TYLER GRAHAM, last SATURDAY (5/2).  GRAHAM proposed to … more

Singer-songwriter CADY GROVES has passed away in her TENNESSEE home at the age of 30 from natural causes. GROVES, an EMPORIA, KS native, was best known for her 2009 EP, "A Month of … more

The RADIO ADVERTISING BUREAU's next webinar in its "Business Unusual" program's "Open for Business" series, “Creating Audience Engagement,” will … more

CHRIS OLIVIERO has returned to ENTERCOM as SVP/Market Manager for the NEW YORK cluster, News WINS-A, News WCBS-A, Sports WFAN-A-F, Alternative WNYL (ALT 92.3), AC WNEW (NEW 102.7), Country … more

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe during World War 2

The Association is intent on having a new boss in place by July

BLACKENED/Q PRIME rockers METALLICA and drummer LARS ULRICH have reached out to fans with  a message of encouragement on the band’s new SIRIUSXM  MANDATORY METALLICA … more

Media consultant BRIAN WRIGHT of WRIGHT MEDIA GROUP has a message for radio and other broadcasters during this COVID-19 pandemic. WRIGHT feels your goal should be to transform "gloom and … more

MIT Sloan Management Review leads the discourse among academic researchers, business executives and other influential thought leaders about advances in management practice that are transforming how people lead and innovate. MIT SMR disseminates new management research and innovative ideas so...

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht oversees the conservation, preservation, protection and presentation of Ireland’s heritage and cultural assets. Our goals are to promote and protect Ireland’s heritage and culture, to advance the use of the Irish language,...

The Village Voice was founded by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, and Norman Mailer in 1955 as “the nation’s first alternative newsweekly.” Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, the Village Voice introduced free-form, high-spirited, and passionate journalism into the public discourse.

Statement Highlights: Improving lifestyle habits – such as attaining and maintaining a healthy body weight and getting regular, moderate physical activity – may be useful additions to physician-guided management of atrial fibrillation (AF), a serious...

Study Highlights: Middle age may not be too late for women to substantially lower their stroke risk through lifestyle modifications. Middle-aged women who quit smoking, started exercising, maintained a healthy weight and made healthy food choices saw...

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 26, 2020 — Following days of heated marathon negotiations, the Senate approved the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the largest emergency aid package in U.S. history. The CARES Act includes more than $2...

  WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2020 — As longstanding organizations representing and supporting those on the front lines who are risking their lives caring for the world’s most vulnerable patients, we stand united in voicing our concern over the ...

Today, more than patient advocacy, medical and public health organizations sent a letter to senior Trump Administration officials, appealing to the Administration to take immediate action to alleviate the critical shortage across the nation ventilators...

Research Highlights: Young adults using e-cigarettes experienced arterial stiffness and blood vessel damage similar to those who smoke traditional cigarettes. There was no evidence that using e-cigarettes reduced the cardiovascular injury associated...

Research Highlights: Teens who have obesity, type 2 diabetes or high systolic blood pressure show greater signs of blood vessel aging compared to healthy, normal weight teens. Thicker and stiffer blood vessels were more likely among teens that had...

Research Highlights: There are few treatment options for bleeding stroke. There was a trend towards reduced growth of brain bleeds in those treated with the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid within 4.5 hours of stroke onset, compared to those ...

Research Highlights: Adding cilostazol, an antiplatelet medication for leg pain, to other drugs tended to prevent re-blockage of carotid artery stents within two years. This is the first trial to show potential effectiveness of medical management for...

Research Highlights: The blood thinner apixaban, which treats and prevents blood clots in some people with irregular heart rhythm, is safe and effective in stroke patients. Apixaban is associated with less bleeding, death and hospitalization than ...

A group of singers from Tampa Bay traveled to Israel and the West Bank to perform a play about Martin Luther King Jr. The play, "Passages of Martin Luther King," explores the philosophy of non-violence that guided the American civil rights movement. The U.S. Department of State sponsored the play's performance in Jerusalem and on the West Bank as a cultural exchange with the Palestinian National Theater and Palestinian director Kamel Elbasha. The play was performed with Palestinian and American artists who performed 10 shows over three and a half weeks as a way to share King's message of non-violence and peaceful resistance.