MUIRNet-News - MUIRNet-News - for the Recreation Advocate

Land use changes, housing demographics shift in Washington State

john@muirnet.net (USFS Press Release) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:21:42 +0000

New report offers an analysis of change between 1976 and 2006

PORTLAND, Ore. June 10, 2013. A recent government report reveals that the number of houses in dispersed rural settings in western Washington has doubled over the past 30 years, and that 20 percent of nonfederal land is currently developed.

“Resource lands in Washington are being lost at a rate of a football field every 18 minutes,” says Andy Gray, a research ecologist at the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station. “People are concerned about losing capacity to grow local food crops and wood products, and about how patterns of development are impacting water quality, wildfire risk, and wildlife.”

New forest management tool released

john@muirnet.net (Administrator) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:10:47 +0000

Forest mapping study may help managers identify regions with multiple threat potential, including wildfires

PORTLAND, Ore. June 10, 2013. A recent study in the Journal of Forestry now offers managers a tool to help them identify regions exposed to multiple forest threats. The tool uses a novel 15-mile radius neighborhood analysis to highlight locations where threats are more concentrated relative to other areas, and identifies where multiple threats may intersect. It is a technique that may have never been used before to describe forest threats, according to the researchers.

‘Watering the forest for the trees’ emerging as priority for forest management

john@muirnet.net (USFS Press Release) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:44:16 +0000

Analysis explores ways to increase water availability in face of increasing drought stress

CORVALLIS, Ore. June 3, 2013. A new analysis led by the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station encourages resource managers to consider a broadened view of forests as consumers of water.

A shift in thinking toward reducing the risk of water stress to vegetation can help forests maintain their resilience and health in a changing climate, according to a paper published online in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

ALARMISTS CAUGHT DOCTORING ‘97 PERCENT CONSENSUS’ CLAIMS

john@muirnet.net (Administrator) — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:32:46 +0000

Global warming alarmists and their media allies have been caught doctoring the results of a widely cited paper asserting there is a 97 percent scientific consensus regarding human-caused global warming.

After taking a closer look at the paper, investigative journalists report the authors’ claims of a 97 percent consensus relied on the authors misclassifying the papers of some of the world’s most prominent global warming skeptics. At the same time, the authors deliberately presented a meaningless survey question so they could twist the responses to fit their own preconceived global warming alarmism.

Members Launch Endangered Species Act Working Group

john@muirnet.net (Press Release) — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:50 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2013 - Members of the House of Representatives, representing a broad geographic range, today announced the creation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Working Group. This Working Group, led by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings and Western Caucus Co-Chair Cynthia Lummis, will examine the ESA from many angles. Throughout this year, the Working Group will hold a series of events, forums, and hearings that will invite discussion and input on ways in which the ESA (last reauthorized in 1988) may be working well, how it could be updated, and how to boost its effectiveness for both people and species.

Forests with entirely native flora are not the norm

john@muirnet.net (USFS Press Release) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:38:14 +0000

New study is first to reveal abundance of nonnative plants across 24 states

PORTLAND, Ore. April 30, 2013. Two-thirds of all forest inventory plots in the Northeast and Midwestern United States contain at least one non-native plant species, a new U.S. Forest Service study found. The study across two dozen states from North Dakota to Maine can help land managers pinpoint areas on the landscape where invasive plants might take root.

OutdoorWire - your link to access

john@muirnet.net (John Stewart) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:10:05 +0000

OutdoorWire (www.outdoorwire.com) provides a clickable link index to the vast collection of news and information across its family of website. The sites, 4x4Wire.com, 4x4Voice, and MUIRNet.net have long been important sources of information concerning environmental and administrative regulations and their impact on motorized recreation.

Together, the family of websites contain more than 12 years of information covering topics from landuse and environmental issues to 4x4 vehicle tech. An integrated site search provides quick access to site archives and forum postings.

With contributing bloggers from The TrailPAC, BlueRibbon Coalition, United Four Wheel Drive Associations, California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs and others, the OutdoorWire continues to grow.