forestry

All too often Americans hear about wildland fires ravaging various corners of the country. Each and every day there are brave men and women working to suppress and prevent wildland fires on a nearly 700 million acres of federal public land – that’s approximately one-fifth of the total land area in the U.S.

We are so excited that six National Forests are going to be featured in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. You can start your National Forest quarter-dollar collection in 2010, when the U.S. Mint begins issuing America the Beautiful quarters. The first National Forest commemorative coin will honor Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.

With Secretary Vilsack doing so much this month, I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to check out his great remarks last week on the future of our nation’s forests, and share people’s reaction.

This week, the U.S. Forest Service celebrates the 65th birthday of one of its most prolific workers -- Smokey Bear. This afternoon in the Whitten Federal Building, area children and the public joined the agency for Smokey's official birthday celebration, where Forest Service officials had nothing but praise for his work.