The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a very active blog where they frequently post articles about activities within the department. The U.S. Forest Service, of course, is in the USDA and we found quite a few stories on the site about wildfire. Here are four examples that have appeared on the blog over the last six months, with excerpts from the articles:
January 19, 2012: US Forest Service Trains Fire Brigades in the Brazilian Amazon
“…Recently, representatives from the Payette National Forest trained over 80 community and fire brigade members [in Brazil]. As a result, the landholders and tribes in Mato Grosso are better prepared to control, manage and prevent fires from destroying farms, ranches, and the remaining tropical Amazon forests in the region. The work preserves livelihoods and conserves biodiversity and tropical forests.”
December 5, 2011: French firefighters learn from California visit
“…The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region recently welcomed French fire officials Captain Philippe DelQuie and Major Pierre Bisone. The visit was part of a very successful seven year educational collaboration between France and the U.S. through the Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management’s International Fire office.
They hail from the Bouches-du-Rhone (Aix-En-Provence) Fire Department, a provincial fire agency in the south of France.
At home, their duties include wildland fire management in a Mediterranean climate similar to that found on national forestlands in southern California.
Their 12-day tour included stops at several national forests, national parks and local fire agencies.”
Continue reading “Wildfire highlights from the USDA blog”