On September 22, investigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Enforcement Division arrested Laura Mclaughlin of Pitkin, LA, for setting wildfires in Rapides Parish.
In the early morning hours of August 24, LDAF fire crews and the Plainview Fire Department responded to multiple wildfires set in the Union Hill area in Rapides Parish.
Read MoreThe Walls Project, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to tearing down societal barriers that hinder people from living safe, healthy, and prosperous lives, is thrilled to announce the receipt of a transformative $6 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service (USDA) which will enable the organization to launch an agroforestry apprenticeship program. This historic investment in Baton Rouge is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act through the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry program.
Read MoreAs previously reported, investigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division have determined that many of the large wildfires burning throughout Louisiana in recent weeks are the result of arson. LDAF investigators, Louisiana State Fire Marshal deputies, and various parish sheriff’s office detectives continue to actively investigate the matter.
Read MoreBaton Rouge nonprofit the Walls Project Thursday announced it has received a $6 million grant from the U.S. Forest Services that it will use to launch an agroforestry apprenticeship program.
The grant is part of a 1.5 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture allotment from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to promote urban and community forestry.
Read MoreInvestigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division arrested 32-year-old Michael Shawn Setliff of Flatwoods, Louisiana, on three counts of simple arson for fires set in Grant Parish.
Investigators allege that on September 13, 2023, Setliff set multiple wildfires off Highway 500 and on W.W. Melton Road.
Read MoreThe Lions Camp Fire in Vernon Parish is one of the largest wildfires Louisiana has ever recorded with nearly 800 acres being burnt.
The wildfire caused major damage and threatened several properties as it spread, even coming dangerously close to some homes.
Read MoreThe Forestry Political Action Council, ForPAC, endorses the following candidates to the Louisiana State Legislature. Early voting begins Saturday September 30th for the Primary Election October 14th. The run-off, General Election, is November 18, 2023.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Logging Council (LLC) and Louisiana Forestry Association (LFA) has renewed an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The Alliance is to help improve safety in logging jobs, which includes courtesy training and inspections to give companies opportunities to avoid penalties if and OSHA inspector shows up on job sites unannounced.
Read MoreThe Southern U.S. has faced a challenging summer with unrelenting daily temperatures above 100 degrees, abnormally low relative humidity, critically dry vegetative fuels ready to burn, wildfires exhibiting extreme fire behavior, and to top it off — a hurricane.
Hot summers and wildfires are not new to the South, nor is interagency cooperation in responding to and suppressing wildfires. But this summer has been far from normal, and in the case of Louisiana wildfires, this August — unprecedented.
Read MoreIn west-central Louisiana, where wildfires have ravaged thousands of acres of drought-stricken forests in recent weeks, more has been lost than just trees.
For many people, the towering pines that define the landscape of this rural region represent family inheritances, years of investment and hopes for the future. Growing trees takes a long time, but the cash they bring in when cut is worth the wait.
Read MoreCentral Louisiana Technical Community College is now offering students an associate degree in forest technology.
Forestry is a vital industry in Louisiana. With the launching of this new program, students enrolling will learn the ins and outs of a profession that plays a crucial role in our state.
Read MoreBeginning this fall, students wishing to earn an associate degree in Forest Technology will be able to do so at the Huey P. Long Campus of Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC), the college announced.
Read MoreA Houston energy company is considering building a $1.8 billion methanol production facility in Rapides Parish that would harvest local trees to create biomass energy.
SunGas Renewables wants to manufacture 400,000 tons of methanol each year through biomass gasification at Beaver Lake Renewable Energy, the site of the former International Paper facility in Pineville, according to a press release from Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Read MoreAs the forest service works to restore Louisiana’s Longleaf Pine habitat, it’s also bringing in more snakes. Hundreds of rare Louisiana pine snakes are being released into the woods of Central Louisiana.
There is something special about a Longleaf Pine Forest.
Read MoreA free Selling Your Timber Workshop will be offered on June 19, 2023, at the Claiborne Parish Library in Homer, Louisiana. Featured topics include how to estimate the value of your timber, how to find the best place to sell your timber, how to navigate pitfalls of selling your timber, and how to leave the land healthier after the sale.
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