Excessive drought conditions in Louisiana are quickly becoming a natural disaster that will have effects on gardens, landscape plants and natural areas all across the state for some time. We may not understand the full extent of the damage for years. The U.S. Drought Mitigation Center has categorized a substantial portion of Louisiana’s parishes as being in an “exceptional drought” state for an extended period.
Read MoreWildfires that engulfed more than 50,000 acres of Louisiana forests during this summer’s record-breaking heat and drought dealt a blow of at least $71 million to the state’s timber sector, according to LSU AgCenter estimates.
That figure is expected to climb higher as wildfires continue to burn in some areas.
Read MoreThe U.S. Federal Transportation Policy is a disjointed, bureaucratic hodgepodge of restrictions and requirements lacking consistency across the states, imposed under the extortive threat of federal funding losses.
What weighs more? A ton of milk or a ton of logs?
Read MoreA free estate planning presentation — “Who Gets My Land When I Die? And What Can I Do About It?” — will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Ringgold Library in Ringgold, Louisiana. Attorney Paul Spillers will provide valuable information on wills and trusts, asset protection, tax consequences, property ownership, and estate planning tools. Mr. Spillers is senior counsel at the Law Offices of Theus, Grisham, Davis & Leigh in Monroe, Louisiana. He specializes in estate planning and probate; litigation; oil, gas, and mineral law; taxation, and timber law. This workshop is sponsored by Trailblazer RC&D.
Read MoreA series of year-long weather events have put added stress on weaker and older pine trees, leading to their demise, according to Carol Pinnell-Allison, LSU AgCenter Extension agent.
While traveling through Concordia, Catahoula, Franklin, and Tensas parishes, dead or dying pine trees can be seen scattered throughout the landscape. Trees with brown-needles are a stark contrast against the dark green evergreens.
Read MoreThe West Louisiana Forestry Festival is in full swing on the Vernon Parish fairgrounds.
The festival is held Oct. 4-8 and includes live music and DJs, roping contests, livestock, vendors and more.
There are special admissions for senior citizens, military and students, each on a respective day of the fair.
Read MoreOn 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.
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