State Foresters

Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to enjoy the outdoors and visit your local state forest! As wildfire season begins, it's important to take extra precautions to keep you and the forest safe. 🌳 Brush up on your wildfire prevention knowledge at SmokeyBear.com. 🐻

Prevention and mitigation are two strategies to protect our forests and neighborhoods from unwanted, unplanned wildfires. While fire is natural and vital in some ecosystems, nearly 9 in 10 wildfires are human-caused. Learn how YOU can prevent wildfires at SmokeyBear.com.

The third Friday in May is Endangered Species Day. #DYK that over 100 native tree species are endangered? These are just a few iconic species that state forestry agencies work to protect, restore, and strengthen through a variety of forest management activities. 🌳

While wildfire season is year-round, summer is a busy time for the Western U.S. 🔥 The National Interagency Fire Center produces monthly fire risk outlooks to help inform decision makers. These maps can help you plan ahead, stay prepared, and be vigilant with wildfire prevention.

Humans cause around 85% of unwanted, unplanned wildfires in the U.S. Debris burns are a leading cause of these fires. Always keep your pile small and manageable, and never burn on dry, windy days. Learn how to keep your backyard burn safe at SmokeyBear.com/debris-burning….

The first Saturday in May is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. 🔥 Contact your state forestry agency to help make a plan for your home and increase resilience in your entire community in the event that wildfire hits. Learn more at wildfireprepday.org.

Trees are the future! 💡🌳 Mass timber is an engineered wood product that is as strong as steel but weighs less than half as much. Mass timber can often be built faster, cheaper, and safer than traditional buildings. And the results are gorgeous!

On Friday, NASF senior leadership joined @forestservice and @NatllParkService for a special Arbor Day ceremony where they planted two young trees on the White House lawn to celebrate the renewal of the iconic American chestnut tree. 🌳

Happy Arbor Day! 🌳 Trees provide us so many services that even the act of planting a tree can benefit you. Find a sense of community, purpose, and pride by volunteering with your state forestry agency or a tree-planting organization today!

Today is Earth Day! 🌎💚 Want to show your love for the planet and make a direct impact on the environment? Consider volunteering with a state forestry agency to plant and care for trees, share wildfire prevention education, or maintain recreation trails.

Did you know that state forestry agencies are responsible for 1.5 billion acres of land—nearly two-thirds of all forested land in the U.S.?! Find out how state forestry agencies are leading the way in our weekly newsletter. Read here: mailchi.mp/stateforesters…

Meet the 2026 Smokey Bear Award winners! 🐻🏆 These individuals and organizations are recognized for their outstanding work in wildfire prevention. 🔥 Learn more about the awards at: ow.ly/CHhr50YLfiC

Last week, @MontanaDNRC State Forester Shawn Thomas testified before the House Natural Resource Subcommittee on Federal Lands on the benefits of Good Neighbor Authority and the need for longer agreements between states and federal partners. Watch here: naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/event…

Good Neighbor Authority allows states and federal partners to collaborate on forest management, optimizing time and resources. Forest management helps prevent wildfires, supply clean drinking water, and provide countless other benefits. 🌳

The partners behind the Wildfire Mitigation Awards, NASF, @IAFC, @NFPA, and @forestservice, honored this year's winners yesterday at the Wildland-Urban Interface Conference. New this year are the Hero and Legacy Awards—learn more about the winners here: stateforesters.org/2026/03/10/ann…

March 21 is International Day of Forests! 🌳💚🌲 Forests are the economic backbone of many communities by supplying foods, medicines, fuel and income. Forests contribute trillions to the global economy and support millions of jobs. Learn more: bit.ly/2TdyzlN

Happy first day of Spring! State forestry agencies are gearing up to plant trees, respond to wildfires, and ramp up management activities. 🌳

Today is Global Recycling Day! ♻️ Paper products like cardboard are often recycled, but did you know wood can be recycled too? When a wood product reaches the end of its life, it can be turned into mulch or biofuel (among other things!), which can support forest management. 🌳

While cherry blossoms may get all the buzz, we're also big fans of native trees with equally impressive florals! 🍒 Black cherry (Prunus serotina) 🌸 Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) 🌼 Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) 🌺 'Ohi'a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)

Spring is coming! 🌷 You can predict when your area will be in bloom by following the phases here. A colder winter often leads to later bloom, but sunny days and warm nights can signal trees to blossom. 🌸