• Forests

Due To Extended Drought, This Year’s Fire Season Could Be Worse Than Last

• climate change
• Drought
• Fire
• forest fires
• heat
• wildfires

Last year’s wildfire season was exceptionally bad — more than 4.2 million acres burned in California alone in 2020. Experts suspect that this year could also bring severe wildfires, given that 40% of the West is being classified as being in “extreme” to “exceptional” drought. 

Why this Matters:  The West has had seasons of drought throughout its history, but with climate change and a boom in population growth, an increase in water demand could make the West even drier as we confront the reality of climate change.

• Forests

Wisconsin Governor Declares State of Emergency as Wildfires Burn

• climate change
• wildfires
• Wisconsin

by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer On Monday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency due to rampant wildfires consuming 1,400 acres of land in just the first three months of 2021. As historic (and maybe permanent) droughts move further east, Wisconsin finds itself in a perilous situation. Nearly the entire state is at a […]

• Forests

Tackling Climate Change Begins With Investing in Our Forests

by Larry Selzer, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund  Climate change threatens every life support system we rely on—food, water, and biodiversity. The things that keep us alive are at risk, which means we are at risk. We recognize that climate change is the most pressing global challenge we have ever faced, and we must […]