Your National Forests Winter/Spring 2022

The Magazine of the National Forest Foundation

Changing the Narrative ICE CLIMBER MANOAH AINUU LEADS THE WAY FOR CHANGE

Wood for Life CONNECTING FOREST RESTORATION AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Restoring Longleaf Pine SUPPORTING RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT

Winter | Spring 2022

Board of Directors Executive Committee Rob Leary, NFF Chair Former CEO, The Olayan Group (FL) Bob Wheeler, NFF Vice Chair President & CEO, Airstream Inc. (OH) Lee Fromson, NFF Treasurer COO & CFO, Simms Fishing Products (MT) Timothy P. Schieffelin, NFF Secretary President, P.O.V., LLC (CT) Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Edison International (CA) Patricia Hayling Price, President, LiveWorkStrategize, LLC (NY)

Board of Directors Mike Brown, Jr., Founder and Managing Partner, Bowery Capital (NY) Mary Kate Buckley, President, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (WY)

Two tax-advantaged ways to give If you hold stocks that have risen in value, here is a win-win for conservation and for you. When you give such securities to the NFF, you not only support our mission, but you can avoid paying capital gains tax if you’ve held the stock for at least one year. Furthermore, if you itemize, you are allowed to deduct the full, appreciated value regardless of what you paid for the stock. It’s a way to be even more generous that you may have thought possible.

If you have a donor advised fund (DAF), now is a perfect time to sustain or even increase your philanthropic support through this vehicle. You’ve already set aside your DAF funds to give, which is great because our forests need help today more than ever. Please consider contacting your DAF administrator today and recommending a grant to the NFF. If your DAF is with Fidelity, Schwab, or BNY Mellon, it’s even easier: just go to nationalforests.org/DAF, and with a couple of clicks you can complete your gift. Please let us know about your gift, so we can recognize your generosity.

If you have questions about either of these tax-advantaged ways of giving, please contact Ray Foote, NFF Executive Vice President, at 202.664.4585 or rfoote@nationalforests.org.

Thank you for helping us keep our cherished National Forests healthy and accessible for all.

Visit nationalforests.org to contribute today.

Give confidently: the National Forest Foundation has earned the highest charity ratings available.

Aimée Christensen, Founder & CEO, Christensen Global Strategies; Founder & Executive Director, Sun Valley Institute (ID) James K. Hunt, Non-Executive Chairman, Tournament Capital Advisors, LLC, Hunt Companies, Inc. (WY) Janice Innis-Thompson, Attorney/Senior Vice President Litigation and Legal Operations, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (OH) Allie Kline (CO) Andie MacDowell, Actress & Spokesperson (CA) Thomas McHenry, President & Dean Emeritus, Vermont Law School (VT) Jose Minaya, Chief Executive Officer, Nuveen (NC) Randy Moore, Ex-Officio, Chief, USDA Forest Service (DC) Kevin Murphy, President, ExxonMobil Foundation; Manager, Corporate Citizenship and Community Investments, Exxon Mobil Corporation (TX) James O’Donnell, President-Mountain Division, Vail Resorts, Inc. (CO) Randy Peterson, Principal, LRP Consultants, LLC (WI) Rick Wade, Senior Vice President, Department Strategic Alliance & Outreach, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (DC) Hugh Wiley (CT)

welcome

letter

Forests are an important natural climate solution

M

aybe the term strategic plan sounds a little dry, but I want to tell you why I am so excited about the National Forest Foundation’s new plan that will guide us for the next three years.

Photo: Kristi Paulson Photograpphy

Our Board and staff have coalesced around an ambitious growth agenda to step up our work across the nation, including expanding by ten-fold the funds we invest in carbon and water projects to help address climate change.

Healthy forests are a bright spot in the complex and daunting challenge of our shifting climate. They are not only vital to human communities (resources, recreation, economies, and such), but also as engines of environmental healing. Forests in the U.S. remove nearly 15 percent of all emissions, and they provide 20 percent of our country’s drinking water supply.

Individual citizens are doing their part by volunteering, supporting tree planting, and more. We are working with local governments and small businesses; for example, the NFF’s Gunnison County (CO) Stewardship Fund finances projects and supports the local economy by engaging people and companies to protect the surrounding Gunnison National Forest.

Our strategic plan calls on the NFF to triple the number of people we engage, an exciting and necessary facet of our work to connect more Americans with their public lands.

Also, major companies are increasingly including forests in their environmental, social, and governance plans, or ESG. In September, the NFF hosted a gathering in New York of national ESG leaders to share specific

strategies and to add momentum to this approach. Dubbed “Our Forests, Our Future,” this event is the first of what will be an annual convening on this topic.

I hope this issue of Your National Forests brings to life the great challenges and opportunities we are pursuing.

Speaking of our magazine, I want to give you a heads up that we will not publish a Summer/Fall 2022 issue as we revamp and reimagine how we best keep you informed.

In the meantime, we invite you to follow us on social media and sign up for Tree-Mail, our digital newsletter. Visit our all-new website—nationalforests.org—to sign up and learn more.

Our National Forests are more relevant than ever as our nation and world look for sustainable, healthy solutions to climate change. As always, thank you very much for being part of this important work.

Thank you!

Mary Mitsos President & CEO

Winter | Spring 2022

1

inside this edition

Welcome Letter

Photos: Jason Thompson Photography, Jen Magnuson, Alamy.com

1

Natural Climate Solution

features

3 Where in the Woods

How Well Do you Know Our National Forests

4

Forests by the Numbers

5

Forest Foods

6

Forest News

8

Weather on our National Forests

Backcountry Chili

20-Year Master Stewardship Agreement Wolverines Facing Climate Change

Field Reports

14

Unforgettable Experiences The Leader

New Connectivity in Cass County, Minnesota: The Polaris Bridge

18

Mission Mountains Youth Crew Connects Youth to Ancestral Heritage and Future Careers

Featured Project Warm Memories and Cooler Climates

10 Kids and Nature

Climate Change Guide for Kids

12

Tree Spotlight

28

People of Public Lands

American Chestnut

Sustainability Advocate Cindy Villasenor

30 People of Public Lands Botanist Dr. Noami Fraga

32 Where in the Woods Answer Did You Know the Forest?

24

On the cover

Featured Project

Bringing longleaf pine home to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia

Janice Manuel poses at Hart Prairie on the Coconino National Forest. Photo by Jen Magnuson Photography.

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Your National Forests

where in the woods This National Forest includes three rivers popular for rafting and other water sports.

See page 32 for answer.

Photo: U.S. Forest Service

National Forest Foundation Building 27, Suite 3 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, Montana 59804 406.542.2805

®2021 National Forest Foundation.

No unauthorized reproduction of this material is allowed.

Your National Forests magazine is printed on recycled paper with 30% post-consumer content.

This magazine’s use of FSC certified paper ensures the highest environmental and social standards have been followed in the wood sourcing, paper manufacturing, and print production of this magazine. To learn more log on to www.fsc.org.

Your National Forests

The Magazine of the National Forest Foundation Editors Hannah Featherman, Emily Stifler Wolfe Contributors Zoe Bommarito, Catie Bulay, Hannah Featherman, Ray Foote, Chris Kalman, Ellyn LaPointe, Mary Mitsos, Marlee Ostheimer, Xander Peters, Christine Peterson, Emily Stifler Wolfe Graphic Artist Marci Mansfield, MansfieldCommunications.myportfolio.com

National Forest Foundation

Dan Alvey California Program Coordinator—Tahoe Shereé Bombard Administration and Human Resources Director Mark Brehl Arizona Program Forestry Supervisor Torrie Burwell Information Systems Analyst Colleen Coleman Marketing and Communications Director Darla Cotton Executive Assistant Mindy Crowell Reforestation Partnerships Director Rebecca Davidson Southern Rockies Region Director, Youth Program Director Sarah Di Vittorio Northern California Program Manager Karen DiBari Vice President, Collaboration and Community Partnerships Jillian Fahringer Digital Marketing Associate Danielle Fitzsimmons Accountant Hannah Featherman Communications Manager Ray A. Foote Executive Vice President Dania Gutierrez Southern California Program Senior Manager Ben Irey Conservation Connect Program Manager Rebecca Kasilag Individual Giving Officer Joe Lavorini Southwest Colorado Program Manager Adam Liljeblad Conservation Awards Director Jessica McCutcheon Development Operations Senior Manager Matt Millar Sierra Nevada Program Senior Manager Kendal Martel Forests of Texas Program Coordinator Mary Mitsos President & CEO

Kerry Morse Conservation Awards Manager Luba Mullen Development Associate Director Katie Neher Development Database Associate Emily Olsen Rocky Mountain Region Director Marlee Ostheimer Conservation Partnerships Manager Monica Perez-Watkins Reforestation Partnerships Manager Spencer Plumb Conservation Finance Manager Allison Powell Agreement Specialist Maddie Rehn GMUG National Forest Project Coordinator Evan Ritzinger California Program Coordinator—Tahoe Brian Robey California Program Coordinator—Southern California Trevor Seck California Program Coordinator—Tahoe Marcus Selig Vice President, Field Programs Abby Schembra Reforestation Partnerships Associate Patrick Shannon Pacific Northwest and Alaska Director Mark Shelley Eastern Region Director Dani Southard Northern Rockies Region Director Audrey Squires Umpqua Restoration Program Coordinator Sarah Stanely New England Program Manager Sasha Stortz Arizona Program Manager Dayle Wallien Conservation Partnerships Director Amanda Weinberger Development Assistant Jamie Werner White River National Forest Stewardship Coordinator Leah Zamesnik Partnership Coordinator

Winter | Spring 2022

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forest by the numbers

T

hanks to the diversity of landscapes— lush rainforests, alpine peaks, and more— our National Forests and Grasslands experience dramatic weather.

As our climate continues to change, these landscape will only continue to evolve. Learn more about some of the dramatic weather in our National Forest System.

WETTEST

SUNNIEST

SNOWIEST

Tongass National Forest, Alaska Annual rainfall ranges from 90 to 120 inches throughout the Forest.

Coronado National Forest, Arizona Southern Arizona receives sun 85 percent of the time between sunrise and sunset.

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington Mt. Baker sees more an average of 645 inches of snow each year.

National Forests

National Forests

El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico The Forest averages 120 inches of rain annually but has also reached 240 inches of rain in a year.

Ocala National Forest, Florida This Central Florida Forest enjoys on average 233 sunny days annually.

Olympic National Forest, Washington Portions of the Forest receive 140 inches of rain annually.

National Forests

Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon Timberline Lodge receives more than 550 inches of snow annually.

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah Alta Ski Area outside of Salt Lake City averages more than 450 inches of snow annually.

MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS Tropical Storm Irene, 2011 White Mountain National Forest 10 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours; Flooding and damage caused $10 million infrastructure damage throughout the Forest.

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Your National Forests

Boundary Waters Derecho, 1999 Superior National Forest A powerful wind storm brought winds of 80-100 mph through the forest, causing millions of trees to blow down through the Forest and iconic Boundary Water Canoe Wilderness Area.

Mt. Baker Ski Area Record Snowfall in a Season, 1998-1999 Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest The Ski Area received 1,140 inches (95 feet) of snow during the ski season.

Mt. Washington Wind Speed, 1934 White Mountain National Forest In 1934 weather observers at Mt. Washington recorded wind speeds of 231 mph. This is the fastest wind speed observed by a human (and not automated instrument).

forest foods

Backcountry Chili from a Plant-powered Long-distance Hiker

By Catie Joyce-Bulay

P

lant-powered long-distance hiker and registered dietician Anna Herby took a break from her thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) this summer to share this chili recipe, sure to warm you up after a day in the snow.

With simple, shelf-stable ingredients, it’s perfect for a night in the backcountry or in a Forest Service cabin, says Herby, who has also hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail and completed a doctorate in health sciences before hitting the CDT. Plus, the black beans provide protein, slow-burning carbohydrates, iron, calcium, and magnesium, which Herby explains are all important for recovering from a day in the outdoors.

Photo: Catie Joyce-Bulay

Backcountry Chili Ingredients 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed 16 oz. jar of your favorite salsa 8-10 oz. corn, thawed frozen or 15-oz. can, drained 1 cube of vegetable broth 1-2 tsp taco seasoning ¾ cup of water 1 avocado, cubed (optional) 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

• • • • • • • •

Instructions 1. In a large pot mix black beans, salsa, corn, water, and vegetable broth cube.

2. Bring to a boil then lower to medium heat and cooked to desired consistency (about 20 minutes).

3. Mix in taco seasoning to taste.

4. Top with optional avocado and nutritional yeast.

5. Enjoy by the fire!

Catie Joyce-Bulay is a Maine-based freelance writer focused on the outdoors, travel, farms, and craft beverages. Connect with her at catiejoycebulay.com or on Twitter @catiejoycebulay.

Winter | Spring 2022

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forest news Photos: U.S. Forest Service LTBMU

National Forest Foundation and U.S. Forest Service Finalize 20-Year Master Stewardship Agreement

S

ummer of 2021, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) finalized a 20-year Master Stewardship Agreement (MSA) with the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest (TNF), and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

This is the first 20-year MSA between the NFF and the Forest Service, and it represents a mutual commitment to the long-term health of the forests and communities within the Lake Tahoe area. The length of this agreement enables the NFF to increase both the scale and pace of projects in the Tahoe area, allowing extended agreements with local contractors, vendors, and buyers.

The MSA will also provide more stability and consistency of restoration efforts and wood supply through the next 20 years. The work that will be accomplished in the Lake Tahoe area is vital to the health of the watershed and ecosystem that provide important social and economic resources to the community like water, timber, as well as recreational and agricultural opportunities.

“Over the past five years, the NFF has invested heavily in projects throughout the Tahoe area. This MSA allows us the flexibility to think bigger, take on extended projects, and strengthen our relationships with local vendors and contractors,” said Marcus Selig, Vice President of Field Programs at the NFF. The NFF will begin its 20-year agreement by providing support and leadership for two key projects in the Tahoe

Mixed conifer forest before (above) and after (below) hand thinning treatment.

area that are now ready for implementation: the Trapper Project, a large-scale forest restoration project that will reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve ecosystem health of the North Yuba River Watershed.

And the Michigan Bluff Project, which will thin hazardous fuels adjacent to small communities in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and adjacent to the TNF, improving forest health and resiliency on a long-term scale.

“NFF is an integral part of our efforts to improve the health and resiliency of the National Forests and protect communities. This agreement solidifies our commitment to work together for the next 20 years to help meet these goals.” said Eli Ilano, Forest Supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest.

Photo: NASA

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Your National Forests

forest news Photo: iStock

How One of the West’s Most Snow-Loving Mammals Faces Peril from Climate Change

By Christine Peterson

W

hile wolverine lore describes the mountain-dwelling carnivores as elusive, they’re actually quite curious and social.

There just aren’t that many of them, and they live in some of the planet’s harshest terrain. Only about eight to 10 individual wolverines typically live in a 500-square-mile area, and their suitable habitat ranges from the northern Rockies and North Cascades in Washington through Canada and Alaska. In these winter climates, the animals depend on claws as long as 1.5 inches to scavenge carcasses from the frozen ground.

After recovering from near extinction in the early 1900s, wolverines now face a threat biologists worry they won’t be able to conquer: climate change.

“We are concerned a change in the snowpack will adversely affect any denning success,” said retired Forest Service wolverine biologist Jeff Copeland, who’s also a board member of The Wolverine Foundation.

To build their dens, female wolverines often dig down between

nine to 12 feet deep in snow. These snow caves allow females to raise their kits in a relatively temperaturecontrolled climate far away from predators and storms, and decreased winter snowpack means shallower dens that melt and collapse more quickly. Warmer temperatures may also be hard on wolverines themselves.

Wolverines evolved through the last glacial period and require frigid conditions and large expanses of wilderness to survive, said Zack Walker, nongame biologist for the

Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Today, that means their habitat is largely in National Forests and National Parks.

While researchers still have much to learn about wolverines, what’s certain is that a species with precariously few individuals cannot afford to lose many.

“We’re seeing that happen now,” Copeland said. “We’re finding places where wolverines once occurred and then blinked out, or existed and now don’t. Things are changing.”

Christine Peterson has been writing about wildlife and the environment for more than a decade from her home in Wyoming. Connect with her at christine-peterson.com or on Instagram @she.will.roam.

C O R P O R AT E P A R T N E R REI has partnered with the NFF on more than 60 projects to engage youth, enhance outdoor experiences, improve forest resiliency, and support our reforestation efforts. A major NFF partner, REI is committed to restoring and protecting our National Forests for the public benefit of all while helping inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts. We are so grateful for REI’s remarkable support!

Winter | Spring 2022

7

field

he Soo Line trail New Connectivity in Cass County, Minnesota: The Polaris Bridge in northern

By Ray A. Foote Minnesota provides a wealth of recreational access and opportunities including both motorized and human-powered activities.

Its 148 miles pass through forests, bog terrain, and other natural features.

Fifty two miles of the Soo Line trail run through the Chippewa National Forest, connecting it with two state forests and private land.

When a 2018 arsonist fire damaged a 175-foot bridge that carried the trail across the Leech River, it severed access near the town of Federal Dam, Minnesota.

Because this effectively undermined the entire purpose of a long trail tying together various communities, the bridge had to be replaced.

Working with Cass County officials, engineers, and others, the contractors installed an all-new, single-span metal truss bridge across the Leech River. The Polaris Foundation, a longtime NFF partner, provided the critical final 25 percent of the project cost, enabling the project to go forward in a timely way.

“Across Minnesota, outdoor recreation is an all-weather passion,” commented Dana Anderson, Polaris Foundation Senior Manager, Community Outreach. “When this project

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Your National Forests

reconnected the Soo Line, it was a win for people on snowmobiles, OHVs, bikes and horses, and more. Polaris was motivated to work with the NFF on this not only to foster healthy outdoor recreation, but also to show the impact partnerships can achieve.”

As National Forests and other public lands—at the local, county,

state, and federal levels—experience unprecedented visitation, assets such as the Soo Line trail are critical. This project not only builds on the roster of major recreation projects undertaken in tandem with Polaris, but also highlights the critical role publicprivate partnerships play in ensuring accessible recreation for all.

Ray A. Foote is the NFF’s Executive Vice President. Reach him at rfoote@nationalforests.org.

Photos: Cass County

T

reports

field

reports

Mission Mountains Youth Crew Connects Youth to Ancestral Heritage and Future Careers

P

By Marlee Ostheimer

art of the vast Rocky Mountains, the Mission Mountains divide Montana’s forested west from the grasslands to the east.

Two hundred years ago, the Bitterroot Salish and Pend d’Oreille crossed the Missions annually as they made their way between western Montana’s river-carved valley floors and the bison hunting grounds beyond the Rocky Mountain Front.

Today the Mission Mountain Divide forms the eastern boundary of the Flathead Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai

Tribes (CSKT). The U.S. Forest Service manages the land east of the Divide as part of the Flathead National Forest.

In its inaugural year, the NFF’s Mission Mountains Youth Crew program offered summer jobs for youth living on the Flathead Reservation. The program also provided exposure to careers in natural resources and helped build a bridge to college. In 2021, the NFF supported a crew of six high school students and two student crew leads from the Salish Kootenai College. The crew worked for seven weeks over the summer on lands managed by both CSKT and the Forest Service.

Crew members learned from Forest Service and CSKT specialists representing diverse disciplines,

including aquatics, wildlife, heritage, and recreation. Many sites of historic significance to the Tribes exist throughout the Missions, including an ancestral trail that spans the mountains that the crew spent time restoring. The program also included a heritage component brought by the Program Coordinator, Salish Kootenai College Culture and Language Department Head and CSKT tribal member Tim Ryan.

“I am always trying to get them to think about their spirituality, their culture, and their connection to the landscape. It’s important that they understand their homeland and not just the Reservation. This program is very important for that,” said Ryan of the program.

Building on the success of the pilot year, the NFF is looking forward to offering the program next summer and to the opportunities it will provide a new group of youth to connect with each other and with the land.

Photo: Nathan Noble

Marlee Ostheimer is the NFF's Conservation Partnerships Manager. Reach her at mostheimer@nationalforests.org.

C O R P O R AT E P A R T N E R

Minute Key has been a “key” partner of the NFF’s reforestation program since 2017 and continues to be an integral leader in our push to plant 50 million trees on our National Forests. By engaging consumers and donating funds, Minute Key is an essential partner in our mission.

Winter | Spring 2022

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kids and nature

Climate Change Guide for Kids

3

By Zoe Bommarito

2 1 What is climate change? Historically, the world’s climate has changed from natural causes. But during the past few hundred years, the earth’s temperature has increased due to elevated levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.

Due to human-caused emissions, the climate is changing at a more rapid pace than it has ever before.

How does climate change impact us? Climate change not only causes rising temperatures, but also extreme weather events, drought, ocean currents, and rising sea levels.

Learn more about climate change and spread the word about how we can all do our part.

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Your National Forests

kids and nature

What can I do to help?

There are so many ways to help the environment. Here are a few ideas:

1 Rather than driving to nearby places, choose to walk, bike, or take public transportation.

2 Reduce and reuse the “things” in your life. Patch up old clothes, choose a glass water bottle, and take your own bags to the grocery store.

3 Talk to your friends, family, and community about climate change.

Education is powerful!

Test your knowledge!

How much do you know about climate change and the environment?

Select true or false for each fact below. Check your answers at the bottom of the page.

1 Climate change impacts more than just the temperature.

2 Climate and weather are the same thing.

3 Rapid climate change affects wildlife in our National Forests.

2

1 3

1. True. Climate change impacts our weather patterns, ecosystems, and more.

2. False. Climate is the long-term pattern of weather conditions and temperatures.

3. True. Climate change can change ecosystems and habitat conditions, forcing some animals to migrate and/or wildlife populations to decrease.

Zoe Bommarito was the NFF’s Marketing Manager.

Winter | Spring 2022

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tree spotlight

American Chestnut

By Ellyn Lapointe

Photo: iStock

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Your National Forests

tree spotlight

O

ver a century ago, the American chestnut dominated the hardwood forests of the Eastern Seaboard. Its magnificent trunk supported broad, low-sweeping canopies, providing humans and animals alike with shelter.

In summer, the blooms of nearly four billion trees transformed these forests into a sea of delicate white tendrils known as catkins that fed honeybees and other pollinators.

In autumn, the blooms hardened into spiny capsules, each containing three nuts, which fed wildlife including wild turkeys, black bears, and white-tailed deer. Even the soil was nourished by this tree, as its fallen leaves released high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium as they decomposed.

The chestnut was also intrinsic to the livelihoods of Indigenous people and European settlers. The Cherokee, Iroquois, and Mohegan tribes relied on it for food, medicine, kindling, and woodworking, and would burn and clear forests to assist the tree’s growth. People ground the nuts into flour, ate them raw or roasted, and fed them to livestock. Their ripening coincided with the holiday season, and many European settlers spent Christmas Eve savoring the fruits of the autumn harvest. It was also a major cash crop for rural communities, and remained key to the economy, ecology, and culture of the region until chestnut blight, introduced to the United States in the early 1900s, rendered the tree functionally extinct. Today, the species persists only as an early-succession-stage shrub.

Efforts to develop a disease-tolerant and genetically diverse population of American chestnut that will adapt to a changing climate have been ongoing since the 1980s. Because this work relies on genetic modification techniques including controlled breeding, transgenics, and biocontrol, the trees will require USDA approval before they can be established in the wild, which is unprecedented.

Ellyn Lapointe graduated from the University of Vermont in 2020 with degrees in writing and environmental science. Based in Burlington, Vermont, she is a budding freelance journalist with a passion for writing about solutions to environmental issues and is pursuing a career in science communication.

Species in a Snapshot: Name: Castanea dentata, American chestnut Height: Less than 20 feet tall today, but historically grew to be more than 100 feet tall, and 50 to 75 feet wide Circumference: 5 to 8 feet Life Span: 250-300 years Range: Maine and Southern Ontario to Mississippi, and from the Atlantic Coast to the Appalachian Mountains and the Ohio Valley

Foliage: Deciduous; leaves are long and canoe-shaped, with a matte surface, a lance-shaped tip, and coarse, forward-hooked teeth; leaves turn bright yellow before they fall in autumn.

Seeds: Technically a fruit, chestnuts are smooth shelled and round in shape with one pointed end. A deep reddish brown color, they are also high in vitamin C, low in fat, and enjoyed by humans and animals alike.

Bark: Young trees have smooth, chestnut-brown bark, while the bark of mature trees is shallowly fissured into flat ridges, and older trees develop distinctive, interlacing ridges.

Wood: Straight-grained, hard, and rot resistant, making it ideal for building construction, furniture, and even musical instruments. The tannins from the wood and bark can also be used to tan leather.

Winter | Spring 2022

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unforgettable

experiences

The Leader

Ice climber Manoah Ainuu is changing the narrative around outdoor recreation

By Emily Stifler Wolfe

Although he was an avid downhill skier and rock climber, he hadn’t made time to try ice. But since the snowpack was thin at the local ski area, Manoah agreed to join friends in Hyalite Canyon, south of Bozeman in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

At the time, he was a sophomore at Montana State University, and that day in Hyalite changed the trajectory of his life.

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Your National Forests

Six months prior, Manoah’s father Layne had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Manoah hadn’t wanted to leave home in Spokane, Washington, to return to school while his dad was sick, but his parents had encouraged him to continue his education. Now he could hardly focus on his geology studies.

After that day on the ice, he reduced his class load for the spring semester and began ice climbing four

Photo: Jason Thompson Photography

rom the moment he first swung an ice tool in December of 2016, Manoah Ainuu loved everything about ice climbing.

to five times a week. In Hyalite, as he challenged himself on the shimmering blue and green frozen waterfalls, Manoah found some relief from his worry and grief.

Four years later, Layne is free of cancer, and Manoah is now a full-time professional climber on The North Face team. The 26-year-old has alpine climbed in Alaska, established new routes in the Custer Gallatin National Forest of Montana, and done multi-day ascents of big walls in Yosemite.

He’s taught inner city kids in Atlanta and Memphis the basics of climbing, and starred in Black Ice, a 2021 film documenting some of those same Memphis climbers on a transformative journey to Montana. He’s spoken out on his Instagram account, @adreadedclimber, about racism and since stepped back, choosing instead to focus on one-on-one connections.

“I know my role,” he said. “Real talk, and taking people climbing who couldn’t go by themselves to share what I know about life. My climbing is a vehicle for that.”

Having spent his early years in Los Angeles, Manoah is keenly aware of the young kids in his family and the Black communities he’s served that look up to him. He knows that when he’s in a film or a magazine, those kids can see themselves there, too. As the outdoor industry lurches forward along the path of diversifying its ranks, it—like the rest of America—is finding the existing systems inadequate.

Manoah, at once proudly defiant and deeply kind, is at the forefront of that movement.

“I have a lot of things to say,” he said.

If you’re lucky enough to go out with him, the day’s conversation may range from music and climbing to race, equity, the environment, food, and love. For Manoah, all of these things

unforgettable

Photo: Drew Smith Media

are connected, and they’re all rooted in family.

Manoah’s father Layne, the son of Samoan immigrants, was born in gang-ridden Compton, California, in LA County, and moved to neighboring Carson as a boy. Layne met Manoah’s mother Almaz, originally from Ethiopia, in a Christian missions training program in Mumbasa, Kenya. When Manoah and his sister Mahilet were young, they lived in Carson, where Almaz taught elementary school and Layne managed a medical laboratory.

Nearly 200 of Layne’s relatives lived nearby, and every year, Layne took the kids and their cousins skiing at Big Bear Mountain Resort on the San Bernadino National Forest.

But the threat of violence kept them on edge. So, when Layne received a job offer in Spokane, they moved. Manoah was nine. A few years later, Almaz opened an Ethiopian restaurant, where Manoah worked during high school. He ran track and played football, skied at nearby resorts on the Colville, Idaho Panhandle, and Lolo National Forests, and tried rock climbing at a local state park. When it came time for college, he chose Montana State University because there was world class skiing nearby.

During Layne’s battle with cancer, father and son spoke often. In one of those conversations, Manoah told Layne he felt torn between climbing and school. He wanted to pursue climbing, but he knew his parents valued education. Because Manoah had taken his family climbing, Layne understood how empowering it was.

Reaching the top of a climb had even given him new belief that he could beat cancer. Layne encouraged Manoah to follow his passion.

After that, Manoah pursued climbing full bore, honing his raw athleticism and enthusiasm into rock solid competence and grace in the vertical world.

“Sometimes ice climbing can be really serious because it’s high risk, but

with Manoah, it’s a light-hearted thing and an escape from all the heaviness he feels with the rest of the world,” said Dave Burleson, athlete manager at The North Face who’s become a dear friend. “When he’s on the wall or on a pillar of ice, he looks weightless, both physically and mentally, because he’s having a moment of pure joy.”

But it hasn’t been simple, especially when 2020’s racial reckoning brought unwanted attention.

After George Floyd’s death, dozens of photographers, writers, and companies reached out to Manoah offering sponsorship without taking the time to learn anything about who he was as a person.

“That's what tokenism is,” Manoah said.

Knowing they just wanted to use him for their own advantage, he turned almost all of them away, and soon the moment faded.

“It's hard, but this is what he wants to do,” said Manoah’s wife Rachel.

“Basically, his life is explaining to people why he has value. It’s emotionally exhausting, but you have to say it so you can pave the way for others. So

experiences

that one day, a Black climber doesn't have to explain himself.”

With The North Face, Manoah’s job includes participating in photo shoots, instructing at ice festivals and climbing clinics, and attending events like Color the Crag, an annual festival celebrating diversity in climbing.

Manoah and Rachel keep a pair of pet Nigerian dwarf goats named Fela and Chidi, named after a prominent Nigerian musician and actor, plus a flock of chickens, in their Bozeman backyard.

Manoah talks about going back to school for business and maybe opening his own Ethiopian restaurant someday. But first, he’s signed on to something significant: The first all Black and Brown expedition to attempt Mount Everest, planned for 2022.

As he trains for Everest in his Montana backyard, Manoah is leading by example every day, one human connection at a time.

“I love bringing more people into the Forest and public lands,” he said.

“It’s a special experience. Why wouldn't you want to share that?”

Emily Wolfe is an independent writer and brand consultant in Bozeman, Montana. She is a contributing editor to Your National Forests.

Find her at emilystiflerwolfe.com.

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Photo: Jason Thompson Photography

When he’s on the wall or on a pillar of ice, he looks weightless, both physically and mentally, because he’s having a moment of pure joy.

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Warm Memories Cooler Climates

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By Chris Kalman

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anice Manuel sits beneath a small stand of ponderosa pines on a hot summer day.

The trees are an island of shade in the middle of sunny Hart Prairie, the massive, wide open meadow green from summer monsoons.

Sprinkled among the tall grasses, wildflowers, and Bebb’s willows (the southernmost stand of Bebbs in the world) are 20 or so 20-somethings, all Hopi and Tewa. Like Manuel, they are workers for Ancestral Lands, an Indigenous conservation corps tasked with removing waste wood from sunny Hart Prairie, a wide open meadow near Flagstaff, Arizona. Above them is the rugged skyline of the San Francisco Peaks, known as Nuva’tukya’ovi, or “The Place of Snow on the Very Top,” to Manuel’s people.

The sounds of chainsaws and hydraulic log splitters permeate the air, making it difficult to hear what Manuel has to say.

“Well,” she starts softly, seemingly uncertain whether I will find her story as relevant as she does.

“About the coal?” She pauses.

Then she smiles. Her face seems to glow from the inside as she recalls cold winter mornings in the village of Bacavi on Third Mesa, about 100 miles northeast from where she stands. Manuel and her cousins would wake, take showers, then huddle in front of the stove to warm up while their grandparents combed their hair. It’s clear by her expression and tone that it’s a good memory—a cherished one.

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Your National Forests

Photo: Jen Magnuson Photography

How the Wood For Life program in northern Arizona fights climate change and helps Indigenous families

featured project “Just sitting next to that warm fire,” she says. “That’s what I think about when I think about coal.”

On November 18, 2019, the biggest coal-burning power plant in the American West consumed its last load of coal. Located outside of Page, Arizona, and adjacent to the Navajo and Hopi nations, Navajo Generating Station (NGS) had long been on the fritz. With mounting repair bills, falling prices in competing energy utilities, and coal’s general notoriety as a carbon polluter, the shutdown was not a question of if, but when.

While climate activists applauded the shuttering of NGS, the closure caused massive problems for the Navajo and Hopi. Close to 750 jobs were lost overnight. Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Chairman of the Hopi nation, then and now, estimated that the NGS closure would cause a $12 million revenue loss, roughly 80-85 percent of the tribe’s general fund budget.

If the budget cuts were bad, what was arguably worse was the sudden loss of access to inexpensive and often free fuel from the mine that also fed the NGS.

“Everybody [on Hopi] relies on coal as their primary heating source,” said Marshall Masayesva, Hopi Program Manager for Ancestral Lands. “When [NGS] closed… nobody was prepared.”

With winter temperatures regularly dipping into the teens or below and the coldest season rapidly approaching, a long-relied upon source of heat and cooking fuel had suddenly disappeared. The Navajo and Hopi nations needed fuel, and fast.

Meanwhile, the Coconino National Forest in northern Arizona had a fuel excess it was actively trying to get rid of. After several decades of fire suppression, the Coconino— like many western forests—is so overgrown that if and when a fire happens, it burns hotter and more catastrophically than it historically would have. When a modern forest fire rips through a stand of trees, it often doesn’t just take out the understory. It also kills the old growth.

Photo: Jen Magnuson Photography

Brent Nahsonhoya, Crew Member with the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, uses a chainsaw to cut a tree trunk into rounds to be split.

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featured project Photo: Jen Magnuson Photography

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Hopi Office Crew Member, Ellsworth Hamilton, positions a log onto a splitter with the help of Gregori Yestewa, as Sherice Keevama (right) prepares to operate the splitter.

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featured project Photo: U.S. Forest Service

Wood dedicated to the Wood for Life efforts is loaded for transportation at a sawmill.

One obvious solution is to simply thin the forests, but that can be prohibitively expensive. “Logging has taken a beating over the last 30-40 years,” says Jake Dahlin, who manages the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project for the Forest’s Flagstaff Ranger District. “The costs of diesel coupled with the lack of truckers has made it… economically unfeasible to log timber.”

In late 2019, Tribal officials and Forest Service staff saw an elegant way to address both problems simultaneously: Take wood from overgrown forests, turn it into firewood, and bring it to Navajo and Hopi communities in need. They called the initiative Wood For Life.

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Today, Wood for Life is in full swing, with projects completed or underway on Bill Williams Mountain, Lockett Meadow, and Hart Prairie. Crews have chopped more than 1,600 cords of wood, which the program has transported to Navajo and Hopi families, and as of fall 2021 an estimated 1,150 cords more are in the works.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Masayesva says while filing the teeth on his chainsaw. “One, we’re providing fuel to our community. Two, we’re actively engaging as stewards of the land on projects that are being initiated by organizations like the National Forest Foundation and the Forest Service. To me it’s a perfect example of how nonprofits, NGOs, and agency partners can work together.”

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featured project Photo: Jen Magnuson Photography

Daryl Domingo and Anthony Domingo, from the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Hopi Office, work splitting logs from felled trees into firewood for the Wood for Life program.

Situations like these are fairly rare in the conservation world. Far more common are stories like the NGS shutdown, in which a so-called climate victory is accompanied by loss of jobs, or other disasters for often marginalized communities. Consider electric cars, which require lithium batteries.

Getting that lithium has often meant mining in socioeconomically depressed regions like the Atacama Desert in Chile, where Indigenous lands have been decimated by this so-called “green” industry.

As Masayesva said, what makes Wood for Life so special is that everyone wins. The Coconino National Forest and surrounding communities are minimizing the risk of severe forest fires in a low impact way. And, the Navajo and Hopi are accessing an affordable

solution for some of their fuel needs. So it’s no surprise that the program has generated a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.

“We have Congressional staffers contacting us, asking how they can implement something like Wood for Life more broadly,” says NFF Arizona Program Manager Sasha Stortz. In fact, there’s even reason to believe Wood for Life may serve as a pilot for other National Forests around the country.

That said, Stortz is quick to clarify that Wood For Life is not intended to be a long term solution. It’s more of a transitional period—a bridge over the next decade or two between the past (coal) and the future (wind and solar).

What makes Wood for Life so special is that everyone wins.

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featured project Photo: U.S. Forest Service

Cameron Chapter House Tribal Leaders receiving fuelwood.

Ultimately, there are less carbon-heavy ways to heat homes and cook than burning wood. But using wood in this way is much less impactful than a full scale wildfire. Simply by removing fuels from the forest, Wood for Life contributes to the forest restoration needed to reduce the carbon emissions from high severity wildfires.

“We have to come at all this with humility, but we also have a responsibility to act,” Stortz says. “There can be good fire, even in the forest we have now, but I’ve also seen fires that burn so hot and so intensely that trees won’t come back on their own. Doing nothing is accepting something that I am not personally ready to accept.”

When we consider possible solutions to big problems like the climate crisis, we often forget to look beyond facts and figures. What’s more difficult, but imperative, is

to be cognizant of how big policy changes affect all the communities involved—especially ones that have been traditionally excluded and exploited.

On paper, the NGS shutdown was a good idea. From a climate perspective, it still is. But when you look beyond the carbon footprint, you see people like Janice Manuel, for whom the end of coal presents an uncertain and chilling future.

Wood for Life is an innovative and promising way to make sure Navajo and Hopi families are not left behind when big steps are taken toward reversing climate change.

It’s one way to make sure that cherished tradition of Manuel’s—winter mornings with her cousins warming up beside the fire—can still have a place in a post-coal world.

Learn more and donate to the Wood for Life program at nationalforests.org/woodforlife.

Chris Kalman is a freelance journalist and the author of two novellas: As Above, So Below (a finalist for the Mountain Fiction and Poetry Award at the 2018 Banff Mountain Film Festival), and Dammed If You Don’t (winner of the 2021 Banff Mountain Fiction and Poetry award). You can buy books and learn more at chriskalman.com.

C O R P O R AT E P A R T N E R Filson has been supporting the people who manage and work on National Forests since the company’s start in 1897. For the past five years, Filson has directly invested in on-the-ground projects through strategic initiatives to restore lookout towers and to plant trees. Filson has used its platform to raise the profile of the NFF and bring awareness to issues facing our National Forests. Thank you Filson for your incredible partnership!

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Bringing Longleaf Pine Home to the ChattahoocheeOconee National Forests in Georgia Native pine key to maintaining future forest health

By Xander Peters

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Your National Forests

Photo: Alamy.com

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omewhere, right now, a red-cockaded woodpecker just landed on a loblolly pine tree in northern Georgia’s ChattahoocheeOconee National Forests. It’s no larger than a cardinal.

The bird is hungry, so it scans for food among the loblolly’s dying bark and branches. It finds little on the tree, a type of pine that’s historically less common to the red-cockaded woodpecker’s native environment, or in the dense forest canopy underneath it. Still, the bird knows to continue the nesting process it will need shelter, so it searches for the safest place to build a nest in the loblolly. It pecks for weeks and months on end, but the loblolly’s dense core is impenetrable.

Historically, the red-cockaded woodpecker would continue this process for up to 12 years, its longest recorded lifespan. These days, the species would be lucky to live so long—the red-cockaded woodpecker has been on the endangered species list since October 1970. Its decline is in large part due to habitat loss, wildlife biologists say. There are estimates that prior to European arrival in North America, there were roughly 1.5 million groups of the species—bird families, so to speak—across the red-cockaded woodpecker’s expansive native range, which spanned from Florida to Virginia and west to southeast Oklahoma and eastern Texas. Today, only about 5,600 family units—about 14,000 birds—remain.

The red-cockaded woodpecker’s overall health is directly connected to that of the longleaf and shortleaf pines, native tree species that once accounted for more than 141,000 square miles of the same far-ranging region where the woodpeckers once thrived.

“If you look at a 20-year-old loblolly plantation, there’s a biological desert underneath,” says Mike Hennigan, a silviculturist at the U.S. Forest Service who’s helping lead the Chattahoochee-Oconee restoration effort. “If you look at a 20-year-old longleaf stand, it provides so much habitat for so many different critters in the world. That’s part of what we’re looking at here.”

Now, with support from the National Forest Foundation, forestry officials in the ChattahoocheeOconee National Forests are working to protect these valuable woodlands to better conserve the species that depend upon them.

Through corporate and small business partners, fundraisers, and individual donors, the NFF has raised the

featured project funds to cover the costs of the project’s seedlings. Since 2018, professional contractors have planted nearly 700,000 longleaf and shortleaf pine seedlings across three ranger districts spanning almost 1,100 acres.

Red-cockaded woodpeckers are referred to as a “keystone” species, meaning many other types of wildlife depend on them for survival. The red-headed woodpecker and eastern bluebird, for example, both nest in cavities bored by red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Without the longleaf, these and many other species would fail to thrive in their native environment.

Starting more than 12,000 years ago, and lasting for centuries until European arrival, Indigenous peoples across the longleaf’s original North American range intentionally lit fires to remove forest undergrowth. These fires promoted both plant and animal biodiversity, from grasses, wildflowers, and legumes, to wild turkey, bobwhite quail, and white-tailed deer.

“With longleaf and the ability to burn it every three to five years, you maintain a grassy component, and you also keep the foreign tolerant species out,” Hennigan said, pointing to the southern pine beetle that appears in loblolly roughly every 10 years as one example.

In comparison, loblolly aren’t as fire tolerant, so prescribed burns don’t work in the same way. Because of this, loblolly stands develop thick understory growth that pushes out native species.

“You keep the canopy from closing,” Hennigan added, referring to the difference in prescription fire management for the different pine species. That’s the difference between longleaf and a loblolly stand, “hence the biological desert of a 20- to 30-year-old loblolly stand.”

For more than a century, though, the longleaf has had its own test of survival.

Following the American Civil War, hardwood pine from the lush longleaf forests of the southern U.S. became the material of choice for not just the region, but a nation rebuilding itself after war devastated the homes of millions.

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

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Historical range of longleaf pine

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featured project land, particularly if we’re looking out into the future, is to maintain a healthy habitat.”

Hennigan likes to envision what that future might look like for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.

He imagines one day his grandchildren might drive cross country in a Jeep, the top rolled down. If they’re trained to understand the forest around them, he hopes they’ll be gazing upon a habitat recreated by their grandparents.

He wants them to understand something important: “[that someone] took the thought and the plans—and implemented it over time.”

Photo: U.S. Forest Service

Xander Peters is a freelance writer living in New Orleans. His work has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Rolling Stone, Reason, and The Bitter Southerner, among others.

C O R P O R AT E P A R T N E R Subaru joined the NFF’s 50 Million For Our Forests campaign in 2019 as part of their “Subaru Loves the Earth Promise.”

That promise soon expanded, and by 2022, Subaru will have planted 1,000,000 trees on National Forests in need in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, making it one of the NFF’s largest tree planting partners in our organization’s history. Thank you, Subaru!

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Photo right: Alamy.com

The longleaf logging heyday wouldn’t last, however, as excessive logging combined with The Great Depression shook the industry to its core.

But President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 New Deal offered a lifeline to the timber industry as the legislation sought to put the nation back to work through programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built national and state parks and replanted pine populations. But instead of replanting longleaf pines, which grew slowly, forestry officials opted for the loblolly and other similar varieties, which grow quickly and provide profit for landowners.

By the 1980s, just 5,300 square miles of the original longleaf forest remained.

In the last 50 years, longleaf pine forests have expanded and now cover just over 7,300 square miles, according to America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative’s 2020 accomplishment report. The growth is partially due to a recognition of the tree as a symbol of southern heritage.

Nonprofit groups have planted about a quarter of the current population since 2010.

Among the main drivers for longleaf restoration is concern for other species endangered by habitat loss, said Dale Brockway, a fire and restoration ecologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“That’s really been the catalyst behind it, because everyone who’s scientifically informed knows that without the appropriate habitat, no species can survive and complete its life cycle,” Brockway said.

The Chattahoochee-Oconee project aims to further the overall restoration efforts, such as returning these sites back to their native habitat by planting longleaf and shortleaf pine seedlings and providing support for recovery from insect and disease outbreaks, while helping shoulder the effort financially.

However, Hennigan notes that this type of project will not consist of a quick turnaround. More accurately, he says with a light laugh, the majestic stands of restored longleaf that once populated the southern U.S. will be something that “our great-great-grandchildren will see.”

That’s Hennigan’s wish as a conservationist, both by trade and passion. He also understands the heightened need for ecological restoration during the climate crisis.

“We’ve got predictions, we’ve got models,” Hennigan says. “But the single greatest thing that we can do as foresters, as land managers, and as stewards of the

featured project

...the single greatest thing that we can do as foresters, as land managers and as stewards of the land, particularly if we’re looking out into the future, is to maintain a healthy habitat.

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people of public lands

Interview by Hannah Featherman

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arden educator and sustainability advocate

Cindy Villaseñor knows that one person can make a big impact.

Whether it’s because of one memorable class with a college professor or a short conversation with an elementary school student, Cindy appreciates the power of just one action or conversation.

From a low-waste wedding to sustainable camping, Cindy is doing her part to ensure our environment stays as healthy as possible for future generations. When she’s not teaching Los Angeles youth about gardening and sustainability, she loves to explore the National Forests and public lands of California.

Where did your interest in sustainable living originate?

During my last semester at Pasadena City College before transferring to CSU Northridge, I took an environmental science course. The professor really opened my eyes to the problems our environment is facing. And it was during a spring break field trip with that class that my eyes were opened to the impending drought and other challenges in the region.

I remember leaving her class in tears. I was so devastated for the environment. Because of her class, I changed my major and started my journey towards a low-waste lifestyle. Through my time at CSU Northridge, I discovered a love for gardening and teaching which led to my job as a Garden Ranger with EnrichLA. I know that my individual choices may not make a big impact on our big problems. But I know that each individual action can inspire others.

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Photos: Cindy Villaseñor

Cindy Villaseñor:

Choosing a Sustainable Lifestyle for our Planet

people of public lands What does your job as a Garden Ranger include?

I’m essentially a garden teacher. We partner with elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District to not only build gardens at the schools but teach the students as well. We cover seed and flower anatomy as well as lessons about the growing season and composting.

Prior to the pandemic we started to incorporate low-waste principles and how it connects to gardening.

What are some easy steps individuals can take towards a sustainable and low-waste lifestyle?

I’d start by taking a look at your trash. Make a tally of what you’re throwing away and see if you can reduce it. For example, instead of getting snacks in plastic, look into bulk snacks or making your own.

Also generally look at what you’re bringing into your home. Do you actually need that? Is it recyclable? Can you repair it?

Make a tally of what you're throwing away and see if you can reduce it.

What are some of your favorite low-waste camping recipes or cooking tips?

One of our staple recipes is a vegan soy chorizo scramble with package-free produce. For a breakfast bowl we’ll add chopped bell peppers, onion, and potatoes with the soy chorizo for a tasty meal.

We try to prep as many food items at home as possible and bring reusable containers. So much camping waste comes from eating and food preparation.

How does spending time in our National Forests and public lands inspire your work?

A few weeks ago, we spent time camping in the San Bernardino National Forest where we had a beautiful meadow and forest view. And while I love being in the garden, when we go to the Forest, it reminds me that not only do I want to continue enjoying this landscape, but I want to make sure children of the future can as well.

Where are some of your favorite places to visit on our National Forests?

I love visiting the Inyo National Forest, specifically exploring all of the high alpine lakes. And while we recently visited the San Bernardino National Forest, I’ve just started to explore the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in the Angeles National Forest. It’s been my backyard for 30 years and I’m just now taking the time to discover the area.

Learn more about Cindy at cerowastecindy.com and follow her on Instagram at @cerowastecindy.

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people of public lands

Interview by Hannah Featherman

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hile Dr. Naomi Fraga may not have connected with plants specifically as a child, she appreciated the outdoors and natural spaces. Memorable visits to National Forests and public lands while in middle and high school left a lasting impression.

Today she is Director of Conservation Programs at the California Botanic Garden where she focuses on studying and ensuring the heath of California’s vast native plant species. From monitoring and surveying of rare plants to removing invasive plants on National Forests, her work ensures plants continue to provide critical benefits for our society and the natural world.

Where did you grow up and when did your interest in plants first start?

Growing up in Los Angeles County, my world primarily existed within the built environment. I often felt trapped and didn’t have a lot of access to natural spaces, even

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though I lived 10 or 15 minutes from the border of the Angeles National Forest.

When I was in sixth grade, one of my teachers who lived near the Forest, took us on a field trip. I remember being mesmerized by nature. And when I was in high school, I had the opportunity to take a road trip to the east side of the state and visit some really magnificent places. Both of these experiences made a really strong impression on me.

I didn’t start studying plants specifically until I was an undergraduate at Cal Poly Pomona. While I studied biology and environmental conservation, I volunteered at the California Botanic Garden. They were hooked on plants and before I knew it they had me hooked on plants.

Why is it important to study rare plants?

Plants are foundational for terrestrial environments across the planet. Rare plants are a key part of ecosystems and wildlife habitat. They support pollinators and create their own little ecosystems within a landscape.

In California we have rich variety of plants and nearly one third of them, about 2,300 different plants, have some sort of rarity ranking. These plants represent irreplaceable diversity. Due to the rapid change in our environment from climate change, they are some of the most vulnerable to extinction.

It’s important that we monitor and care for them to ensure they can stick around for many generations beyond my lifetime and continue to support healthy ecosystems.

Photo: Naomi Fraga

Protecting Plants Big and Small: Naomi Fraga, Ph.D.

people of public lands Photo: Naomi Fraga

I would challenge anyone to live an hour of their life without plants. I think they would find it difficult!

What is something people may not realize about being a botanist?

Photo: Cedric Lee

While studying plants doesn’t offer the same tangible benefits of other professions, studying plants is incredibly important, even if you live in built environments.

We rely on plants every day. Our water supply comes from public lands where the plants filter our water that eventually makes it to our tap. They provide oxygen and for millennia have provided us with medicine, food, and shelter.

I would challenge anyone to live an hour of their life without plants. I think they would find it difficult!

People may not realize just how essential it is that we understand the plant world so that we can conserve it for future generations. Plants are so valuable and improve our lives in so many ways, we just may not recognize it right away.

What is a plant unique to Southern California that people can find on the surrounding National Forests?

Dudleya densiflora San Gabriel Mountains Dudleya Photo: Naomi Fraga

A popular plant right now are live-forevers in the genus Dudleya. They’re a succulent that grows out of rock walls and can be very showy. While they can be very desirable, it’s important for visitors to appreciate them in their native habitat.

One in particular, the San Gabriel Mountains live-forever, is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains and can only be found within a few canyons, mostly on the Angeles National Forest.

It’s rare and a special treat when you see one.

What are some of your favorite National Forests to visit and explore?

I’ve explored and hiked within my backyard National Forests more than any other forest. They are my home. When I think about going to the forest, I always think of the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests.

Follow Naomi on Instagram at @naomibot and learn more about her work at the California Botanic Garden at calbg.org.

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where in the woods This National Forest includes three rivers popular for rafting and other water sports.

Answer from page 3: Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, Idaho Photos: U.S. Forest Service

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he Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests cover 4 million acres of north-central Idaho and offers truly unforgettable experiences in this rugged landscape.

Floaters travel from across the country for thrills and beautiful scenery on the Selway, Lochsa, and Salmon rivers. Steeped in history, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests are the traditional home of the Nimiipuu Native Americans.

Stay at one at the historic Forest Service cabins or lookout towers available for rent or find a spot at one

of the more than 70 campgrounds throughout the Forest. Nearly half of the Forest is designated Wilderness— offering visitors remote and unique experiences. In summer, visit Elk Creek Falls Recreation Area and take in the canyon’s three waterfalls. And in winter, explore Lolo Pass for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobile adventures.

C O R P O R AT E P A R T N E R Protecting America’s forests is important to Fortune Brands Home & Security (FBHS), a leading manufacturer of of home and security products, and its subsidiaries Fiberon Decking and MasterBrand Cabinets. Over the past three years, FBHS has planted more than 100,000 trees as part of the NFF’s campaign to plant 50 million trees on our National Forests. We are grateful and excited to work with FBHS, Fiberon Decking, and MasterBrand Cabinets to protect our public lands.

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HELP US PLANT 50 MILLION TREES It’s so simple. Every dollar plants one tree.

But the impacts are anything but simple.

Every tree we plant can: Protect Watersheds and Clean Drinking Water Restore Wildlife Habitat Absorb and Store Carbon

What impact will you make? nationalforests.org/50Million

Become a Friend of Public Lands Today

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