Lauren Sommer
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
forests are overgrown with vegetation, which puts them at risk of extreme wildfires that kill trees and spread into communities.
So the Forest Service does work every year to reduce that risk.
They often set controlled burns during the cool season, which clears out the underbrush.
In 2025, the Trump administration burned only about half the area that was burned in recent years.
In a statement, the Forest Service says that's because staff was occupied fighting wildfires last year.
But some wildfire experts say the work slowed down after the Trump administration tried to shrink the agency last year, leading to the loss of thousands of employees.
forests are overgrown with vegetation, which puts them at risk of extreme wildfires that kill trees and spread into communities.
So the Forest Service does work every year to reduce that risk.
They often set controlled burns during the cool season, which clears out the underbrush.
In 2025, the Trump administration burned only about half the area that was burned in recent years.
In a statement, the Forest Service says that's because staff was occupied fighting wildfires last year.
But some wildfire experts say the work slowed down after the Trump administration tried to shrink the agency last year, leading to the loss of thousands of employees.
It's the annual spring migration.
Almost 250 million birds are traveling across the U.S.
Most birds migrate at night, and some are on journeys that take them from South America all the way to the Arctic.