Forests

"A helicopter pilot who repeatedly flew over Curry County homes while spraying herbicides on clear cuts in 2013, drawing 20 complaints of illness, will not face any monetary fine from the state."

"A wildfire burning unchecked in Washington state has destroyed at least 23 homes and three commercial buildings near the eastern foothills of the Cascades, state police and emergency management officials said on Monday."

"Following on a record hot May in which much snow cover melted off early, Alaska saw no less than 152 fires erupt over the weekend. The numbers have only grown further since then, and stood at 291 active fires Thursday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center."

"The southern pine beetle, which for generations has attacked forests throughout the southeastern United States, is methodically making its way into the Northeast, destroying thousands of trees in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere."

"Firefighters were working on Friday to contain several massive wildfires raging from Alaska to drought-hit California that have forced hundreds of people to evacuate from their homes and damaged dozens of structures."

"Two fast-spreading Alaska wildfires have forced a series of evacuations, destroyed up to 45 homes and forced authorities to restrict traffic on a major highway connecting two of the state's largest cities, state officials said on Monday."

"Climate change is a burning issue for the United States and particularly the American West, according to U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, whose department has to fight increasingly intense forest and range fires."

"A surprise agreement has been reached by envoys from about 190 nations after about a decade of talks on how to reduce deforestation in developing countries to help curb climate change."

"An unusually wet May reduced the likelihood of wildfires during June over much of the nation, but the danger will increase from July through September, the National Interagency Fire Center said in its latest outlook report."

"OAK CITY, N.C. — For the sake of a greener Europe, thousands of American trees are falling each month in the forests outside this cotton-country town."