Forests

"Drought Turns Southeastern US Into ‘Tinderbox’ as Wildfires Rage"

"Drought and fire are a dangerous duo. The Southeastern United States is witnessing this firsthand as several major blazes burn tens of thousands of acres across the parched region, destroying homes and prompting evacuations in some areas. Florida and Georgia have been particularly hard hit, and strong winds and unusually low humidity have made it difficult to combat the flames."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/29/2026

Will Changes to US Forest Service Erase a Century of Historical Documents?

"Sweeping changes underway at the federal agency tasked with protecting the nation’s forests could result in the loss of more than a century of critical historical documents, conservationists warn."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/27/2026

Fast-Growing Georgia Wildfire Tops 31 Square Miles; Evacuations Possible

"One of two large wildfires in southeastern Georgia continues to grow and now exceeds 31 square miles (80 square kilometers), officials reported Sunday. The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20 and as of Saturday had destroyed at least 87 homes. On Sunday morning, officials said it was only 7% contained."

Source: AP, 04/27/2026

#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff, Nathaniel Eisen, Nhung Nguyen and Marlowe Starling provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

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Wildfires Used To ‘Sleep’ At Night. Climate Now Makes Them Burn Overtime

"Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

"The American Chestnut And Its Central Place In The Eastern Landscape"

"In a quiet stretch of western Massachusetts stands a sycamore so old it was around when the Constitution was signed. It’s awe-inspiring, with branches bigger than the entire trunks of most trees. ... In the eastern United States, that rare sense of awe was once supplied in bulk by the American chestnut."

Source: AP, 04/17/2026

Congress Votes To Remove Mining Moratorium On Boundary Waters Watershed

"Despite hours of impassioned arguments from Sen. Tina Smith, the U.S. Senate ended a Biden-era moratorium on mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed."

Source: MinnPost, 04/17/2026

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