By Robert Westover, USDA Forest Service Office of Communcations

Working to implement and respond to the USDA strategic plan, the Forest Service’s National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change sets priorities for responding to a changing climate. USDA’s strategic plan was announced in mid-June. The plan describes the Department’s major programmatic policies and covers the myriad programs and services that USDA administers. Under the plan, Forest Service field units will be held accountable for showing progress each year. Read more »

By Ron Morton, Assistant State Public Affairs Specialist, Athens, Georgia

In the 1930s, a rural Georgia wetland was drained to help control the spread of malaria. As the land dried, water-loving wildlife like the endangered wood stork had to find a new home or perish. Eventually, the land became dry and tillable and was converted to farmland. Read more »

By Michael Jones, Ohio USDA Public Information Coordinator

Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur invited USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Cheryl L. Cook to attend a district sponsored USDA Resource Fair earlier this month. Cook and about 90 business owners, agricultural growers, local community leaders and residents gathered to evaluate available financial and technical assistance resources at multiple events in the Toledo and Huron County area. Read more »

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

By Joe Reilly, Associate Administrator, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

I grew up on a small farm near Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, where my family – like many others across the United States – helped provide the food and fiber to build and sustain America. Visiting these types of farm communities today there is a distinctive change on the rural horizon from when I was a child – the presence of wind turbines, solar panels, ethanol plants, and other bioenergy tools and resources. Read more »