u.s. forest service

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management trail marker is shown along the Arch Canyon trail in Bears Ears National Monument, New Mexico, U.S., October 27, 2017. Photo by Andrew Cullen/Reuters.

Report: U.S. public land workers assaulted, threatened on job

By Matthew Brown, Associated Press

Smoky Bear, who has been the figurehead of the U.S. Forest Service's anti-fire campaign, turns 75 years old August 9, 2019. Photo by REUTERS/U.S. Forest Service/Handout via Reuters

Smokey Bear, icon of forest fire prevention, is turning 75

The icon of the longest-running public service campaign in the U.S. is being honored with birthday parties around the country this week.

By Associated Press

Shutdown impact: Training, preparation for fighting wildfires

An unexpected impact of the government shutdown: canceled training for wildland firefighters. With wildfires becoming more frequent, firefighters have a shorter off-season to prepare. Now that compressed window for training and gear acquisition has become even shorter due to the…

Forest Service chief tells Congress that progress on harassment ‘will take longer than any of us wants’

Earlier this year, the PBS NewsHour reported on sexual harassment and assault within the U.S. Forest Service, revealing a culture of abuse and retaliation. On Thursday, Chief Vicki Christiansen and a former employee who faced harassment testified before the House…

Former U.S. Forest Service employee Shannon Reed listens as the agency's chief Vicki Christiansen testifies before a House committee hearing Thursday. Photo by William Brangham/PBS NewsHour

Forest Service chief says there’s progress in combating sexual misconduct. Dozens of women say there’s not enough

Lawmakers at Thursday’s hourslong hearing were presented with a dichotomy: an agency that promises it has made progress in addressing harassment and reprisal, and a former employee who says the changes amount to a “band-aid” to deep-seated problems.

By Joshua Barajas

WATCH: House committee holds hearing on misconduct and retaliation in the U.S. Forest Service

By Joshua Barajas

In interviews with the PBS NewsHour last year, 34 women who worked for the Forest Service across multiple regions described a workplace culture that was hostile to women, and an agency that often fell short in properly addressing complaints of…

New female Forest Service head launches review of harassment, sexual misconduct in the agency

By Elizabeth Flock

The review comes weeks after a PBS NewsHour investigation into these issues, especially in the agency’s firefighting ranks, along with the departure of Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke amid allegations of his own sexual misconduct.

Letter to Congress sheds light on misconduct allegations that led to U.S. Forest Service chief’s resignation

By PBS NewsHour

The chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tony Tooke, stepped down this week following a NewsHour investigation into allegations of a culture of sexual misconduct and retaliation within that agency, as well as questions about his own behavior. William Brangham…

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WATCH: 3 women recount years of harassment in the forest service

By Lorna Baldwin

Firefighters Darla Bush, Jonel Wagoner and Darlene Hall filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014, claiming sexual harassment of and retaliation against women in the Forest Service in California.