Thomas Straka
Non Forest Service
My favorite science experience is evaluating large government programs and policies to see if they make financial sense. For example, should the State forestry agency hire more foresters to advise forest owners on how to manage their forests? Or, should the forestry agency use that money to pay for part of the tree planting? By doing this, they could grow more acres of forest. Because money is always limited, forest economists often figure out how to best use the money.
The photograph is of me making charcoal at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Pennsylvania. Charcoal is made from wood and was the fuel used more than 100 years ago to make iron and melt metals. Charcoal is still used for fuel and cooking in developing countries. Because I am interested in the historic use of charcoal, I am writing an article about how charcoal production resulted in much forest land being cut in the 1800s. To better understand the charcoal making process, I went to Hopewell to learn how to make it myself. It was fun to see how it was done. I learned to make charcoal myself so I would know what I was writing about!
Featured from Natural Inquirer
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Over the past 40 years, Federal and State governments have provided financial incentives to private forest landowners. In this article, scientists wanted to know what kind of impact these programs...Show Me the Money: Promoting Sustainable Forests in the South
Over the past 40 years, Federal and State governments have provided financial incentives to private forest landowners. In this article, scientists wanted to know what kind of impact these programs...
