USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance

Usda Forest Service

USDA Forest Service

Wildland fire is an important disturbance agent in the western US and globally. However, the natural role of fire has been disrupted in many regions due to the influence of human activities, which have the potential to either exclude or promote fire, resulting in a ‘‘fire deficit’’ or ‘‘fire surplus’’, respectively. In this study, we developed a model of expected area burned for the western US ...

Crop Insurance and Disaster Assistance

Reform (FAIR) Act implemented farm program contract payments that do not increase as agricultural prices fall, shifting farm policy toward a greater emphasis on risk management and, in particular, on crop insurance. This shift has resulted in the introduction of new types of insurance policies; especially those that provide both yield and price protection. Several new and innovative crop polici...

‘Future Direction of USDA Forest Service Research

A. D. Wilson The USDA Forest Service has been involved in Texas oak wilt research since 1976. Despite research successes, there are still many important research areas that have not been addressed or sufficiently investigated to answer the key questions required for making sound disease management decisions. Some of the priority areas planned for future research by the Southern Hardwoods Labora...

Establishing disaster medical assistance teams in Japan.

INTRODUCTION The large number casualties caused by the 1995 Great Hanshin and Awaji Earthquake created a massive demand for medical care. However, as area hospitals also were damaged by the earthquake, they were unable to perform their usual functions. Therefore, the care capacity was reduced greatly. Thus, the needs to: (1) transport a large number of injured and ill people out of the disaster...