U.S. Department of Agriculture | Government Book Talk

USDA Guides to the American Southwest: Exploring Flora and Ecosystems

July 22, 2025

Keep your ecosystem knowledge fresh with these newly updated United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publications.

Plant Associations of AZ and NM, Ed. 4, Vol. 1 – Forests & Plant Associations of AZ and NM, Ed. 4, Vol. 2 – Woodlands. This two-volume publication set describes the known plant associations for forests and woodlands in Arizona and New Mexico. These ecosystems are naturally complex and diverse, making them difficult to thoroughly understand or to predict changes resulting from management actions or inactions. Classifying various types of forests and woodlands allows us to make general statements about observations from one site and apply that knowledge to similar sites.

These USDA guides provide the following helpful information for understanding and managing the unique forest and woodland ecosystems of the American Southwest:

Invaluable guides to Arizona & New Mexico’s diverse forest and woodland ecosystems.
Systematically classify plant associations, offering a foundational understanding of vegetation patterns, species composition, and environmental factors.
Aid professionals in making informed decisions on reforestation and land-use impacts.
Provide a structured approach to learning Southwest flora, including identification keys and species descriptions.
Indispensable for research, conservation planning, and habitat assessment, fostering appreciation for the region’s botanical richness.

USDA publications serve as authoritative references that bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and practical application. They empower individuals to understand better, protect, and manage the irreplaceable forest and woodland resources of Arizona and New Mexico, ensuring their health and vitality for future generations.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Visit our Retail Store: To buy or order a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up(s).

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800. Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: Flora and Ecosystems, Plant Associations of AZ and NM, United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, USDA Forest Service, USDA publications | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

A Springtime Ritual: Keeping Your Trees Healthy

March 25, 2025

As nature awakens, so should your tree care routine. Spring pruning encourages vigorous growth and helps easily identify winter damage and defects. It’s essential to secure your trees’ health during this season. Pruning is crucial for maintaining tree health, safety, and aesthetic appeal. Here are two resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help keep trees healthy.

How to Prune Trees provides help for correctly pruning trees. The objective of pruning is to produce strong, healthy, attractive plants. This can be achieved by understanding how, when, and why to prune and following simple principles such as making correct cuts and avoiding damage to the tree. The publication contains information regarding when to prune different types of trees, safety measures, and more.

How To Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees. This brochure was created to help homeowners and land managers recognize hazardous defects in trees and to suggest possible corrective actions to restore trees to good health. It presents guidelines for identifying and correcting hazardous defects such as dead wood, cracks, weak branch unions, decay, cankers, root problems, and poor tree form. The publication also emphasizes the importance of identifying trees that pose a risk to “targets,” such as buildings, vehicles, or areas where people gather.

The key benefit of pruning is promoting tree health. Removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches prevents the spread of infection and pests, and improving airflow and sunlight penetration within the canopy reduces the risk of disease.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publications and Information Sales Office.

Images and additional content provided by Government Book Talk Editor Trudy Hawkins. Trudy is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: agriculture, gardening, gardening tips, hazardous defects in trees, pruning trees, tree pruning, trees, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Nutrition Month

March 8, 2023

March is National Nutrition Month, a great time to learn about the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits. To help Americans make healthier food choices, Dietary Guidelines for Americans is now available for sale from the U.S. Government Bookstore.

Dietary Guidelines, authored by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition experts and Health and Human Services (HHS), are designed to help individuals and families stay on track to consume a healthy diet. The information in the Dietary Guidelines is used to develop, implement, and evaluate food, nutrition, and health policies for Americans.

It provides science-based advice to promote health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity. It summarizes and synthesizes knowledge regarding individual nutrients and food components into recommendations for a pattern of eating that consumers can quickly adapt.

It’s important to remember that a healthy dietary program does not have to be based on a rigid prescription. These Guidelines feature a customizable framework, core elements from which individuals can tailor an affordable series of healthy choices to meet personal, cultural, and lifestyle preferences.

How long have you been contemplating changing to a healthier diet? Purchase Dietary Guidelines now for new ideas.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Click here to purchase Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publications and Information Sales Office.

2 Comments | Consumers, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, health, Health care, Libraries, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: #nationalnutritionmonth, diet, diet and nutrition, dietary guidelines, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, eat right, health, healthy food choices, national nutrition month | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Physical Wellness Month

April 13, 2021

April is Physical Wellness Month. Physical wellness includes both physical fitness as well as nutrition. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, available at the U.S. GPO Bookstore, even though infections disease rates have dropped, the rates of chronic diet-related diseases have risen in part to changes in lifestyle behaviors. Also according to the publication, more than two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children and youth in America are overweight or obese.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage Americans to:

Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan
Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount
Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fasts and reduce sodium intake
Shift to healthier food and beverage choices
Support healthy eating patterns for all

The guidelines explain that Americans should eat vegetables from all subgroups—dark green, red and orange, legumes, starchy, and other. A healthy eating pattern also includes fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, and a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes, and nuts.

Healthy eating patterns limit saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium. Check out the publication to learn what percent of your calories each day can be from added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium.

Also helpful are the guideline’s suggestions for shifting current eating patterns to healthier patterns. For example, choose plain popcorn instead of buttered, whole grain bread instead of croissants, and fruit rather than cake or cookies for dessert.

Coming very soon to the GPO Bookstore is the newest version of this publication, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. Check our online bookstore periodically for the latest version and get on track for Physical Wellness Month!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the P.R. Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Family, health, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: diet and nutrition, dietary guidelines, Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, health and nutrition, nutrition, physical fitness, Physical Wellness Month, wellness | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Fall Foliage Week

September 26, 2019

Fall is finally here, which means the air is crisper, the days are shorter, and the leaves start to change into a myriad of vibrant shades of red and orange. National Fall Foliage Week, which is observed every year on the last Sunday of September, is the perfect time to not only admire these colorful leaves, but the trees that they grow on. Trees improve our daily lives from the furniture we sit and eat on, to the construction of our homes, to the fences that keep our spaces private and secure. Because growing trees take carbon dioxide out of the air and give us oxygen in return, many say trees are the lungs of the earth.

There are lots of ways you and your family can celebrate National Fall Foliage Week. Try making a leaf pile, observing different types of leaves, or collecting some on a nice autumn day.

Or, check out books about trees at the U.S. Government Publishing Office online bookstore. The bookstore offers a number of publications focusing on trees from do-it-yourself publications, such as How to Prune Trees, to publications about monitoring forests like Forest Health Conditions in Alaska and National Individual Tree Species Atlas.

Find more in our Environment & Nature themed collection. As we approach the holidays an insightful resource to ensure the health of your next Christmas tree is the Christmas Tree Pest Manual that outlines how to deal with a number of new pests, many of them found on fir Christmas trees. Written in everyday language, anyone interested in protecting their Christmas tree this year can read it and put it to good use.

Enjoy the beauty of falling leaves this fall. We’ll see you in the midst of our Autumnal bliss!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Custoer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800. Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: autumn, fall, Fall Foliage, Fall Foliage Week, fall season, National Fall Foliage Week, trees | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

More Trees Please: Publications for Arbor Day

April 23, 2019

Do you remember planting a tree at school on Arbor Day when you were younger? We sure do! Here’s a little background on the holiday that recognizes some of our most underrated friends – trees!

In 1872, Nebraska newspaper editor and nature-lover J. Sterling Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. Morton believed that adding more trees would make the newly formed Nebraska Territory more attractive to settlers. On April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day celebration took place, and more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska. In 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska, and it only felt right that the holiday would be observed on Morton’s birthday, April 22. During the 1870s, other states passed legislation to commemorate Arbor Day, and it became a tradition for school children to plant trees on the day. Today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day. It is primarily observed on the last Friday in April, but the date varies from state to state depending on what time of year is best to plant trees. Morton went on to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Grover Cleveland, and several U.S. presidents have proclaimed a national Arbor Day during their presidencies.

This Arbor Day, get to know the trees around you and how we can keep them healthy and protected. Read up on tree species, forest ecosystems, and the life cycle of trees with these books that will have you shouting “more trees please!”

Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down details the life cycle of trees and explains how trees work as a renewable source. This beautifully illustrated book will help teach kids from a young age to respect and appreciate trees and all they do for us.

The National Individual Tree Species Atlas covers each tree species in the United States and exactly where each species is likely to grow or not grow. This work complete with illustrations will benefit silviculturists, foresters, geneticists, researchers, botanists, wildlife habitat biologists, and landscape ecologists. In other words, this atlas is excellent for anyone involved in natural resources management or monitoring impacts of climate change … or someone who just loves visiting America’s forests and landscapes!

Does your home seem to have some trees that don’t look healthy? You’re not alone. How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees from the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service was created to help homeowners and land managers like you recognize hazardous defects in trees. The publication suggests possible corrective actions to restore trees to good health, so the trees on your property continue to live their best lives.

Imagine trying to quantify all the benefits of trees. Doesn’t sound easy, right? Southern forests provide a variety of critical ecosystem services, from the purification of water and air to recreational opportunities for millions of people. Trees at Work is a guide from the Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service that proposes a sound approach to quantifying the services provided by these ecosystems.

On a fruitful note, Fruitful Legacy from the Department of the Interior and National Park Service provides information about the development of the most common types of orchards and fruit trees in the United States.

Whether it’s a pretty pink Japanese Cherry Blossom, a venerable Weeping Willow, or a Giant Sequoia, trees are without a doubt one of the most magnificent parts of our world. Each tree has its own unique purpose on Earth. What’s your favorite type of tree and why? Let us know in the comments below and have a wonderful Arbor Day!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of Agriculture, Environment, National Park Service, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: Arbor Day, Giant Sequoia, hazardous defects in trees, J. Sterling Morton, Japanese Cherry blossom, Redwood National and State Parks, Redwood State Park, Sterling Morton, tree atlas, tree species atlas, trees, trees at work, Weeping Willow | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Having Fun With Fire Safety

October 9, 2018

Fire Prevention Week 2018 has begun. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has declared this year’s theme “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.”

Its website states:

“Through three simple calls-to-action, this year’s theme identifies basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to fire and be prepared in the event of one:

Look for places fire can start

Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm

Learn two ways out of each room”

According to the NFPA, the majority of fire deaths (four out of five) occur at home each year. The association emphasizes advanced planning as being critical.

And according to Fire Rescue 1, most house fires start in the kitchen from unattended cooking or grease that has become overheated. Candles are also often a culprit of home fires and home fire deaths. Finally, the site also mentions that approximately two-thirds of all fire deaths happen in homes where there’s no working fire alarm. Your chance of dying in a home fire is cut in half if you have a working smoke alarm.

Knowing these facts about fire safety is incredibly important, as is being prepared.

For as far back as I can remember, my family would regularly practice fire drills in our home. My dad would give us specific instructions on what to do and where to go. We practiced getting to safety as quickly as possible, as though a real fire were enveloping our home. I recall being scared thinking about our house potentially catching fire as a child and running through what things from my room I would grab if it happened. But I learned what to do in the event a real fire occurred. And while my parents emphasized the seriousness of the issue, our entire family also had fun doing these drills. I recall laughter and will forever have that memory of something we all did together as a family.

There’s so much to learn about fire safety, and education and preparedness are essential. The Government Publishing Office has resources to help you and your entire family, from children to grandparents, prepare for a fire.

Let’s Have Fun With Fire Safety is a fun activity book that gives children valuable fire safety and prevention tips. My family fire drills are just one example that fire safety doesn’t have to be a drag. Make it fun with resources like this one, and children will be more likely to pay attention and participate.

Kids aren’t the only ones who need to prepare for a fire. Adults age 65 and older are more than twice as likely to die in fires than the Nation’s population as a whole. Individuals 85 and older are more than four times as likely to die in a fire than the general population. Also, older adults have a higher risk of injury from fires. If you are a caregiver to a senior, check out Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults, designed to help seniors and their caregivers learn about fire safety.

Fire prevention is a serious topic. But practicing drills and getting educated can be a fun opportunity for family bonding. Check out these publications from the U.S. Government Publishing Office, and remember to look, listen and learn this Fire Prevention Week!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: fire prevention, Fire Prevention Week, fire safety, National Fire Protection Association | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Three Cheers for Trees

May 15, 2018

It may look like the trees you see every day are just standing around, blowing in the wind and soaking up the sun. But don’t judge a tree by its cover … these amazing perennial plants are a hard-working bunch. Two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four, and trees absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over the course of their lives. Not to mention, their shade and wind buffering reduces annual heating and cooling costs by $2.1 billion. We could go on and on, but here’s our point. It’s time to thank our trees! Luckily there’s a day for that.

National Love a Tree Day, celebrated annually on May 16, recognizes trees and all they do for us. You know, like give us the air we breathe … no big deal!

So this National Love a Tree Day, help us say three cheers for trees. GPO has lots of different ideas for you to spread the love, including reading some of our favorite publications from the GPO bookstore:

Cozy up to your favorite shaded tree and read a good book. (Keep reading for suggestions).
Calculate the age of a tree.
Climb a tree … just play safely!
Plant or water a tree.
Take a nature walk in your nearby park or woods.
Teach the kid in your life what their state tree is.
Have your kids write a hand-written “thank you” note to our trees. Get creative. They can color pictures of trees. Even better, save a tree and create a card digitally!
Practice tree pose. Namaste.
Take a trip to see some of the oldest trees in the world at Redwood National Park.
Read Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down from GPO’s bookstore with a little one. This book details the life cycle of trees and explains how trees work as a renewable resource.
Learn about tree species and which species grow near you in the National Individual Tree Species Atlas from GPO’s bookstore.
Help restore trees to good health when they need it with How To Recognize Hazard Defects in Trees from GPO’s bookstore.

So go on. Take three deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Ahhhh. And appreciate that precious oxygen a little more this Wednesday, May 16. We salute you, trees.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN RESOURCES MENTIONED ABOVE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: Forest, forest management, Forestry, forests, Hiking, National Love a Tree Day, trees | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Ag Day – March 20

March 20, 2018

National Ag Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by America’s agricultural community. Every year producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies, and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.

What Is Ag Day All About?
Ag Day recognizes – and celebrates – the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Ag Day program encourages every American to:

Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

Your family can celebrate and acknowledge the importance of agriculture in our daily lives easily and enjoyably by engaging your children in creating recipes that you also can suggest to your local school cafeteria leaders. Here’s an easy way to get involved; by obtaining this easy-to-prepare set of fun and nutritional recipes.

Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook for Schools from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This cookbook presents a variety of recipes, with full color photographs of the finished meals, for children (and adults!). The recipes have fun names and are tasty to both kids and adults, and include nutritional ingredients like dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, and whole grains. The recipes are low in fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.

This is a cookbook with recipes that kids and adults will want to prepare and eat, and have fun while doing so, while benefitting by great nutrition! The cookbook features a collection of recipes from the “Recipes for Healthy Kids Competition,” where children, school nutritionists, chefs, parents, and other interested members of the community submitted their own recipes for fun, healthy foods.

Get on board a more nutritional lifestyle for your family and have fun doing it.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: Ag Day, agriculture, Agriculture Day, National Ag Day, National Agriculture Day | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Agriculture Day: It’s about more than how America’s Farmers serve our Nation’s Need for Food

March 21, 2017

National Ag Day is a day to celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture across the United States. American agriculture plays a critical economic and food security role in our country. To give the general public a chance to see how their food, clothing, and other products get from the farm, America’s Farm co-ops, universities, 4-H clubs, agricultural associations, FFA clubs, and organizations at the city, county and state levels celebrate with a variety of events.

National Ag Day encourages every American to:

Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

Remember, these essential services are provided by the 1 in 11 Americans across the agriculture community that provide American consumers with more than 80% of the food we consume.

The Government Publishing Office online bookstore features a wide array of publications that inform the agriculture industry and the American public about important issues that impact every aspect of plant and animal cultivation and processing.

Land management and the complex process of growing and delivering agricultural products demands an understanding of subjects beyond the obvious. Consider how the introduction of foreign animals and plants to our eco-system can have a major detrimental effect on the wellbeing of the plants and animals we depend upon for our daily sustenance. A great example is the publication authored by the Agriculture Department’s Forest Service entitled:

A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests

Invasions of nonnative plants into forests and landscapes of the Southern United States continue to spread and include new species, increasingly eroding forest productivity, hindering forest use and management activities, and degrading diversity and wildlife habitat. This book provides the latest information on how to organize and enact prevention programs, build strategies, implement integrated procedures for management, and proceed towards site rehabilitation and restoration.

If you work or are engaged in any phase of the “cycle of life” you might consider this title.

The theme for National Ag Day 2017 is “Agriculture: Food for Life.” Take part in celebrating and learning more about this essential industry by visiting https://bookstore.gpo.gov/ to find out more about the land you live in and depend upon.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Consumers, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: Ag Day, agriculture, agriculture books, Agriculture Day, agriculture publications, American agriculture, National Ag Day, National Agriculture Day | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

You Can See the Forest and the Trees: Wood Works from the USDA

October 22, 2015

Wood you like to know more about tree and wood publications from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)? Then read on. And please forgive that starting pun.

In the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory’s 2nd edition of Nondestructive Evaluation of Wood, Robert J. Ross’ synthesizes a number of technical writings on several commercially available nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of wood technologies. NDE is the sensibly non-damaging science of assessing properties and applications of a material without mucking up its long-term usability.

Ross opens with an executive summary of the characteristics of this biologically and industrially rich material. It will leave you pretty much convinced that wood is the virtuoso of the plant world. The spiral-bound compilation continues on in several chapters, with each contributor highlighting the usefulness of their respective testing method. Spoiler alert: ultrasonic veneer grading is the coolest sounding evaluative technique ever.

Dense with authoritative knowledge from forest product technologist, engineers, and research scientists, this publication may have you thinking, “I never thought this knowledge existed but I’m sure glad it’s out there.” Case in point: chapter seven’s research titled Nondestructive Testing in the Urban Forest by Drs. Allision & Wang of the Unversity of Wisconsin, Madison. They attest to “body language” as a method to visually inspect the “presence of internal decay.” Don’t we all wish our own medical examinations were that easy!

Moving on…

If you like trees and you like maps, then you need to get your mittens on a copy of the USDA’s new and improved tree atlas The National Individual Tree Species Atlas, a.k.a. the Modeled Atlas, is the product of the Forest Service’s Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. They used permanent plot data to represent the actual distribution of 264 species throughout the treed zones of the United States.

Each tree was statistically modeled to climate, terrain, soil, and imagery data sets. The result is an impressive collection of accurate, fine-resolution geospatial products. Thumb through the broad, matte pages and you’ll find beautifully mapped individuals from such august tree families as cypress, pine, maple, birch, walnut, elm, olive, and mulberry (can’t mention them all but tree names are awesome!).

Again, trees + maps = tree species atlas. Boom! Make room on your coffee table for it.

How do I obtain these publications?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Office of Public Affairs.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: forests, national forest products, national forest products week, national forests, trees, wood, wood publications | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Now Available: Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

March 4, 2015

(nationalnutritionmonth.org)

March is National Nutrition Month, a great time to focus on the importance of developing good eating habits. To coincide with this important event about maintaining a healthy diet, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has just released its 2015 scientific report. The report which includes recommendations that will eventually be incorporated into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015 provides new changes, in contrast to previous guidelines. For instance, until now, overconsumption of cholesterol was long considered to be bad for the American diet. However, according to the recommendations outlined in the new report, cholesterol is no longer “a nutrient of concern.” To read more about this and other eye opening revelations contained in the report, which is now available through the DietaryGuidelines.gov website, see information below.

From HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)

Get Involved: The “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee” (Advisory Report) is now open for public review and comment. An official announcement will also publish in the Federal Register. To read the Advisory Report and submit your comments, visit DietaryGuidelines.gov.

Advisory Report: An advisory committee of independent experts – the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (or Committee) – has submitted its report to the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA). The “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee” describes findings from the Committee’s review of the scientific evidence on diet, nutrition, and health, and will help inform the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines.

Upcoming Public Meeting: HHS and USDA will host a public meeting at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 to receive public oral comments on the “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.” Meeting registration for in-person and webcast registration will open March 9, 2015 on www.DietaryGuidelines.gov.

Those interested in providing oral testimony will be able to specify their request upon registration. Capacity for oral testimony is limited to 70 individuals with 10 on stand-by. Testimony participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The meeting facility provides ample space for in-person attendance and live webcast viewing will be available. Oral testimony can only be given in-person.

Next Steps: HHS and USDA will use the Advisory Report along with input from federal agencies and public comments to develop the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. HHS and USDA will release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015 by end of the year.

Interested in more information on diet and nutrition? The U.S. Government Bookstore offers the following publications on diet, nutrition, and health.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy the following publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:
Order by Phone: You may also Order print editions by calling our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.
Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Trudy Hawkins is Senior Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Health care, Office of Women's Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture | Tagged: Advisory Report, American diet, diet, diet and nutrition, diet books, dietary guidelines, Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Dietary Guidlines, Food and Nutrition, health, health and nutrition, national nutrition month, nutrition, nutrition and health | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

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