The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Forest Service are involved in seven regional projects on hundreds of thousands of acres as part of a national effort that started in 2014. One project in southeastern Ohio spans 250,000 acres across 17 counties.

“For the first time since the 1940s, Ohio’s forests are no longer expanding in area,” said Christina Coulon, a public affairs specialist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “However they are going through various changes that affect their characteristics and the benefits they provide.”