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Trees in California are dying at the highest rate in at least 15 years, raising the risk of faster-moving and more-intense forest fires, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Aerial surveys conducted by the service last year estimated a tenfold jump in tree mortality since 2014. According to results released last month, an estimated 27.6 million dead trees were found in the forest landscape last year. In 2014, an estimated 3.3 million dead trees were identified. The statewide aerial surveys date back to 2001.

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris said Tuesday that she would not support efforts to weaken the federal law governing endangered species, breaking with fellow Democrat and rival Loretta Sanchez, who has said she would be open to amendments to help address the state’s protracted drought.

“We have to support the Endangered Species Act,” Harris, the state attorney general, told The Sacramento Bee editorial board. “There’s just no question about that.” The law has been used to protect fish such as the Delta smelt and Chinook salmon, and has long been at the center of debate between environmentalists and farmers.

California has been experiencing drought conditions for five years. With La Niña expected this winter, these water-scarce conditions are expected to continue, and California is not alone. Other U.S. states as well as countries and regions around the globe, such as Australia and the Middle East, must contend with drought. In this issue, we feature an article on the four types of drought and ways consumers, water dealers and treatment professionals can help minimize or prevent drought conditions. This article also discusses how to conserve water when experiencing water scarcity in a region.