Find out the latest in forest news in this week’s Forest Digest!

• Americans once moved away from forests. Now forests are moving away from Americans — Washington Post
  A new study of satellite images taken over 10 years shows that the rural forest canopy is disappearing. Forest area disappeared from the U.S. in such big chunks that the average distance from any point in the nation to a forest increased by 14 percent.
• How some trees can defend themselves against fire — Boston Globe
  In a Princeton University study, scientists compared 572 species of trees and found that, on average, bark is three times thicker in savannas — where fires are a natural part of the ecosystem — than in forests. Identifying fire-resistant traits in trees is key to predicting whether a species will withstand climate change or other man-made destruction.
• Forests worldwide threatened by drought — Sciencedaily.com
  An analysis published in the journal Ecology Letters, suggests that forests around the globe are at risk from the increased frequency and severity of droughts.
• Environmentalists propose strict new measures to curb Maryland forest loss — Washington Post
  Environmentalists in Maryland are seeking a stronger state law to prevent further degradation of the forests that once blanketed the state. The bill they are proposing asks developers to plant an acre of forest for each cleared during development.