USDA commits $8 million to new forest health and wildfire resilience projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest more than $8 million in five new projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk, improving water quality, and strengthening forest health across the country.

The funding is part of the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, a program jointly managed by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Forest Service. The initiative seeks to promote cross-boundary collaboration between public agencies, private landowners, and local stakeholders. The new projects are in addition to $32 million already supporting 24 ongoing three-year projects under the program.

The newly funded projects include:

• Alabama – Alabama Chattahoochee Fall Line Restoring Longleaf (National Forest in Alabama)
• Colorado and Wyoming – Headwaters of the Colorado (Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest)
• Montana – Blackfoot River Valley Landscape Mosaic (Lolo National Forest)
• North Carolina – Uwharries to Sandhills, Phase 2 (National Forests in North Carolina)
• Oregon – Hood River Wildfire and Watershed Resilience (Mt. Hood National Forest)

“Wildfires have no boundaries, and neither should our prevention work,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. He emphasized the importance of cross-boundary management to restore forests to health and productivity.

NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt added that the program enables the agency to support private forest landowners with both technical and financial assistance, allowing conservation efforts to address multiple challenges simultaneously.

The USDA said the projects support broader federal goals to enhance wildfire preparedness, protect natural resources, and expand domestic timber production while strengthening rural economies.