The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $8 million in five new projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk, protecting water quality, and improving forest health nationwide. These efforts support President Trump’s priorities of enhancing the lives of American families, strengthening rural communities, and expanding domestic timber production. The announcement reflects Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins’ commitment to wildfire preparedness and the USDA’s broader goal of safeguarding communities and natural resources.
The funding builds on the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Program, a collaborative initiative between the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Forest Service. This program works across public-private boundaries at a landscape scale to improve forest management. The $8 million allocated to the five new projects adds to $32 million already supporting 24 existing three-year Joint Chiefs’ projects.
The new projects are located across the country, including the Alabama Chattahoochee Fall Line for longleaf restoration, the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado and Wyoming, the Lolo National Forest in Montana, National Forests in North Carolina’s Uwharries to Sandhills, and the Hood River Wildfire and Watershed Resilience project in Oregon. These initiatives aim to strengthen forest health, reduce wildfire risks, and enhance watershed protection.
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz emphasized the importance of collaborative, cross-boundary management, stating that wildfires have no boundaries, and prevention efforts must be equally expansive. NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt highlighted the role of the program in supporting private forest landowners with technical and financial assistance, enabling locally led conservation that addresses multiple challenges, including wildfire mitigation, water protection, and wildlife habitat improvement.
