Wildfire seasons are growing longer and more severe – but thanks to recent federal funding, local communities in Oregon are tackling the challenge head-on through forest restoration.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $32 million nationwide investment for wildfire prevention projects on public and private lands, with $4.4 million going to local Oregon projects.
The funding is provided through the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership, an initiative led by the chiefs of two USDA agencies—the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Now in its fifth year, the Joint Chiefs’ Partnership brings together local landowners and partners to accomplish forest restoration on both federally managed national forests and adjacent private lands.