Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative to Improve Health of 750,000 Acres of Forest in Southwest Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative is a new project to improve the health of 750,000 acres of forest across public, state and private lands in Southwest Colorado, which in turn could open new opportunities for the timber industry to harvest more wood and use it in nontraditional ways. Projects estimated cost of $50 million will help to mitigate wildfire risk and improve the health of the ecosystem through prescribed burning, forest thinning, logging and other strategies. The project hopes to receive funding through grants, nonprofit fundraising, as well as the operating funds of governmental agencies.