US Forest Service and National Alliance of Forest Owners Sign Memorandum of Understanding

On Monday (3-27-23), the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating a partnership to enhance cooperation between private working forest owners and public land managers during wildfires.

Federal, state, and private forest owners and managers have a shared stewardship responsibility to protect natural resources and the communities that depend on them, according to the press release. Increasingly intensive wildfire years severely impact local communities, the environment, local and regional economies, and public health. They can cause significant resource damage on private working forestlands, which are a source of carbon sequestration and timber harvested for products in the US.

Speaking about the MOU, Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said:

“To protect communities, critical infrastructure, and natural resources from the threat of wildfires, we must work alongside partners at all levels. The highest risk firesheds are often spread across multiple jurisdictions. Working more closely with private forest owners to suppress wildfires on adjoining land is one more way we can achieve the goals of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.”