US Forest Service Awards $20 Million to Help Reduce Wildfire Risk and Support Communities

On Wednesday, the US Department of Agriculture Forestry Service announced that it has awarded $20 million to transport hazardous fuels from forests to facilities for processing into wood products or energy sources. These awards fund 66 projects in 13 states and increase the pace and scale of Wildfire Crisis Strategy while providing economic benefits to local communities and businesses.

These selected projects will help support critical wood products industries and underserved communities by providing jobs—especially in rural areas that may be impacted by mill closures. In addition, some of these projects provide firewood which many tribal communities need to heat their homes during the winter months.

In 2023, transportation assistance grants helped move almost 250,000 tons of hazardous fuels from nine national forests to facilities that produced lumber, energy, peeled poles, firewood, and animal bedding. These funds are part of a broader series of investments through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, making forests and grasslands more resilient, and supporting the agency’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy.

US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said:

“We are working to proactively improve the health and resiliency and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire on national forests by removing woody debris that can easily fuel large fires near communities. The additional benefit is supporting wood product industries and rural economies by transporting the wood to a facility where it will be used to benefit communities.”