VALLEJO, Calif. – The United States Forest Service has announced an investment of nearly $500,000 in two projects aimed at restoring state and private forest land across the Pacific Southwest Region.
These projects are part of a larger $7 million investment nationwide through the Landscape Scale Restoration program, designed to reduce wildfire risk, boost timber production, and enhance rural economies.
One of the projects in the Pacific Southwest Region is led by the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District, receiving $299,380. This initiative focuses on public-private partnerships to expedite prescribed fire projects and mitigate wildfire risks in Southern Humboldt.
The project’s goal in Humboldt County include treating 235 acres for hazardous fuels, managing over 100 acres of invasive plants, and creating new forest stewardship plans for more than 3,000 acres.
The second project, receiving $200,000, is a collaboration between the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant and the Guam Department of Agriculture.
It aims to slow erosion by planting 12,000 Acacia seedlings and maintaining forest stands through pruning and mulching, while also engaging local hunters to install deterrents and facilitation devices.
Since 2018, the Forest Service has awarded 359 grants across 47 states and five territories, totaling $91.2 million in federal funding.
The Forest Service manages 18 national forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, covering over 20 million acres in California, and supports landowners in California, Hawai’i, and United States-Affiliated Pacific Islands.
National forests are crucial as they supply 60% of California’s water and form the watershed for numerous aqueducts and reservoirs throughout the state.