Austin Project Aims to Improve Forest Health and Reduce Wildfire Risk
78,200-acre eastern Oregon project enters public scoping
Contact Information: Amy Franklin 541-620-3365 SM.FS.malpubinfo@usda.gov
John Day, Ore., (May 15, 2025) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is initiating public scoping for the Austin Project, a large-scale forest and watershed restoration effort proposed on 78,200acres in the Malheur and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The project is designed to reduce wildfire risk, improve water quality, and restore habitat across a high-priority landscape in eastern Oregon.
A revised Notice of Intent has been published in the Federal Register, launching a 30-day public comment period. This marks the formal start of the Environmental Impact Statement process, during which the public can identify issues and suggest alternatives.
Proposed activities include thinning overstocked forests, applying prescribed fire, restoring aquatic habitat, and upgrading road systems to reduce erosion and improve access. These actions aim to improve forest structure, protect water resources, and increase the landscape’s resilience to climate stressors and wildfires.
The Forest Service is also considering the use of an Emergency Action Determination. If granted, this emergency authority will expedite implementation of the project in response to urgent ecological and wildfire risks.
The project area lies approximately nine miles northeast of Prairie City, Oregon, and encompasses portions of the Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts, as well as a section of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. This region includes critical habitat for fish and wildlife, culturally important resources, and essential headwaters for downstream communities.
More information about the Austin Project can be found on the project page: https://nfs.fs2c.usda.gov/r06/malheur/projects/53678 .
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.