2025 Forest Service Accomplishments

"In FY25, the U.S. Forest Service generated more than $1.1 billion from program activities on national forests and grasslands. We use these funds to support mission delivery, reinvest in states and counties, while directing hundreds of millions back to the U.S. Treasury – reinforcing the nation’s fiscal strength and supporting communities across America, a commitment we will continue to build on in the years ahead."
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz

Fiscal Year 2025 Forest Service Accomplishments.

Delivering Results for America’s Forests

In 2025, the U.S. Forest Service set new records across wildfire response, forest reforestation, timber production and infrastructure advancements, among other achievements during 2025. The agency’s accomplishments strengthened the health and resilience of national forests and grasslands, fueled economic growth, expanded rural connectivity nationwide, and provided benefits used by all Americans.

Following are examples of how the agency excelled this year:

Wildfire Readiness and Response

Protected communities and ecosystems from wildfire damage, holding total acres burned to nearly half the 10-year average, despite recording the highest number of wildfires starts on national forests since 2016 – a reduction of almost 1 million acres.
Reduced wildfire risk through active forest management by accomplishing more than 3.3 million acres of hazardous fuels reduction.
Improved wildfire preparedness and resilience in rural and tribal communities by distributing $200 million in Community Wildfire Defense Grants across 58 awards in 22 states and two tribes.
Provided funding and technical support to 50 states through State Fires Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs. In addition to core funding, 87 competitive grants were awarded in FY25 supporting 32 states, reducing hazardous fuels and mitigating risks in high wildfire-prone rural communities.
Supported 4,000 rural volunteer fire departments by providing personal safety gear, firefighting tools and equipment and training. These rural fire departments are the first line of defense for the majority of wildfire ignitions across the country.

Active Forest Management—Timber Production, Grazing, and Reforestation

Launched a long-term strategy for forest productivity and rural economic growth through the National Active Forest Management Strategy, aiming to grow timber volume by 25% and reach 4 billion board feet annually by FY28, a figure not reached since 1993.
Delivered the highest level of reforestation in 25 years reforesting 285,000 acres and improving timber stands on 165,000 acres—implementing post-fire restoration, stabilizing soils, replanting trees, and ensuring clean water, wildlife habitat, and forest products for future generations.
Strengthened America’s timber supply and forest industry and exceeded timber targets, selling 2.94 billion board feet and offering 3.1 billion board feet—supporting jobs, lowering costs, and reducing reliance on timber imports.
Measured 14,584 forested plots, providing that data to public and private forest managers to help address local and regional issues related to trends in assessing the extent and condition of forest resources in the U.S.
Accelerated delivery of forest health and restoration projects by implementing the Secretary’s Emergency Situation Determination, cutting project review timelines by up to eight months and enabling 80 projects across 8.8 million acres under expedited processes that meet National Environmental Protection Act and Endangered Species Act guidelines.
Prevented timber revenue losses and decreased wildfire risk by investing $60 million toward insect disease and invasive plant treatments on public and private lands, including 242,000 forested acres in Maine and New Hampshire affected by the emerging spruce budworm outbreak.
Boosted innovation and manufacturing in timber-producing regions with $80 million in wood innovation grants that support new markets, local businesses, and forest management.
Improved forest health risk mapping using remote sensing technologies to complete the National Insect and Disease Risk Map two years ahead of schedule, enabling accurate identification and mitigation of risks to productive forests anticipated over the next 15 years.

Minerals and Energy Development

Secured access to energy and minerals, including critical minerals, and generated billions for public services by producing commodities from National Forest System lands valued at over $4.8 billion, including $533 million to the U.S. Treasury.
Supported U.S. energy needs by issuing new permits for 17 oil and gas pipeline permits and reissuing 19 oil and gas pipeline and 1 natural gas pipeline permits.

Disaster Recovery

Restored vital transportation and recreation corridors after the 2024 hurricane season by reopening more than 350 miles of trails and roads—including 250 miles in Sam Houston National Forest and 90+ miles in North Carolina—and supporting I-40 reconstruction with materials from the Pisgah National Forest. To date, through disaster recovery efforts across more than 100 events nationwide, the agency has awarded $451 million in contracts and $1.3 billion in agreements.

Recreation Access and Infrastructure

Enhanced public access to outdoor recreation and strengthened infrastructure resilience by completing 87 deferred maintenance projects that improved 64 recreation sites and 36 roads and bridges under the Great American Outdoors Act.
Expanded rural connectivity and accelerated broadband deployment by implementing the Presidential Memorandum on Permitting Technology, modernizing broadband permitting workflows, and reducing processing delays by 84%.
Improved fish and wildlife habitat nationwide by restoring 1,422 miles of streams, enhancing aquatic passage at 151 sites, and treating 310,000 acres of habitat through timber harvest and active forest management.
Streamlined infrastructure development and increased transparency by supporting five Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act projects, also referred to as FAST-41 projects, and 11 additional transparency initiatives that deliver energy, jobs, and economic opportunity.

Partnerships and Cooperative Federalism

Leveraged $210 million in Forest Service funding with $73 million of partner funding and in-kind support from more than 200 partners.

Safety

Substantially reduced employee injuries by 14%, marking the lowest injury total in the past five years. We helped make employees safer through enhanced training and awareness campaigns, improved reporting and hazard mitigation systems that allow for faster corrective actions and stronger support for a culture of safety across all units.