Press Kit - Wildfire Crisis
September 2024: Announced 21 new projects to expand work on the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy to reduce the threat of wildfire in high-risk areas across the country, entitled "USDA Invests $100 Million to Expand Work to Confront the Wildfire Crisis as part of Investing in America Agenda."
February 2024: Announced additional investment of almost $500 million, entitled "USDA Announces $500 Million to Confront the Wildfire Crisis as Part of Investing in America Agenda" – Approximately $400M will expand efforts in the 21 high-risk landscapes, while $100M will expand efforts beyond the existing 21 wildfire crisis landscapes.
January 2023: Announced expansion of 11 new landscapes, increased funding and use of emergency authorities, entitled “Expanding Efforts To Deliver on the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.”
April 2022: Announced the initial ten landscape projects in support of the strategy, entitled “Initial Landscape Investments to Protect Communities and Improve Resilience in America’s Forests.”
January 2022: Launched the 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, entitled “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests."
The following resources are available to help you understand the agency’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy and its impact on communities across the West.
Press Inquiries
For national-level media questions, please submit your question or request to the National Press Desk, the preferred method of contact.
Note: We receive a high volume of media inquiries. To help us respond in an efficient manner please clearly identify outlet and inquiry topic in the subject line.
Timeline
Wildfire Crisis Timeline: Milestones in Developing a Strategy
Imagery
Supporting Wildfire Crisis imagery is available in our Flickr gallery.
*Forest Service photos are public domain; please credit “USDA Forest Service” upon re-publication.
Graphics
Moving Forward: 21 Landscapes
These investments directly protect at-risk communities and critical infrastructure across 21 landscapes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
What is prescribed fire?
Prescribed fires, also known as prescribed burns or controlled burns, refer to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to the ecosystems that depend on fire.
High-Risk Firesheds
Community exposure is a central factor in the strategy to confront the wildfire crisis. Other factors include Tribal and State plans, watersheds, equity, climate forecasts, and partner priorities.
What can we do about it?
To restore forest health and reduce wildfire risk, a large multiorganizational workforce with expertise in proactive fuels and forest health management is needed for thinning forests, conducting prescribed fires, and using lightning fires and other “unplanned ignitions” to return fire to the land and restore forest health.
Fuels Treatments
Use of prescribed fires and forest thinning techniques, such as pruning, to reduce the amount of vegetation which has built up to dangerous levels. These treatments reduce the probability of catastrophic fires, help maintain and restore healthy and resilient ecosystems, and protect our communities.
What can we do about the Wildfire Crisis?
A large multiorganizational workforce with expertise in proactive fuels and forest health management is needed for thinning forests, conducting prescribed fires, and using lightning fires and other “unplanned ignitions” to return fire to the land and resort forest health.
