Implementing thinning of 4FRI’s ponderosa pine forests is a challenging puzzle to fit together different sizes and shapes of treatments to restore ecological resilience and function across close to 2 million acres. What is the big-picture outcome? Forest restoration reduces the potential for catastrophic wildfire that threatens communities and watersheds; improves habitat; and increases forage.

How we get there involves a long-term commitment that may require repetitive entries and use of different restoration methods to accomplish on-the-ground objectives. Any number of commercial and non-commercial thinning treatments, pile burning, and broadcast burning could be used on the same piece of ground to restore forest structure and natural processes.  (View monthly restoration updates.)

See terminology that fits within hazardous fuels reduction:

• Commercial thinning entails using machinery to cut and remove select merchantable sized trees (typically ≥5-foot DBH), resulting in a reduction of tree canopy continuity—to help reduce crown fire spread, fire severity, and fire intensity.  Commercial thinning is accomplished using commercial timber sales, stewardship contracts, or agreements. 
• Non-commercial thinning reduces fuel accumulations of non-merchantable sized trees (typically <5” DBH) or shrubs using chainsaw crews or by masticating material on-site.  Non-commercial hazardous fuels reduction is typically accomplished with service contracts.
• Broadcast burning is used to remove smaller trees, leaves, and pine needles. It also restores natural ecological processes like breaking down soil nutrients and exposing soil for the germination of grasses and forbs.  Beneficial fire includes broadcast burns, pile burns, and managed wildfire.

Research demonstrates that a combination of commercial thinning with broadcast burning to be the most effective way typically to restore forest structure and function. In some cases, commercial thinning may not be feasible, so several entries of broadcast burning can be conducted to achieve similar results.

Forest restoration goes beyond the trees, per se. Treatments benefit meadow; springs and streams; post-fire landscape; and decommissioning or re-routing roads and trails.

4FRI’s Total Implementation Accomplishments (from fiscal years 2010-2024):
Dating back to 2010, 4FRI has treated 1,275,240 hazardous fuel acres. Within this success are:

• 212,624 acres of commercial thinning completed of 319,486 acres awarded
• 351,728 acres of non-commercial thinning completed
• 654,639 acres of broadcast burning and 120,998 acres of pile burning

4FRI’s Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishments (with 4FRI proving itself as the Forest Service’s most productive Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscape):

• 200,000 hazardous fuels acres in FY24
• 50,000 acres mechanical in FY24
• 150,000 acres fire understory and managed fire in FY24
• 32,500 acres of commercial thinning contracts awarded
• 15,500 commercial thinning acres completed
• 18,000 acres non-commercial hazardous fuels treated

The 4FRI program tracks treatments through a 5-year plan and a monthly accomplishments report.

• 5-Year Plan: A tool used by timber and fuels program managers to track outyear planned projects, typically for a minimum of 5 years. The tool helps track prep and survey work that is required prior to contract development and ensures a sustainable flow of acres and volume offered to industry on an annual basis.
• Monthly Operations Reports: Since 2014, 4FRI has tracked its accomplishments through monthly restoration updates. View monthly restoration updates for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire activities across the entire landscape. Within our implementation successes are high-priority partnership projects, as defined in its 2021 4FRI Strategic Plan. These collaborative projects, in various stages of completion, typically involve partners due to their importance to other agencies and stakeholders.

How does the Forest Service decide what to treat next? With success under its belt, 4FRI navigates its next steps through a program of work. The four 4FRI forests develop their program of work, which includes where they conduct treatments.  They typically select areas to treat based on feasibility, costs, proximity to communities or mills or highways, and the need for treatment (departure from desired conditions).  Also, they treat certain areas because partner groups or agencies may want to conduct treatments in a certain areas or watersheds.

• Four Forest Monthly Reports

  

  View monthly restoration updates for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative highlight progress for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire activities across the entire 2.4 million acres of the Initiative.

  View Reports