Federal funding set aside for wildfire management

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Forest Service on Monday announced $31 million for landscape improvement and forestry health projects across the United States, including roughly $4.4 million in Washington.

According to a Forest Service press release, the projects are being funded in 2022 as part of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program intended to reduce the risk of severe wildfires and improve forest and watershed health in eight states — Arkansas, California, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.

The $4.4 million appropriated for Washington will go to two projects that will help with forest and landscape improvements on about 2 million acres in alignment with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ 20-year Forest Health Action Plan, the press release said.