Missoula, Mont. (August 29, 2023) – Today, the USDA Forest Service announced it will invest in four proposed projects in the Northern Region to restore forests across tribal, state and private lands. These funded projects mark the first time the agency has made Landscape Scale Restoration program grants directly available to federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Corporations to restore priority forest landscapes on tribal lands, including trust lands, reservation lands and other lands owned by tribes.
“Threats to forests like wildfires, insects and disease do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries, which is why these investments in healthy and resilient forests extend beyond boundary lines,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “These grants are critical for improving the nation’s forests that provide a range of environmental, social and economic benefits to the American people.”
“The Landscape Scale Restoration program is an important way we work with communities across all lands,” said Forest Service Deputy Chief for State, Private and Tribal Forestry Jaelith Hall-Rivera. “This year, the Landscape Scale Restoration program is directly supporting tribes to improve health and resilience of tribal lands. Making this program directly available to tribes to restore tribal trust lands is an important step in honoring our commitment to strengthening our nation-to-nation relationships.”
In Montana, the following projects were selected for funding:
- Garnet Watershed Wildlife Habitat Restoration, $300.000
- Beartooth Front Forestry Initiative: Coordinating restoration of priority landscapes in the Beartooth Mountains, $300,000
- Lone Lake Landscape Scale Fuels Reduction, $61,720
In Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe will receive $300,000 for restoration work within the Hangman Creek Watershed.
A complete list of funded projects for Fiscal Year 2023 is available on the Forest Service Web site. More information about the Landscape Scale Restoration Program is available online.
