Senate Western Caucus Applauds USDA Forest Health Resilience Projects

September 3, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today released the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture for investing in five new forest health projects nationwide to reduce wildfire risk, protect water quality, and expand domestic timber production.

"The Senate Western Caucus applauds Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration for this critical investment in forest management," said Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis. "For too long, we've watched our forests deteriorate under failed Democrat policies that prioritized environmental extremism over common-sense management, leaving Wyoming and western communities vulnerable to wildfires. The Trump administration's approach is different and will protect our forests and prevent future wildfires through active management while also supporting good-paying jobs. I'm pleased to have leadership that understands that healthy forests require human stewardship, not neglect."

"Wildfires have no boundaries, and neither should our prevention work," said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. "We need everyone at the table to deliver the kind of active management that will return our forests to health and productivity. Joint Chiefs' puts local leaders in the driver's seat, enabling cross-boundary work based on shared priorities with states, partners, industry, and forest landowners. It's a win-win."

Background:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $8 million for five new projects to reduce wildfire risk, protect water quality, and improve forest health across the nation. This expands President Trump's mission to improve the lives of American families, support rural communities, and expand domestic timber production.

The Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership Program is a collaborative effort between USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service to work across public-private boundaries and at a landscape scale. The $8 million investment in new projects is in addition to $32 million for 24 existing three-year-long Joint Chiefs' projects.

The five new projects are:

• Colorado and Wyoming - Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest "Headwaters of the Colorado"
• Montana - Lolo National Forest "Blackfoot River Valley Landscape Mosaic"
• Oregon - Mt. Hood National Forest "Hood River Wildfire and Watershed Resilience"
• North Carolina - National Forests in North Carolina "Uwharries to Sandhills, Phase 2"
• Alabama - National Forest in Alabama "Alabama Chattahoochee Fall Line Restoring Longleaf"

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