Healthy Forests Initiative

Our nation's forests and rangelands are at risk. An estimated 190 million acres of federal forests and rangelands in the United States, an area twice the size of California, face high risk of catastrophic fire. Decades of an accumulation of dense undergrowth and brush, along with drought conditions, insect infestation and disease and invasion by exotic species make forests and rangelands in many areas throughout the country vulnerable to environmentally destructive wildfires.

Last August, President Bush stood on a blackened hillside in Oregon and announced his Healthy Forests Initiative to improve the health of our nation's forests and rangelands. Since then, the Bush Administration has taken a series of actions to expedite high-priority fuel-reduction and forest restoration projects in our nation's forests and rangelands. The primary goal of the projects is to reduce the fire danger and return our forests and rangelands to a healthier state.

What's New with HFI

Research paper supports fuel treatments to reduce wildfire threats (4/28/04)

Federal Agencies Sign Agreements to Continue Species Protection, Implement Forest Health Projects (3/23/04)

The Healthy Forests Initiative and Healthy Forests Restoration Act Interim Field Guide (3/3/04)

Federal Agencies Announce Guidelines to Aid Wildfire Prevention and Restoration of Healthy Forests and Rangelands (3/3/04)

Bush Administration proposes increased funding to maintain and restore forest and rangeland health (1/28/04) Fact Sheet (PDF 156KB)