New public-private partnership to reduce wildfire risk

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is embarking on a new era of effectiveness as we continue to move away from the status quo.
Secretary Rollins, along with USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore and Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) CEO Mark Emmerson, announced a $75 million Stewardship Agreement for the construction and maintenance of strategically placed fuel breaks on national forests in California and Oregon. This investment significantly expands upon unprecedented efforts to create a network of fuel breaks across private and federal land to protect communities, reduce wildfire risk, and pave the way for historic rural prosperity.
"Protecting the people and communities we serve is one of our most sacred trusts, and this partnership with Sierra Pacific Industries stands as a testament to that commitment,” said Secretary Rollins. “Our team estimates this groundbreaking public-private partnership will slash the time in half compared to the standard timeframe to complete this critical wildfire mitigation.”
“Sierra Pacific Industries is well-versed in what must be done to tackle the ongoing threats facing forests and towns in California and Oregon,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “This partnership will leverage our collective expertise to do strategically focused work and add to our broader collaboration on both prevention and post-fire restoration aimed at keeping our forests productive and healthy.”

“This public-private partnership represents a major step forward in wildfire prevention, creating an interconnected network of fuel breaks that will slow fire progression, improve firefighter safety, and better protect communities, watersheds, and critical infrastructure,” said Sierra Pacific Industries CEO Mark Emmerson. “We are grateful to Secretary Rollins, USFS Chief Moore, and the Administration for their leadership in this effort. By strategically linking fuel breaks across both public and private lands, we can maximize their effectiveness in reducing wildfire risk. This partnership to expand the fuel break network demonstrates our shared commitment to protecting the people of California from catastrophic wildfires.”
The agreement will initiate the process to develop, construct and maintain shaded fuel break projects over a three-year period in California, adding about 400 miles to the existing 2,200-mile network of interconnected fuel breaks across private and federal land. The agreement also provides for construction and maintenance of fuel breaks in Oregon.
State and community leaders have praised this historic partnership as a vital step in strengthening wildfire resilience and protecting California’s most vulnerable communities.
Fuel break project locations were selected in partnership with the Forest Service and CAL FIRE to protect lives, property, critical water infrastructure, and the environment.