Department of Interior Releases 5-year Plan to Prepare for Wildfire

On Monday, April 4th, the Department of the Interior (DOI) released a five-year plan to address wildfire risk on DOI protected land. The plan makes investments in forest restoration, hazardous fuels management, and post-wildfire restoration mostly funded by the $1.5 billion provided to the DOI through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This plan follows the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy in January 2022. Together, these plans outline the monitoring, maintenance, and treatment strategy the agencies will use to address wildfire risk, better serve communities, and improve conditions on all types of lands where wildfires can occur. The overall strategy identified by the DOI and USDA calls for safely and effectively extinguishing fire, when needed; using fire where allowable; managing natural resources; and, as a nation, living with wildland fire.