Forest Service and TNC Partner to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Idaho and Wyoming

Forest Service and TNC Partner to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Idaho and Wyoming

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Forest restoration projects launched in Idaho and Wyoming through a partnership involving The Nature Conservancy to mitigate wildfire risks.

This collaborative initiative advances the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and the Forest Service’s Active Forest Management Strategy. By supporting prescribed fire, restorative forest thinning projects, and fire practitioner workforce development, the effort targets high-risk firesheds across both states.

The program tackles workforce capacity gaps while executing vital projects in the wildland urban interface, known as the WUI. These measures aim to increase diversity and resilience, curb the severity of future wildfires, and protect local communities.

Wildfire Risk Reduction Project — Teton Conservation District

“Hazardous fuels reduction projects remain a critical tool for protecting communities across Idaho and Wyoming from the growing threat of high‑severity wildfire,” said Great Basin Geographic Area Fire Director Ben Newburn. “Through the Forest Service’s focus on active management, we are strategically reducing dense vegetation and restoring more natural fire behavior to support the development of healthier, more diverse and more resilient landscapes.”

Newburn emphasized the necessity of collaboration for regional progress. “Our partnership with The Nature Conservancy plays an essential role in expanding capacity, aligning scientific expertise and accelerating work that safeguards both communities and forests,” he said.

Community volunteers forest restoration plant native trees conservation

The Nature Conservancy brings substantial operational experience to the initiative, backed by a 60-year history of working with fire and a two-decade partnership with the Forest Service. All fire staff deployed by the organization maintain qualifications under National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards.

“We know that strategic, proactive activities like forest thinning and prescribed fire can improve ecosystem health, slow wildfire spread and facilitate better wildfire suppression within a landscape,” said Carli Kierstead, TNC Wyoming forest program director. “And even better, when we focus those efforts in the wildland urban interface, we can help reduce wildfire risk to nearby communities.”

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