To address urgent forest health and wildfire risk challenges on the 34,602 acres of fee lands

The Coeur D'Alene Tribe received a $600,000 Project Grant award dated August 25, 2025, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) to address forest health and wildfire risk on 34,602 acres of fee lands in Idaho. The project will deliver on-the-ground forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction services through July 31, 2030, targeting overstocked forest stands susceptible to disease, insect outbreaks, and uncharacteristic wildfire. Deliverables include implementation of sustainable management practices, regeneration of healthy and diverse forest stands, and conversion of degraded and fallow agricultural lands into climate-resilient forests.

The project will provide multiple ecological, cultural, and economic benefits to the tribe and surrounding communities, including improved habitat connectivity, restored clean water functions, reduced wildfire risk, and increased long-term forest product production to support tribal self-sufficiency. By addressing the documented threats facing Idaho's forestlands—which experience approximately 700,000 acres annually lost to wildfire and pests—this project contributes to broader landscape-scale forest health and resilience objectives aligned with the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program's focus on non-federal forest land management and rural community resilience.

Many stands are overstocked, increasing susceptibility to disease, insect outbreaks, and uncharacteristic wildfire. Recent surveys in northern idaho have shown insect and disease impacts on more than 3 million acres of forest statewide, with idaho losing approximately 700,000 acres annually to wildfire and pests (idaho department of lands, 2020). These threats jeopardize ecological resilience, water quality, and culturally significant resources. At the same time, degraded and fallow agricultural lands represent a missed opportunity for ecological restoration and climate adaptation. Converting these acres to diverse, climate-resilient forest stands will improve habitat connectivity, restore clean water functions, and increase long-term production of forest products to support tribal self-sufficiency. The purpose of this project is to restore and sustainably manage fee lands to reduce hazardous fuels, regenerate healthy and diverse forests, and provide ongoing ecological, cultural, and economic benefits to the tribe and surrounding communities.