The southwest forest health and wildfire prevention act (public law 108-317) established three university-based southwest ecological restoration institutes in arizona, new mexico, and colorado

Colorado State University received a $1.0 million Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Region 3 (Southwestern Region), awarded August 5, 2025, under the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention program (CFDA 10.694). As one of three congressionally designated Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes established by the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act (Public Law 108-317), Colorado State University will serve as a regional hub for developing, translating, and applying science-based forest restoration treatments across the Interior West through September 30, 2028.

Under this award, Colorado State University will deliver core products and services including: (1) research development and monitoring of restoration-based hazardous fuel reduction treatments designed to reduce severe wildfire risk to vulnerable communities and improve dry forest and woodland ecosystem health; (2) synthesis and adaptation of scientific findings for landscape-scale implementation using modern adaptive management frameworks; (3) knowledge translation and transfer services to affected forest land managers and partner entities; (4) technical assistance in designing and implementing adaptive management approaches and monitoring protocols; and (5) peer-reviewed annual reports documenting restoration activities and outcomes. These deliverables support the Forest Service's mission to enhance capacity for practical, science-based forest restoration across southwestern and Interior West landscapes.

This mission essential agreement is required for the cooperator to CO-develop, translate, and apply actionable knowledge in collaboration with forest land managers and partners to foster sustainable fire-resilient forests for timber and other benefits for communities and nature, now and into the future. As specified by the act, the duties of the southwest ecological restoration institutes are to: 1) develop, conduct research on, transfer, promote, and monitor restoration-based hazardous fuel reduction treatments to reduce the risk of severe wildfires to vulnerable communities and improve the health of dry forest and woodland ecosystems in the interior west; 2) synthesize and adapt scientific findings from conventional research to implement restoration-based hazardous fuel reduction treatments on a landscape scale using a more modern and efficient adaptive management framework; 3) translate for and transfer to affected entities any scientific and interdisciplinary knowledge about hazardous fuel reduction treatments; 4) assist affected entities with the design of adaptive management approaches (including monitoring) for the implementation of reducing wildfire risk; and 5) provide peer-reviewed annual reports.