These funds will be used to contract the removal of hazardous fuels from up to 100 acres of private land within the wildland urban interface that is near or adjacent to the superior national forest to…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 9 (Eastern Region), awarded Lake County Highway Department a $225,000 Project Grant on September 16, 2025, under the State & Private Forestry Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program (CFDA 10.697). The grant funds the removal of hazardous fuels from up to 100 acres of private land within the wildland-urban interface (WUI) near or adjacent to the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. Work is scheduled for completion by March 1, 2027.

The primary deliverable is contracted hazardous fuel reduction treatment on private lands that complements and strengthens fuel mitigation efforts on adjacent federal lands. Secondary deliverables include educational outreach to private landowners and community members on wildfire risk mitigation and prevention strategies. This integrated approach—combining direct fuel treatment with landowner and community education—supports the program's objective of reducing catastrophic wildfire risk through cross-boundary coordination between private and federal forestry resources in the region.

These funds will be used to contract the removal of hazardous fuels from up to 100 acres of private land within the wildland urban interface that is near or adjacent to the superior national forest to compliment and strengthen hazardous fuels treatments on federal land. Treatment of private lands and educating landowners and communities of wildfire risk mitigation and prevention is crucial to protecting the nation's forests.