The state of idaho faces a significant and ongoing threat from wildfires, particularly in landscapes where forest fuel loads remain high and untreated

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service R1-Northern Region awarded the Idaho Department of Lands $442,800 on July 1, 2026, under the State & Private Forestry Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program (CFDA 10.697) for fuels mitigation treatments on non-federal lands in Idaho's Forest Service Region 1.

The Idaho Department of Lands will implement hand thinning, mechanical fuels reduction, and prescribed fire operations across non-federal lands within prioritized areas including Idaho's Forest Action Plan priority areas, shared stewardship landscapes, and two U.S. Forest Service wildfire crisis designated landscapes. The work targets hazardous fuel loads and defensible space around communities, infrastructure, and productive forestlands, with final deliverables measured in acres treated by treatment type.

The project's specific objectives include reducing wildfire intensity and improving firefighter safety through hazardous fuels treatment, establishing strategic fuel breaks and defensible zones near communities and infrastructure, and connecting and expanding prior and ongoing fuels reduction efforts. The performance period runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. Place of performance is Idaho.

Wildfire risk across the state has intensified in recent years, exacerbated by an ever-increasing fire season length and expanding development into the wildland urban interface. Idaho is the leading timber producer in the northwest, making the protection of these forested landscapes critical not only for public safety but also for economic stability and natural resource sustainability. This high priority project on non-federal lands addresses the above threats and needs through proactive, cross-jurisdictional fuels mitigation. The work is strategically targeted within idahos forest action plan priority areas and shared stewardship landscape, as well as within two united states forest service wildfire crisis designated landscapes that intersect idaho from neighboring states. These areas represent some of the highest wildfire risk zones in the region. By implementing hand treatments, mechanical thinning, and prescribed fire the project will reduce hazardous fuel loads and enhance defensible space around communities, infrastructure, and productive forestlands. The effort supports the united states forest service mission and prioritizing wildfire risk reduction and forest management. The project will result in the implementation of targeted fuels mitigation treatments across non federal lands within the united states forest service region 1 portion of idaho. These treatments will include a combination of hand thinning, mechanical fuels reduction, and prescribed fire operations. Final deliverables will include the total number of acres treated for each project.specific achievable objectives include: treating hazardous fuels to reduce wildfire intensity and improve firefighter safety.establishing strategic fuel breaks and defensible zones near communities and infrastructure. Connecting and expanding upon past and ongoing fuels treatments to create landscape scale resilience. Advancing federal and state forest management priorities through shared stewardship. To support implementation, memorandums of understanding will be developed with local cooperators. The cooperator will oversee overall project and retain approximately 20% of funding for coordination and oversight. The remaining 80% of funds will be passed through to local cooperators to complete on-the-ground mitigation work.