Confronting the Wildfire Crisis in the Northern Region

America's forests are in a state of fire emergency, with nearly a quarter of the lower 48 states' forests at moderate to very high risk of severe wildfires. The American West has borne the brunt of catastrophic wildfire seasons, with fires growing in both size and severity.

In 2022 the Forest Service launched a 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis across the west.

The Wildfire Crisis Strategy identifies the right places to do the work. 21 Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes encompassing 134 firesheds across the nation have been designated for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act investments in Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. Significant work is also occurring on firesheds both within and outside these landscapes through regular appropriations and special efforts like the Collaborative Forest Restoration and Joint Chiefs' programs.

The Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to dramatically increase fuels and forest health treatments, including on two designated landscapes in the Northern Region in Montana and Idaho: The Kootenai Complex - encompassing portions of the Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and the Nez Perce-Clearwater-Lower Salmon Landscape that includes the watersheds of the Clearwater, Salmon, and Snake Rivers in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.