On January 19, Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced expanded efforts to reduce wildfire risk across the western U.S. Over 900,000 acres of the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests are now designated as priority landscapes.This designation means that funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Law (IRL) is available to support wildfire risk reduction treatments around high-risk communities in Trinity, Humboldt, Shasta, and Siskiyou Counties.Since releasing its Wildfire Crisis Strategy one year ago, the Forest Service and its partners have used the best available science and data to identify the highest-risk landscapes for treatment projects. Over 80% of the wildfire risk to communities is concentrated in less than 10% of “firesheds,” or areas where wildfires are likely to threaten communities and infrastructure. #placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');“The threat of wildfire has become the top concern for Northern California residents who reside in the rural areas within our beautiful landscape,” said Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur. “This funding allows us to do the work needed on the ground to reduce risk around our rural communities and all the people who call these communities home.”“We understand the critical nature of our landscapes and the related impacts to our communities. This funding directly supports our risk reduction treatments in a manner that will promote forest health and resilience,” said Rachel Birkey, Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor. “We look forward to working closely with our partners and communities to implement these projects. Our work would not be possible without their tremendous support.”Detailed information regarding the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and these newly designate landscapes can be found at https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/01/19/biden-harris-administration-launches-new-efforts-address-wildfire#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20Jan.%2019%2C%202023,will%20directly%20protect%20at%2Drisk googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });