Contact:
Jonathan George
406-449-5000, x101
BOZEMAN, Mont., Feb. 24, 2016 — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Forest Service announced a federal investment of over $40 million for restoration of forests near growing communities to reduce wildfire threats, protect water supplies, improve wildlife habitat and support rural economies. This is the third year of the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership between the two agencies to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public and private lands meet. The Tenmile Watershed project in Montana will receive an additional $302,000 in 2016.
“The health of our forests and our rural communities very often go hand in hand,” said Lisa Coverdale, NRCS state conservationist in Montana. “This is a collective effort between public agencies and private landowners. We are going into the third year of this project, and we are looking forward to another year of success.”
The Tenmile—Red Mountain Flume/Chessman Reservoir—provides the city of Helena with 80 percent of its drinking water. The additional funding will continue to support restoration on private land to help mitigate wildfire threats, protect water quality and water supply.
“The Joint Chiefs’ partnership is one of the many ways USDA is working with local partners to help meet the increasing challenge of protecting communities, watersheds, forests and woodlands from the devastating and increasingly expensive impacts of wildfire,” Coverdale said.
This year, NRCS is investing $7 million in 11 new Joint Chiefs projects and committed additional investments totaling nearly $33 million in 27 projects launched in 2014 and 2015. Since its start, $104 million has been invested through USDA’s Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership to reduce wildfire threats to communities and landowners, protect water resources, and improve habitat for at risk species. Summaries of all projects selected can be found on the NRCS website.
Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $29 billion to help producers make conservation improvements, working with as many as 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners to protect over 400 million acres nationwide, boosting soil and air quality, cleaning and conserving water and enhancing wildlife habitat. For an interactive look at USDA's work in conservation and forestry over the course of this Administration, visit http://medium.com/usda-results.
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