$188M invested in forest conservation

WLJ Jul. 14, 2023 1 minute read

$188M invested in forest conservation — Conservation groups argue the U.S. Forest Service has failed to protect Lower Salt River Recreation Area from “hundreds of unowned horses.” Pictured here
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The USDA’s U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has announced a $188 million investment into conserving forests across the country.

The funding will support 34 projects to conserve more than 245,000 acres of working forests that are “critical to rural economies in 22 states,” the agency said.

“States, with input and in coordination with tribes and non-profits, will use land easements and purchases to conserve the most ecologically and economically important forests that are under threat of being converted to non-forest uses,” USFS said.

$100 million of the funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides an additional $250 million for similar projects next year, and $88 million comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To view the fiscal year 2023 projects, visit fs.usda.gov and search for “Forest Legacy 2023 Funded Projects.”