Last updated: 09/01/04

FORESTS AND WOODLANDS

• Healthy Forests Initiative
  This initiative calls for administrative improvements that ensure more timely decisions, greater efficiency, and better results in projects that reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and restore forest and rangeland health.
  
  
• Federal Agencies Announce Guidelines to Aid Wildfire Prevention and Restoration of Healthy Forests and Rangelands
  March 3, 2004 News Release: The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Interior Department issued field guidelines today designed to help land-managers reduce wildfire threats on public lands. The guidance titled, “Interim Field Guide for Implementing the Healthy Forests Initiative and Healthy Forests Restoration Act,” will be used to address the issues managers will need to consider while reducing hazardous fuels and planning forest and rangeland restoration projects.
  
  
• Stewardship Contracting
  Stewardship contracting involves caring for the land through broad-based community public and community involvement.
  
  
• IM2004-227: Bureau of Land Management's Biomass Utilization Strategy
  This Instruction Memorandum (IM) will establish the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Biomass Utilization Strategy. The strategy is a framework to implement the biomass portions of the National Fire Plan, National Energy Policy, DOI Strategic Plan, commitments made by the Secretary of the Interior at the Bioenergy and Wood Products Conference (January 2004) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Woody Biomass Utilization for Restoration and Fuels Treatments on Forests, Woodlands and Rangelands.