The USDA Forest Service plans to standardize post-fire recovery actions nationwide.

The Service will soon be launching a nationwide environmental assessment to analyze the effects of general post-fire recovery actions, issues, and alternatives to facilitate consistency, officials said in a press release on Thursday. The Service would then standardize its programs across the nation’s forests to allow for a more “rapid, efficient, and effective response” from local managers.

Officials said a review of the agency’s post-fire recovery programs was necessary due to the increasing severity and frequency of wildfires across the country, especially in Western states. It also aligns with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, which focus on streamlining wildland fire response and increasing timber production through deregulation.

“Restoring forests after a wildfire is not something we can delay, especially when public safety is at stake,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a press release. “Post-fire recovery actions need to be immediate and comprehensive to protect the future of our forests and the people who depend on them.” 

The Service’s environmental analysis would specifically focus on the following issues:

• Effects to wildlife and habitat, including threatened, endangered or sensitive species
• Effects to waterways and soils resulting from fire suppression and response activities
• Effects to public access, recreation, and visual quality through temporary closures during hazard treatment
• Economic effects of post-fire timber salvage

“This effort is about resilience,” Chief Schultz said. “We’re not just recovering from a fire. We’re building landscapes that can withstand the next one.” 

Officials expect the assessment to be completed by April, with site-specific scoping, documentation, and decisions being issued on a project-by-project basis by local rangers. Members of the public can comment on the Service’s proposal through Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Click here to submit a comment on the proposal.