GAO studies benefits of ‘landscape-scale’ forest restoration

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the first-in-depth report from the Government Accountability Office on landscape-scale restoration of forests.

Wyden and Murkowski requested the report from GAO.

The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park System have all undertaken landscape-scale projects as a way to make forests healthier, more fire-resistant and to retain the remaining timber and mill infrastructure in Oregon, Alaska and other timber communities.

The GAO looked at 34 landscape-scale forest restoration projects of 50,000 acres or more from 2004 to 2014, and found that the landscape-scale forest restoration projects are growing in number and can make restoration efforts more efficient and cost-effective.

While highlighting the benefits of landscape-scale forest restoration, the GAO also identified challenges to more successful implementation.

These challenges included responding to litigation, sustaining stakeholder participation, and obtaining funds for planning.

GAO recommended better information-sharing among restoration project managers to improve the success of landscape-scale restoration projects going forward.

“The insights from the GAO will help lawmakers and foresters address challenges with landscape restoration,” Wyden said.

“This report makes it clear the use of landscape scale projects is growing and providing the kinds of efficiencies that will be needed to get ever more forest lands restored.Even while some of the longer-term outcomes are being awaited, I’m pleased to learn that some of the benefits, such as an enhanced ability to suppress fires, are already being seen,” he added.

Murkowski said, “Efforts to restore our national forests must take place at the scale at which disturbances, such as insect and disease outbreaks and mega wildfires, are occurring.”

“We are starting to see some positive results from landscape scale projects, butlitigation continues to pose a significant challenge -even with robust collaboration.”

The senators requested the report in 2013 when Wyden was chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Murkowski is the current chair of the committee and Wyden remains a senior Democrat on the committee.