Wildfire Protection and Restoration

Updated 12/31/2007

Catastrophic wildfires have ravished extensive areas of the country, particularly in the West. Recent-year events have surpassed all previous fire occurrences across the country.  Scientists warn of more frequent fires as populations expand to the urban-wildlands interface.  Development of fire retardant species to establish fire-safe buffers between communities and susceptible wildlands is needed.  In addition, when fires do occur it is imperative to have readily available supplies of native species to revegetate burn areas.  Plant Materials Centers are selecting species and developing planting techniques for fire risk reduction and restoration.

Related Publications

• Publications relating to Wildfire Protection and Restoration
• Publications by Plant Materials Centers
• Publications by Topic

Some documents or features may require Adobe Acrobat.

Determining viability of soil seed banks after wildfires - California (30 KB)

Wildfire Recovery Tips for Idaho. (4.2MB) Fagan, Jody and Dan Ogle. 2006. USDA NRCS, Boiise, Idaho. 2006. 20p. (ID# 6988)

Wildfire Recovery Tips: Southeast Washington. (594 KB) Stannard, Ogle, Kuhn, Yenish. 2005. USDA-NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center and WSU Cooperative Extension Service, Pullman WA. August 2005. 26p. (ID# 6202)

Reseeding after the 2006 fires.. (21KB) Stannard, M.E. 2006. WA NRCS: Conservation Practice information Sheet, Pullman WA. WAPMC Oct 2006. 2p. (ID# 7030)

Features

• Species for Reseeding
• Wildfire Rehabilitation 2007
• Fast-growing Grass Restores Bitterroot's Burned Slopes
• What is the greatest challenge to rehabilitating areas burned by wildfire? - Bruce Munda, NRCS Plant Materials Specialist, Tucson, Arizona

Fire safety and prevention information:

• Preparing for Wildfire on Montana Rangelands: A Landowner's Guide
• Preparing Your Home for Wildfire
• Water Conservation Tips for Homeowners

Related Websites

• Web Sites Relating to Wildfire Rehabilitation and Restoration
• National NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program Web Site
• Funds Available to help Ranchers Recover From Wildfire
  Nevada NRCS Wildfire Rehabilitation Program
• NRCS MT Wildfire Rehabilitation Assistance
  NRCS Montana page for online fact sheets and links to fire related information.
• Wildfire Help for Homeowners
• After Wildfire
• Emergency Watershed Protection Fact Sheets
  NRCS page for online fact sheets about reseeding burned areas.
• United States Fire Administration Fire Resources
  Technical assistance and information about wildfire and the urban wildland interface.
• USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management
  Contains numerous links to current fire research and technology.

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