USDA Forest Service
Major progress underway across half the National Forest System following three years of storms, wildfires, and flooding
The U.S. Forest Service announced today that significant recovery efforts across national forests and grasslands continue to progress following damage caused over three years of natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and flooding.
These efforts were made possible by $6.35 billion in disaster recovery supplemental funding allocated to the agency through the American Relief Act of 2025. These supplemental funds are targeted to support the restoration of infrastructure and natural resources across half the National Forest System following disasters between 2022 and 2024.
“When a natural disaster impacts a national forest or grassland, the landscape is reshaped, undergoing both destruction and potential benefits, followed by a period of intervention and recovery,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “The American Relief Act funding is supporting recovery efforts across 85 national forests and two national grasslands damaged by nearly 100 disasters. We are working to responsibly use the funding to restore the land and infrastructure and to ensure public safety and access.”
The agency’s disaster recovery work is focused on restoring access, rebuilding recreation sites, reducing wildfire risk, restoring ecosystems, supporting communities, and preparing for future disasters. The following actions are examples of how the agency work is progressing:
Restoring Access: Agency staff, partners and volunteers have been restoring critical access for emergency responders, private landowners, recreation seekers, and land managers.In California, road repair work continues across national forests affected by widespread damage from 2022-2023 atmospheric rivers. Recently, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest repaired and reopened 63.8 miles of roads, removed over 700 downed trees, regraded 35 miles of road and repaired eight landslides and four washouts. This work restored access to power infrastructure, private property, and firefighting routes. Nearby in the Six Rivers National Forest, 25 miles of roads were repaired within the Smith River National Recreation Area, improving access to campgrounds, trailheads, and active management sites.
Rebuilding Recreation Infrastructure: Damaged recreation infrastructure across the nation is being rebuilt to reconnect visitors to beloved areas. In Virginia, construction access to the Virginia Creeper National Scenic Trail on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest was restored in late 2025, allowing repair work to begin. Hurricane Helene catastrophically damaged half of the 34-mile trail. The trail is an important economic driver in southwest Virginia, averaging around 1,000 visitors a day and contributing an estimated $61 million a year to the region before the storm. The damaged portion of the trail is scheduled to reopen by the end of 2026.
Reducing Wildfire Risk: The agency is using a combination of salvage logging and prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk in the aftermath of disasters that damaged and killed trees.Following the effects of Hurricane Beryl, for example, the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are focusing on reducing new hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface caused by downed trees, new growth and invasive species. To further bolster efforts, the agency established a Good Neighbor Agreement with the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians to leverage tribal crew capacity.
Restoring Ecosystems: The agency has been working to restore health and function in disaster-stressed ecosystems. In Montana, the Bitterroot National Forest worked with partners and volunteers to install 35 structures that mimic natural beaver dams in a watershed damaged by the Trail Ridge Fire. These beaver dam analogs will promote vegetation recovery and improve the overall watershed. In Tennessee, the Cherokee National Forest removed about 47,000 cubic yards of debris after Hurricane Helene along the Pigeon River, seeded the sites to prevent erosion and invasive species spread, and collected 960 pounds of oak acorns to support reforestation.
Supporting Communities: The agency is supporting disaster affected communities through bolstering local economies as well as providing direct community assistance. In Oregon, the Willamette National Forest is working with a contractor and the community of Oakridge to provide no-cost firewood to low-income community members following the Cedar Creek Fire. This fuelwood comes from low-value, damaged timber salvaged from the burn scar. Across the west, the agency is also working to repair rangelands and range infrastructure, such as fencing, to support ranchers in the aftermath of wildfires.
Working Together: The Forest Service is working with state, tribal and county governments, as well as many non-governmental partners, to coordinate efforts and share capacity. In North Carolina, the Pisgah National Forest is supporting the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration in rebuilding Interstate 40 by providing fill materials from the nearby national forest—speeding the project up an estimated threefold and saving taxpayers millions. Interstate 40 is a critical route through the Appalachian Mountains, with thousands of vehicles traveling the highway each day.
Preparing for the Next Event: Disasters occur year-round, and the agency is proactively preparing for those inevitable events. In Oregon and California, the agency partnered with Sierra Pacific Industries to establish a system of new fuel breaks strategically placed at key sites in high-risk areas. In Utah and Nevada, the agency is supporting communities in acquiring equipment necessary for reducing hazardous fuels in high-risk communities, while also supporting on-the-ground thinning and restoration efforts on private forest lands.
The American Relief Act and previous other disaster recovery supplemental funds have been vital in enabling crucial disaster recovery efforts. Disaster recovery is an agency priority, and the Forest Service will continue leading efforts to restore the national forests impacted and support the communities that depend on them.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
