Healthy Forests
The Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) was launched in August, 2002 with the intent to reduce the risks severe wildfires pose to people, communities, and the environment. By protecting forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands from unnaturally intensive and destructive fires, HFI helps improve the condition of our public lands, increases firefighter safety, and conserves landscape attributes valued by society.
President Bush signed the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-148) (HFRA) in December 2003. HFRA, as it is known, contains a variety of provisions to speed up hazardous-fuel reduction and forest-restoration projects on specific types of Federal land that are at risk of wildland fire and/or of insect and disease epidemics. The HFRA helps States, Tribes, rural communities and landowners restore healthy forest and rangeland conditions on State, Tribal, and private lands.