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About Us

The Pacific Southwest Region of the US Forest Service manages 20 million acres of National Forest land in California and assists the State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. Eighteen national forests are located in this region.

Randy Moore has served as Pacific Southwest Regional Forester since October 2007. The Pacific Southwest Region is commonly referred to as Region 5 (R5). Read more

In The Spotlight

Photograph of two children wearing hard-hats and holding a shovel to plant a tree seedling.

Arbor Day — Forest Aid and Kids for Trees

May 7, 2009

The Rim of the World High School Singing Scots Choir of Lake Arrowhead, CA sponsored a free Arbor Day Concert. The choir was also complimented by poetry readings and dances about nature that were performed by students. The concert was part of the international Kids4Trees program, a U.S.–based tree planting program of Association Pour la Terre for children ages 6–12 in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme Billion Tree Campaign. Read more

Photograph of Rudy Tantare, wearing a Forest Service uniform.

San Bernardino National Forest Sets Tree Planting Record

May 6, 2009

The San Bernardino recently completed planting more than half a million trees on over 3,400 acres of forestland damaged by wildfire and insect attack, which is 3 times more planting than any other year in the history of the forest! Several community volunteer planting events involving thousands of citizens helped to celebrate the unprecedented season. Read more

Photograph of Paul McFarland.

Q&A’s with Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) Member Paul McFarland

April 30, 2009

Currently, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking applications for three positions on the 11 member California RRAC. We caught up with committee member Paul McFarland recently for an interview about his volunteer position. Read more

Photograph of a man standing with a shovel in a charred forest area.

Los Padres National Forest Sets Tree Planting Record

April 28, 2009

The Los Padres recently completed tree planting on over 1,000 acres of forestland burned in the Day Fire of 2006, which is 5 times more planting than any other year in the history of the forest! A planting project with Boy Scouts helped celebrate the unprecedented season. Read more

Photograph of 2 individuals, with many others standing in the background, holding shovels filled with soil around a tree seedling.

Trees Planted for Arbor Day at Regional Office

April 28, 2009

National Arbor Day was celebrated at the Regional Office in Vallejo, Calif. on April 24. The Arbor Day celebration included a short history and the importance of planting trees. Employees of the office helped plant a Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) and an Incense Cedar (Calocedrus Decurrens). At left, Timothy Williams and Monica Lindsey plant a tree on National Arbor Day.

Photograph of 2 hands placed on soil surrounding a tree seedling.

Pacific Southwest Region Demonstrates Carbon Sequestration through Reforestation

April 23, 2009

The Pacific Southwest Region recently took an opportunity to help inform emerging carbon markets and to demonstrate how forest management may be used as one part of a national climate change mitigation strategy through reforestation, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and El Paso Corporation. A portion of the current reforestation effort to restore forested conditions on the Plumas National Forest within the Moonlight Fire of 2007 was designed as a carbon demonstration project. A ceremony to commemorate the effort was held the day before Earth Day on April 21, 2009 at the Placerville Nursery in Camino, Calif. Read more

A photograph of several men and women standing outside in a semi-circular pattern.

Opportunity to Work in Partnership with Public Lands Agencies Still Available

April 13, 2009

The deadline for submitting applications for the Pacific Southwest California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) has been extended to May 15, 2009. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking applications for the following three positions on the 11 member RRAC: Winter motorized recreation such as snowmobiling; hunting and fishing; and motorized outfitting and guiding or local environmental groups. If you are interested in submitting a nomination for Recreation RAC membership, obtain a nomination packet by going on-line at www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/rrac or contact Frances Enkoji at the Forest Service (707) 562-8846 for more information, e-mail: R5rrac@fs.fed.us; or, Mike Ayers at the BLM (916) 978-4644, e-mail: Michael_Ayers@ca.blm.gov.

Current Conditions: An orange triangle with a black exclamation point that is symbolic of Public Safety information. Current Conditions: Safety Alerts, Fires, Advisories, Closures, and Restrictions.

The National Fire News: Provides statistical fire data and a detailed list of wildland fires by state.

Regional Highlights

National Highlights

  • Economic Recovery: Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the President has asked the Forest Service help put people back to work. We anticipate receiving over a billion dollars this year for our Economic Recovery program, and we expect to create almost 30,000 new private sector jobs over the next two years. Those jobs will be concentrated in two major projects: Wildland Fire Management and Capital Improvement and Maintenance.
  • Ecosystem Services: The Forest Service is exploring national opportunities to advance markets and payments for ecosystem services. With help from our partners and others, we will encourage broader thinking and collaboration that stimulates market-based conservation and stewardship.
  • Climate Change, Water and Kids: Today, three great challenges cut across the conservation work we do: Climate Change, Water and Kids. These are not new topics for us, but they offer a context to build on. The Forest Service is acting on a national scale to meet these challenges.
  • Healthy Forests and Rangelands: provides fire, fuels, and land management information to government officials, land and fire management professionals, businesses, communities, and other interested organizations and individuals.
  • Fiscal Year 2009 Budget: The fiscal year (FY) 2009 Forest Service budget request totals $4.109 billion in discretionary appropriations, an 8 percent decrease from FY 2008 enacted level and a 5 percent decrease from FY 2007 levels.
  • Washington Office Environmental Appeals and Litigation: This site contains information about the Forest Service's environmental appeals and litigation.