The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Seeking Public Feedback on a Proposed List of Deferred Maintenance Projects

Press release from the U.S. Forest Service:

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is seeking public feedback on a proposed list of deferred maintenance projects under consideration for Great American Outdoors Act funding in fiscal year 2022. The deadline to provide feedback is Nov. 30, 2020.

 

The Forest Service projects, which are now open for public feedback, aim to address the agency’s $5.2 billion deferred maintenance backlog and improve public access and quality of visitor experience through repair and restoration of roads, trails, bridges, recreation sites, and other facilities. The list of proposed projects can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/landmanagement/projects/?cid=FSEPRD796823.

 

The proposed projects were selected based on seven (7) criteria:

• Reducing deferred maintenance
• Promoting management of America’s forests
• Improving visitor experience
• Contributing to rural economic development
• Improving visitor access
• Ensuring health and safety
• Leveraging partner contributions and resources

Signed into law this summer, the Great American Outdoors Act provides funding that will enable federal land managers to take aggressive steps to address deferred maintenance and other infrastructure projects on national forest and grasslands through 2025. The Forest Service is working closely with all interested publics to ensure the selected projects continue to meet local needs and maximize the benefits experienced by millions of Americans who visit and use their national forests and grasslands.

 

Background: 

The Great American Outdoors Act responds to the growing $5 billion backlog of deferred maintenance on national forest and grasslands, which includes $3.7 billion for roads and bridges and $1.5 billion for visitor centers, campgrounds and other facilities. The Forest Service currently administers more than 370,000 miles of roads, 13,400 bridges, 159,000 miles of trails, 1,700 dams and reservoirs, 1,500 communications sites, 27,000 recreation sites, and 40,000 facilities of other types. In addition to helping address deferred maintenance for these critical facilities and infrastructure, the Great American Outdoors Act will help the Forest Service to continue supporting rural economies and communities in and around national forests and grasslands across the country.

 

The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.