The funding will support roughly 300 acres of hazardous fuel reduction work at the Little Valley Research Station and nearby Whittell Forest, where dense vegetation can help wildfires spread quickly through the landscape.
During a recent demonstration at the research station, University of Nevada, Reno Forest Manager Hunter Noble showed how crews use thinning and fuel reduction to make forests more resilient when wildfire occurs.
"We're going to do approximately 300 acres of hazardous fuel reduction as a way to help reduce the risk of high-severity fire impacts to both the forest and then the community down below," Noble said.
The project focuses on areas where forests and nearby communities meet — places often referred to as the wildland-urban interface. Those areas can be especially vulnerable when wildfire moves from undeveloped land toward homes and infrastructure.
Noble said the work is designed to change how fire behaves when it eventually returns.
"The goal is to both reduce the density of the forest and then also reduce the continuity of vegetation, so when fire does happen again, the fire is less likely to jump from tree to tree or spread from tree to tree," he said.
Researchers say the project is part of a broader effort across the West to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health as communities continue to grow near fire-prone landscapes.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
