Conserving Western Forests & Wildlife

Western Forests

Integrating Wildlife Habitat & Wildfire Risk Reduction

Western forests are iconic for their wildlife, recreation, ecosystem benefits—and increasingly, their intense wildfires.

A new body of work for the IWJV focuses on improving habitat for birds and other wildlife while reducing wildfire risk and supporting communities in forest ecosystems.

A focus on forest resilience

Exploring opportunities to work in a variety of forest types in the Intermountain West.

Our initial efforts focus on dry frequent-fire forests and persistent pinyon-juniper woodlands. In dry frequent-fire forests, strong evidence shows that active management can improve ecological resilience—an ecosystem’s ability to maintain function amid disturbance—and better prepare forests for climate-driven fire after decades of suppression. Pinyon-juniper woodlands are a priority due to the steep decline of the charismatic Pinyon Jay, the ecosystem’s vulnerability to wildfire and climate change, and growing partner interest in addressing threats to this vast habitat.