Forested landscapes in much of the West are increasingly threatened by wildfire and are decreasing bird and wildlife abundance. The Fuels Reduction Evaluation Tool (FRET) helps landowners and forest managers make decisions about forest thinning projects that can reduce wildfire risk and improve wildlife habitat—and evaluate the reduction of fire risk in previous treatments. At this time, this spatial tool supports forest management on public and private lands in Montana.
Developed in partnership with:
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service & Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Fuels Reduction Evaluation Tool
FRET shows how forest treatments affect an area’s wildfire resilience as well as habitat for forest bird species. The tool estimates the number of live trees per acre on a given site before treatment and shows where tree density is higher or lower. Users can simulate various levels of thinning treatment (or input post-treatment data) before running the model.
Use this tool with these simple steps:
1. Upload a forest treatment area
2. Set the target post-treatment density
3. View effects on fire resilience
4. View effects on bird habitat
need HELP NAVIGATING?
You can access our FRET tutorial video and fact sheet below. Contact Teagan Hayes, Science to Implementation Specialist, for help with the tool.
FRET Fact Sheet
A fact sheet giving a high-level overview of the Fuels Reduction Evaluation Tool and the science behind it.
