Family-Owned Forests Play Critical Role in Western Public Water Supply

The American Forest Foundation recently released a report which shares some very interesting statistics about Western Water Supplies — one startling statistics is that nearly 40 percent of the forest land that keeps water clean in important watersheds that are at a high risk of wildfire are private and family-owned.
With this summer’s devastating forest fires throughout the west, it is critical for Congress to fix the way wildfire fighting is funded in the federal government. It needs to be treated as the disaster that it is. American Forest Foundation Director of Communications and Policy Elizabeth Bender shares
Bender: “The most important thing for folks to understand from this report is that the wildfire issue in the West is not just a public land issue. When you look at what comes from our forests — particularly the fact that water, clean water comes from our forests. When you look across ownership — 40 percent of the lands that are at a high risk for wildfires in critical watersheds are actually private and family owned. It is really important that we support and provide tools to these family and private landowners in order for them to protect against these catraspohic wildfires. I think that is really the big takeaway for us — it isn’t just the public lands issue. We need to support restoration and protection from wildfires on all landscapes.”
To learn more from the report: Western Water Threatened by Wildfire: It’s Not Just a Public Lands issue go to forestfoundation.org.