Strategic, shared stewardship for a resilient landscape

West Bear All-Lands Restoration Project (West Bear) implements strategic forest health and wildfire reduction treatments adjacent to communities and important human and natural assets across a contiguous landscape extending from Ashland to Medford, west of the I-5 corridor, and across into the Jacksonville foothills.

Administered by Rogue Forest Partners, West Bear builds upon over a decade of successful collaborative forest restoration, hazardous fuels reduction, and community wildfire protection and response to recent emergencies by leveraging and deploying targeted resources into an area of urgent need. The partnership coordinates a large, sustained effort that incorporates tribal rights and perspectives, workforce development, public health and safety, and social equity.

Lomakatsi is the principal recipient of grant funding for West Bear and the lead partner for West Bear planning and design, implementation and monitoring, prescribed fire prescription development, community outreach, workforce, and engagement.

History of West Bear

West Bear began with a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program award for $500,000 to Lomakatsi Restoration Project through the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in 2020.

Additional funding and partner co-investment for West Bear has since grown to over $11 million. Most recently, the Rogue Forest Partners, including Lomakatsi, and collaborating agencies have begun coordinating with a diverse suite of public and private organizations to develop and implement the project.

No previous forest and wildfire management project has sought this level of public engagement, partnership, applied scientific theory, and rigorous monitoring to provide clear and demonstrable public benefit at a significant scale.