Our Projects | Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project

Since 2010, we’ve been working as partners alongside the Deschutes National Forest on a $10.1 million effort to restore 250,000+ acres of forest in Deschutes County, focusing on the unhealthiest places that are putting our forests and communities at risk, including the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas west of Bend, Sisters, Tumalo and Sunriver.

Along with this, the DCFP has a variety of other restoration projects in the works, such as a West Bend Project which is focused on restoring forest ecosystems, reducing the potential of high-severity wildfire, and provide socioeconomic benefits to local communities.

We are creating better wildlife habitat, space for trees to grow and thrive, and safer and healthier communities such as through the use of prescribed fire. Fire were historically a healthy and regular occurrence in Central Oregon forests. Our trees, plants and wildlife are all adapted to forests that received regular fire. A century of fire suppression has resulted in overly dense forests, and thus very hot and devastating fires.