FFSL News

SALT LAKE CITY – Last fiscal year, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands awarded $645,000 in grant funding to municipalities and non-profit organizations with a vested interest in the Jordan River. This funding was used to complete projects to improve and preserve the river’s health and accessibility. Funding for these grants is a part of ongoing legislative …

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands recognized Josh Soper and Unified Fire Authority for their outstanding work this season at the State Fall Fire Management Meeting.   At the end of each fire season, staff from around the state come together to discuss issues that arose during the fire year and improvements being made across …

SALT LAKE CITY – Team Rubicon has been honored with the 2023 WUI Mitigation Award for their work in wildfire mitigation efforts in the wildland-urban interface within the Moab area. The award recognizes their dedication and innovative approach to safeguarding communities against the devastating impact of wildfires. “Much of the work we do in Moab couldn’t be accomplished without the …

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is seeking stakeholder comment through the informal rulemaking processes regarding a draft of mineral extraction rules, especially lithium extraction.  “Extracting lithium from Great Salt Lake is a unique economic opportunity for the state of Utah,” said Ben Stireman, Deputy Director of Lands and Minerals for the Utah Division …

SALT LAKE –  The interagency fire prevention campaign Fire Sense was honored by the US Forest Service, the Ad Council and the National Association of State Foresters with the bronze level of the Smokey Bear award at the NASF annual meeting in Baton Rogue, La., on September 20th.  The Smokey Bear awards began in the mid-1950s to recognize organizations on …

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) has completed the Fremont Island Property Management Plan (PMP) according to the terms and conditions outlined in the conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).   “Conserving Fremont Island as open space and allowing resources present to flourish contributes to the holistic protection of Great Salt Lake, …

SALT LAKE – The US Forest Service announced 18,648 acres of private forested lands in Utah will be preserved with an investment of $14.4 million as a part of the Forest Legacy Program. Funding for the projects comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, and the investment will ensure these forestlands will continue to benefit the public and surrounding communities.   “The …

SALT LAKE CITY– Today state, federal and local officials visited forest management projects to see how Utah’s land managers are proactively addressing the wildfire crisis. Gov. Spencer Cox hosted Deputy Chief Chris French and Intermountain Regional Forester Mary Farnsworth with the U.S. Forest Service; Regional Conservationist Astor Boozer and State Conservationist Emily Fife with the Natural Resource Conservation Service; Legislators; …

SALT LAKE – The USDA Forest Service has awarded $475,000 to two Utah-based organizations through the Wood Innovation Funding Opportunity. Last Chance Lumber Sawmill will use the grant funding to retool its existing setup, and the University of Utah will use the funding for research on the safety of mass timber buildings. “It’s exciting to see increased federal investment in …

SALT LAKE CITY (June 1, 2023) — The multi-agency treatment of wildfire fuels (mulching) in Parleys Canyon will resume with mechanical treatments beginning on June 1 on the south side of I-80. It will continue up to Lambs Canyon as a part of more extensive fuel reduction work to improve watershed health and wildlife habitat.  Due to the impacts of …