HISTORIC AGREEMENT: CAL FIRE and the Bureau of Land Management sign a statewide Good Neighbor Authority Agreement

CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE

HISTORIC AGREEMENT MAKES IT EASIER AND FASTER TO WORK ACROSS JURISDICTIONS, AIMS TO INCREASE FOREST AND FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECTS ON STATE AND FEDERAL LAND

CAL FIRE and the Bureau of Land Management sign a statewide Good Neighbor Authority agreement making it easier to work across land jurisdictions and boundaries.

(SACRAMENTO) – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have accelerated efforts to combat catastrophic wildfires while improving and restoring the health of California forests.

Through a nationwide initiative known as the Good Neighbor Authority, CAL FIRE and the BLM have entered a statewide agreement and contract worth approximately $4.5 million, made available to CAL

. BLM oversees 15 million acres of public land in California, which is approximately 15 percent of the state’s total land mass.

“This groundbreaking collaboration between CAL FIRE and the BLM promises to be a vital step in safeguarding California’s natural resources and communities from the devastating impacts of wildfires,” Matthew Reischman, Deputy Director for Resource Management at CAL FIRE said. “Through strategic planning and joint efforts, this partnership streamlines planning steps and seeks to foster a healthier and more resilient environment—one that is better equipped to withstand the challenges posed by wildfire and other ecological stressors.”

The primary objective of this contract is to mitigate the potential devastation caused by wildfires specifically on BLM lands. By joining forces, the agencies can pair similar goals of sometimes separate projects on adjacent or nearby lands and further reduce the risks associated with wildfires while improving overall ecosystem health. This includes fostering natural wildfire resilience, safeguarding ecosystem health, and enhancing emergency response capabilities on BLM lands.

“We are excited to partner with CAL FIRE on important projects on BLM-managed public lands throughout California,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen. “These agreements will result in better coordination for activities to reduce fuels that feed wildfires, protect wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and restore important watersheds.”

Deputy Director Reischman hailed the Good Neighbor Authority agreement as an essential first step for the agencies to work together and achieve common objectives in California. He emphasized that the contract lays the foundation for a myriad of management opportunities aimed at creating a more resilient state.
The benefits of this partnership also extend beyond wildfire prevention, as the agreement also strives to fortify BLM wildlands against climatic stressors like drought. It also addresses potential threats posed by insects and fungi, which impact the overall health of natural systems.

FIRE as part of the agreement, to increase coordination for restoration, fuels reduction, and forest health

projects on BLM-managed public lands in California

Under this agreement, CAL FIRE can work to accomplish state goals on federal (BLM) lands, with priority projects identified based on alignment of CAL FIRE and BLM strategic goals. Examples of this can include projects connecting fuel-breaks that cross from the State Responsibility Area to BLM lands, to completing fuel reduction in targeted areas that pose a significant threat to communities by catastrophic wildfire, to post-fire restoration and hazard reduction in areas impacted by wildfire or other climate stressors. In the past, coordinating these projects may have required months or years of coordination while addressing a range of hurdles due to jurisdictional boundaries.

Now, projects may encompass a wide range of activities, with the hope for seamless coordination across state and BLM lands, authorized by the Good Neighbor Authority, such as undertaking National Environmental Policy Act preparations, implementing fuel reduction measures, and engaging in watershed restoration initiatives, among other activities.

This agreement reflects a positive step toward reaching the goal of treating one million acres of forest and wildlands annually by 2025, as described in the Shared Stewardship Agreement. The treatments will be driven by public safety and ecological goals including reducing wildfire impacts in high priority areas and maintaining and restoring healthy, resilient forests and rangelands. The plan is to use science-based management to ensure vegetation treatment tools are ecologically appropriate to specific vegetation and landscapes. Treatments will include thinning in excessively dense stands, timber harvesting, mechanical fuel reduction, prescribed fire, grazing, and reforestation.

To learn more about this agreement in California, see Bureau of Land Management’s News Release. To learn more about CAL FIRE’s forest health and resource management programs, visit CAL FIRE’s Natural Resource Management webpages.

• Mount Shasta Earth Day Festival Celebrates Nature Through Art and Activities
  The Earth Day Festival was held on a windy May 4th after being postponed for a week due to the wet weather the week prior. “Wind is better than freezing temperatures and rain,” says the Executive Director of Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center Bianca Garza who helped put on this special event for people young… Read more: Mount Shasta Earth Day Festival Celebrates Nature Through Art and Activities
• Y’all, spring is busting out all over! Hooray!
  The moon will be full about the time you read this, May 12. With the full moon, the moon begins to wane and garden duties are more passive like weeding, pruning, but also planting or starting root crops out in the garden.  The waxing moon is for active plant duties like starting seeds, transplanting seedlings… Read more: Y’all, spring is busting out all over! Hooray!
• Obituary: Urijah David RedHawk Potter
  Urijah David RedHawk Potter, our shining star and beloved warrior, passed away on April 27, 2025. Born on December 23, 2023, Urijah embodied the essence of love and light, illuminating the lives of his family, friends, and the community. He cherished his parents, siblings, grandparents, many aunts, uncles, and cousins, spreading joy and warmth wherever… Read more: Obituary: Urijah David RedHawk Potter
• Siskiyou Community Forum: Federal Funding Changes and Local Impact
  Siskiyou County, CA – The Siskiyou Community Alliance will hold a non-partisan forum on May 19, 2025 to address how recent changes in federal policies may affect Siskiyou County residents.  A panel of local administrators representing Health, Education, Child Care, Community Service, Law Enforcement, and Small Business Development will be providing accurate and locally relevant… Read more: Siskiyou Community Forum: Federal Funding Changes and Local Impact
• Obituary: Steven Allen Rose
  It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and papa. Steve passed away in the comfort of his home surrounded by family after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer at the age of 74 on Wednesday, April 30 at 3:55 p.m. Steve was born on February… Read more: Obituary: Steven Allen Rose