FFSL News

SALT LAKE CITY—The men and women who fight wildfires in Utah face intense heat, smoke, and danger. But beyond the immediate hazards of a fire, they face an invisible threat: an increased risk of cancer caused by years of exposure to toxic chemicals. In a pioneering effort to protect its workforce, the State of Utah has joined forces with the …

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the USDA Forest Service. The funding, provided through the competitive Landscape Scale Restoration program, will be used to restore the Lower Beaver River watershed near Minersville, Utah. The project will focus on reducing hazardous fuels to mitigate wildfire …

Black Rock is a distinctive feature on the southern end of Great Salt Lake and was a valuable waypoint for travelers crossing the Great Basin on the California Trail. That trail, and Black Rock itself, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Black Rock is managed by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, which is …

SALT LAKE – The US Department of Agriculture has awarded $3 million in its latest round of funding for a Forest Legacy project in Washington County. The project is called the Zion Connectivity Project due to its close proximity to Zion National Park and other surrounding protected lands.  Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands will use the awarded funding to …

SALT LAKE – Matt Christensen, who serves as the Wildland-Urban Interface Coordinator in the FFSL Central Area, was honored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service with their 2024 USFWS Partners Program Conservation Excellence Award for his work with the agency on the San Pitch Rx.  Each year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife …

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is sending two task forces to Texas to assist with wildland firefighting efforts in the state.  The two task forces are traveling to Texas on a severity assignment to assist the local firefighting resources due to heightened fire activity in the state.  One task force consists of state …

Junction, Utah – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Central Area staff and the Piute High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) hosted a hands-on interactive assembly for the students. The assembly focused on forest ecology, fire behavior, mitigation and preparedness.  The assembly was an initiative that provided interactive and hands-on activities for students and was …

SALT LAKE—The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands held its annual Utah Forest Products Industry meetings this week in Richfield and Heber City. The meetings discussed challenges impacting the industry in Utah and presented available financial and technical assistance to encourage wood utilization.  “Our objective in hosting these meetings is to provide information to the industry via presentations …

SALT LAKE (December 18, 2024) —The USDA has announced that Utah will receive $2.75 million in Forest Legacy funding to preserve 379 acres of land in Kane County bordering Zion National Park. The funding is part of a larger announcement made by the USDA last week. The money for this round comes from the Inflation Reduction Act.  “The Division commends …