US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health

A case study by the World Resources Institute detailing how the Cities4Forests initiative and its partners mobilized $115 million to restore 320,000 acres of forests and watersheds across 15 US states to mitigate wildfire risks and secure water supplies.

• The Cities4Forests initiative, in collaboration with partners such as Blue Forest, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service, mobilized $115 million to restore and protect over 320,000 acres of forests and watersheds across 15 US states. This effort aims to reduce high-intensity wildfire risks, improve wildlife habitats, and strengthen water security for more than 3 million people.
• To address federal funding gaps, Cities4Forests developed several innovative financial tools, including the Forest Resilience Bond, the Utah Resilience Fund, and the first certified green bond for watershed protection in the US. Additionally, over $11 million was mobilized from Fortune 500 companies for watershed restoration.
• Specific regional impacts include the restoration of 63,000 acres in the Tahoe National Forest in California via the Forest Resilience Bond, the protection of water supplies for over 700,000 residents and the recharging of the Great Salt Lake through risk reduction across 61,000 acres in Utah's Upper Weber River watershed, and a $32 million green bond protecting 3,100 acres around Lake Maumelle in Arkansas. Collectively, these interventions support 260 jobs and avoid or remove over 10 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

World Resources Institute (2026). US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health. https://www.wri.org/outcomes/us-communities-reduce-risks-wildfires-improving-forest-health

Chicago

World Resources Institute. US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health. 2026. https://www.wri.org/outcomes/us-communities-reduce-risks-wildfires-improving-forest-health.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health |date=3 March 2026 |url=https://www.wri.org/outcomes/us-communities-reduce-risks-wildfires-improving-forest-health |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2026communities, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.wri.org/outcomes/us-communities-reduce-risks-wildfires-improving-forest-health}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }