08/02/2023 | News release | Archived content
Common Ground with National Forest Foundation
The Vista Outdoor Foundation is supporting 12 nonprofit organizations in Fiscal Year 2023. These organizations represent a cross section of outdoor and recreational causes.
Common Ground is a deep dive into each of these organizations to tell the story of our partners, what is behind their mission and how each partner is using the grant.
This Common Ground feature highlights the National Forest Foundation, Missoula, Montana.
Why National Forest Foundation?
National Forest Foundation (NFF) believes national lands, and all they provide, are an American treasure and are vital to the health of our communities. The organization inspires personal and meaningful connections to our National Forests. On behalf of the American public, the NFF leads forest conservation efforts and promotes responsible recreation.
The National Forest Foundation's mission aligns with the Vista Outdoor Foundation's mission of conservation and expansion of access to get more people out enjoying tended spaces one venture at a time.
National Forest Foundation Mission: Bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands.
Grant Power:
Support from the Vista Outdoor Foundation has been directly supporting NFF's on-the-ground conservation and stewardship efforts on National Forest lands in California's Sierra-Nevada mountains in the Sierra National Forest. Specifically, Vista Outdoors' support has helped in building capacity since 2022 to survey National Forest lands and ultimately implement forest and watershed restoration activities that will reduce wildfire risk on the Sierra National Forest.
In the 2023 field season, NFF has contracted resource specialists to survey and monitor projects in the Pine Flat Watershed. Survey work on National Forest land is a crucial step in reaching the implementation phase. The efforts seek out to inform land managers of potential engendered species habitat, such as the Pacific Fisher, and sensitive archeological locations to be avoided.
Implementation work within the project area of Pine Flat will include under burning preparation and ignitions to reduce the fuel loading in the area. Ultimately it will create a more fire resilient watershed, as well retain water more efficiently for the ecosystem and ultimately downstream use in the San Juaquin River valley.
"Vista Outdoor's support will allow the NFF to accelerate crucial forest health treatments that will help protect California's National Forests from unnaturally severe wildfires," said Marcus Selig, Vice President, Field Program at NFF. "National Forests present some of the best recreation opportunities for the American public, and this work will help ensure that these lands remain healthy and accessible."