The French Meadows Forest Restoration Project
A landmark public-private partnership: ENS built a flexible federal strategy and delivered results for a critical watershed and forest restoration project.
The Problem
Forests in the Middle Fork American River watershed, on the Tahoe National Forest, were unhealthy and at high risk of severe wildfire due to decades of fire suppression, prior forest management practices, drought, and a changing climate. Recent wildfires had already eroded hundreds of thousands of tons of topsoil into the river system, degrading water quality, wildlife habitat, and downstream infrastructure.
What ENS Did
- ✓ Guided clients through the congressional appropriations process
- ✓ Aligned funding requests with federal forest management and wildfire reduction priorities through targeted engagement
- ✓ Identified opportunities to present the project at national conferences
- ✓ Identified opportunity for client's participation on a federal wildfire advisory council
- ✓ Organized numerous project tours for members of Congress and staff
The Result
The agency obtained federal appropriations and national recognition for the project, including a commitment from the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service to meet partner funding obligations — positioning French Meadows as a model for cooperative forest restoration.