Through the National Fire Plan, Congress has provided funding to rehabilitate and restore watersheds to closely match historical or pre-fire ecosystem structure, function, diversity and dynamics. The projects are necessary to restore landscapes that were damaged by the severe wildfires during the 2000 fire season. Given the severity of last year's fires, some of the burned areas are unlikely to recover naturally from the damage in a timely manner. These rehabilitation and restoration efforts are in addition to emergency stabilization efforts already taking place. A. Projects will focus on restoring watershed function including protection of basic soil, water resources, biological communities, and prevention of invasive species.
Biological rehabilitation emphasizes planting native grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees.
The projects involve planning, consultation, design, and contracting, and may take several years to fully implement. Monitoring and evaluation effectiveness of treatments may occur for up to three years following control of the fire.