The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Ochoco National Forest have completed a pioneering reforestation project in the Crazy Creek Fire burn area. This effort resulted in the planting and protection of more than 74,000 ponderosa pine seedlings across 424 acres of federal forestland.

Collaboration and Restoration

The initiative marks the first reforestation project on federal forestland in Oregon to be completed under a state-written and state-administered planting contract through the Good Neighbor Authority. The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill, enables the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to partner with state agencies for restoration projects on federal lands.

The Ochoco National Forest experienced an exceptionally damaging fire season in 2024. During that season, the Crazy Creek, Rail Ridge and Wiley Flat fires burned vast areas across the forest, creating a significant need for reforestation and post-fire restoration.

In spring 2025, the Ochoco National Forest approached ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration Program team in Prineville. This led to an agreement for ODF to plant 424 acres within the Crazy Creek burn area during the 2026 planting season.

Kyle Sullivan-Astor, Federal Forest Restoration Program Lead for the Oregon Department of Forestry, highlighted the project’s significance. “This project is a strong example of what the Good Neighbor Authority was designed to accomplish,” Sullivan-Astor said. “By combining the expertise and resources of the Forest Service and ODF, we were able to complete additional reforestation work that would not otherwise have occurred on this timeline. Each seedling represents an investment in the long-term resilience of Central Oregon’s forests.”

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.