Intermountain Region

Welcome from Harv Forsgren, Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region.

From the famous red sands of southern Utah to the rugged and craggy ridge line of the Sawtooth Mountains to the stark openness of Nevada the Intermountain Region offers amazing diversity and some of the most beautiful, famous and stunning forests in the nation.

The health of our forests and grasslands is an important focus that we take very seriously as we strive to succeed at Caring for the Land and Serving People.

Avalanche Warnings!

There were a couple of close calls this last weekend in the Wasatch Range above Salt Lake City that resulted in only minor injuries. Take some time to visit the Avalanche Center web sites for condition updates before entering the back country..

• Utah Avalanche Center
• Payette Avalanche Center
• Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center
• Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center

Practice safety this winter when visiting the back country. Take the online tutorial for Avalanche Safety, find a class near you or search for a certified instructor. Learn more about the Forest Service National Avalanche Center.

Have fun this winter and be safe!!

Forests to Faucets

The Forests to Faucets Project identifies areas that supply surface drinking water, have consumer demand for this water, and are facing significant development threats. It identifies areas of interest for protecting surface drinking water quality. Learn more about the Forests to Faucets project and explore the areas of concern using a interactive map viewer.
Forest-to-Faucet Partnership | Rocky Mountain Research Station Water & Watershed Processes

Sage-Grouse

In March 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled that listing the Greater Sage-Grouse was “warranted,” for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The US Forest Service is working with the BLM to conserve sagebrush habitat and the species that depend on it. The goal is to provide for long-term conservation, habitat protection and species improvement that would make listing the Greater Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act protection unnecessary in coming years. For more information about the planning strategy, please visit the BLM website:

• http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sage_grouse_home2.html
• Sage-Grouse News and Information

On-line Video Clips

Climate Change

Global climate change is dramatically altering forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Forests and grasslands produce many ecosystem services on which society relies: water, clean air, wood products, recreation, wildlife habitats, and biological diversity.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is leading example of the Forest Service’s work on Climate Change.  The forest is identifying mitigation and adaptation opportunities in its 5-year vegetation management planning efforts.  So far at least a dozen projects have been identified that will produce measurable results for increased carbon sequestration, emissions reductions, and/or increased ecosystem resiliency.  Additionally, the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests, are participating in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Project.  This effort involves other National Forests in Regions 1, 2 and 4, the National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  Together, these units are developing a strategy to reduce carbon emissions across the Greater Yellowstone Area.