The origins of collaborative forest restoration in Central Oregon can be traced back to the summer of 2000 and one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in the U.S. West. In response to local concerns over wildfire risk, community safety, forest health concerns, and forest restoration needs, a handful of small-scale demonstration projects and community-based organizations emerged. These efforts focused on increasing local capacity to plan and implement a shared wildfire risk reduction strategy across agency and organizational jurisdictions and on improving coordination and communication among diverse organizations and civic entities.

There was a critical need for sustainable funding to support these bourgeoning efforts. The Central Oregon Forest Stewardship Foundation (COFSF) was created to address this ongoing need for funding to sustain effective collaborative process and capacity. Since then COFSF’s mission has expanded to support innovation, implementation efficiencies, and appropriately scaled risk-taking to enhance the quality and quantity of forest restoration in Central Oregon.