Hootenanny Project

Building on the goals of previous dry forest restoration projects, the Hootenanny Project represents the next phase of collaborative forest restoration in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Developed under the Good Neighbor Authority through a third-party NEPA contract, the project is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the U.S. Forest Service. Like previous collaborative projects, Hootenanny aims to reduce tree density, improve forest health, and lower the risk of insect outbreaks and high-severity wildfire by thinning overly crowded stands and prioritizing the retention of large, fire-adapted trees such as legacy ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak.

Map of the Hootenanny Project area on the far east side of the Mt. Hood National Forest in a checkerboard landscape. National Forest System lands are shown in salmon color, bordered by ODFW White River Wildlife Area (pink), and adjacent private lands (green).

The Hootenanny Project is funded in part through ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration Program—which supports landscape-scale forest restoration and improved federal forest management—and the Planning Assistance and Categorical Exclusion (PACE) program, which helps accelerate project planning and implementation across priority landscapes.

Wasco County Forest Collaborative co-hosted a field tour to the Hootenanny Project area with the Mt. Hood National Forest. Site visit to a portion of the planning area within the ODFW White River Wildlife Area (October 2024).

To learn more about the Hootenanny Project visit the Mt. Hood National Forest website here.