The Authority's Forest Program was initiated with the 2016 Master Stewardship Agreement with the US Forest Service. UMRWA serves as lead partner for forest project planning and contracting fuel reduction and restoration projects within the two National Forests that span the watershed, the Eldorado NF (north) and Stanislaus NF (south). In that role the Authority has secured more than $12 million in funding from Sierra Nevada Conservancy, USFS, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, CalFire and the Wildlife Conservation Board. In addition to completing forest fuels and restoration treatments on 4,225 acres of National Forest lands to date, the Authority lead the January 2023 completion of the Forest Projects Plan - Phase 1 (FPP-1) which addresses immediate fuels reduction treatments on more than 26,000 acres, and is leading the FPP - Phase 2  (FPP - 2) process to formulate a plan and associated NEPA/CEQA to achieve sustainable and resilient forests on approximately 225,000 acres within the two the National Forests.