A new fuels reduction project just south of North Platte’s West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center is helping protect local residents from wildfire—thanks to a strong partnership between the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) and the Nebraska Department of Corrections.
The area, once densely populated with highly flammable eastern redcedar trees, sits directly adjacent to a neighborhood—raising concerns among NFS staff and local fire authorities about the potential wildfire risk. To address this, crews have been thinning and limbing the cedars to reduce hazardous fuels and help protect nearby homes.
A key part of this effort is the collaboration with McCook Work Ethic Camp, part of the Nebraska Department of Corrections. Inmate crews from the facility provided essential labor support, helping to clear and mulch removed trees. Their work not only made the project possible but also built on a similar effort completed at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis a year earlier.
“This project is a great example of how state agencies can work together to enhance public safety and manage our natural resources,” said Nebraska Forest Service Public Information Officer Ben Bohall. “Without the help from the Department of Corrections, this level of fuels reduction wouldn’t have been possible.”
With wildfire seasons becoming more intense across the Great Plains, efforts like this are critical to building safer, more resilient communities.
