In a period of great ecological and socioeconomic change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service recognizes the critical importance of restoration to fulfilling its mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Across the country, forests, grasslands, and watersheds are impacted by a confluence of stressors, including catastrophic wildfire and outbreaks of insect and disease, that are exacerbated by a changing climate. At the same time, demand is growing for the multitude of services provided by national forests and grasslands. Restoration of these vital landscapes is critical to maintaining and enhancing the functions needed from productive, resilient forests and grasslands to support thriving communities and economies. In 2012, the Forest Service shared a number of policies and initiatives to increase the pace of forest restoration and management on the national forests. This report serves as an update to Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation on Our National Forests and shares progress that has been made over the past 3 years. The Forest Service, together with diverse partners across public and private sectors, is making a difference through implementation of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, Watershed Condition Framework, Integrated Resource Restoration budgeting, and the Western Bark Beetle Strategy; finalization of the 2012 forest planning rule; efficiency improvements for National Environmental Policy Act and timber and stewardship contract processing; and support to expand markets for forest products. As a result, the Forest Service has increased the impact and rate of restoration nationally, despite mounting challenges such as record droughts, longer and drier wildfire seasons, a reduction in non-fire personnel to support the agency mission, and a rapidly increasing percentage of the budget being spent on wildland fire management. In the previous report, the Forest Service projection for 2011 was to complete 3.7 million acres of restoration treatments. Ultimately, the agency exceeded its target and accomplished 4.2 million treatment acres. In 2014, the Forest Service further prioritized restoration and accomplished over 4.6 million acres of restoration treatments; an increase of nearly 400,000 acres (9 percent) compared to 2011 accomplishments. In fiscal year (FY) 2015 and beyond, the Forest Service continues to implement policies and approaches that more efficiently and effectively increase its impact on landscapes and communities as a result of restoration treatments. Yet, much work remains to be done. The Forest Service has made great progress since 2012, with the help provided through legislation. New and extended authorities, such as those provided in the 2014 Farm Bill, have allowed the Forest Service to work more efficiently and extensively with partners. However, there is a limit to the gains that can be realized through efficiencies and partnerships alone. Over the last few decades, wildland fire suppression costs have increased as fire seasons have grown longer and the frequency, size, and severity of wildland fires have increased. Today, the Forest Service spends half of its budget on fire management activities and that has real implications on the ground, including for restoration work that would help prevent catastrophic fires. Wildland fire suppression activities are currently funded entirely within the Forest Service budget, based on a 10-year rolling average that continues to increase, consuming a growing portion of the agency’s appropriated budget. This unsustainable problem is made worse because, in many years, fighting fires costs more than was appropriated for that year, requiring mid-season transfers of additional dollars from already depleted accounts to pay for firefighting: a practice referred to as “fire transfer.” In some cases, the agency is forced to divert money away from the same forest restoration projects that prevent or lessen the impacts of future wildfire. The agency has hit a tipping point. To solve this problem, the Government must change the way it pays for wildfire suppression. The USDA and the Forest Service stand ready to support the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. Resolving funding issues will help the Forest Service better restore the health and resilience of the Nation’s landscapes and serve the communities that rely on them.