Coconino County is stepping up efforts to reduce wildfire risk with a new partnership aimed at restoring forests in the Flagstaff area. The County has agreements with The Nature Conservancy and the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership to facilitate important forest management efforts. Patrice Horstman, District 1 Supervisor, emphasized the severity of wildfires and post-wildfire flooding in the area, saying: Coconino County“To reduce the risk of these threats, we are promoting several forest restoration projects.”
The most important of these efforts is the Mesa Observatory Fuel Reduction Project, which targets 672 acres of land with mechanical thinning and other fire protection measures. The Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership, which runs the show, plans to manage the project using a mixed approach. A large 541 acres will be thinned mechanically, while acres with more dangerous steep slopes will be thinned by hand. According to Coconino County Press Releasethe wood products from these efforts are delivered to local communities through programs such as Wood For Life.
Looking upstream, the conservation group’s agreement does not provide immediate funding but paves the way for future financial support for projects such as the Hoch/Little Wing effort. Budgeted over $2 million in fiscal year 2025, these projects aim to restore more than 2,000 acres of forest in the upper Rio de Flag watershed. “We have identified significant wildfire and post-wildfire risks in the upper Rio de Flag watershed that could cause up to $2.8 billion in economic impacts to the region,” said Coconino County Forest Restoration Director Jay Smith. It’s a risk,” he said. Coconino County Quoted.
Joel Jurgens, Forestry Program Director for TNC Arizona, recognized the critical role of collaboration in this massive mission. “Our organization is focused on tackling the root causes of some of the most difficult problems facing both humans and nature, but we are clear that we can never do this alone. “I am aware of this,” Jurgens said. Coconino County. The common purpose shared by TNC and Coconino County is to protect the watershed and the way of life it supports.
