GFFP Awarded Healthy Forest Initiative Grant and is the Recipient of “ADEQ Copper Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP)” Recognition
The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership (GFFP), along with Campbell Global, recently completed a fuel reduction project on 133 acres owned by Norther Arizona Healthcare (NAH). GFFP was awarded a 2021 Healthy Forest Initiative (HFI) Grant from the Department of Forestry & Fire Management. The thinning treatments were implemented on the potential site of Northern Arizona’s only Level 1 trauma center and medical campus.
The NAH Project is located within Flagstaff’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and compliments several nearby treatments and reduces wildfire risk for many adjacent or nearby valued assets. The values at risk included Flagstaff’s westside business district, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS), several neighborhoods, and major highways including State Route 89A/Beulah Boulevard and Interstate 17. In addition, the project added to landscape level fire resilience for the nearby Coconino National Forest’s Southside Airport Project and the Fort Tuthill County Park Project (WFHF grant awarded to GFFP and Coconino County in 2018). To fulfill another project objective that included supporting local forest product industry, a local contractor, Dakota Logging, successfully implemented the NAH Project ahead of schedule.
GFFP and Campbell Global were able to showcase the project during a field tour this past summer, and Partners were able to personally meet and interact with the logging contractor and his crew. The tour inspired the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to nominate GFFP, and other involved partners, for the “ADEQ Copper Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP)” recognition. This acknowledgement is awarded each year for partnerships/collaborations “…that have completed a project that resulted in measurable improvements to the environment.” Recently, GFFP was informed that the Partnership, NAH, Campbell Global, and Dakota Logging will receive this recognition, and ADEQ will present the award at an upcoming GFFP meeting (expected Feb. 2023). GFFP Partners will continue to capitalize on opportunities to reach out to the community with messaging that highlights the effects of these treatments, and overall forest health/restoration and FireWise/fire adaptation principles.
Before Treatment
After Treatment
Fort Tuthill County Park – Forest Treatments funded with a Wildland Fire & Hazardous Fuels Grant
The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership wa awarded a Wildland Fire & Hazardous Fuels Grant (WFHF) this past year to develop and help implement a 325-acre forest treatment project at the historic Coconino County Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff. The Park is located in the southwest corner of town, within Flagstaff’s main fire vector and directly adjacent to homes. The ponderosa pine stands were overstocked with excessive trees and fuel loads and had a high probability for high severity frown fire. Treatment in this area has created a more resilient landscape, reinforced Flagstaff’s charge in being a Fire Adapted Community and supports safer and more effective wildfire response should a fire ignite. For full article, see: Fort Tuthill Thinning Project_2017
Fort Tuthill site (before thinning treatment)
Same site at Fort Tuthill (after thinning treatment)