September 30th, 2022
PHOENIX – Tonto National Forest officials announce the beginning of two collaborative forest health improvement projects with partners Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) and Salt River Project (SRP) utilizing a Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement.
The Tonto is partnering with DFFM and SRP, a community-based, not-for-profit utility provider to fund the Roberts Restoration and Pringle Tater Chip Restoration projects. Under the GNA, partner DFFM will oversee the implementation of mastication treatments with local vendors. These projects not only improve forest and watershed health but help protect communities and critical infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire impacts.
"These two very important restoration projects will enhance the resiliency of watersheds key to SRP's water delivery and ensure a reliable source of water for the Valley," said Elvy Barton, SRP Forest Health Management Principal. "The exciting part about these projects is they can't be done by a single entity – partnerships like this are what make them successful."
The Roberts Restoration project which began September 19, will treat 588 acres in two areas on the Payson Ranger District. The first area is located at Forest Road 65 near Diamond Point Lookout and Cave Tank, will restore watershed health and remove fuels to protect the lookout and key communication infrastructure. The second area, located at Forest Road 371 southwest of Blatner pit, will also restore forest composition and protect 325 KV powerlines and the Lion Springs community.
Contractors will use mastication treatments for the Roberts Restoration project to remove encroaching junipers and brush to restore forest composition and reduce the risk of wildfires. In addition, mastication treatments will be used to restore historic Emory oak trees which are culturally significant to the Apache people as a traditional food source. The project will also improve two key watersheds, Ellison Creek and Green Valley Creek, which flow into the Verde and Salt River watersheds. Project completion is expected by January 2023.
"The implementation of these two GNA projects is exciting for DFFM as it provides an opportunity to work hand in hand with our local contractors and USFS partners," said Travis Aldrich, Forestry Programs and Grants for DFFM. "Both Pringle Tater Chip and Roberts mastication projects are in diverse environments that present challenging yet welcome operations that will improve stand conditions for years to come."
Work on the Pringle Tater Chip Restoration project began September 26 and will treat 312 acres of ponderosa pine. The project is located 11 miles northeast of Young, Arizona, between the 512 Road and Forest Road 109. The purpose of this project is to restore the ponderosa pine species by moving the stand to desired conditions and reducing fuels such as brush adjacent to 525 KV powerlines. The project will also improve the Cherry Creek watershed which flows into the Salt River watershed. Project completion is expected by January 2023.
"Good Neighbor Authority allows the Forest Service to partner with state agencies such as DFFM and not-for-profit SRP to implement critically important projects on the Tonto," said Payson District Ranger Matt Paciorek. "GNA maximizes our capability to get meaningful work completed to protect communities and infrastructure from the risk of wildfires and to improve forest and watershed health."
Recently, the final record of decision was signed for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Rim Country Project which approves forest restoration activities on over 1.2 million acres spanning portions of the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino and Tonto national forests in northern Arizona. The Roberts and Pringle Tater Chip Restoration projects are two of several projects planned in firesheds identified in the Forest Service 10-year strategy for Confronting the Wildfire Crisis.
Firesheds are a way to delineate where fires ignite and are likely to (or not) spread to communities and infrastructure. Firesheds average 250,000 acres in size and are analyzed to develop landscape fuel treatment strategies. The Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts have three of the top 10 firesheds in the Southwestern Region of the Forest Service. back...
The Tonto is partnering with DFFM and SRP, a community-based, not-for-profit utility provider to fund the Roberts Restoration and Pringle Tater Chip Restoration projects. Under the GNA, partner DFFM will oversee the implementation of mastication treatments with local vendors. These projects not only improve forest and watershed health but help protect communities and critical infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire impacts.
"These two very important restoration projects will enhance the resiliency of watersheds key to SRP's water delivery and ensure a reliable source of water for the Valley," said Elvy Barton, SRP Forest Health Management Principal. "The exciting part about these projects is they can't be done by a single entity – partnerships like this are what make them successful."
The Roberts Restoration project which began September 19, will treat 588 acres in two areas on the Payson Ranger District. The first area is located at Forest Road 65 near Diamond Point Lookout and Cave Tank, will restore watershed health and remove fuels to protect the lookout and key communication infrastructure. The second area, located at Forest Road 371 southwest of Blatner pit, will also restore forest composition and protect 325 KV powerlines and the Lion Springs community.
Contractors will use mastication treatments for the Roberts Restoration project to remove encroaching junipers and brush to restore forest composition and reduce the risk of wildfires. In addition, mastication treatments will be used to restore historic Emory oak trees which are culturally significant to the Apache people as a traditional food source. The project will also improve two key watersheds, Ellison Creek and Green Valley Creek, which flow into the Verde and Salt River watersheds. Project completion is expected by January 2023.
"The implementation of these two GNA projects is exciting for DFFM as it provides an opportunity to work hand in hand with our local contractors and USFS partners," said Travis Aldrich, Forestry Programs and Grants for DFFM. "Both Pringle Tater Chip and Roberts mastication projects are in diverse environments that present challenging yet welcome operations that will improve stand conditions for years to come."
Work on the Pringle Tater Chip Restoration project began September 26 and will treat 312 acres of ponderosa pine. The project is located 11 miles northeast of Young, Arizona, between the 512 Road and Forest Road 109. The purpose of this project is to restore the ponderosa pine species by moving the stand to desired conditions and reducing fuels such as brush adjacent to 525 KV powerlines. The project will also improve the Cherry Creek watershed which flows into the Salt River watershed. Project completion is expected by January 2023.
"Good Neighbor Authority allows the Forest Service to partner with state agencies such as DFFM and not-for-profit SRP to implement critically important projects on the Tonto," said Payson District Ranger Matt Paciorek. "GNA maximizes our capability to get meaningful work completed to protect communities and infrastructure from the risk of wildfires and to improve forest and watershed health."
Recently, the final record of decision was signed for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Rim Country Project which approves forest restoration activities on over 1.2 million acres spanning portions of the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino and Tonto national forests in northern Arizona. The Roberts and Pringle Tater Chip Restoration projects are two of several projects planned in firesheds identified in the Forest Service 10-year strategy for Confronting the Wildfire Crisis.
Firesheds are a way to delineate where fires ignite and are likely to (or not) spread to communities and infrastructure. Firesheds average 250,000 acres in size and are analyzed to develop landscape fuel treatment strategies. The Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts have three of the top 10 firesheds in the Southwestern Region of the Forest Service. back...
