GNA Spotlight - Arizona, July 2022

Good Neighbor Authority Spotlight

Authored by Christine Mares, GNA Coordinator, Arizona Department of Forestry & Fire Management

In July 2022, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) entered into a Good Neighbor Authority agreement with the Coconino National Forest to treat 31,000 acres of federal land and safeguard the municipal water source for communities in Central Arizona.

Presently, areas above the Mogollon Rim are thick with hazardous fuels. Fuels reduction in watersheds that feed the C.C Cragin Reservoir will reduce the risk of undesirable wildfire, improve forest health, water quality and availability, and wildlife habitat. Work involves the removal of merchantable timber, mastication of non-merchantable biomass, and repair and maintenance of forest roads. This multi-year initiative is a partnership with DFFM, the Coconino National Forest, the Town of Payson, and Salt River Project, a community-based not-for-profit water utility corporation.

For more information about this project, contact Christine Mares.

Photo Credit: Salt River Project