Echoes of Excellence

Ellen Parish is the President of the Diablo Trust, a nonprofit in northern Arizona that provides a forum for active community participation in collaborative land stewardship (see the harmonic highlights article below for more information on the Diablo Trust.)

Ellen grew up near Porterville, California in a family that ranched and worked in the animal health industry. She moved to Arizona to go to school at NAU and, like so many of us do, fell in love with northern Arizona. Ellen’s strong connection to conservation was enhanced through studies in biology and physiology. While at NAU she fell in love with the ceramics department, and to this day makes ceramics as creative outlet during our winter months.

In the early 2000s Ellen was hired as a technician for Western Ecosystem Technologies and became acquainted with the Flying M Ranch. She valued the beef products the ranch sold and wanted to find a way to connect the Flagstaff community to their local ranchers. She soon started selling Flying M beef at the local farmers market and to local restaurants.

Ellen then had the opportunity for a leadership role as a Diablo Trust Board Member and has served as the president for the last three years. She is honored to be leading the group as they reach three decades of collaborative land stewardship in northern Arizona. Ellen shared, “We are celebrating an amazing history of the Diablo Trust, and continue to help the public understand what ranching is about and how we care for the land. The ranching community knows sustainable open land is vital in northern Arizona, and our goal is connecting with the local community to steward and manage the land.”

“The people I work with are incredible and often times our most meaningful relationships have been forged in the tough times and this has been a huge gift for me!” expressed Ellen.” I love this area, the land, the varied ecosystem, the community, the ranching families who have lived here for generations, and the agency folks who dedicate their careers to this beautiful place.”

Photo: Ellen Parish, Diablo Trust President

None of Us Can do This Alone

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is a Congressionally charted organization established in 1992 that works across the United States and on nearly all National Forests in Arizona and New Mexico. The NFF has grown tremendously over the past 30 years expanding their capacity to support forest restoration with their Southwest region staff growing from just three employees five years ago to 15 today.

Implementation is now the NFF’s focus and their goal to support the Coconino National Forest is coming to fruition through tremendous partnerships that have created momentum for forest restoration across northern Arizona. Sasha Stortz, Southwest Region Director shared, “None of us can do this alone, and working with committed partners and a committed National Forest has really made all these projects satisfying as we navigate implementation.”

One example is the United States Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) stewardship project on the Flagstaff Ranger District. The REPI project is part of a comprehensive approach to watershed protection including the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project, and was identified as a priority by the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

Implementation not only means more resilient forests and water supplies, but also protection of the naval observatory and an opportunity to partner with the Department of Defense to protect site infrastructure from future wildfire and smoke impacts. The NFF brought together funding and resources from the Department of Defense, Coconino County, the City of Flagstaff, and the Coconino National Forest with the first unit being treated by Miller Timber using a Ponsse harvesting system this past fall.

“The REPI project is one of our most significant accomplishments, and covers 4,000 acres, – our largest forestry project in the Southwest Region. It is possible due to the amazing team of Flagstaff Ranger District employees who oversee the project and work hand-in-hand with the NFF,” said Stortz. “The shared benefits, funding, and innovation generates significant and strategic impacts in forest restoration, and it is great to get work done on the ground, so we can all see and experience resilient forests.”

Photo: A feller Ponsse operating in the REPI stewardship project on the Flagstaff Ranger District.

An Unlikely Alliance

The Diablo Trust, a non-profit, was founded 30 years ago by two northern Arizona family ranches when the Bar T Bar and the Flying M ranches sought an innovative approach to respond to public concerns about the impacts of cattle grazing on public land. Combined, the two ranches cover 426,000 acres of ranchlands including private, State, and Federal lands.

Through collaborative stewardship, active research, and public engagement the Diablo Trust strives to protect open space, wildlife habitat, and local food on working lands in northern Arizona. Along with a diverse team of long-standing partners, they have restored over 100,000 acres of grasslands, thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, and facilitated research opportunities to promote the continued health of ranchlands and wildlife habitat across the western United States.

Ellen Parish, Diablo Trust President shares, “Our organization builds bridges in our community. We provide opportunities for people to meet and understand we all have the same goals and we are all part of the ecosystem. The Diablo Trust fosters meaningful and trusted relationships in an effort to keep our lands open, profitable, healthy, and accessible to people and wildlife. We can only be successful if we are working together toward the same goal.”

The Diablo Trust is currently working with agency partners and the community around sustainable recreation. Heavy use by off highway vehicles has become a big focus for the group and connects to their goals to continue to sustain open space, wildlife habitat, watershed, clean air, and healthy food. The organization is solution based and knows people cannot just talk in an echo-chamber; it is important to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation and talk about the issues and get realistic about solutions.

Continued success for the organization depends on community involvement, partnerships, education opportunities, and volunteers. The Diablo Trust invites other partners and members of community to engage with them thought the year, whether at the annual meeting in February, or their August campout. Interested? – check out the Diablo Trust, enjoy the ranches, meet amazing people, and eat great food.

Photo: Summer at Ashurst Run on the Flying M Ranch.