Coconino County Urges Continued Investment in Forest Restoration During Roundtable with USDA Sec. Vilsack

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack in an open roundtable focused on wildfire, drought resilience, and how governmental partnerships can strengthen overall climate resilience across the country. The need for continued federal investment in forest restoration efforts to reduce wildfire risk emerged as a central theme of the discussion.

“Coconino County is no stranger to wildfire,” Vasquez said. “We have endured 9 major wildfires that have burned over 250,000 acres since 2010, and since 2017, the County Board of Supervisors has acknowledged that wildfire and post-wildfire flooding are the two greatest public safety threats to our people. That is why we have embarked on a Forest Restoration Initiative and used local Flood Control District tax dollars to leverage federal investment in forest restoration.”

“Our Forest Restoration Initiative has invested over $7.5 million since 2018 and will invest another $9.6 million this year,” Smith said. “But our work is far from done. We need Washington’s continued support and funding for the Forest Service to keep critical projects moving forward including the Upper Rio de Flag Watershed Project and the Bill Williams Mountain Project. These and other District priority projects that are demonstrated scientifically to bring significant community benefits and can leverage local funding should be prioritized for continued federal funding.”

Smith added that the USDA investments into the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) have been instrumental in developing the regional forest industries necessary to support continued forest restoration, and that continued development, particularly focusing on biomass utilization will be key to ensuring wildfire risk reduction.

“Forest restoration industry and partners like The Nature Conservancy play a significant role in solving the Wildfire Crisis,” Smith said. “In Coconino County alone, we have over 280 employees directly associated with Forest Industry and Forest Partnerships, over $155 million in industry assets and investments, and over $65 million in partnership grants and funding over the past 10 years.”

“We are stepping up locally,” Smith added. “And we need consistent federal funding to leverage local dollars as we work collaboratively with our federal, state and non-profit partners to protect our communities.”

Along with Coconino County leadership, the Secretary’s Roundtable included the Mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego, a representative from the Office of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, the Salt River Project, The Nature Conservancy, The City of Phoenix, The Gila River Indian Community, forest industry, non-profits representing the farming community, and more. In his remarks, Secretary Vilsack highlighted the historic investments made throughout the state and region, made possible by resources including President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

For more information on Coconino County Forest Restoration, visit: www.coconino.az.gov/ForestRestoration.