FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project (FWPP) is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a special community event on Oct. 13, from 6-7 p.m. at Mother Road Brewery, located at 7 S. Mikes Pike.
The FWPP was approved by city voters through a $10 million bond initiative in Nov 2012. The project is a partnership effort between City of Flagstaff, the Coconino National Forest, and the state of Arizona to help reduce the risk of severe wildfire and post-fire flooding in critical watersheds.
“FWPP at its core is a community project,” said Mike Elson, Flagstaff district ranger for the Coconino National Forest. “It’s a truly collaborative community approach to a challenge we are all facing together. That’s why we have reason to celebrate, and it’s why we are a model for so many other communities to consider as well.”
“FWPP has put the city of Flagstaff in a national leadership role in demonstrating how local government, in partnership with state and federal agencies, can effectively address wildfire hazard and the protection of critical watersheds,” said Paul Summerfelt, wildland fire management officer for the city of Flagstaff. “This is the first, and only, voter-approved project of its kind in the country, and the citizens of Flagstaff deserve all the credit for making this happen.”
For more information about FWPP, visit http://www.flagstaffwatershedprotection.org.