Here’s a list of alternate recreation sites to consider while forest work is on-going in the Dry lake Hills area immediately north of town.
Recovery after forest treatments
“What to Expect After Restoration” is a recent publication from NAU’s Ecological Restoration Institute that will help explain what forest visitors may see following cutting operations and how the disturbance will heal over time.
Sen McSally visits FWPP
As part of a statewide tour, Senator Martha McSally visited Flagstaff on Friday, Mar 22nd, speaking with local leaders.
With Mayor Coral Evans, Coconino County Supervisor Art Babbott and several members of the Flagstaff Fire Department, the senator toured areas of the Coconino National Forest on the Dry Lake Hills that are part of the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project.
McSally told the Daily Sun she was impressed with the project and that the federal government needed to increase the support and ease for which forest restoration projects were completed.
“Really, kudos to Flagstaff for stepping up as a city to make the decision to invest in areas outside the city limits, because this is so important to really set this example,” McSally said.
Excerpted from AZ Daily Sun, Mar 24th 2019
FWPP contributes to the Local Economy
Listen to this KNAU report on the value of forest restoration work to the northern AZ economy https://www.knau.org/post/report-forest-restoration-contributes-jobs-economy
KNAU Report
Listen to report by KNAU Radio about the Helicopter logging operations underway in the Dry Lake Hills areahttps://www.knau.org/post/helicopter-logging-set-begin-near-flagstaff
Firewood Program
There will be quite a bit of firewood-sized material available as a result of treatment work in the Dry Lake Hills area. This document is an overview of our attempts to make this wood available to those throughout northern AZ.
FWPP Update – Jan 19
Check out what we’ve been up to!
FWPP Closure Order February 2019
The Coconino National Forest has issued an updated press release regarding the forest closure in the Dry Lake Hills and Mount Elden areas.
Please note that there is increased access for recreation in some areas, but active areas of the project are still closed for public safety! Please respect all closure signs and stay out of closed areas.
To get an update on what has changed, what is open, and what is still closed to the public, please read the updated forest closure press release below:
To read the official Area Closure document, please see below:
Be Smart!
Be Safe!
FWPP: A year in review and looking ahead to 2019
FWPP has made great progress over the last year! First and foremost, we appreciate you, the Flagstaff community for being supportive of this forest thinning and fire prevention work! The honest truth is; this work is difficult, there are many project partners involved, and there are always challenges to square up to and overcome. Thank you for supporting this project as we move along, year after year.
Some of the biggest highlights from 2018 are the award and initiation of two new contracts in the Dry Lake Hills area. In addition to steep slope and helicopter contractors working out in the woods, we also had three American Conservation Crews hand thinning in and around Brookbank Meadow all summer and fall. Please see our 2018 Biannual Report for a more in-depth recap of progress through the end of 2018.
FWPP was also able to significantly increase the amount of financial leverage received through cash and in-kind contributions from our project partners. In fact, 2018 was our biggest leverage year since the project began! Take a look at the FWPP Leverage 2013-2018. A special thank you to the Coconino National Forest for providing over $1.8M in cash to the project. This demonstration of support shows clearly your dedication to keeping our beloved forests around Flagstaff healthy and protected into the future.
Look forward to 2019, we are hoping to have our steep slope and helicopter contractors finish their work as swiftly as possible. We also are looking to have additional hand thinning crews working in the Dry Lake Hills and on Observatory Mesa. FWPP in cooperation with the Coconino National Forest, Hopi, and Navajo hope to pilot a free firewood program. Please read our list of 2019 FWPP Goals for more information.
Many more exciting and challenging things are ahead for FWPP. Thank you for your support, and please contact us at anytime!
New Closure Order goes into effect across FWPP
Coconino National Forest has issued a closure order for an area of the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project that includes Dry Lake Hills and a large portion of Mount Elden in order to keep the public safe from forest harvesting operations.
The public is restricted from entering this closure area so that helicopter logging and forest thinning operations can be conducted safely.
Heavy equipment and truck traffic will be present on Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420), Elden Lookout Road, and U.S. Highway 180. Several miles of Schultz Pass Road with the closure area are closed, as well as Elden Lookout Road, for public safety.
The closure area also affects all or portions of trails, including:
- Brookbank Trail
- Elden Lookout Trail
- Little Bear Trail
- Little Elden Trail
- Little Gnarly Trail
- Lower Oldham Trail
- Rocky Ridge Trail
- Schultz Creek Trail
- Sunset Trail
- Upper Oldham Trail
Harvesting operations are expected to conclude sometime this summer. Violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations and/or imprisonment for not more than six months.
