Four national forests are actively engaged in a collaborative, landscape-scale initiative designed to restore fire-adapted ecosystems in the Southwestern Region. Those forests are the Kaibab, Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto. Together with a diverse group of stakeholders, the four forests are working to collaboratively plan and carry out landscape-scale restoration of ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona.
The overall goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) is to restore the structure, pattern and composition of fire-adapted ecosystems, which will provide for fuels reduction, forest health, and wildlife and plant diversity. A key objective is doing this while creating sustainable ecosystems and industries in the long term. Appropriately-scaled businesses will likely play a key role in the effort by harvesting, processing and selling wood products. The restoration-based work opportunities are expected to create jobs across northern Arizona.
The contract will result in 300,000 acres of restoration-based thinning over 10 years, improving forest health, reducing the risk from wildfire to communities, creating jobs, and improving local economies.
It is the first large step of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) – a 20-year plan to restore 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona endorsed by the Forest Service, conservationists, scientists, local governments, and industry leaders.
Pioneer Forest Products was selected as the contractor to perform treatments on the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests in northern Arizona. Pioneer Forest Products plans to build a plant near Winslow, Arizona.
Forests Under Fire is a short documentary about Western forests and the threats they face. The Four Forest Restoration Initiative - the nation's largest forest restoration project - is highlighted as a solution to some of the threats to our forests.
