Arizona Elk Society builds in meadow protections

Volunteers with the Arizona Elk Society built a fence to protect Buck Springs meadow function on the Coconino National Forest’s Mogollon Rim District, within the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) footprint. 

The fall 2024 Buck Springs project spotlights how forest thinning and prescribed burns, paired with active stream channel restoration, can improve watershed function and build resiliency to disturbance. Restored spring environments act as sponges—holding water longer and creating wet environments that promote riparian and wetland habitat and serving as natural fire breaks. These types of restoration actions help provide clean, sustained water for downstream cities, including Phoenix.