Public Input Sought on Proposed Arizona Forest Restoration

PHOENIX, Ariz. -(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Forest Service and the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Stakeholders Group are seeking public input regarding draft alternatives for proposed forest restoration activities along the Rim Country of Arizona.

Two public workshops are scheduled this month for the U.S. Forest Service to present, and obtain public comment upon, the alternatives for the 4FRI Rim Country project area.

The draft alternatives describe various ways to meet restoration goals, and input is desired by 4FRI project proponents to ensure the public’s interests are included.

The meetings/workshops are scheduled for:

• Thursday, April 13, Payson, 5-8 p.m., Julia Randall Elementary School Gymnasium, 902 W. Main St., Payson, Ariz.
• Tuesday, April 18, Show Low, 4:30-7 p.m., Show Low City Hall, Deuce of Clubs meeting room, 180 N. 9th St., Show Low, Ariz.
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The Rim Country environmental analysis covers 1.2 million acres of National Forest lands. Treatments are planned for the Black Mesa and Lakeside Ranger Districts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the Mogollon and Red Rock Ranger Districts of the Coconino National Forest, and the Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts of the Tonto National Forest.

This environmental analysis is the largest of its kind in the country, and will set the stage for forest restoration treatments in its footprint for the next 10 or more years.

The alternatives were developed in response to comments from earlier public scoping as well as National Forest staff’s continuing research and analysis of the Rim Country project area.

Once alternatives are finalized, the specifics of each will be analyzed and presented to the public in the form of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) next year.

More information about the project can be found on their website.

The Rim Country EIS is the second landscape-scale, multi-forest environmental assessment for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service, the public, and a stakeholder group representing nearly 40 individuals, organizations, and government entities (including the Arizona Game and Fish Department).

For more information, visit their website.

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