Many people are aware of the benefits forest restoration provides for wildfire prevention, forest health and even for the local economies, but what some folks may not know is treatment being done in the White Mountains is benefiting all the fish and critters. “Overall, the work that has been done through the White Mountain Stewardship Contract has been positive for wildlife,” said Dave Dorum, Arizona Game & Fish Habitat Program Manager, Region 1.

The forest restoration activities, which include thinning of overstocked Ponderosa pine trees, such as those implemented through the White Mountain Stewardship Contract can provide a number of benefits for wildlife, including the following:

• Reduced risk of uncharacteristic wildfires which result in the loss/degradation of wildlife habitat: Although Ponderosa pine is a fire-adapted ecosystem, the current density of small diameter trees throughout much of the forest, which is outside of the natural range of variability, can result in forest fires that are much larger and more intense than those experienced historically. Instead of lower intensity ground fires, which would benefit herbaceous vegetation as well as browse species (food for wildlife such as elk and deer) while leaving the larger Ponderosa pine trees unharmed, higher intensity crown fires can result in large stand-replacing fires such as the Rodeo-Chediski (R-C) fires of 2002.
• Reduced risk of post-fire ash and elevated sediment flows into streams and lakes: Increased ash and sediment can degrade aquatic habitat impacting fish and other aquatic and riparian species.
• Reduced risk of post-fire flooding to downstream communities
• Reduced risk of loss of camping opportunities: Not only is there the visual impact (blackened trees or no trees at all), areas impacted by the fire may be closed both during and following a fire. Following the Rodeo-Chediski fire, a large area was closed to camping due to the public safety concerns posed by large fire-killed trees, which continued to fall for a few years following the fire.
• Improved forage production and tree health: Thinning excess small diameter trees can help open the forest canopy, thus allowing sunlight and precipitation to reach the forest floor. This can benefit herbaceous forage and browse production, which can benefit game species such as elk and deer.

“The benefits of the White Mountain Stewardship Project and other forest restoration projects are extensive and include everything from helping sustain a healthy forest to the preservation of clean drinking water,” said Rob Davis, Future Forest Partner. “We want people to understand forest restoration has a positive effect on their lives, even if they don’t live in the mountain communities. It is important to all of us, especially for those who enjoy nature, wildlife and all types of outdoor recreational activities.”

In 2004, partially as a result of the devastation left behind from the Rodeo-Chediski wildfire, the USDA Forest Service awarded Future Forest LLC with the White Mountain Stewardship Contract (WMSC). The 10-year Stewardship Contract is the first and is still the largest forest service stewardship contract in the nation. Under the WMSC, Future Forest is charged with managing the reduction of tree density within 150,000 acres of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF) over the 10-year term of the contract as directed by the USFS. The project is designed to restore the forest to more natural density levels, protect surrounding communities from the threat of wildfires and develop new markets for wood residue to improve the local economies in northeastern Arizona.

Over the last 5 years, Future Forest has thinned more than 40,000 acres, reducing the threat of potential passive and active crown fires near communities for the lifespan of the treatment. The project is attributed to an average of 319 jobs directly and indirectly (226 direct and 93 indirect), contributing an estimated $40 million dollars to the local communities with investments, expenditures and tax revenue.

To access the White Mountain Stewardship Project’s Five Year Report which analyzes and evaluates the administrative, economic, ecological, and social monitoring data collected over the first five years of this ten-year project, visit Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest website at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/stewardship/multi-party-monitoring.shtml.

For more information about White Mountain Stewardship project visit www.futureforest.info or follow us at www.twitter.com/whitemtnsteward.