FLAGSTAFF — The County and Coconino National Forest are seeking candidates to fill vacancies on the Coconino Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), which will review and recommend projects to the forest supervisor that benefit national forest land in Coconino County.

The committee will be comprised of 15 members who represent a particular set of interests, and members must commit to serving a full term of four years—meeting only a handful of times annually. Committee members are volunteers and do not receive pay.

Current vacancies on the Coconino RAC include seats which represent the following interests listed in the Secure Rural School Act and reauthorized by Congress:

· Organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester
· Developed outdoor recreation
· Off-highway vehicle users
· Energy and mineral development interests
· Commercial timber industry
· Federal grazing permittees or other land use permittees
· Nationally, regionally, or locally recognized environmental organizations
· Dispersed recreational activities
· Archaeological and historical interests
· Nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro groups
· County or local-elected officials
· State-elected officials
· American Indian tribes
· School officials or teachers
· The public-at-large

National forests which fall within Coconino County that the committee would consider projects for include the Coconino, Kaibab, as well as parts of the Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests.

“We’re looking for people with energy and commitment to the long-term benefit of our national forests, who also are interested in working with a diverse array of interests represented on the committee,” said Laura Jo West, forest supervisor for the Coconino National Forest.

Under the Secure Rural Schools Act, federal payments to states and counties were reauthorized in April 2015 and will be allocated according to the amount of national forest land in the county and other factors. These funds can be used for projects that enhance forest ecosystems and restore and improve land health and water quality.

Any Arizona resident interested in serving on the committee must complete an application form that will be used for a required background check. Applications are available at Forest Service offices in the Coconino National Forest, and online at http://tinyurl.com/CoconinoRAC.

Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. September 2, 2016 and must be mailed or dropped off, with original signature, to Coconino National Forest, Attn: Brady Smith, Resource Advisory Committee, 1824 S. Thompson St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Scanned copies cannot be submitted.

For more information, call Brady Smith, the Coconino National Forest public affairs officer, at (928) 527-3490, or email him at bradysmith@fs.fed.us. For more information on RACs, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/srs/.