Tag Archives: 4FRI

4FRI thinning project begins on Williams Ranger District

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WILLIAMS — Tree removal has begun on a 1,646-acre project on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).

The Pomeroy Task Order area is located in the vicinity of KA Hill just south of Scholz Lake and about 5 miles south of Interstate 40. Pomeroy is part of the 4FRI Phase One Stewardship Contract held by Good Earth Power AZ LLC.

As thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy equipment and workers in the project area and along haul routes. Log trucks may begin hauling as early as this week. The haul route will be from Forest Road 13 west to FR 109, north on FR 109 to FR 141, and then along FR 141 through McDougal Flat until reaching the Good Earth Power mill located near Bootlegger Crossing.

Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.

A portion of the Overland Trail passes through the project area. Although the trail will not be closed, users can expect to see signs posted along the trail advising them of the work being completed. Safety signs have also been posted on roads in the area to inform members of the public about the operations.

Forest managers said they hoped at least 500 acres of thinning could be completed within the 1,646-acre project area before any snow falls.

The objectives of the thinning operations in the Pomeroy Task Order area are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires and to improve wildlife habitat and overall forest health.

The goal of the 4FRI is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

Forest Service Issues Decision on Historic Effort to Restore Forests on a Half Million Acres

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Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams [left] and Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart signed the Final Record of Decision for 4FRI’s 1st Environmental Impact Statement on Friday, April 17 in Flagstaff, AZ.

Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams [left] and Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart signed the Final Record of Decision for 4FRI’s 1st Environmental Impact Statement on Friday, April 17 in Flagstaff, AZ.

FLAGSTAFF — On Friday April 17 the Forest Service reached the next milestone in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) when Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart and Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams signed the final decision.  It results in accelerated forest restoration on more than a half million acres of national forests and grasslands.

Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell lauded the decision. “This is exceptional work of Forest Service employees and stakeholders who joined together to support this historic endeavor,” he said. “This restoration work will contribute significantly to our efforts to sustain healthy, resilient landscapes.  Support from these stakeholder groups will ensure we maintain this momentum for the long haul. That’s what it will take to make a difference.”

This achievement is the result of four national forests and more than 30 stakeholder groups joining together over five years to work on the largest landscape-scale restoration project ever analyzed in Forest Service history.   4FRI builds on many years of collaboration, research, and action since the mid-1990s. Over the past five years, the Forest Service has progressed toward accelerating restoration by implementing projects within the 4FRI landscape, using previous NEPA analyses. Progress continues with this final Record of Decision. It approves various restoration activities on over 586,000 acres of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests. These activities include thinning; prescribed burning; watershed and road maintenance; grassland, spring, and stream channel restoration; and habitat improvements.
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Early opportunity to preview 4FRI final environmental impact statement and draft record of decision

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350-4friFLAGSTAFF – The Forest Service is providing the public with an early opportunity to preview the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (DROD) for Phase 1 of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).  The FEIS and DROD for the first analysis area on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests will be available by November 21, 2014 at the 4FRI website.

In order to allow additional time for public consideration of these extensive documents, online access to the FEIS and DROD is being made available prior to the official start of the formal objection period.

“This environemntal analysis and the subsequent decision will help shape restoration action on almost a million acres for a decade,” said Kaibab National Forest Supervisor, Mike Williams. “An early preview will give the public extra time to review, understand, and ask questions about a significant step forward for our landscape.”

The FEIS analyzes about one million acres on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in northern Arizona. The Coconino and Kaibab National Forests are proposing 586,110 acres of restoration activities with approximately 355,708 acres on the Flagstaff, Mogollon, and Red Rock districts of the Coconino NF and 230,402 acres on the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab NF. The completed environmental analysis and a subsequent final ROD for Phase 1, provide the legal authority to accelerate restoration activities.

“The FEIS and DROD incorporate years of stakeholder and public input including key concerns such as the protection of large and old trees. Meaningful collaboration continues to be essential to our success on this project,” added Williams.

In accordance with federal regulations, the Forest Service will offer a 45-day formal objection period on the FEIS, which will begin with the publication of the Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register.  The NOA is expected to be published in early December 2014.