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Echoes of Excellence
As I round the corner on my first year serving as the Coconino National Forest Supervisor, I am thrilled to kick off our first-ever partnership newsletter and really glad to have the space to celebrate amazing success stories and successes. Of course, the Forest Service has a rich history and deep connection to managing public lands, and our core values as an agency reflect our commitment to public service, safety, diversity, and communication.
It wasn’t until recently the Forest Service named one of our core values around “interdependence”. And to me, the inclusion of this word and idea into our leadership values and agency direction is the formal recognition of something we have been saying informally for many years: we cannot do this work alone. Our partners – from the local Tribal member who gets firewood from one of our timber projects, to the state and national organizations that leverage millions of dollars to accomplish work on the ground – are foundational in how we care for the Coconino National Forest and serve the millions of people who live in our surrounding communities, work and recreate here.
The Coconino has long been a model for successful partnerships, and I’m thrilled to see first-hand how robust the program has become. Our commitment has never been greater and last year we were able to bring things to the next level when we hired a dedicated Partnership Coordinator and brought on Katherine Sánchez Meador to fill that role. This newsletter is one example of our commitment, and is intended to reflect on successful partnerships, share information, and provide a regular space for our staff to recognize our collective work in service to the Coconino. I am excited to see the continuation and growth of the amazing work we accomplish together.
As I close this first message know I am so grateful to be here working alongside you all. Please enjoy the newsletter and thank you for your part in making the Coconino such an iconic place to visit, a wonderful place to work, and a healthy, productive, and sustainable landscape.
Photo: Aaron Mayville, Coconino National Forest Supervisor
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Collaborative Beats
Partnership Spotlight
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Stewardship at its Finest
It all started with a viral post (1.9 million views) in 2020 when Trail Lovers posted a list of all the items they found along Oak Creek during a trash clean-up day and the response was amazing, from the local communities and visitors alike. As a result, Stewards of Sedona was created and now serves as a local militia of volunteers to protect and conserve Red Rock Country for future generations.
The Stewards of Sedona interacts in a reciprocal way with the Red Rock Country Communities. They mobilize the community to love and take care of the trails and do this safely. As a result, people from varied backgrounds are learning a land ethic around the intertwined relationships between people and the land and that care for people cannot be separated from care for the land.
Stewards of Sedona recognized through their community activities that natural resource damage in high use areas could be minimized. They collected data associated with trash they removed to highlight frequencies and learn about threats to safety and potential damage to natural resources. The group also monitored whether trash increased or decreased in cleaned areas and found reduced frequencies of overall natural resource damage after litter and/or graffiti removal.
Their efforts resulted in the clean-up of almost 76,000 pieces of trash in 2020 alone, and nearly 10,000 pounds of trash removal in the past four years. The group continues its stewardship efforts daily and has hosted over 60 events across Red Rock County. In addition, Stewards of Sedona identified countless locations with graffiti and tree carvings that have reported to Friends of the Forest -- which leads to an impressive removal response time for the graffiti.
“We're all naturally given the ability to be stewards of our public lands," Jason Danoff, Guide and Tour Manager said. "The smallest increments of our collective efforts can inspire positive change in the safety, sustained access, and long-term conservation of Red Rock Country. These efforts, however, seemingly small they may at first appear, can and will inspire those who follow in our footsteps for years to come.”
Trail Lovers holds a recreation permit and recognizes leading tours impacts the land and trails they use, and they appreciate the tremendous effort it takes to care for the land. They sponsor trail building days with the Red Rock Ranger District Trails Crew and host their own litter clean-up events with Stewards of Sedona. To learn more about these opportunities check out the Stewards of Sedona.
Photo: Volunteers and staff get ready for a clean-up day in Red Rock Country.
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Harmonic Highlights
A Showcase of Successes for Partners and the Coconino
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Learn How to TreadLightly!
During the 2023 recreation season the Mogollon Rim Ranger District Recreation Staff, with the generous support of volunteers, ramped-up off-highway vehicle (OHV) education efforts. Staff and volunteers visited with recreation enthusiasts at contact stations hosted at Clints Well and Happy Jack Lodge from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Additionally, volunteers had opportunities to “Rove with a Ranger” in four priority areas for educational contacts with forest visitors with 17 amazing volunteers contributing 310 hours. The district recreation staff also spent every weekend during this time roving and making educational contacts with the OHV community.
The contacts were well received, and a variety of information was handed-out such as: Leave No Trace Ethics; TreadLightly! Ethics; State OHV Laws; Travel Management Rule; protection of resources; fire and forest information; recreation opportunities; and Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Visitors also learned about the importance of respecting local neighborhoods and wildlife. Over 3,000 contacts were made through these efforts.
As a finale for the season, the Mogollon Rim Ranger District partnered with TreadLightly! and Arizona Plasma to install new double panel kiosks on Forest System Roads 149, 211, 142, and 147. The panels include a locator map and OHV education along with information about geological, recreation, and wildlife topics. Plans to install more kiosks next spring are already underway.
Moving into 2024, the Mogollon Rim Ranger District will build on the success of this pilot program beginning Memorial Day Weekend. Please contact Brady Vandragt, Mogollon Rim Ranger District Recreation Staff Officer at brady.vandragt@usda.gov if you are interested in participating.
Thank all of our partners who made this a success including; the Diablo Trust, TreadLightly!, Arizona Plasma, Happy Jack Lodge, and the many volunteers!
Photo: Forest Service Off Highway Vehicle education partners TreadLightly!, Can-am, and AZ Plasma at a recent educational kiosk installation.
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Timberline/Wupatki Trails Fuels Reduction Project
The Flagstaff Ranger District treated over 3,000 acres in FY23 through partnerships with the National Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Friends of the Northern Arizona Forests. Our successes with these organizations met timber harvest and ecological objectives.
As thinning operations ramp up in 2024 the Timberline/Wupatki Trails hazardous fuels reduction project will treat over 300 acres to provide fuel breaks and flood control for the residential neighborhoods impacted by the Pipeline Fire. This project is a prime example of partnership work in action; the Coconino National Forest laid out the project in 2023, and the National Forest Foundation is advertising and managing implementation in 2024, with the wood made available to the public through fuelwood permits.
The project will reduce flood risk in the Pipeline Fire burn scar, creating a fuel break for the nearby residential neighborhoods, providing multiple benefits to our local community.
Photo: The Flagstaff Ranger District timber crew determines leave trees based on forest structure and health in the Timberline/Wupatki Trails project.
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Wood for Life Timber Harvesting
Through several partnerships, hand thinning projects continue to provide firewood and ceremonial wood to the Navajo and Hopi reservations through the Wood for Life Wood for Life program. Under these special contracts, timber harvested from fuels reduction projects is donated to tribal residents to heat homes and reinforce structures such as kivas.
Much of the hand thinning work is completed by indigenous land management groups, such as the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, which is executed through agreements with the National Forest Foundation.
Photo: Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, a non-profit partner that employs indigenous youth for conservation initiatives, staff implementing a fuels reduction project.
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Heart to Heart
A message from your partnership coordinator.
We celebrate our first partnership newsletter Pulse on Partnerships with much gratitude. The amazing work partners do with our employees to care for the land makes our collective successes that much more powerful. I look forward to continued engagement with you all and carry deep appreciation for the dedicated work our partners are committed to that support our mission. The relationships we create, maintain, and nurture are part of the foundation for our continued success.
With gratitude, Katherine
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Beats of Innovation
Conference opportunity
Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc. brings together hundreds of researchers, practitioners, and community members responding to the post-fire landscape. Their conference in April provides tools, tactics and connections for communities and agencies impacted by wildfire. https://aftertheflames.com/
Grant writing support
The Arizona Economic Resource Center engages eligible Arizona cities, towns, counties, Tribal communities, and nonprofits to win and implement competitive federal, state, municipal, or foundation grants.
The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations accelerates the market adoption of clean energy technologies and fills a critical innovation gap on the path to clean electricity and net-zero emissions. Their exchange hosts a list of funding sources.
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Volunteer Opportunities
The Mogollon Rim Ranger District is seeking local volunteers to help promote safe and responsible OHV recreation on Forest System Lands.
Ways to Participate
Staff an information booth on weekends with the Forest Service to provide forest information at Clint’s Well or Happy Jack Lodge.
Rove with a Forest Service recreation technician to make public contacts and share information on responsible OHV use.
Join other partners and the Forest Service to protect meadows and springs through log worm fencing projects.
Educational information booth at Happy Jack Lodge (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
May 25, June 22, July 20, August 17, Sept. 7
Educational information booth at Clint’s Well (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
June 8, July 6, August 3 and 31
Rove with the Forest Service (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
May 25, June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20, August 3, 17, and 31, Sept. 7
Additional information booth dates may be added on Sundays. For additional information or to volunteer, please contact Brady VanDragt: brady.vandragt@usda.gov
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Economic EKG
This is a clearing house of a variety of funding opportunities and resources across many agencies and organization.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America the Beautiful Challenge Grant Request for Proposals is now available! This request consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale, locally led projects to address shared priorities spanning public, Tribal, and private lands. Proposals are due April 4th, and a recording of the applicant webinar can be found here.
The Innovative Finance for National Forests grant program supports the development and implementation of innovative finance models that leverage private and public capital other than USDA Forest Service appropriations to enhance the resilience of the National Forest System and deliver commensurate returns to stakeholders. Request for Proposals is now open, and applications are due April 22.
The National Environmental Education Foundation's grant portal has a variety of funding for communities to support community organizations to improve the environment, increase diversity, and expand their work locally.
The Arizona Community Foundation works in tandem with generous individuals, families, and organizations to address some of the biggest challenges facing Arizona. https://www.azfoundation.org/
American Trails partners with the USDA Forest Service in continuing the Legacy Trails Grant Program. https://www.americantrails.org/legacy-trails-program
Grants
https://www.grants.gov/
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Pulse check
Thank you for joining us for the Spring 2024 Pulse on Partnerships Newsletter! We look forward to continued success with our partners and communities. Please fill out this form if you have partnership related ideas for our newsletter.
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Pulse on Partnerships Newsletter
Spring 2024
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