Kaibab National Forest and Arizona sign Good Neighbor restoration deal

Kaibab National Forest public affairs posted a Good Neighbor Agreement with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Work is framed for northern Arizona forests and rural forest-products jobs.

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Fire Danger Status Moderate North Kaibab Ranger District Moderate Tusayan Ranger District Moderate Williams Ranger District T T T Contact Us Keep In Touch About the Area Newsroom Press Releases Feature Stories Offices Research and Development Working with Us FS, AZ sign agreement to restore forests, protect watersheds, and support rural economies Release Date: September 14, 2026 Contact Information: Kaibab NF Public Affairs Office SM.FS.KaibabPAO@usda.gov (Williams, Ariz., September 14, 2026) — The Kaibab National Forest and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) are partnering to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health on nearly 14,000 acres of National Forest lands in northern Arizona. Through a new Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA), DFFM will administer forest restoration activities that help protect communities, strengthen water security for millions of Arizonans, conserve natural resources, and support the state’s forest products industry and rural economies.

“The Kaibab Good Neighbor Agreement strengthens our long‑standing partnership with the State of Arizona and underscores our shared commitment to active forest management that supports healthy forests, resilient rural economies, and the working landscapes that sustain farming and ranching across the state,” said Southwest Regional Forester Michiko Martin. “Together, we are accelerating fuel‑reduction work in critical watersheds that provide water to millions across the state, while supporting a sustainable timber and forest products industry through an estimated 36 million board feet of commercial timber and the jobs it supports in rural communities.”

“This agreement represents an important step forward for the protection of forests in Arizona,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “By bringing together the State of Arizona, the USDA Forest Service, and Salt River Project, we are leveraging funding and expertise to restore nearly 14,000 acres of forestland. The Sunflower project will reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed health, and deliver millions of board feet of timber to support rural jobs and Arizona’s forest products industry. The Kaibab Good Neighbor Agreement shows what’s possible when we work together and operate at the pace and scale Arizona’s forests require.”

DFFM is expanding the impact of the project through its partnership with Salt River Project (SRP). The Forest Service is providing $6.4 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding that is being doubled through a dollar-for-dollar match by SRP. This expanded funding significantly increases the number of acres that can be treated and strengthens watershed resilience for communities throughout Arizona.

Original release: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/newsroom/releases/fs-az-sign-agreement-restore-forests-protect-watersheds-and-support

What to read next: /executive/agency/usfs and /federal.

This is a Notice Nearby publisher-desk Federal brief — a short in-house summary of a public federal filing or agency press release. It is not official agency minutes, not a newspaper story, and not Legal Publication. It does not satisfy a statutory notice requirement.