The Coconino National Forest and City of Flagstaff have awarded two contracts for timber thinning this week. A Colorado based company will be conducting helicopter timber thinning treatment of approximately 500 acres of timber in areas not accessible to ground-based equipment and steep-slope mechanized timber thinning in the Dry Lake Hills area immediately north of Flagstaff. While steep-slope mechanized treatment of approximately 400 acres in steep and rocky terrain of the area will be performed by a company out of Oregon. The city provided approximately $3.6 million and the Forest Service provided an additional $1.8 million. The city’s contribution is part of the $10 million watershed protection bond approved by city voters in 2012.Work is expected to begin this winter and will take upwards of two seasons to complete. Over the past 6-years, the project has thinned more than 4,000 acres of city, state and federal lands, been supported by more than 14,000 hours of volunteer labor, provided more than 3,000 cords of firewood to area residents, supplied wood to local forest operators and employed 75 seasonal crew members from the local area. After completion of the Dry Hills Lake project, crews will then start thinning on Mormon Mountain south of Flagstaff. More information can be found at www.flagstaffwatershedprotection.org
