10/14 Tonto National Forest fuels specialists will begin a chipping and thinning operation along Forest Service Roads 24, 269 and 16 on the Cave Creek Ranger District, starting tomorrow and continuing through September of next year. The treatment area is west of the Verde River and east of I-17, about 4-to-5-miles east of New River, Black Canyon City, and north of Cave Creek. Crews will remove juniper trees and chaparral brush on 3,942-acres. Officials say this is just part 1 of the project. The entire project calls for treating a total of 231,785-acres.
