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Stories in Arizona

Restoring Arizona Forests: A Natural Approach

A creek flowing through a brightly colored forest.
Arizona Forest West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon in Coconino National Forest, Arizona. © Gavin Emmons

Northern Arizona’s lush grasslands and towering pines form a rare, 3-million-acre ponderosa pine forest. For over 20 years, we’ve worked to safeguard this natural treasure from wildfires, protect communities and sequester carbon. Now, we’re taking our efforts to new heights.

Infographic showing the benefits of tree-based restoration, with an illustration of a ponderosa pine tree in the center.
TREE-BASED RESTORATION Infographic showing co-benefits of restoring degraded land. © TNC

Forests: Our Lifeline

Forests are vital to everyone, no matter where you live. They play a crucial role in water filtration, ensuring clean water flows into our rivers and lakes. By storing carbon and helping to regulate temperature and precipitation, forests help mitigate climate change, making our planet more livable. They also improve air quality by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. Beyond these, forests support a wide variety of life, providing homes for countless species of plants and animals while also offering recreational spaces for outdoor activities like hiking, camping and birdwatching.

Upward view of a large tree with a bobcat kitten laying on a branch, looking down.
Bobcat kitten Kaibab Nationa Forest in northern Arizona © Paul Tetterton/TNC

A Balancing Act

Decades of fire suppression have transformed our forests. While many regions of the country advocate for planting more trees, parts of Arizona focus on the opposite—thinning forests to prevent uncharacteristic wildfires. What was once approximately 100 trees per acre has now become up to 1,500, leading to larger and more severe Western fires.

However, more than two decades of forest restoration have shown that we can restore our forests and watersheds to their original balance and function. By reducing tree density, we allow the remaining trees to thrive with less competition for resources. This promotes faster growth and resilience, enriches the soil and replenishes aquifers. Mature trees also play a critical role in carbon stabilization, which helps mitigate wildfire severity and enhances community safety.

Restoring an acre of forest not only brings these benefits back but also ensures the longevity and health of our forests for future generations.

Infographic showing the effects of foresting thinning.
Forest Thinning Effects © The Nature Conservancy

Comprehensive Forest Restoration

Forest restoration is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires diverse and adaptive strategies aimed at identifying and prioritizing the areas where we can make the greatest impact.

Protecting Ecosystem Services

We actively mitigate threats like wildfires, climate change and drought through methods such as forest thinning and prescribed burns.

Partnering for Greater Impact

By collaborating with partners like the U.S. Forest Service on agreements through our 20-year Master Stewardship Agreement, we increase the pace, scale and quality of restoration.

Embracing Innovation and Technology

Driven by science and data, we develop and implement modernization strategies through process improvement and by leveraging technologies that provide operational efficiencies in forest restoration, including:

  • Virtual Boundaries and Tablet Marking
  • LiDAR Derived Volume Estimates
  • Digital Timber Sales Manager (DTSM)
  • Woody Biomass Utilization Solutions
  • Electronic Tracking and Ticketing of Merchantable Material
Ariel view of a forest that has been thinning on the right side.
Kaibab National Forest Aerial photo taken by a drone showing a forest thinning project in the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona. © Campbell-Global/TNC

Partners

Our work relies on strong partnerships: government agencies, community leaders, Tribal Nations, affiliated nonprofits and more. We bring a strong science background to help inform best practices and results, additional capacity, as well as develop and implement innovations to increase pace, scale, and quality of comprehensive forest restoration.

  • Icon of green trees.

    U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

    The primary owner of forested lands in the Southwest region of the United States; TNC is an important implementation partner, bringing added capacity, science, innovation and additional funding to the common objective of restoring forest landscapes.

  • Icon of hands shaking.

    Tribal Nations

    Our tribal nations have long been stewards of our forests. In recent years, we have worked together to build on that legacy. Working with both the Hopi and Navajo Nations we have found ways to deploy low-diameter wood for fuel.

  • Icon of a green globe.

    Local Governments

    Our local governmental partners, such as Coconino County Flood Control District and The City of Phoenix, bring additional expertise and funding to our efforts, which further contributes to watershed protection and post-wildfire flooding mitigation.

  • Icon of hands with two trees between them.

    Other affiliated partners

    Many other NGOs add collaborative value to forest restoration in the Southwest. We share data and key learnings to accelerate our collective efforts of reducing catastrophic wildfire risk and protecting water, biodiversity and communities.

Our Forest Goals

Our strategies center on innovations and technologies to create efficiencies for forest thinning, impacting state and federal policy, and science that highlights multiple benefits for people and nature.

  1. Reduce Risk

    Protect vulnerable communities by identifying “opportunity hot spots," or areas to prioritize helps reduce the risk of severe wildfires, and expand restored forested lands to enhance wildfire resilience. Learn more

  2. Address Economic & Industry Barriers

    Address biomass and low-value timber challenges to boost utilization and industry profitability.

  3. Create Innovations

    Drive innovation and modernization with cutting-edge technologies, business practices and policies.

  4. Increase Awareness & Education

    Foster mutual learning of forest restoration best practices among U.S. Forest Service, TNC and industry partners, and empower impacted communities to make informed decisions and local economic opportunities.

  5. Shape Policy & Increase Funding

    Engage stakeholders and policymakers in conservation solutions that shape policies and increase funding, ensuring the long term health and sustainability of Arizona’s forests and watersheds.

  6. Science

    Base our recommendations and work with partners through a research lens to achieve the greatest impact, operating like a learning laboratory to save money and time for the forest industry and accelerate restoration.

Our Research

Join Us!

Learn more

What You Can Do

Join The Nature Conservancy in our critically important effort to restore Arizona forests and secure our water future. With your help, we can revive the important services our forests provide to people and nature. 

More Stories from Arizona

Brilliant fall colors frame trees in an expansive meadow with mountains in the background.

Hart Prairie Preserve

Surrounded by thousands of acres of forest and meadows, the 245-acre preserve is home to uncommon wildflowers, old-growth ponderosa pine, rare Bebb willows and hundreds of species of wildlife.

A woman in a blue shirt kneels in shallow water while holding up a rock to show a child in red.

Water Security for Arizonans

Freshwater resources in Arizona serve as a critical water supply for the people of Arizona, and surrounding areas. Discover how we are addressing water security for people from all communities.

Landscape of cholla and saguaro cactus with mountains in the background.

Taking Action on Climate Change in Arizona

Arizona has long been a leader in innovation and adaptation, and we are well-positioned to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050—and do so in a way that benefits people and nature.