Last week, Forest Service Chief Randy Moore and his staff recognized the Southwest Wood for Life Partnership with a 2022 Chief’s Award for outstanding efforts toward ‘Apply Knowledge Globally’.
Wood For Life is a partnership between government agencies, indigenous communities and conservation nonprofits addressing large scale reforestation efforts in northern Arizona. The NFF, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service removes small diameter timber from national forests to prevent wildfires and insect infestation. The wood is then delivered to Tribal partners who distribute it among communities to help heat the homes of indigenous families. Offering a sustainable solution for healthy forest restoration projects by putting wood that would otherwise go to waste toward an important cause.
“The Wood for Life program has demonstrated great success in helping to advance critical restoration efforts in our national forests while delivering much needed fuelwood to Tribal partners,” says Michiko Martin, regional forester for the USDA Forest Service’s Southwestern Region.
The project reflects values the Forest Service strives to put forward on behalf of the American people. The award was given to the San Juan, Coconino, and Kaibab National Forests and USFS staff involved from Region 2 and the Washington Office, in addition to the partners listed below:
- National Forest Foundation
- Alamo Navajo Fuels Crew
- Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
- Southwest Conservation Corps
- Navajo Nation Chapter Houses
- NAU Ecological Restoration Institute
- The Nature Conservancy
- University of Arizona Tribal Cooperative Extension
The Wood for Life program is active in Northern Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Idaho, in partnership with Navajo, Hopi, Ute, Shoshone-Paiute, and Shoshone Bannock Tribes and communities. Partners are exploring possibilities to further expand.