COCONINO COUNTY — The risk of catastrophic wildfire and post-wildfire flooding in the Upper Rio de Flag Watershed near Flagstaff represents a natural disaster with a potential economic impact of nearly $3 billion.
To reduce this risk, the Coconino County Flood Control District (District) and Coconino National Forest (CNF) have partnered together in the Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project to facilitate critical forest restoration projects in the area.
“Wildfire and post-wildfire flooding are the top two public safety threats in Coconino County,” Patrice Horstman, Chair of the Flood Control District Board of Directors said. “Forest Restoration, such as what is underway in the Upper Rio de Flag Watershed, is the best way to proactively address these threats.”
The Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project also brings in other collaborators, such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Recognizing the importance of timely completion, TNC established three distinct subproject areas utilizing three different contractors to implement forest treatment in the 2,045-acre Hoch Project area, which is one of six areas within the Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project. Perkins Timber Harvesting, Suarez Forestry and Bob Lee and Sons Tree Service were competitively selected to ensure this vital restoration work is completed quickly, with all harvesting activities wrapping up in the next 12 months.
“Time is of the essence,” said Joel Jurgens, Forest Program Director for TNC in Arizona. “Every season that these forests go without adequate forest restoration treatments is another season that we are over-exposed to the risk of catastrophic wildfire.”
That risk is substantial. According to wildfire and flood modeling conducted by JE Fuller Hydrology, catastrophic wildfire and subsequent post-wildfire flooding in the Upper Rio de Flag Watershed would result in substantial impacts from Fort Valley through the City of Flagstaff. Based on the JE Fuller modeling, NAU’s Economic Policy Institute found that the economic impact of such an event could be up to $3 billion. As a result of these studies, the Flood Control District Board of Directors has identified the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed as a critical area for forest restoration treatments. As a priority project area within the Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration footprint, the Hoch Project is being pursued as a partnership between the District, CNF and TNC.
“We have learned over the years that partnership is the best way to deliver real impact,” said Coconino County Forest Restoration Director Jay Smith. “And the old wisdom—‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’—is highly applicable to forest restoration. The cost of recovering from catastrophic post-wildfire flooding exponentially outpaces the cost of proactive forest restoration treatments.”
The District has committed just over $2 million to the Hoch Project—an investment matched by a roughly $2.5 million commitment from CNF. TNC is providing forest restoration operations management, contracting, logistics guidance, and monitoring.
The award of the Hoch Project contract is just the latest in positive progress for the Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project, said CNF District Ranger Matt McGrath. “We’ve worked hard to make sure that this project keeps meeting its milestones,” McGrath said, “and we’re on track.”
The Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project also includes the 2,600-acre Wing East project area, which was awarded to Perkins Timber Harvesting in May of 2024 and is currently 75% complete. The 4,865 Wing West project area is currently under treatment by Restoration Forest Products and is expected to be completed by summer 2026. The 2,033-acre Derffer Project area, which is being managed by the National Forest Foundation, will see boots on the ground by the end of July 2025, and the 1,100-acre Leroux Project area is under evaluation with the expectation to be ready for securing a contractor in early 2026.
“All these forest restoration treatments involve a degree of mechanical thinning,” McGrath added. “There’s going to be a lot of activity in the Highway 180 corridor and connected forest roads. We urge motorists and forest recreators to exercise caution around any forest restoration operations. Stay back 300 feet from logging trucks and heavy machinery, and give right of way to logging traffic, especially on narrow forest roads. Safety is our first priority—let it be yours as well.”
For more information on the Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project, visit www.coconino.az.gov/UpperRioRestoration