The warmer weather has fire managers bracing for a new season, as the fuel in Arizona’s grasslands begins to dry out.
But some of them are taking steps to reduce wildfire risk.
Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture awarded $32 million to the San Carlos Apache Tribal Forest Protection Landscape project for wildfire mitigation.
The reservation lies in a remote, dry region and is flanked by three national forests: the Tonto, the Coronado and Apache-Sitgreaves.
It was one of several landscapes the feds selected for treatment. Starr Farrell, Coronado National Forest, says wildfires can easily cross jurisdictions.
"So that was what’s so important about this work, is that it’s cross-boundary work. It’s not just the Coronado saying we’re just going to to do this work down here, and the Tonto’s going to do their work. We’re looking at it as whole landscape risk management," Farrell said.
The money will be used for thinning and prescribed burn projects, which have already begun.