Salt River Project outlines multi‑year forest restoration plans around Payson

Salt River Project told the Arizona House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness on July 1 that it has funded and partnered on more than 29,000 acres of forest health projects in the Payson region and has invested over $25 million to date. Elvie Barton, SRP water and forest sustainability senior manager, described a board‑approved goal to treat 800,000 acres by 2035 and said SRP delivers water and power to about 2 million customers in the Phoenix area and that watershed protection is integral to SRP’s service. “We are the nation’s largest public power utility,” Barton said as she outlined SRP’s role in watershed and infrastructure protection. Barton described collaboration with implementing partners (Tonto National Forest and other land managers), funding partners, conservation groups, local governments and logging/processing contractors. She listed a suite of projects near Payson called the Greater Payson program — Winged Victory (about 2,300 acres, beginning in two weeks), Cordelia (4,300 acres targeted in 2026), Princess Buttercup (3,400 acres in 2027), Hoops (2,700 acres in 2028) and Pioneer (1,400 acres in 2029) — plus completed projects such as Roberts (approx. 500 acres) and Jude 1–3 (work surrounding Bonita Creek Estates and Mead Ranch). SRP said six projects are complete, four are in progress and six more are planned in the next five years. Barton highlighted co‑benefits of forest treatment, including reduced post‑wildfire sedimentation into reservoirs, protection of pipelines and other critical infrastructure, improved wildlife habitat and creation of safety zones that aid firefighting operations. Committee members asked whether local contractors and residents were being prioritized for hiring on SRP projects; SRP said procurement is run through a state process and that many field crews are locally based but agreed to coordinate with DFFM on a list of local employment numbers for the Payson area. No policy action was taken at the hearing; SRP said it would provide maps and project lists to committee members for follow‑up briefings in Prescott and other locations.