Upper Rio forest restoration projects delayed as federal signatures and wildlife constraints hold up work

At a joint Flagstaff City Council and Coconino County work session on April 14, county staff said multiple forest restoration projects in and near the Upper Rio de Flag watershed are on hold while partners finalize agreements and federal reviews. “Very importantly at the bottom of this slide is currently all projects are held up by the administration waiting on signatures for agreements,” county staff member Jay said, describing a suite of projects planned or underway.

The projects affected include fiscal‑year 2025 investments the presenters said total about $5,864,000 from the flood control district, with earmarks including roughly $2.8 million for Bill Williams Mountain, a little over $2 million for the Hawk Little Wing area and about $1 million for the Durford project. Staff also told the board that FY2026 requests would include about $2.8 million for Bill Williams Mountain and $2.4 million for the LaRue project.

Why it matters: the work is intended to lower wildfire and watershed risk for Flagstaff-area communities by reducing fuel loads and restoring historic open-forest conditions. Staff said the hold-ups stem from missing signatures on agreements with partners including The Nature Conservancy and the National Forest Foundation and from internal backlog at grant offices. Jay told the meeting the county would…