SRP and Arizona Forestry Department Extend Forest Restoration Partnership Through 2030

Salt River Project (SRP) and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) have renewed their joint commitment to accelerating forest restoration efforts across the state, extending their partnership through 2030 under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding.

The agreement allows the utility and state agency to continue coordinating, funding, and implementing strategic forest thinning projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk, protecting watersheds, and enhancing wildlife habitats—especially in areas critical to the Phoenix metro area’s water supply.

The partnership is enabled through the Good Neighbor Authority, which permits DFFM to collaborate with the U.S. Forest Service on projects that restore overgrown and fire-prone national forest lands. By pooling resources and expertise, the program aims to increase the scale and pace of forest restoration.

In its first five years, the SRP-DFFM collaboration funded 25 projects that thinned and treated more than 35,000 acres across the Tonto and Coconino National Forests. The effort has removed nearly 130,000 tons of timber and more than 50,000 tons of biomass to date—reducing fuel for wildfires and supporting healthier forest ecosystems.

“Our efforts are focused on protecting the watersheds and infrastructure that deliver water to the Valley, while also reducing wildfire risk to nearby communities,” said Leslie Meyers, SRP’s Chief Water Executive. “This kind of work only happens when agencies come together with a shared purpose.”

Looking ahead, the partnership plans to expand into the Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests while continuing work in the Tonto and Coconino forests. The goal is to treat an additional 52,000 acres by 2030.

The collaboration supports both water security and wildfire prevention across some of Arizona’s most vital forested watersheds, including the Salt and Verde River and East Clear Creek basins.