April 22nd, 2021 | Hikers flock to the rugged Santa Catalina mountains north of Tucson, but many trails are still off limits in the wake of last year’s Bighorn Fire. Most trails remain closed within the burn scar of the 119,987-acre Bighorn Fire, which raged from June 5 through July 23. Some trails are within Pusch Ridge Wilderness on the southwest flank of the mountains, and others are north or east of the wilderness.

March 18, 2021 | Iconic Oak Creek Canyon on the Coconino National Forest is seeing increasing visitation, leading to unsafe parking and unauthorized trails, which increase erosion and pose water quality concerns. To meet these challenges, NFF is working with partners including REI Co-op and REI Foundation, Coconino National Forest, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Conservation Legacy, and the Oak Creek Watershed Council to improve trails and clean up trash, all with an eye towards reducing impacts to the waterway and improving visitor experience.

January 21st, 2021 | The Eastern Arizona College Discovery Park Campus recently welcomed members of the AmeriCorps – Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) and provided them a campsite while they served in the Safford area with the Gila Watershed Partnership.

August 26, 2020 | Last year, the National Park Foundation provided over $3.5 million to service corps programs at more than 30 national park sites. These crews accomplished critical maintenance projects like habitat restoration, trail maintenance, historic building restoration, and more, all while gaining work experience and hands-on skills. In all, these service corps members helped to remove over 70 acres of vegetation and restore 700 acres of natural habitat.

August 7, 2020| PAYSON - During the week of June 15, Friends of the Tonto National Forest board member Scott Wood worked with Angie Abel of the Payson Ranger District and the Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) to clear brush and noxious weeds and repair trails at the Shoofly Village Ruins.

July 7, 2020 | COTTONWOOD – The Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition was recently awarded a $102,000 trail building grant from the Catena Foundation for Phase 2 of the Blowout Wash Trail System.

The Blowout Wash Trail System is a three-year construction project within the Verde Ranger District of the Prescott National Forest. It’s a 27-mile stacked, loop system to facilitate recreational opportunities, both close-in and farther-out, located on the east slope of Mingus Mountain adjacent to the communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Jerome.

According to VVCC President Marty Glinsky, the project’s second-phase construction will build nine miles of loop trails utilizing Arizona Conservation Corps youth crews, volunteers and Forest Service personnel.

October 16, 2019 | A local stream cleanup left Flagstaff looking a little cleaner. On Thursday, members of the community put on gloves and grabbed trash bags to collect trash littered along the banks of Sinclair Wash.

August 27, 2019 | Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) White Mountains Crew 361 joined HistoriCorps for a week of historic preservation work in Pinedale, AZ. Located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the crew worked on the Pinedale Ranger Station originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934. Upon arrival, the former barn was quite a sight – panels of white and teal lead paint were peeling off the sides, patches of rooftiles were curled and missing, and failing wood was clearly visible. 

August 26, 2019 | SOLOMON — At the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Solomon, a group of stakeholders gathered for a morning breakfast and presentation on the Gila River watershed.

The group included politicians, educators, scientists and others touring the Gila Watershed Partnership’s restoration sites on the Gila River. The GWP has been working the past several years to remove tamarisk in several locations along the river and replacing the invasive species with native trees and other plant life in order to protect the watershed.

August 22, 2019 | Read a conversation with Park Ranger Karen Malis-Clark about the Flagstaff Museum Fire.

Q: How did the Museum Fire impact the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project (FWPP), and vice-versa?

A: That’s the big question now that many are working to answer. Let’s review the Fire Triangle and Fire Behavior Triangle to appreciate fire’s impact.