PHOENIX — The state of Arizona has seen nearly 2,000 wildfires this year, according to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
“Arizona doesn’t have wildfire season anymore, Arizonans are under threat of wildfire 365 days a year and the threat posed by wildfires grows every year which means we need all the tools available to combat them,” said Hobbs.
According to Hobbs a new agreement signed Thursday, between state and federal land management agencies, provides those needed tools to strengthen Arizona's ability to combat and prevent wildfires.
Hobbs was joined by Homer Wilkes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment.
"I am thankful for Governor Hobbs’ commitment to the long-standing partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the State of Arizona," said Under Secretary Wilkes. "Through Shared Stewardship, we continue to work on landscape-scale priorities and build capacity to improve forest conditions."
The new agreement builds upon the groundwork laid in 2020 and the wildfire crisis strategy created in 2022.
Officials say it "focuses on federal and state agencies working together to respond to land management challenges and concerns across Arizona forests."
Hobbs said the agreement does several things.
It creates an annual meeting between the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) and the U.S. Forest Service to identify priority landscapes.
It also coordinates efforts for fire prevention and mitigation, prescribed burns, and forest and watershed restoration efforts.
Under the agreement, acreage of good neighbor authority projects will be expanded. Hobbs said the goal is to treat 40,000 acres during her term in office.
The aim is to allow the DFFM to have centralized mapping resources for all of its forestry restoration activity with the geographical information system.
Additionally, within the next year and a half, it aims to create a biomass disposal and utilization plan.
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