Rj,

Arizonans are all too familiar with dangerous and damaging wildfires. Wildfires like the 2019 Museum Fire in Flagstaff can worsen flooding for years afterward, threatening the health and safety of our communities.

That’s why I recently brought the U.S. Forest Service Chief to Arizona to hear directly from Arizona communities about the Museum Fire burn scar and forest management policies — including the recent cancellation of the second phase of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).

I’m thrilled to share that, after a tour of the burn scar and discussions with northern Arizona leaders and stakeholders, Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced Arizona will receive $6.5 million in federal funding to address these critical issues.

The U.S. Forest Service’s funding is the result of our advocacy for the needs of Arizonans. Specifically, the funding includes $3.5 million to remediate the Museum Fire burn scar — including rehabilitation of national forest land and watersheds — and $3 million for flood mitigation at the Mt. Elden Estates.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Read more: Sinema secures major federal funding for Northern Arizona for rehabilitating Museum Fire burn scar, boosting flood mitigation

We’ve seen the devastating effects of unmanaged forests on Arizonans’ lives and livelihoods. That’s why I’m proud our historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — which was signed into law last month — invests an additional $8.25 billion for forest management and wildfire resilience, with hundreds of millions to fund projects like 4FRI, large-scale restoration projects, sawmill infrastructure, temporary roads, and reduce the risk of project cancellation.

Together, we’re delivering meaningful, lasting results for Arizona families and communities.

Sincerely,

​​​​​​​

Kyrsten

P.S. Read more HERE about my meetings with Arizonans and our work to strengthen forest management.