Just over a week after the U.S. Forest Service surprised many with the cancellation of the second phase of one of the country’s largest forest restoration projects, local stakeholders, environmentalists and industry leaders found themselves chewing over the implications of the change Wednesday.
The meeting was largely forward-looking as groups endeavor to make the Four Forest Restoration Initiative achieve its end goals: treating millions of acres of forests across the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests in order to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires...