The Four Forest

Restoration Initiative

A Collaborative Effort to Restore Forest

Ecosystems on Four National Forests

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Southwestern Region

MB-R3-04-11

Restoration: Before and After

Before Treatment (2003)

After Treatment (2005)

The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of 

the community to include soils, waters, plants, 

and animals, or collectively: the land ...

~ Aldo Leopold

Arizona Eastern Counties Association

Arizona Elk Society

Arizona Forest Restoration Products

Arizona Game and Fish Department 

Arizona State Forestry Division 

Arizona Wildlife Federation

Center for Biological Diversity

Coconino County

Coconino Natural Resources Conservation District

Coconino Rural Environment Corps 

Ecological Restoration Institute

Flagstaff Fire Department

Forest Energy Corporation

Gila County

Graham County

Grand Canyon Trust

Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership

Greenlee County

Mottek Consulting

National Wild Turkey Federation

Natural Resources Working Group

Navajo County

Northern Arizona Logging Association

Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona Wood Products Association

Pioneer Association

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Sierra Club

Southwest Sustainable Forests Partnership

The Nature Conservancy

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Individuals and organizations interested in 4FRI may join 

the 4FRI Stakeholder Group or work directly with members 

of the Forest Service 4FRI Team. Please contact us if you 

want to get involved.

Coconino National Forest

1824 S. Thompson St.

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(928) 527-3600

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and 

where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited 

bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means 

for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file 

a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Inde- pendence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 

720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Stakeholder Group

 www.4fri.org

www.fs.usda.gov/4fri

Get Involved
4FRI was selected 

for funding under the 

Collaborative Forest 

Landscape Restoration 

Program (CFLRP). 

CFLRP was established 

in 2009 to foster 

collaborative, sciencebased restoration on 

priority forest landscapes 

across the U.S.

CFLRP is unique among 

government programs in 

that it was established 

specifically to 1) create 

job stability, 2) achieve 

a reliable wood supply, 3) restore forest health, 4) 

reduce the costs of fire suppression in overgrown 

forests and 5) leverage federal funding against 

private and other government investments.

The Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) is a 

collaborative effort to restore forest ecosystems 

on portions of four National Forests – Coconino, 

Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Tonto – along the 

Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona.

Ponderosa pine forest stretches almost continuously 

from the south rim of the Grand Canyon, across 

the vast Mogollon Rim, to the White Mountains 

in eastern Arizona. Forests across this expanse 

surround and support communities and provide 

invaluable wildlife habitat, recreational resources, 

and ecosystem services.

Unfortunately, these forests have been degraded by 

unsustainable historical land uses and fire exclusion. 

The result is an overgrown forest with thin, unhealthy 

trees and the threat of unnaturally 

severe wildfire. 

The vision of 4FRI is restored forest ecosystems that 

support natural fire regimes, functioning populations 

of native plants and animals, and forests that 

pose little threat of destructive 

wildfire to thriving forest 

communities, as well as 

support sustainable forest 

industries that strengthen 

local economies 

while conserving 

natural resources and 

aesthetic values.

pose little threat of destructive 

wildfire to thriving forest 

communities, as well as 

support sustainable forest 

industries that strengthen 

natural resources and 

pose little threat of destructive 

wildfire to thriving forest 

communities, as well as 

support sustainable forest 

industries that strengthen 

natural resources and 

=Plan and implement restoration treatments 

across 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest.

=On average, treat 30,000 additional acres per 

year over the span of 20 years.

=Allow for increased use of fire to 

meet restoration objectives.

=Engage new industry so 

the cost of restoration is 

covered by the value of 

products removed.

=Assure that the sciencebased and socially-acceptable agreements forged over 

the last decade result in 

implementation of long-term, 

landscape-scale restoration.

4FRI was selected 

for funding under the 

that it was established 

job stability, 2) achieve 

The Initiative

4FRI Boundary Map

4FRI Goals