This agreement is to support rangeland disaster recovery and active forest management in the central arizona counties of gila, pinal, yavapai, and maricopa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 3 (Southwestern Region), awarded Tonto Natural Resource Conservation District a Cooperative Agreement valued at $828,900.85 on September 24, 2025, under the Good Neighbor Authority program (CFDA 10.691) to support rangeland disaster recovery and active forest management across Gila, Pinal, Yavapai, and Maricopa counties in central Arizona. The agreement extends through September 23, 2030, and is designed to restore rangeland infrastructure and forest health in areas damaged by the Sandstone and Black Fires.

The primary deliverables include the acquisition and installation of up to 21 miles of livestock fencing for timber sale stand improvement and targeted grazing hazardous fuels removal projects; replacement of 4 miles of water pipelines to service livestock troughs; installation of multiple cattle guards, storage tanks, and towers; and construction of protective fencing adjacent to communities at risk from future wildfires. Forest Service employees and contractors, procured by the Cooperator and participating ranchers, will execute the rangeland improvement projects. These restoration efforts address critical losses to range improvements on National Forest System lands while supporting both disaster recovery and proactive forest management objectives in the region.

The sandstone and black fires destroyed range improvements including fences, water systems and cattle guards used by local ranchers on forest service lands. The project activities are to construct a timber sale stand improvement fence that will protect newly planted trees from wildlife and livestock. A fence will be constructed for a targeted grazing hazardous fuels removal project, adjacent to a community at risk from future fires. Additional fencing will be replaced along with cattle guards and pipelines that were destroyed. The cooperator will acquire the needed supplies for up to 21 miles of livestock (cattle) fencing, 4 miles of pipelines (to transport water to troughs for livestock) and multiple cattle guards, storage tanks and towers. The rangeland improvement projects will be installed by forest service employees and contractors through additional forms of procurement by the cooperator and ranchers.