Please share attached news release widely.
Thank you,
Jackie
Jacqueline C. Banks
Public Affairs Officer
Kaibab National Forest
928-635-8314
cell 928-606-7490
jcbanks@xxxxxxxxx
For Immediate Release
June 15, 2011
Public Affairs Contact: Jacqueline Banks, 928-635-8314
Contracting Contact: Gilbert Massiatt, 505-842-3340
Forest Service Releases Request for Proposals Related To Four Forest Restoration Initiative
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Southwestern Region of the Forest Service issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on June 15, 2011, related to the landscape-scale forest restoration effort known as the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI). The RFP and all of its related documents are available at the following website:
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=729b0e4248c2bc3f613962352bdbe650&tab=core&_cview=1.
The RFP seeks industry partners to work with the Forest Service in accomplishing a large, landscape-scale, multi-year forest restoration project in northern and central Arizona. The objective of the project is to treat 300,000 acres of ponderosa pine forest by thinning and harvesting mainly small-diameter trees over a 10-year contract period. This will be the largest restoration contract ever awarded by the Forest Service.
The areas proposed for treatment as part of the contract are scattered across four national forests – Tonto, Kaibab, Coconino and Apache-Sitgreaves.
“The RFP is the first step in a long restoration process in the ponderosa pine forests of northern Arizona,” said Dick Fleishman, 4FRI assistant team leader. “The resulting contract will be one mechanism to begin to improve forest health and species diversity, decrease the threat of stand-replacing wildfire, and provide for manufacturing and related jobs across northern Arizona.”
The overall goal of 4FRI is to create landscape-scale restoration approaches that will provide for fuels reduction, forest health, and wildlife and plant diversity, at no cost to the government. A key objective is doing this while creating sustainable ecosystems and industries in the long term. Appropriately-scaled businesses will likely play a key role in the effort by harvesting, processing and selling wood products. The restoration-based work opportunities are expected to create good jobs across northern Arizona. Additional information on 4FRI is available at www.fs.usda.gov/4fri.
Attachment:
1650-1_so_4fri_rfp_jcb_2011_0615.pdf
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