It has been a busy week of meetings with State leaders regarding the Salt Cedar problem as well as healthy forests, and river restoration projects. The State Forester, Jeff Whitney, came to Graham County and flew the river from our county to the New Mexico line, evaluating the Salt Cedar and its impacts on our river basins. We also visited about fire mitigation and the importance of forest management as we look to keep our forests healthy. There was a great meeting of over 34 county and state leaders, as well as industry, to discuss the 4FRI initiative. We were privileged to have staff from US Senators McCain and Flake, as well as Congressman O'Halleran come to discuss this important project as it relates to forest management. I wrapped up my meetings with a briefing on the Black River Restoration Project, of which 92 thousand acres in the Apache Sitgreaves Forest are included in the project. Many of these acres reside in Greenlee County, and we are trying to restore the watershed using different management tools such as mechanical thinning. It has been a great few weeks, with a lot of information shared and efforts to manage our natural resources for future generations to enjoy. As a Greenlee County Supervisor, I will continue to have a seat at the table during these conversations, and make sure our county's natural resources are managed effectively.
