New Year, New Newsletter Format!

If you've been reading with us for awhile, you may have noticed that our quarterly newsletters were getting a bit.. long. Arizona's Specialized Forestry team has a lot to share!

To avoid information overload, we're trying something new in 2025: a monthly newsletter with one program article per edition, instead of three.

You'll still get the same amount of content from each of our programs: Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Health, and Forest Legacy. However, the articles will be distributed one at a time (monthly), instead of all at once (quarterly). Other information in the newsletter, such as events and resources, will still cover ALL programs, general forestry, and tree-related information each month.

We hope you appreciate this new format. Please reach out with any feedback or suggestions, as we're always looking to improve the sharing of our program updates and information.

In alignment with our efforts to make our newsletter more concise and reader-friendly, this update comes in replacement of a program article this month. Read on for our current program happenings, opportunities for engagement, and more!

Happy New Year and cheers to a tree-riffic 2025!

-Arizona's Specialized Forestry Programs

Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Health, Forest Legacy, and Outreach Programs

Arizona Forestry Legacy Now Accepting Pre-Applications

Deadline: January 24th, 2025

Arizona’s Forest Legacy Program invites landowners to participate in conserving private forest lands. This initiative offers both conservation easements and direct land purchases to protect forests that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreational spaces, as well as timber and other forest products.

Pre-Application Process: Interested parties should consult the Arizona Forest Legacy Pre-Application Form and resource packet, which provides guidance on the application and program objectives.

For more information, please contact Matthew Jewell, Forest Legacy Program Manager, at mjewell@dffm.az.gov.

Arbor Day Foundation Programs: Thank you for your applications!

Thank you to the Tree City USA, Tree Campus and Tree Line participants for your 2024 applications! Next, the state will review applications before they are sent for national review.

If you missed the original deadline for any reason, please reach out. Timara Crichlow, one of our Urban Forestry Specialists, is here to help!

• KidsGardening: 2025 GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant A small grant to fund the creation or expansion of youth gardens and greenspaces - deadline January 31, 2025.

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): Fire District Support Grant Financial assistance to equip fire districts in rural communities to prevent and suppress fires - deadline January 24, 2025.

• America Walks: Community Change Grant Funding opportunity to increase walkability and physical activity in communities through the support of parks, outdoor spaces, and more - deadline, January 17, 2025.

January Webinars and Classes

• Self-paced Online: Fruit Tree Root Camp Learn fruit trees basics for the low-desert with this self-paced course from The Urban Farm.

• January 8: Why Agroforestry in a Warming World Join Southwest Agroforestry Action Network (SWAAN) for a discussion of the role of agroforestry in building resilient agricultural landscapes in a changing climate.

• January 16: Fuels Management in Dry, Frequent Fire Conifer Forests A SCIENCEx Fire panel discussion intended for fire, fuels and land managers on topics associated with the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and beyond.

• January 22: Urban Forest Strike Team: Supporting Communities through Storm Recovery Learn about an initiative in Illinois deploying certified arborists and volunteers to assess damaged trees and play a pivotal role in sustainable disaster recovery.

• January 24: Proper Irrigation, Fertilization, and Installation en Español Learn about proper tree care practices from site selection to ongoing maintenance techniques with Arizona Community Tree Council in Yuma, AZ.

Upcoming Conferences:

• January 22, 2025: Arizona Groundwater Policy Conference - Phoenix, AZ

• February 24- 27, 2025: National Native Seed Conference - Tucson, AZ

• March 11-13, 2025: Southwest Agroforestry Action Network (SWAAN) Annual Conference - Santa Fe, NM

Community Events:

• Weekly: Volunteer tree planting opportunities! With Tucson Clean and Beautiful

• January 11 & 25: Remove invasive plants and more with Arizona Sustainability Alliance at their Adopt-A-Park Rio Salado events!

• Save the date! February 22 - 23: Come see us at the Tres Rios Nature Festival

Next month, our Forest Health team will share information on the early emerging invasive plants we'll start to see around the state. Stay tuned!