Program Highlights

Recent and Upcoming Engagement Opportunities with Specialized Forestry

Arizona Specialized Forestry Team Highlight

Written by Megan Lasley, Forestry Outreach Coordinator

Knock knock. Anyone home? You may have noticed a higher-than-usual number of auto-responders from our team while in travel mode!

Fall is frequently referred to as "Conference Season" in our office. These professional gatherings are an important opportunity for our team to network, share information, and learn from peers across the various industries related to natural resource work in Arizona.

In the past month and a half, Specialized Forestry staff have attended, tabled, and/or presented at nine different professional conferences. Topics included rural policy, horticulture, STEM and environmental education, regional watershed efforts, arboriculture, and forest health. We even squeezed in a few community events, including a booth at the Navajo Nation Fair!

The season isn't over yet. Here are a few more events you’ll find our team presenting at this fall, and we hope to see you there!

Southwest Vegetation Management Association - 2026 Annual Training Event

Fort McDowell, AZ | October 28-29

Our Invasive Plant team is hosting a field trip alongside partners to showcase the Lower Salt River Restoration Project, a long term collaborative restoration initiative to reduce fire risk and eliminate non-native invasive species while restoring native riparian plant communities and watershed health.

Arbor Day Foundation - Partners in Community Forestry

St. Louis, MO | November 16-19

Our Urban and Community Forestry teams will be highlighting our work with community partners to a national audience! A presentation with Arizona Community Tree Council will showcase the Arizona Arboriculture Pre-Apprenticeship Program workforce development strategies and impacts. In addition, we are co-hosting a hands-on experience using Project Learning Tree with Arizona Sustainability Alliance will teach practioners how to use ready-to-go tools for effective and meaningful community engagement.

Southwest Fire Science Consortium - Arizona Tribal Wildland Fire Summit

Phoenix, AZ | December 1 -3

DFFM will provide a short talk on our funding opportunities and current projects with Tribes at this event focused on Tribal leadership and wildfire sovereignty, collaborative fuels treatments, and building Tribal capacity for forestry and fire work in the Southwest. Registration is now open for this event!

A Review of Summer Findings for Forest Health

Arizona Forest Health - Insect and Disease Highlight

Written by Viri Quiñonez, Forest Health Specialist

This summer's tree mortality is a continuation of persistent drought events that took root months ago. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, temperatures were well above average across Arizona last December, with several stations measuring their hottest December on record.

This spring was the sixth-hottest April through June on record, followed by the second-hottest June through July period in the last four years. This hot, dry winter resulted in a severe snowpack deficit throughout the low-elevation ponderosa and pinyon-juniper stands that these trees heavily rely on. Unfortunately, forest soils dried out long before the summer heat peaked, leaving pines depleted before the season even began.

Preliminary aerial survey data shows that cumulative tree mortality remains high in northeast Arizona, though it has decreased in the forests of southern Arizona. The majority of this tree mortality is caused by bark beetle damage incited by drought. This is a predictable pattern, as weakened stands become increasingly vulnerable to secondary pests.

If you are unsure whether your trees are suffering from drought, bark beetles, or both, we can help. Give us a call today to ask about our Bark Beetle Reduction Cost Share Program.

AZ DFFM is Now Seeking Proposoals for the Community Challenge Grant!

The Community Challenge Grants promote and enhance the quality of Arizona’s urban and community forests. Projects should aim to improve the long-term health and care of community forests or create new initiatives in Arizona communities. Local and tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and public educational institutions qualify. The theme this year is "The role of trees in public health and wellness".

The application portal is open now and will close on Thursday, November 12th at 11:59pm. Find the Notice of Funding Opportunity, application questions, and additional information using the button below.

Questions? Reach out to Madeline Burton, Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager at mburton@dffm.az.gov.

A few other grant opportunities to check out:

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program - funds to acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and/or to develop or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities. - applications due November 1st

Seed Funding to Help Tree Nurseries Build Regional Networks - mini-grants available to nurseries from the Agroforestry Coalition to host in-person meetings, find common ground, and plan shared work to inform support and capacity building. - applications due November 7th

Opening Nov 1: Firewood Bank Assistance Program

October is Firewood Month!

Tune into the latest and greatest in the world of Don't Move Firewood on October 20th to meet the team and learn about the education and outreach efforts between the Don't Move Firewood campaign, why it's important, and how you can access their many resources.

Webinars & Professional Courses

October 14 - Turning Knowledge into Action Workshop: Applying Wildfire Science and Planning in Urban Forest Management (Part 3) - gain an understanding of how wildfire science, risk assessments, planning frameworks, and community engagement strategies can support informed decision-making and effective mitigation efforts in this interactive session - Virtual

October 14 - Fostering Belonging for Neurodiverse Youth in Garden Spaces - explore what it means to foster belonging for neurodiverse youth and discuss ways to adapt garden‑based programs to better meet participants’ needs - Virtual

October 15 - From the Ground to Space: New Insights into Arizona's Groundwater - learn about the legal frameworks related to groundwater in Arizona relevant to both watershed restoration and water supply - Virtual

October 21 - Firewood and the Forest Pest Multiverse: the influence of time on perceptions of regulation and detection - explore how time lags in detection can create missed opportunities for effective public outreach and regulatory engagement, and how openly tackling these time lags as part of the conversation can help better protect trees around the USA—and the world. - Virtual

October 23 - Water Harvesting for Tree Care -  learn how to harvest rainwater, stormwater, graywater and air conditioning condensate, and safely use these free water resources to grow trees in Arizona's urban environments - Marana, AZ

November 5 - Career Compass: Building Partnerships That Get Things Done - a practical, urban forestry career-focused webinar that explores the soft skills that turn collaboration into action. - Virtual

November 7 - Palm Safety Basics Training - presented in Spanish and English, this demonstration class is free for beginner tree workers and palm trimmers who are not ISA certified and will share basic palm pruning, safety, and rescue techniques. - Mesa, AZ

November 13 - Tree Care for Birds and Other Wildlife: Importance of Wildlife in Habitats - learn how to reduce impact of tree care on birds and other wildlife, enounter the amazing birds from Liberty Wildlife, and take home an ISA Tree Care for Wildlife Best Management Practices booklet - Phoenix, AZ

Professional Conferences

October 19-20 - Advanced Woody Biomass Alliance Conference - The Woodlands, TX

October 19-22 - North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) Annual Conference - Alexandria, VA

October 28-29 - Southwest Vegetation Management Association - 2026 Annual Training Event - Fort McDowell, AZ

November 12-14 - Society for Ecological Restoration Southwest Chapter Conference - Henderson, NV

November 18-19 - Partners in Community Forestry Conference - St. Louis, MO

December 1-3 - Arizona Tribal Wildland Fire Summit - Phoenix, AZ

December 7 - 11 - Beneficial Fire Summit - San Diego, CA

Community Events

October 16- 18 - Say hi to DFFM and Smokey Bear at the Arizona State Fair! - Phoenix, AZ

October 24 - GSI Planting Party with Flowers and Bullets and Tucson Clean and Beautiful - Tucson, AZ

October 29 - River Center Ribbon Cutting Celebration - Cottonwood, AZ

November 7 - Chandler Arbor Day - Chandler AZ

November 7 - Science Saturdays: Terrific Trees - Flagstaff, AZ

November 14 - Phoenix NatureFest - Phoenix, AZ

November 14 - Holiday Festival @ Fahey Family Farm - Wilhoit, AZ

Keep an eye out for our November edition as we continue to share seasonally relevant information from our Specialized Forestry Programs. Next up is our Urban and Community Forestry team!