Phase 1 of Haigler Restoration Project Underway in the Tonto National Forest
Contact Information: Media Inquiries SM.FS.AZTNF.MediaInquiries@usda.gov
PHOENIX, Sept. 8, 2025— The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is overseeing contractors who will be masticating areas near Haigler Creek Subdivision, Gillette Ranch and Ellenwood Ranch within the Pleasant Valley Ranger District, Tonto National Forest.
The public is advised to use caution when traveling on Forest Service roads near the active project area due to heavy machinery and risk of flying debris.
These treatments aim to remove stand densities in overstocked juniper and chaparral stands through mastication, which involves using machinery to grind up small trees and brush in place and spreading the material on the ground, to reduce the risk of wildfires to nearby private land, powerlines and watersheds, and to improve watershed function and water yield.
Phase 1 of the Haigler Restoration Project begins September 2025, totaling 1,320 acres, and will be a multi-year project through 2027. The project spans two phases, treating a total of 2,567 acres.
This project supports Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a collaborative initiative to restore fire-adapted ecosystems in the Southwest, through the partnership with the Salt River Project, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the USDA Forest Service.
For additional information about the above project, contact the Payson Ranger Station located at 1009 E. Highway 260, Payson, Arizona. Or phone the station at (928) 474-7900 Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
For the latest news and information about the Tonto National Forest, follow along on Facebook @TontoNationalForest or ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) @TontoForest.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
