Forests across northern Arizona are being thinned to reduce the risk of severe wildfire and to improve forest health by removing thousands of small-diameter trees and woody material every year. Much of this wood has little commercial value and is often burned or left behind, even as many tribal and rural families rely on firewood as their primary source of winter heat.
Wood For Life was created to turn a forest management challenge into a community benefit by redirecting surplus woody material to households that rely on firewood. Rather than treating excess woody material as waste, the program works to distribute firewood generated through forest restoration projects to tribal and other firewood consuming communities where it is needed most. According to Sean Etsitty, director of the National Forest Foundation’s Northern Arizona program, the benefits of Wood For Life extend beyond providing heat to individual households.
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