Ecological Restoration Institute

The 2011 Wallow Fire scorched more than half a million acres across Arizona and New Mexico and is widely regarded as the largest wildfire in Arizona’s recorded history. But new research from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and ERI suggests that several fires before 1900 likely matched — or even surpassed — its size, while burning at lower severity than today’s mega-fires.

Read the full journal article in the Association for Fire Ecology ⬇️

Using a 375-year reconstruction of annual area burned based on 14 tree-ring fire-scar sites, the authors found that "the size of the Wallow Fire was exceptional in the modern era, but comparable to the extent of burning in 1748, 1847, and 1851 on the same landscape. Notably, years of extensive fire (50,000–100,000 ha) were common on this landscape prior to 1900." 🔥 Read more in "Size of modern megafire not unprecedented and a cumulative fire deficit persists" by Christopher H. Guiterman, Ellis Q. Margolis, David W. Huffman, Margaret K. Lonergan, Mark Kaib, and Christopher H. Baisan in - the international, open-access scientific journal of the Association for Fire Ecology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-026-00482-8

Field crews are finishing up at Bryce Canyon National Park this week where they collected data to better understand forest structure, fuels, and wildfire risk.

Building on earlier work with the National Park Service, this project combines field measurements with advanced technology to map canopy conditions and fuel loads across priority areas. The goal: support smarter fire management, guide restoration, and track progress toward the park’s desired conditions.

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The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) and partners Southwest Decision Resources, National Forest Foundation, Coalitions and Collaboratives (COCO), Coconino National Forest, Diné Ba’adeit’i – "For the People" firewood bank, and Lower Moenkopi Village hosted the third Wood For Life workshop April 28–29.

More than 60 partners joined us at the Flagstaff Aquaplex—including representatives from Alliance for Green Heat, firewood banks, Hopi villages, Navajo Nation chapters, Red Feather Development Group, Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, the Tribal Funding Registry, Kaibab National Forest, and the Forest Stewards Guild. Together, we dug into how to grow Wood For Life through grant opportunities, business development, and support for firewood companies and nonprofits.

On Day 2, we hit the field—visiting Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps’ restoration site on the Coconino National Forest, a firewood processing site east of Flagstaff, and Diné Ba’adeit’i’s wood bank north of Cameron on the Navajo Nation.

Across the workshop, one message was clear: Wood For Life plays a critical role in forest restoration by creating an outlet for small‑diameter biomass and supporting home‑heating needs in Tribal communities.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us to strengthen this important partnership.

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Diné Ba’adeit’i - "For the People" dinebaadeiti.org/
Coalitions and Collaboratives: co-co.org/
National Forest Foundation: www.nationalforests.org/program/northern-arizona-wood-for-life-partnership/
Southwest Decision Resources: www.swdresources.com/
Alliance for Green Heat: www.forgreenheat.org/
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps: www.ancestrallands.org/
Red Feather Development Group: www.redfeather.org/
Tribal funding registry: www.tribalfunding.org/
Forest Stewards Guild: https://www.foreststewardsguild.org/who-we-are
ERI: https://eri.nau.edu/wood-for-life/

Photos by Lindsay Riggs, Niki vonHedemann and Jessica Archibald

Some woodlands don’t just endure drought. They tell a story about the Southwest’s shift toward hotter, drier conditions.

Walk into a pinyon‑juniper (PJ) woodland in northern Arizona and you’re stepping into one of the most widespread forest types in the Southwest. These short‑statured pinyon and juniper trees stretch across 100 million acres of western North America. But today, their resilience is being tested in ways scientists haven’t seen before.

Severe droughts—now more frequent and intense—are reshaping these ecosystems from the roots up. A recent study by a team of ecologists led by ERI’s Kyle Rodman draws on 25 years of monitoring across northern Arizona to show just how dramatic the shifts in pinyon‑juniper woodlands have been. Since 1998, PJ woodlands at long-term study sites in northern Arizona lost nearly half of their trees. Basal area has dropped almost 20%. Two‑needle pinyon has been hit especially hard, with declines exceeding 70% in density and more than 80% in basal area.

Look closer and the signs of stress become even more striking. Tree mortality is occurring at three times the rate of new recruitment, meaning these woodlands aren’t replacing what they’re losing. And since 2014, nearly half of surviving trees have experienced crown dieback, part of a regional dieback event unfolding across the Southwest.

But the story isn’t only about loss. This research also shows that soil organic matter and mycorrhizal fungi help buffer trees against drought, offering clues about what might support resilience in the future.

As drought intensifies in a warming climate, these findings matter. They help identify areas most at risk and point to where management actions could strengthen drought resistance. This work underscores a critical need: more research to guide decisions in PJ woodlands as drought pressures continue to intensify across the Southwest.

Photo credits: Kaibab National Forest and the Ecological Restoration Institute

Read the Fact Sheet here: https://cdm17192.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17192coll1/id/1280/rec/1
Read the full study here:
https://cdm17192.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17192coll1/id/1269/rec/1

We’re proud to share that TWIG, the Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase, has received the Interactive Ingenuity award at the 2026 ESRI Federal GIS Conference Virtual Map Gallery, a recognition of innovation in interactive geospatial tools.

Developed in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters, TWIG compiles and displays data on fuel treatments and wildfires nationwide, giving land managers, researchers, and policymakers the tools they need to make informed decisions about reducing wildfire risk and restoring healthy forests.

The tool is open access and open source, meaning anyone can view, query, and download the data to support cross-boundary fuel treatment planning.

"SWERI's work shows what's possible when we make wildfire data accessible and actionable. It gives the public and decision-makers a clearer picture of treatments, outcomes, and provides additional context to ultimately help people make better decisions on the ground," said Anthony Schultz, Director of Wildland Fire Solutions at Esri.

This award reflects the strength of interagency collaboration and the value of making complex geospatial data accessible and actionable. We also want to recognize our contracting partner, Innovate Inc., whose contributions have been instrumental in bringing TWIG to where it is today.

Explore TWIG at https://reshapewildfire.org/twig/layers

To view the award entry visit https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/events/fedgis/agenda/gallery #/event/68dd5c5d3c1a25dfc582617e/

Coconino National Forest has announced Stage 1 fire restrictions.

Coconino NF to enter Stage 1 fire restrictions May 21 at 8 a.m.

Flagstaff, AZ, May 15, 2026 — The Coconino National Forest will enter Stage 1 fire restrictions at 8 a.m., Thursday, May 21, to help prevent unwanted human-caused wildfires during periods of dangerous fire weather conditions.

Fires, campfires, stoves (charcoal, coal and wood) and smudge pots are prohibited under Stage 1 restrictions except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or official developed recreation site. (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/coconino/recreation/developed-recreation-sites)

Using a device that is fueled solely by pressurized liquid petroleum, propane, or LPG is allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials located within 3 feet of the device. The device must be able to be turned on or off.

Decisions about when and where to implement fire restrictions are made based on a combination of carefully measured factors. Criteria used to decide when to implement restrictions include current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels, enduring drought and available firefighting resources.

Additional restrictions could be forthcoming if conditions warrant. Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the area receives significant, widespread precipitation.
Violations could result in a mandatory federal court appearance, fines, or jail time.

National forest fire restrictions can vary from forest to forest, and can differ from local, county and state fire restrictions. Recreators are responsible for knowing the jurisdiction of the land they are recreating on and abiding by restrictions, as well as other rules and regulations.

Save the Date!

The Ecological Restoration Institute is thrilled to invite you to the Science to Stewardship: Arizona Cross-Boundary Forest Restoration Workshop — August 11–12, 2026, at the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff, AZ.

This free, statewide workshop brings together practitioners, professionals, and researchers working toward forest and wildfire restoration and resilience in Arizona. Expect panels, deep-dive breakouts, a social hour, and plenty of opportunities to connect.

-Aug. 11–12, 2026
-High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ
-Free to attend
-Limited to 150 attendees — RSVP early!

Day 1: Improving Implementation of Existing Science
Day 2: Management Questions Needing Additional Science

Registration is open now — https://eri.nau.edu/science-to-stewardship-arizona-cross-boundary-forest-restoration-workshop/

Happening THIS FRIDAY! Learn more about the primary aggregated fuel treatment datasets and ask experts questions 🔥Make sure to check out the primer fact sheet and register here: https://fireecology.org/calendar-entries/navigating-treatment-data-may-2026