Upcoming Events
Forest Health Alerts
Photo credit USDA Forest Service
Invasive Plants
What is both an ornamental grass and a state-listed noxious weed? If you answered fountain grass, you are correct! Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) checks both boxes – it was planted in urban landscapes but is now established in desert mountain parks and preserves in Phoenix and Tucson. In early 2020, fountain grass was added to the Arizona noxious weed list as a Class C noxious weed, meaning it is “widespread but may be recommended for active control based on risk assessment.” 
Watering During a Drought
Drought is, unfortunately, becoming the new normal here in Arizona. According to Drought Monitor, 87% of Arizona is under “Extreme Drought” conditions. This makes fires more frequent, declining water levels inevitable, and managing trees on urban and private properties challenging.
Photo credit Joby Elliott/Flickr.com
Photo credit Axiomimages.com
Investing in America's Urban Forests
Despite the many benefits that trees provide, research suggests that tree canopy is unequally distributed in U.S. cities with low-income neighborhoods and communities of color often having less tree cover.
Resources
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Please email Christine at cmares@dffm.az.gov

Urban & Community Forestry, Forest Health, and Invasive Plant Programs Staff:
John Richardson, Assistant State Forester
(Forestry Programs)
(602) 771-1420

Cori Dolan, Program Manager
(520) 262-5519

Wolfgang Grunberg, GIS Coordinator 
(602) 399-1886

Willie Sommers, Invasive Plant Program Coordinator
(602) 319-6818
Aly McAlexander, Forest Health Specialist
(602) 290-9644

LoriAnne Barnett, Urban Forestry Specialist
(602) 399-9447

Christine Mares, Conservation Education Coordinator
(602) 717-9015
The State of Arizona Urban and Community Forestry Program is made possible with assistance from the
USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - Mission - Manage and reduce wildfire risk to Arizona's people, communities, and wildland areas and provide forest resource stewardship through strategic implementation of forest health policies and cooperative forestry assistance programs.
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