FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – This past Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for implementing large-scale forest restoration across 300,000 acres of northern Arizona’s national forests using a 10-year stewardship contract. Once awarded later this fall, the contract will begin the first phase of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative – a 20-year plan by the Forest Service and over 40 organizations to restore ponderosa pine forests across northern Arizona’s national forests. With the Wallow Fire still burning in eastern Arizona, the need to quickly implement these large-scale restoration efforts could not be more pronounced.

Restoration-based industry involvement is vital to the success of the 4FRI. Costs for reducing the risk of severe wildfire and preparing the landscape to receive low-intensity fire through the mechanical thinning of small-diameter trees often exceed $1,000 per acre. With ever-decreasing federal budgets, however, these costs have proven to be a significant impediment to successful implementation of forest restoration projects in the area. The 4FRI and the RFP address this hurdle by engaging appropriately scaled, community-based industries capable of utilizing restoration byproducts to offset forest restoration treatment costs.

The 4FRI hopes to demonstrate that ecologically appropriate forest restoration projects can also be economically sustainable. “This initiative will create healthy forests, which are vital to the healthy economies of rural Arizona,” says Sue Sitko, The Nature Conservancy’s northern Arizona Conservation Manager. “Communities, people’s homes, and livelihoods will be safer from large, uncharacteristic wildfires. Concurrently, tree thinning and wood utilization will support the local timber industry, creating jobs and pumping money back into the local economy.”

In addition to reducing wildfire danger and boosting local economies, the forest restoration activities performed by industry under the 4FRI contracts are also expected to help protect and enhance ecologically important wildlife habitats. "Efforts that bring free enterprise and wood harvesting to the aid of forest restoration shatter ‘species vs. industry’ paradigms,” says Shaula Hedwall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Senior Fish and Wildlife Biologist. “Eliciting thoughtful and profitable wood harvesting to assist in restoring habitat will play a role in recovering the threatened Mexican spotted owl and endangered fishes in our watersheds. Unhealthy forest conditions beget stand-replacing fires; well-planned commercial harvest can reduce fuel loads and improve forest resiliency, which protects communities and benefits sensitive fish and wildlife.”

The key to achieving the 4FRI’s ecological goals, say supporters, is to involve industries able to utilize the small-diameter trees that scientists agree must be removed to create a healthy forest. “Decades of scientific research reveal that the Southwest’s frequent-fire ecosystems are suffocating under too many trees. Where we once had 12 to 25 trees per acre, we now have hundreds,” says Northern Arizona University’s Ecological Restoration Institute Executive Director Dr. Wally Covington. “As a result of this unnatural forest structure, the forest cannot self-regulate, ecological processes are out of balance, and the heavy fuel load from too many trees results in catastrophic wildfire.”

Historically, the costs of removing small-diameter trees, which traditionally held little value, limited the scope of northern Arizona forest restoration efforts. “Over 20 years of forest restoration projects have shown that we cannot afford to restore our forests at meaningful scales without engaging industry partners that can fully utilize restoration byproducts in the form of small-diameter trees,” says Grand Canyon Trust’s Director of Restoration Programs Ethan Aumack.

Spanning Arizona, the 4FRI is likely to spur industry development in northern Arizona and support existing industry in eastern Arizona. Similar to the 2004 White Mountain Stewardship Contract, which helped jumpstart the development of Future Forest, LLC. – a wood products company located in Pinetop, AZ that is charged with managing the reduction of tree densities across 150,000 acres of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest – Wednesday’s RFP is likely to result in a contract that will create new restoration-based industry in the Flagstaff or Winslow area. Future Forest Partner Rob Davis is excited that the Forest Service issued the RFP and hopes that it will attract more viable businesses that can economically perform forest restoration across Arizona. “We’ve worked on the 4FRI, which we regard as the successor to the White Mountain Stewardship Contract, all in an effort to transition the WMSC’s accomplishments to the larger landscape, and to develop a mix of small to large, appropriately sized businesses that can serve as a sustainable solution for northern Arizona communities and forests.”

The Forest Service is likely to receive RFP responses from numerous entrepreneurs hoping to apply sustainable economic solutions to northern Arizona’s forest restoration needs. One such company that hopes to create an economic engine capable of funding landscape-scale restoration is Arizona Forest Restoration Products, Inc. “We applaud the Forest Service for taking this significant step,” said AZFRP President and CEO Pascal Berlioux. “We believe that landscape-scale restoration must be ecologically sound and collaboratively supported, and that it can also be economically viable, job-creating, and beneficial to rural communities and economies. The contract awarding process over the next several months will be a very important time to determine how these elements of restoration merge together. We look forward to this process.”

The economic and environmental benefits promised by the 4FRI have also garnered support from county supervisors throughout northern Arizona, many of whom have been critical to the development of the initiative. Representing communities that have suffered from large-scale wildfires, county supervisors like Navajo County’s David Tenney have been among the earliest and most vocal supporters of the 4FRI. “For Navajo County, the 4FRI is about much more than just forest restoration,” Tenney declared. “If implemented properly, the 4FRI would fundamentally change the economic and environmental future of the County. Instead of fearing another landscape-scale fire like the Wallow or 2002’s Rodeo-Chediski, Navajo County residents would benefit from a revitalized wood-products industry that would protect communities from the threat of wildfire and potentially generate hundreds of jobs.”

Gila County Supervisor Tommie Martin agreed. “You can let the forest earn – by creating jobs – or let it burn at unnaturally severe levels,” Martin said. “For Gila County, the choice is an easy one. Through 4FRI, we can let it earn and restore the ecosystem to a more natural, sustainable, fire-adapted condition.”

The Forest Service will be accepting responses to the RFP until August 12, 2011 and hopes to award the stewardship contract later this fall.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Today conservationists, scientists, industry representatives, community leaders and the U.S. Forest Service signed an historic agreement to restore ponderosa pine forests in four national forests in northern Arizona. More than 20 organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Four Forest Restoration Initiative Collaborative Stakeholder Group and the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab and Tonto National Forests.

"The MOU represents many long hours, days and months of work and collaboration between the Forest Service and stakeholders who are vested in restoring Arizona forests,” said Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart. “The signing of this document illustrates how different people and organizations with varying viewpoints can come together and work toward an extremely important and common goal."

Northern Arizona University President John Haeger said the vision of the MOU aligns with the university’s goals of cultivating partnerships to advance renewable resources, sustainable practices and environmental responsibility.

“Through the Ecological Restoration Institute and ForestERA, Northern Arizona University’s environmental and social research regarding these regional landscapes will continue to contribute to this ambitious effort,” said Dr. Haeger. “As wildfires grow in magnitude and intensity, the need for restorative action on a level that matches the size of our southwestern fires is urgent.”

The MOU is designed to accelerate large-scale restoration across the Mogollon Rim to support resilient, diverse stands that sustain native biodiversity; safely re-establish natural fire regimes; reduce fire threats to communities; create sustainable forest industries that strengthen local economies while conserving natural resources and aesthetic values; and engage the public through increased public outreach, education and support for this initiative.

“From a multitude of perspectives, be it rancher, recreationist, hunter, scientist and others, the restoration of our forests to a healthy condition is critical to the economic and physical well-being of our communities. Coconino County’s experience this past summer with the Schultz Fire and flooding illustrates how an entire county suffers when a catastrophic fire occurs in a community’s back yard,” said Coconino County Supervisor Mandy Metzger. “Today’s signing celebrates the collaborative process that supports the 4FRI. It also is a powerful public statement that demonstrates the broad-based commitment to move this critical process forward.”

"Navajo County is proud to stand in partnership with the other members of the Four Forest Initiative stakeholder group and the U.S. Forest Service on this historic MOU. Never before in the history of our nation's forests has such a diverse group united in support of a project of such significant scale and importance," declared Navajo County Supervisor David Tenney. "The members of this stakeholder group understand what the residents of Navajo County have known for years: that preventing landscape-scale fires requires a landscape-scale solution that includes industry, science, and collaboration. The Initiative is Arizona's, and the country's, only hope for restoring our forests."

“The residents of Gila County have been waiting a long, long time for this day”, said Gila County Supervisor Tommie Martin. “I’m honored to be part of this group, and very much look forward to seeing the restoration take place that we’ve all agreed on – it’s long past overdue”.

The MOU calls for the Forest Service and 4FRI members to work together through the process of framing the issues, developing a range of treatments, analyzing impacts and identifying preferred actions.

“The clock is ticking for Arizona’s forests. Failure to make progress puts communities at risk and keeps people from new, much-needed jobs,” said Patrick Graham, director of The Nature Conservancy in Arizona. “The bold plan and broad groups of supporters for this agreement is the way things will get done in the future, especially because there are going to be far fewer public dollars to support this kind of work. We are very excited about helping turn this into action on the ground to benefit people and nature.”

“Today marks a turning point for northern Arizona’s forests and the communities and species that call them home,” said Todd Schulke, forest policy analyst at the Center for Biological Diversity. “After a century of ecosystem decline, the long-overdue restoration envisioned by the Four Forest Restoration Initiative will set forested landscapes on a path of recovery. We’re excited to part of that endeavor.”

“If an effort of this scale is going to work anywhere, it’s going to work here”, said Ethan Aumack, Director of Restoration Programs for the Grand Canyon Trust. “From the science to the social license to the wood utilization capacity, we have all the necessary pieces in place - and now it’s time to move them in unison forward”.

“The MOU between the Forest Service and the 4FRI stakeholders, as well as other critical collaborative documents such as the Path Forward, materialize the best in collaboration” said Pascal Berlioux, president and CEO of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. “It often felt over the last 5 years that landscape scale restoration in northern Arizona was about building bridges between people and bridging gaps between organizational perspectives. This MOU with the Forest Service completes the collaborative bridge started by the stakeholders in the 4FRI Charter.”

“But collaboration does not accomplish enough if it does not translate into action. It is now time to cross that last bridge and complete the planning and contracting processes that will allow appropriate scale industry to build a small diameter trees utilization infrastructure capable of offsetting treatment costs and funding landscape scale restoration in northern Arizona.”

Signing on behalf of Arizona’s loggers is the Northern Arizona Loggers Association. “It has been a long process with a great deal of effort on many, many fronts to get to this historic event,” said NALA treasurer Allen Ribelin. “We look forward to the contracting opportunities for our members that 4FRI will bring to the forests of Northern Arizona.”

Last month, the Forest Service released its Proposed Action for the first 750-thousand acres analyzed. The public comment period continues through March 11. For more information visit the 4FRI Web site at www.4FRI.org.

Scientists, Environmentalists, Community Leaders and Wood Products Industry Support Action to Restore Forests

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Applauding Forest Service efforts, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative stakeholders’ groups is calling the latest step toward restoring northern Arizona’s ponderosa pine ecosystem significant and historic.

Currently available for public comment, the Forest Service proposal or Proposed Action for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative outlines a restoration strategy within a 750-thousand acre analysis area on the Mogollon Plateau of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.

Stakeholders representing community, environmental, science and industry interests have been building agreement for several years around key strategies to accelerate and fund restoration efforts that will return health to forest ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, protect communities and watersheds, safely restore natural fire regimes and create rural jobs.

"This project really is one of national significance given the unprecedented scale at which we're working, the level of social agreement we've reached, and the ecological and economic benefits we expect to see through the Initiative,” said Grand Canyon Trust Director of Restoration Programs Ethan Aumack. "Carrying our momentum forward and working together to translate agreement into action through the NEPA process will be critical in ensuring that we have a plan that is ecologically, socially, and economically viable. We're optimistic and excited to be moving forward.”

City of Flagstaff Fire Management Officer Paul Summerfelt, a member of 4FRI and the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, calls the Proposed Action an important milestone, not only for our forests but for all residents and communities in northern Arizona. “Imagine a summer without destructive wildfire! All who have labored long and hard to bring this about deserve our collective thanks,” he said.

The Nature Conservancy is partnering in the 4FRI project to provide science-based guidance. “A sustainable future for Arizona requires both a healthy environment and healthy economy,” said TNC forest ecologist Edward Smith. “The 4FRI is a tremendous example of how a broad coalition of stakeholders and citizens can come together to restore the health of our forests, reduce fire risk, protect local communities and create jobs.”

Long-time ponderosa pine researcher and Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University Executive Director Dr. Wally Covington says the condition and structure of today’s ponderosa pine forests are a far cry from what they were 150 years ago. “With thick stands of unhealthy small diameter trees crowding the landscape, our once open park-like forests are in a state of crisis susceptible to unprecedented bark beetle infestations, the drying effects of climate change and monstrously large crown fires. Using the best available science, the Forest Service is boldly taking action on a scale never before attempted to create resilient ecosystems for future generations.”

Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife biologist Sarah Reif says forest restoration is about more than trees and fire. “Arizona wildlife thrive in forests where large patches of old and young ponderosa pine trees are separated by sunlit openings where grasses, shrubs and oak provide important food sources. This 4FRI project could help re-create and maintain these conditions for wildlife, while helping prevent large-scale habitat loss from the next Rodeo-Chediski Fire. The real benefits for wildlife boil down to the details in how thinning treatments get designed, and we look forward to rolling up our sleeves with the Forests and the public as the 4FRI planning process continues.”

The Proposed Action marks the beginning of formal Forest Service planning designed to result in a restoration plan in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement by April 2012. It can be viewed online at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/4fri under “Documents.”

“Today’s proposal is about tomorrow’s forests,” said Center for Biological Diversity board member and senior policy advisor Todd Schulke. “It’s about leaving a legacy of forest wildlands where natural fires safely roam, native species thrive, and people are humbled and inspired to keep them so.”

The Four Forest Restoration Initiative is a nationally-recognized effort to undertake restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest across the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab and Tonto National Forests. It is funded through the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program and has been endorsed by northern Arizona cities and counties, the State of Arizona, Arizona’s congressional delegation and 4FRI stakeholders.

Reflecting the Initiative’s widespread community support, Navajo County Supervisor David Tenney expressed his excitement with the release of the Proposed Action. “As county supervisor of the area most affected by the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire, I embrace the Forest Service efforts to move the Four Forest Restoration Initiative forward. The Initiative represents the possibility of a brighter future without the looming threat of fire. The 4FRI is our best hope for healthier forests, safer communities and a stronger economy in northern Arizona.”

“After years of collaborative efforts, for the first time in the Southwest the Forest Service is proposing restoration at the same scale as catastrophic wildfires: hundreds of thousands of acres,” said Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. President and CEO Pascal Berlioux. “This is a quantum leap forward and it creates an opportunity to build an appropriate-scale small diameter wood industry as an economic engine to help pay for restoration.”

The 4FRI stakeholders meet the fourth Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Feb. 23 in Flagstaff. For more information visit the Web site at www.4FRI.org.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. announces appointment of president & CEO Pascal Berlioux, Ph.D., MBA to Arizona Governor's Forest Health Council.

In a press release today, Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. announced the appointment by Governor Jan Brewer of its president & CEO Pascal Berlioux to the Arizona Governor's Forest Health Council.

"We have been attending the meetings of the council for several years as a member of the public" said Berlioux "and we are honored to be appointed as one of its official members."

Berlioux further stated, "The Council has been and continues to be instrumental in translating the vision set out in the Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona Forests in on the ground treatments, and we believe that the business model offered by AZFRP to create an economic engine that can fund the restoration of the northern Arizona forests to a fire-adapted ecology by converting the low-value small diameter trees harvested during ecological restorative thinning into high value engineered wood products, is the most realistic approach to the funding of a timely restoration of the forested ecosystems and watershed of northern Arizona at landscape scale. We look forward working with the Council toward the effective and efficient implementation of the Statewide Strategy."

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. announces successful completion of second round funding and readiness to engage in OSB plant permitting process.

In a press release today, Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. announced the successful completion of its second round of funding. The multi-investors, multi-million dollars deal in shares and warrants of the company stock concludes successfully the company’s efforts to progress toward the creation of an appropriate scale economic engine to fund ecological restoration of forested ecosystems in northern Arizona toward a fire-adapted ecology. This appropriate scale industry effort parallels and complements the collaborative stakeholders’ effort to produce the social license to proceed with the project, and the U.S. Forest Service effort to progress toward the long-term large-scale wood contract necessary to guarantee the fiber supply required to trigger the full funding of an oriented strand board (OSB) plant in Winslow, AZ.

One of Arizona’s most environmentally innovative business entrepreneurs is backing this unique project that will help restore northern Arizona forests and reduce the threat of wildfires, while producing high-quality building materials for home construction in the Southwest. Jacob F. Long, general partner of John F. Long Properties, is joining the Board of Arizona Forest Restoration Products. Long said he supports the project because it not only benefits the environment, but the local community and taxpayers. In addition to the small-tree thinning and ecological restoration work, the proposed OSB facility in Winslow is expected to support up to 600 jobs and save taxpayers at least half a billion dollars from footing the bill to remove wildfire fuel from 30,000 acres of national forests per year over the next 20 years.

John F. Long Properties has a history of philanthropy and innovative development in Arizona. In addition to donating land for community parks, schools and churches in the Valley, the company designed and executed several groundbreaking ecological projects, such as Solar One, the world’s first solar subdivision built using ground-mounted photovoltaic cells to provide all the residents’ electrical needs. Long Properties also integrated innovative energy-saving techniques in this project, including “rammed-earth” construction, water conservation engineering, solar water heaters, and high efficiency thermal insulation technologies.

“As a second generation Arizona native, I believe it’s critical that we invest in projects that make our state a better place,” Long said. “Saving our forests from devastating wildfires, collaborating with the communities, land management agencies, universities, and environmental protection stakeholders, creating jobs and producing environmentally conscious building materials for the Southwest – this project does it all.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Jake on the Board. His values reinforce the Arizonan character of AZFRP, and his dedication to protect proactively our environment matches our commitment to create an economic enabler for the restoration vision,” Pascal Berlioux, President & CEO of AZFRP stated, “The economic fundamentals of an appropriate size and collaborative OSB project in Arizona remain superb despite the recent economic downturn and housing crisis, and the successful completion of our second round of funding puts us in the best possible situation to complete the full funding of the plant as soon as the wood contract is awarded”.

“In the mean time,” Berlioux further said, “we are now fully ready and fully funded to initiate immediately the half million dollars permitting process as soon as the proper contracting mechanisms can be worked out with the Forest Service, and we are willing to commit to innovative approaches. We look forward to partnering with the existing northern Arizona logging and processing wood industry to create 600 jobs, boost rural economic development to the tune of 170 million dollars per year, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires at landscape scale over the next 20 years in an economically, socially, collaboratively and environmentally responsible and sustainable way. Today is a good day for the forests and the people of northern Arizona”.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's Natural Resources Policy Advisor Michael Anable writes Regional Forester Southwest Region Corbin Newman to provide additional specificity regarding the State of Arizona position in accelerating forest restoration by developing long-term contracts for forest thinning on US Forest Service lands across northern Arizona.

Referring to the social agreements reached by the northern Arizona collaborative groups, Michael Anable writes:

"These agreements should be translated into long term (l0-year) contracts that would allow an additional 30,000 acres annually of mechanical thinning to occur across northern Arizona over the next 20 years. County and city representatives from northern Arizona and the State strongly support this notion, as do members of Arizona's Congressional Delegation. They support a highly collaborative approach to developing these forest-thinning contracts. Importantly, they agree, that industries with a proven, collaborative record provide the ability to substantially offset planning, administration, preparation, and treatment costs, and the ability to work within consensus prescriptions, which are a vital part of the accelerated restoration equation. The Governor fully agrees with and supports these stakeholder requests."

"Additionally, many stakeholders have requested that the Forest Service move forward ambitiously and collaboratively towards developing a contract and/or agreement Request For Proposal (RFP), and that such an agreement should be in place by Fall, 2009, with a contract ready to award by Spring, 2010. The Governor supports this ambitious timeline, and respectfully requests that you mobilize all available resources to release an RFP."

Arizona Legislature passes unanimously Concurrent Memorial to Arizona Governor and U.S. Forest Service urging the United States Forest Service and the Governor of Arizona to support accelerated landscape-scale, consensus-based, industry-supported community protection, forest restoration and fire management across Arizona.

In a unanimous Concurrent Memorial, the Senate of the State of Arizona and the House of Representatives of Arizona, concurring, requested from the United States Forest Service and the Governor of Arizona:

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer writes to Regional Forester Southwest Region Corbin Newman to urge implementation of restoration work across northern Arizona.

In a letter addressed to Regional Forested Corbin Newman, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer announced her decision to:

"We have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to begin thinning a million acres of forested land over the next years. And we have the opportunity to do so in a manner that is agreement-based, environmentally sound, and economically beneficial. I ask that we work together to achieve these results."

Environmentalists and Industry Join Forces in Nation’s Largest Comprehensive Forest Restoration Effort; Alliance Brings Both Conservation and Jobs to northern Arizona.

Representatives of the Grand Canyon Trust, Arizona Forest Restoration Products, and Center for Biological Diversity today signed a landmark agreement committing mutual support to a plan to safely restore beneficial fires and conserve biological diversity in northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests, the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world.

Following a century of ecological decline and decades of litigation, the agreement, in the form of a memorandum of understanding between the parties, marks a sea change in southwestern forest politics, focusing industry and conservation groups on a common goal of conserving species and ecosystems in a rapidly warming climate.

“The scientific basis for moving forward with landscape-scale ecological restoration in northern Arizona’s pine forests is well established,” said Taylor McKinnon, public lands program director at the Center. “Today’s agreement is a commitment to the responsible and ambitious action that Arizona’s forests need. It’s the culmination of more than 15 years of hard work by the Center, Grand Canyon Trust, and other stakeholders to move beyond controversy and get on with the hard work of restoring these once-majestic forests.”

The memo describes an ecological basis and strategic framework for safely restoring beneficial fires and conserving biological diversity in northern Arizona’s degraded forests. It establishes clear parameters for proceeding with nearly 1 million acres of landscape-scale ecosystem restoration over 20 years.

Developed over years of forging consensus in the Arizona Governor’s Forest Health Council and its predecessors, and through subsequent modeling exercises that translated that agreement into increasingly detailed restoration strategies, the memo calls for a combination of community-protection activities and strategically placed restoration projects to facilitate restoration and re-establishment of natural fire regimes across entire landscapes.

“Today’s agreement offers leadership, capacity and momentum in the context of agreements already forged in Arizona. It sets forth an aggressive yet ecologically cautious path to healing our forests,” said Ethan Aumack, director of restoration programs at the Grand Canyon Trust. “It recognizes that forests need fire to be healthy and adapt to climate change, and it recognizes that the need to reduce small-tree densities can, and should, result in economic benefits for rural communities. Breaking gridlock now will have profound and positive impacts for forests, communities, and rural economies across the Mogollon Rim for decades to come.”

The new agreement supports the construction of an oriented-strand-board, or “OSB,” plant in Winslow, Arizona, by Arizona Forest Restoration Product. The plant, which has a lifespan of about 20 years, would use small-diameter trees resulting from about 30,000 acres of ecological restoration treatments per year across a 2.4 million-acre analysis area. Modeling analyses show that a limited amount of strategically placed treatments will be sufficient to safely restore fire across much broader areas. The facility will provide more than 600 jobs and inject up to $200 million annually into the regional economy.

“Memorializing the vast area of agreement with the environmental community is critical to the implementation of industry support,” said Pascal Berlioux president & chief executive officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products. “It clarifies a set of sideboards for the execution of the project, and it creates the conditions necessary for a secure investment. Our goal is to provide an economic engine to fund a restorative vision in northern Arizona, and to operate in a framework of collaboration, science, ecological sustainability, and economic viability and predictability. This is the reason why we have strongly supported, and will continue to support, all aspects of the collaborative consensus process, including the protection of old and large trees, as a strategic approach to enable landscape-scale restoration of natural fire regimes along the Mogollon Rim.”

The Grand Canyon Trust, Arizona Forest Restoration Products, and Center for Biological Diversity are actively involved in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative collaborative process of northern Arizona and are working with the U.S. Forest Service and other constituencies toward the accelerated implementation of landscape-scale forest restoration across the Mogollon Rim. The group is acting on mandates, and with guidance, offered through strong letters and resolutions of support by the state of Arizona, Congressional Rep. Kirkpatrick, seven northern Arizona counties, the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization, the County Supervisors’ Association of Arizona, and the Northern Arizona Council of Governments.

The Grand Canyon Trust is a regional, non-profit conservation organization that advocates collaborative, common sense solutions to the significant problems affecting the region’s natural resources. Our work is focused in the greater Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona, and in the forests and red rock country of central and southern Utah. www.grandcanyontrust.org

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is dedicated to providing an economic engine for ecological restoration in northern Arizona, and to operate in a framework of collaboration, science, ecological sustainability, and economic viability. www.azfrp.com

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 220,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org

The U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region publishes a Sources Sought Notice anticipating the treatment of a minimum of 30,000 acres per year over a ten-year contract period in northern Arizona on the Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

In an April 23, 2009 Sources Sought Notice posted in the Federal Business Opportunities website and subsequently widely distributed to the industry by Region 3 staffers, the U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region announced its intent to move forward with the treatment of a minimum of 30,000 acres per year over a ten-year contract period in northern Arizona on the Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

The Southwestern Region (AZ and NM) of the Forest Service is in the beginning stage of a large, multi-year forest restoration project in central Arizona. This request for information is the initial phase used to gather information and explore contract options. The project objective is to restore ponderosa pine forest types by thinning and harvesting mainly small diameter trees in excess of ecological requirements. Restoration would occur initially in the Williams, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ area. The area will be further defined during the collaborative planning process. Ultimately, over the next planning phases, restoration would occur across at least four Arizona national forests on what is called the Mogollon Rim consisting of mostly ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests.

The rate of treatment is anticipated to be a minimum of 30,000 acres per year over a ten-year contract period. It is expected that most treatment areas would accommodate ground-based harvest systems with some temporary road construction requirements but little to no new, specified road construction needs.

The purpose of this request is to identify companies and industries that might be interested in learning more, potentially being a partner or proponent, and participating in the early phases of the planning process. There is no formal contract at present, the exact acres to be treated have not been identified, and the exact amount of wood to be removed has not been determined. However, a supply assessment has determined that there is a large sustainable supply for up to 10 years projected, and the Forest Service is confident that the volumes will be substantial and firm. From this information it is projected that there will be more contracts of comparable size in the future.

"This is a long anticipated very positive step in the direction of implementation of landscape-scale restoration in northern Arizona" said Pascal Berlioux President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. "We are very excited by this development that in our view indicates the intent of the U.S. Forest Service to honor the outcome of the collaborative process in northern Arizona, and to build on the unprecedented level of support for accelerated, consensus-based, industry-supported, landscape-scale restoration recently expressed by the Governor of Arizona, the U.S. Representative for Arizona 1st District, all 7 counties of the Mogollon Rim: Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee, the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization, the Northern Arizona Council of Government, and the County Supervisors Association of Arizona."

See the letters or unanimous resolutions the prompt implementation of accelerated, consensus-based, industry-supported, landscape-scale restoration in the Community Support page of our website.

Front page article in Arizona Republic "Saving Forests - Million-acre plan would clear brush, cut state's fire risk" brings to public attention the implementation of Arizona's Statewide Strategy and Small Diameter Wood Supply Study, and the role of appropriately scaled industry in offsetting landscape-scale restoration costs.

In a December 12, article, reporter Ginger Richardson of the Arizona Republic outlined comprehensively the opportunities created by the landmark collaborative effort that resulted in Arizona's Statewide Strategy and Small Diameter Wood Supply Study. Building on the groundbreaking social agreement that makes this plan possible, the article reviews the challenges faced in implementing the statewide strategy, and the new approach proposed by AZFRP to offset landscape-scale restoration costs.

“This is a very good article,” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc., “the information is accurate, well understood, and clearly presented, and the paradigm-changing opportunity is outlined, as well as the logistical challenges that are still being worked on.”

“I am pleased to confirm once again that AZFRP declines cash compensation from the Forest Service in payment of the ecological thinning of the forest, and that we are indeed poised to absorb over $300 million in thinning costs over the life of the project ($550 per acre [per current Forest Service data] x 30,000 acres per year x 20 years = $330 million).

The vocation of AZFRP is to be the economic engine of the restoration vision promoted by the Governor's Forest Health Council, and we look forward continuing to work with the various constituencies forming the collaborative effort to implement the restoration of the northern Arizona forest ecosystems to a fire-adapted ecology.”

Janet Napolitano, Governor of the State of Arizona, writes to Corbin Newman, Regional Forester Southwest Region to request that the U.S. Forest Service "accelerate restoration work across northern Arizona," and "translate into on-the-ground action the good work done by Arizona's citizens over the past several years."

In a letter to Corbin Newman, Regional Forester Southwest Region (3) USFS dated November 13, 2008, Janet Napolitano, Governor of the State of Arizona, stated:

“The engagement of the Governor marks a turning point in the collaborative effort to implement landscape-scale restoration in northern Arizona now that a social consensus has been defined through the Statewide Strategy and the Small Diameter Wood Supply,” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. “The Governor's five-step request for action offers a clear path to execution and we strongly believe that AZFRP has demonstrated through its commitments and actions since 2006 the proven collaborative record, the appropriate scale, the ability to dramatically offset per-acre restoration costs, the ability to support 600 northern Arizona jobs, the ability to inject $170 million in northern Arizona rural communities' economy every year, and the commitment to the ecological goals that are outlined in the Governor's letter. We stand ready to move forward with a $300 million investment to create the economic engine that will fund the restoration of 30,000 additional acres per year, as soon as wood contracts are awarded by the Forest Service.”

The Natural Resources Working Group of the White Mountains writes to Corbin Newman, Regional Forester Southwest Region (3) USFS to address the implementation of the Region 3 Analysis of Small-Diameter Wood Supply in Northern Arizona, and Governor Janet Napolitano’s Forest Health Council’s Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forests.

In a letter to Corbin Newman, Regional Forester Southwest Region (3) USFS dated September 10, 2008, The Natural Resources Working Group of the White Mountains (NRWG) recommended that specific funding covering the planning, preparation, and administration costs of a minimum of 60,000+ acres annually, in addition to the 17,000 acres currently treated annually across the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, and Kaibab National Forests, be provided as a permanent budgeted line item at the regional and/or national level over the next several decades.

“We are happy to see The Natural Resources Working Group of the White Mountains getting involved in landscape scale restoration across northern Arizona” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. “This is the collaborative group that was instrumental in the creation of the White Mountain Stewardship Project, and it is only fitting to see them join the collaborative groups active around the San Francisco mountains to promote the implementation of landscape scale restoration in northern Arizona.”

Pascal Berlioux, President and CEO of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. receives a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Northcentral University.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that Pascal Berlioux, President and CEO, successfully defended today the dissertation of his Ph.D. in Business Administration.

Pascal completed his Ph.D. over a period of 4 years of study with Northcentral University (NCACS, ACBSP) and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. Pascal was inducted in the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business Administration.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) explains how it can decline to receive cash compensation from the US Forest Service in payment for ecological services rendered during the restorative thinning of northern Arizona forests, while supporting the payment of $550 per acre by the Forest Service to the White Mountain Stewardship Contract.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) confirmed today that it will decline to receive cash compensation from the US Forest Service in payment for ecological services rendered during the restorative thinning of northern Arizona forests.

This position statement is fully in line with AZFRP's stated intention, from its inception, to develop an economically sustainable engine to fund landscape-scale ecological restoration in northern Arizona.

Conversely, AZFRP will continue to support the payment of $550 per acre by the Forest Service to the White Mountain Stewardship Contract and the funding of this contract for its full 10 years.

“These positions are not contradictory” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. “actually they rest on the very simple economics of reality, and it may be useful to clarify them.”

Simply put, it can cost up to approximately $1,055 to thin an acre in northern Arizona (mobilization $15, cutting $205, skidding $155, loading $100, trucking $470, slash handling $45, road maintenance $15, overhead $50). If 550 cubic feet of round wood are retrieved per acre, as is reported for the White Mountain Stewardship Contract, and if this wood is sold for around $35 per ton, then the revenue is about $600 per acre. If there is no revenue from the biomass, as is the case with the White Mountain Stewardship Contract, the contractor can loose up to about $455 per acre, and it is logical for the Forest Service to compensate this contractor for their loss and to pay them a profit. If they did not, nobody would do the job.

But this is not a solution sustainable either at landscape-scale nor indefinitely. Quite simply, there is 1 million acres identified in the “Consensus Scenario” of the Analysis of Small Diameter Wood Supply in Northern Arizona for which mechanical treatment is appropriate. Assuming a cost of $550 per acre, as paid in average by the Forest Service for the White Mountain Stewardship Contract, this would represent a total cost of $550 million for Arizona. Adding similar needs in New Mexico, the financial burden on the Forest Service Region 3 would exceed $1 billion. This is simply not going to happen.

This is why AZFRP has been promoting from its inception a high-value engineered wood product (see American OSB Production Deficit and Southwest OSB Market) and the integration of a biomass utilization component (see AZFRP and Ameresco partner to develop a biomass solution). Combined, the high-value round wood utilization and the biomass utilization will be able to generate a minimum of $1,250 of revenue per acre, assuming that in average 850 cubic feet of round wood and 8 tons of biomass are retrieved per acre, as projected in the results of the collaborative wood study. This will not only cover the costs of treatment but it will allow treatment to be implemented profitably, a necessary condition for private industry involvement.

“We support the continuation of the White Mountain Stewardship Contract, because it is the only possible solution when utilization infrastructures have all but disappeared over the last 25 years, and we again congratulate the White Mountain team for their ground-breaking work and the great job that they have been doing” continued Pascal Berlioux, “but we recognize that landscape-scale restoration will not be possible without a large investment in new appropriately-scaled infrastructures that will result in full utilization of both logs and biomass, with enough engineered added-value to be able to pay for the treatment costs.”

“So there is no contradiction in our position, nor is there competition between local stewardship contracting and the landscape-scale forest ecosystem restoration that an OSB plant that integrates a biomass component can fund” further stated Pascal Berlioux, “it is both possible to implement restoration at no cost to the Forest Service, or to need the Forest Service to contribute $550 per acre, it all depends on the utilization infrastructure. This is why we are looking at a roughly $400 million investment between OSB and biomass.”

“We hope that this will clarify why we will decline payments by the Forest Service, and how it is economically possible to do so” ended Pascal Berlioux. “This also explains why it is critical for landscape-scale restoration to obtain a long-term large-scale commitment from the Forest Service as no one in their right mind will lend us this type of capital without a reasonable certainty that wood will be available to the plant over its 20 year lifetime.”

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) delays its permitting process by 6 months and finalizes a new time table for its Oriented Strand Board plant, based on the assumption that the US Forest Service will advertise a Request For Proposal (RFP) for some form of landscape-scale ecological thinning contract during the 1st quarter of 2009.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) announced today that the time table for the Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant to be built in Winslow, AZ has been finalized for an expected production startup during the second quarter of 2011 (see Time Table).

This adjusted time table reflects a 6 month delay compared to the time table updated in the winter of 2007/2008 and a 1 year delay compared to the time table that AZFRP had initially considered.

“We had announced our initial time table based on the April 27, 2007 letter received from Harv Forsgren, former Regional Forester, who indicated that based on the expectation that the wood supply study would be completed “by the end of November 2007”, and assuming that the outcome of the study would be favorable and that various administrative and institutional capacity issues were addressed, “The most likely timeframe for advertisement of a RFP was December (2007) or January (2008)” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP).

However, various unanticipated events such as a delay in the wood study, a change of leadership at the USFS regional office, movements of leadership in various Arizona national forests, etc. have essentially combined to delay action by 6 months.

On June 12, 2008 Corbin Newman, the newly appointed Regional Forester announced to the Governor’s Forest Health Council that due to various institutional capacity issues and the need to translate the collaborative effort from landscape scale to project level, the US Forest Service would face considerable challenges in implementing the Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forest unless the Forest Health Council produced over the next 3 to 4 months “a social license” to move ahead in the resolution of certain issues. To facilitate progress, Corbin Newman also invited the collaborative to participate to the US Forest Service planning work over the next 3 to 4 months.

“We understand the institutional capacity issues faced by the Forest Service, as well as the inevitable delays caused by leadership changes, especially in the framework of collaboration where interpersonal relationships and trust are so critical” continued Pascal Berlioux, “and we are absolutely convinced that the “social license” sought by Corbin Newman will be delivered within 3 to 4 months by the northern Arizona collaborative under the leadership of the Forest Health Council.”

“In the mean time we will work diligently as part of the workgroup organized by the Forest Health Council, but we will have no other choice than to suspend the permitting process as it would not be fiscally responsible to commit in excess of $500,000 in various environmental and engineering studies based on the current progress” said Pascal Berlioux.

“We fully intend to move forward during the first quarter of 2009, based on the assumption that the US Forest Service will advertise a Request For Proposal (RFP) for some form of landscape scale ecological thinning contractual vehicle during the 1st quarter of 2009” continued Pascal Berlioux. “By then it will have been 3 years since we started investing in this project and honoring all our commitments to the community and to the Forest Service. All of the requirements made by all the parties will have been met and it will be time to start building a plant, or to reassess the fundamentals of the project.”

July 3, 2008

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) finalizes the design of its Oriented Strand Board plant for a typical annual capacity of 470 million square feet.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) announced today that plans for the Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant to be built in Winslow, AZ have been finalized for a typical annual capacity of 470 million square feet of OSB.

This capacity represents a significant reduction of the theoretical maximum capacity of 680 million square feet of commodity 3/8 inch OSB that AZFRP had initially considered.

"As early as November 2006, we had indicated that we had no intent in concentrating our production on high volume commodity OSB, but that we would rather focus on high value specialty OSB or OSL (Oriented Stranded Lumber) and have a real-world production of around 450 million square feet" said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) "it is only logical for us to match the plant final design to this market strategy."

See in the Latest Q&A section of the website responses to the questions posted in November 2006 Why does AZFRP quote a range of wood consumption rather than a specific number? and Is there enough wood in Arizona for an OSB plant?)

Pascal Berlioux added: "We had initially considered the possibility that we might need a capacity of 680 million square feet in order to fund landscape scale restoration in northern Arizona, but two critical elements have convinced us that this is now unnecessary:

First, we strongly support the Consensus Scenario reached by the collaborative during the Analysis of Small Diameter Wood Supply in Northern Arizona. This consensus scenario provides a social license to treat approximately 1 million acres among the 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona.

Second, we are encouraged by the emergence of numerous biomass utilization projects in northern Arizona, including our strategic partnerships with Ameresco or Earth Friendly Fuels, and we believe that the resource must be shared for the greatest social and economic impact in the community."

"We are therefore pleased to finalize the plant design with a typical annual capacity of 470 million square feet. This capacity will still be sufficient to consume annually approximately 25.8 million cubic feet (258,000 ccf) or 827,000 tons of green logs, and to fund the restorative thinning of approximately 30,000 acres per year.

But it will only represent the utilization of approximately 40% of the 37 million tons of round wood and biomass expected to be removed through ecological thinning from the northern Arizona area of Consensus Scenario over the 20 year life of the OSB plant.

Our discussions with our environmental partners within the northern Arizona ecosystems restoration collaborative and within the Governor's Forest Health Council make us very comfortable that this is an appropriate size to provide both the critical mass required to move ahead with the implementation of the Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forest, and to insure the ecological sustainability of this strategy, as well as guaranteeing a plentiful resource for other existing or new businesses in northern Arizona."

See other press releases at http://www.azfrp.com/Press%20Releases.htm and resolutions of support of the AZFRP project at http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm. Various sections of the AZFRP website have been updated to reflect the final design capacity.

February 21, 2008

Northern Arizona University W. A. Franke College of Business’ study confirms the positive economic development impact of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant, and projects that the facility will support 589 jobs and injects $170 million annually in northern Arizona’s rural economy.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that the results of the Northern Arizona University W. A. Franke College of Business’ study “Impact Analysis of Arizona Forest Restoration Products’ Oriented Strand Board Facility” confirms the positive economic development impact of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant to be located in Winslow.

AZFRP had estimated conservatively a year ago and published on its website (http://www.azfrp.com/Economic%20Development%20Impact.htm) that the facility would support at least 450 direct & indirect jobs in the northern Arizona counties, and would infuse approximately $85 million pre-tax into northern Arizona's economy annually.

These numbers are confirmed and actually significantly increased by the science-based methodology deployed by the Team of Northern Arizona W. A. Franke College of Business’ Center for Business Outreach, with final numbers predicting that AZFRP will support 589 jobs and injects $170 million annually in northern Arizona's rural economy.

In addition, the construction of the facility in Winslow will contribute another 455 northern Arizona jobs for a period of 18 months to 2 years, and will inject another $74 million in northern Arizona’s economy, essentially in the construction sector.

The study report can be downloaded from the AZFRP website here.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this study” said Pascal Berlioux, President & Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP). “The study confirms two things. First, it confirms the very positive impact that the OSB plant will have on the rural economic development of northern Arizona at a time and in places where unemployment is a major concern. This is good! We will be happy to offer employment stability and economic security to hundreds of families through reliable and high-paying jobs carrying a full package of benefits, including a comprehensive medical benefits program.”

“Second, this study confirms once again the responsible attitude demonstrated by AZFRP since we introduced this project almost two years ago. We have not promised more than we can deliver, and actually, we will deliver more jobs than we promised. This is good too, as it further establishes that we are a collaborative and social partner that can be trusted.”

AZFRP’s responsible attitude has also been recently demonstrated again in another critical aspect of the project when NAU Regional Wood Supply Study confirmed AZFRP's OSB project ecological and social sustainability and appropriate size. AZFRP had estimated in its own basic sustainability study published 18 months ago on its website (http://www.azfrp.com/Sustainability%20of%20Appropriately%20Sized%20Utilization.htm) the regional availability of 1,120 million cubic feet of wood, including the wood supply from the 817,000 acres of tribal ponderosa pine forests. The NAU Regional Wood Supply Study confirmed the existence of 847 million cubic feet on 1 million acres of essentially national forests, without the wood supply from the 817,000 acres of tribal forests. These numbers clearly demonstrate the responsible attitude of AZFRP in its original sustainability study, as it is reasonable to imply that the NAU study would have confirmed and probably exceeded the original supply estimated by AZFRP if the study had also included the 817,000 acres of tribal forests in addition to the 1 million acres of essentially national forests.

Since AZFRP intends to purchase a very significant amount of wood from the tribal forests, and has already started negotiating a long term purchasing agreement with the relevant partners, the ecological and social sustainability of the project is further enhanced.

February 18, 2008

Northern Arizona University Regional Wood Supply Study confirms Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. OSB project ecological and social sustainability and appropriate size.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that the results of the Regional Wood Supply Study released by Northern Arizona University ForestERA confirm the ecological and social sustainability and appropriate size of the AZFRP Oriented Strand Board (OSB) project (see Analysis of Small Diameter Wood Supply in Northern Arizona).

The Analysis of Small Diameter Wood Supply in Northern Arizona can be downloaded from the ForestERA website at http://www.forestera.nau.edu/project_woodsupply_finalreport.htm or from the AZFRP website here.

As a member of the Regional Wood Supply Study workgroup AZFRP has demonstrated its commitment to the collaborative process, and has been a strong and active supporter of the vital necessity to subordinate the economic considerations to the imperatives of ecosystems restoration and protection. AZFRP has taken position repeatedly to strongly support:

The full protection of 638,000 acres of northern Arizona forest (over ¼ of the Mogollon Rim ponderosa pine forest studied) identified as Mexican Spotted Owls protected activity centers, special designation areas such as Wilderness Areas, Northern Goshawks nest areas, high soil erosion areas, streamside management zones, etc.
The total protection of the remaining old growth and the restoration of old growth by protecting large diameter trees.
The complete integration of the wildlife management objectives in the forest management objectives, especially as regards old-growth dependant endangered species and native species.
The comprehensive integration of fire as a first-entry treatment where and when appropriate on the landscape, with low to medium intensity fires that pose no threat of evolving into catastrophic active crowning and high intensity wildfires.
The necessity to reach social consensus among the various stakeholders in forest restoration and fire protection, and the realization that community consensus is built on mutually acceptable good-faith collaboration.
The necessity to support the existing local wood industry based on traditional wood products, and to encourage its growth while also supporting the creation of a new renewable energy industry by northern Arizona entrepreneurs.

AZFRP therefore strongly supports the “consensus scenario” reached by the collaborative process.

This total consensus of all the constituencies involved (local communities, fire prevention, fish and wildlife, Forest Service, environmental groups, wood industry, etc.) identified approximately 1 million acres needing mechanical thinning in northern Arizona, and the availability as of 2006 of approximately 850 million cubic feet of wood (Table 11, p.58) and approximately 8 million tons of biomass (Table 12, p.59).

To relate these numbers to the ecological and social sustainability and appropriate size of the AZFRP OSB project, the following considerations and calculations are required:

First, AZFRP reduces voluntarily the total amount of wood available, to the volume of wood in the diameter classes smaller than 16” in diameter outside of the wildland urban interface (WUI) areas designated in the Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP). Trees larger than 16” in diameter exceed the current social consensus outside of the community protection areas. Table 13 (p. 60) indicates that over 27 million cubic feet of wood exist in trees larger than 16” in diameter in the wildlands, watersheds, endangered species restricted areas, etc. AZFRP voluntarily removes this volume from its sustainability and appropriate size calculation.
Second, AZFRP reduces voluntarily the total amount of wood available, to the volume of wood in the diameter classes larger than 5”. Trees smaller than 5” in diameter are difficult to process for OSB. They are therefore better made available to other renewable energy industries such as electricity, ethanol, methanol, etc. Table 10 (p. 57) indicates that approximately 2% of the wood volume in the management areas is made of trees smaller than 5” in diameter. This represents approximately 16 million cubic feet of wood. AZFRP voluntarily removes this volume from its sustainability and appropriate size calculation.
Third, because the study is a snapshot in time as of 2006, the true availability of wood over the next 20 years must include a growth model. Recognizing that growth models are delicate, AZFRP bases its calculation on a very conservative approach. Table 20 (p. 64) indicates a net growth of 33.6 cubic feet per acre per year after mortality. However most of this growth takes place in trees larger than 16”. Further, as trees grow, they change diameter class and move into larger classes. This affects both trees becoming larger than 16” and trees becoming larger than 5”. Additionally, the growth model depends on the actual treatments implemented every year, and the prioritization of the treatments. To produce a realistic growth model, AZFRP voluntarily considers only the growth happening in the 5” to 16” class--that is only 12 cubic feet per acre per year, and projects that approximately 45,000 acres will be treated annually between the existing White Mountain Stewardship Contract, the on-going contracts in the Kaibab and Coconino national forests, and the expected landscape-scale stewardship contract for the OSB plant. This growth model predicts the additional availability of approximately 125 million cubic feet of wood in the 5” to 16” class over the next 20 years. This is a credible increase of approximately 15% over the 2006 net volume of 804 million cubic feet.

Therefore, AZFRP considers that over the next 20 years the “consensus scenario” yields the availability of 929 million cubic feet of wood adapted to the production of OSB:

Consensus scenario wood supply (cubic feet)	Total supply (Table 11)	Minus volume >16" (Table 13)	Minus 2% volume <5" (Table 10)	Supply considered by AZFRP
Community protection	368,975,519	NA	7,379,510	361,596,009
MSO restricted habitat	56,832,525	787,812	1,120,894	54,923,819
Municipal watersheds	37,448,212	3,467,404	679,616	33,301,192
Aquatic species watersheds	189,626,094	15,201,905	3,488,484	170,935,705
Wildlands	194,426,007	7,591,187	3,736,696	183,098,124
Total 2006	847,308,357	27,048,308	16,405,201	803,854,848

20-year supply based on treatment of 45,000 acres annually (cubic feet)	Total supply 2006	20-year growth 5"-16"	Total 20 year supply
Total	803,854,848	125,588,508	929,443,356

Considering that the existing industry consumes approximately 10 million cubic feet per year (Table 15 and 16, p. 61-62), and that the OSB plant is expected to consume a maximum of approximately 26 million cubic feet per year (http://www.azfrp.com/Wood%20Usage.htm) the “consensus scenario” of the Regional Wood Supply Study indicates that treating 1 million acres of northern Arizona forests will provide enough wood over the next 20 years to:

Continue to supply the existing industry (Table 16, p. 61) depending on the White Mountain Stewardship Contract and on the contracts in the Kaibab and Coconino national forests;
Support the potential growth of the current industry;
Support the OSB plant;
Support the creation of an entirely new industry based on the utilization of trees smaller than 5” and on the biomass resulting from the thinning implemented by AZFRP, for the production of renewable energy products such as electricity, ethanol, methanol, etc.

Additionally, it must be noted that these utilizations can be almost doubled if the volume of wood available on the 817,000 acres of tribal ponderosa pine forests not considered in the study is added, which AZFRP intends to do due to the fact that its high-value OSB will be capable of absorbing the costs of extraction of the vast amounts of trees smaller than 12” in diameter currently thinned by the Fort Apache Timber Company (FATCO) and currently left in piles to be burnt in the forest.

Furthermore, these calculations do not account for re-growth after treatment. Based on current science and current growth data, re-entry is predictable after 20 to 25 years if a management plan of the treated areas is not created and implemented promptly.

In summary, the collaborative Regional Wood Supply Study conducted by Regional Work Group and ForestERA confirms the ecological and social sustainability of the AZFRP project and its appropriate size. The AZFRP project will not be detrimental to the existing industry and to its growth; it will provide the large scale high-value utilization necessary to implement rapidly landscape-scale restoration and catastrophic fire prevention; and it will support the creation of an industry of renewable energy.

See other press releases at http://www.azfrp.com/Press%20Releases.htm and resolutions of support of the AZFRP project at http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm.

November 2, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. receives a resolution of support from the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC).

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution of support from the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC).

“The Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission voted unanimously to support all activities that will try to utilize biomass material within the region.”

“This included Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. as well as others that exist today and those that may appear in the future.”

See the resolution and other letters and resolutions of support in the “Community Support” page (http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm) of our website.

October 19, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. receives a strong resolution of support from the City of Holbrook.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received a strong resolution of support from the City of Holbrook.

“The City of Holbrook is proud to join the long roster of supporters for the construction of the oriented strand board (OSB) plant proposed to be located in neighboring Winslow by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc (AZFRP).”

“All seven counties of the Mogollon Rim: Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee have sent letters of support. The City of Holbrook is proud to stand beside letters of support from both Winslow and Flagstaff and our own strong endorsement.”

“The plans and goals of AZFRP are compatible with the vision and long term goals of the City of Holbrook.”

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. signs a Client Service Agreement with risk management and insurance world leader Marsh.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that it has selected Marsh USA Inc. to provide a comprehensive program of risk management and risk insurance for its Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant in Winslow, AZ.

Marsh (http://global.marsh.com) is the world's leading insurance broker and strategic risk advisor. They provide services in risk identification and assessment, quantification and prioritization, and risk mitigation and financing.

Risk management and insurance will cover the entire operation of AZFRP, in terms of both property and casualty, and will extend to the work performed by the local logging companies that will be contracted to implement the restorative thinning of the northern Arizona forests under a landscape-scale stewardship contract.

The AZFRP risk management and insurance contract will be managed from the Phoenix, AZ office of Marsh.

"We are very pleased to partner with such a leader in risk management and insurance as Marsh" said Pascal Berlioux, president and chief executive officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. "Developing a strong program of risk management, mitigation and insurance is a natural requirement for responsible enterprises and community members. It will contribute to the success of AZFRP's mission to restore the forests of northern Arizona to a fire-adapted ecology."

August 20, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. joins Coconino County's Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI).

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that it is joining Coconino County's Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI) and will contribute to the work of its Resource-based Development Action Team.

"We support the concept and the action of SEDI, and we will help promote and implement its vision. We are absolutely convinced that economic sustainability must combine with ecological sustainability if landscape-scale restoration of the northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest is to become a reality" said Pascal Berlioux, president and chief executive officer of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. "It is a natural for AZFRP to join SEDI. We look forward to work with its members, and to further deliver on our commitment to the collaborative process and to support local businesses."

July 13, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. supported by all 7 counties of the Mogollon Rim.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that with the receipt of a letter of support from Coconino County (see separate press release), its project of developing an Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant in Winslow, AZ to fund the ecological restoration of the northern Arizona forests is now officially supported by all 7 counties of the Mogollon Rim: Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee.

AZFRP strategy is to process the low-value small-diameter trees removed during restorative thinning into OSB, a high-value engineered wood product, in order to generate the funding necessary to implement the restoration of the forests of northern Arizona to a fire-adapted ecology at the needed landscape scale. The ultimate objective of this strategy, and the vision of AZFRP, is to save the forest from destruction by catastrophic wildfires, and to restore its ecosystems to a self-sustainable fire-adapted ecology.

The unanimous support by all 7 counties of the Mogollon Rim demonstrate the collaborative efforts of AZFRP in the development of this project, and sends a strong signal to all constituents about the will of the northern Arizona community to see their forests protected and restored.

See the letters and resolutions of support in the “Community Support” page (http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm) of our website.

July 13, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. receives a letter of support from Coconino County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received today a letter of support from Coconino County.

“The Coconino County Board of Supervisors supports wood utilization proposals that demonstrate that they will meet the ecological objectives for Arizona’s forests as articulated in the Statewide Strategy.”

“We support AZFRP to the extent that it is able to advance these objectives, and to proactively engage with collaborative processes such as the Small-Diameter Wood Supply Analysis Project and with other researchers, land management agencies, and local communities in the development of plans for ecologically and economically sustainable forest utilization.”

“We support the stated objectives of AZFRP’s proposal and look forward to future opportunities to work collaboratively with them as well as other private industry to achieve our mutual goals.”

July 9, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. receives a resolution from Yavapai County in support of forest utilization businesses.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received today a resolution from Yavapai County in support of forest utilization businesses.

"Yavapai County promotes the concept of forest utilization, community protection, and fire prevention, and believes that an economically sustainable utilization of low value woody biomass harvested during ecological restorative thinning, and processed into high value product is necessary to fund the restoration of the forest to an ecologically sustainable fire adapted ecology;"

"Yavapai County believes that the utilization of woody biomass removed during restorative thinning can save and protect the forests by allowing the implementation of forest restoration programs; respects and promotes good ecological science; helps protect the community by implementing thinning prescriptions and helps to prevent the risk of catastrophic wildfires by reducing the accumulation of hazardous fuels in the forests;"

"Yavapai County believes that the private business industry can create needed jobs and re-establish many traditional forest products related opportunities throughout the region, and supports efforts by forest utilization businesses such as Arizona Forest Restoration Products to secure from the Federal and State Agencies the large scale and long term stewardship contracts that are needed to guarantee supplies of wood fibers. This resolution supports the Governor’s Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forests.”

See the entire resolution and other letters and resolutions of support in the “Community Support” page (http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm) of our website.

July 3, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a resolution of support from Apache County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution of support from Apache County.

"the Board of Supervisors of Apache County strongly supports the rapid construction by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. of an oriented strand board (OSB) production plant in Winslow, AZ, and the participation by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. to the development of biomass electricity generation plants along the Mogollon Rim;"

"the Board of Supervisors of Apache County is committed to help Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. start the implementation of its project as soon as possible, and will facilitate it in any way possible within the framework of County statutes, ordinances, and procedures..."

"the Board of Supervisors of Apache County is committed to strongly support by means that it deems appropriate Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. efforts to secure from the U.S. Forest Service the large scale and long term Stewardship Contracts that are needed to guarantee the supply of wood fiber to the OSB plant and to the biomass power plants over the next two decades."

See the entire resolution, as well other letters and resolutions of support in the “Community Support” page (http://www.azfrp.com/Community%20Support.htm) of our website.

June 29, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. and Ameresco Inc. partner to develop a solution to the accumulation of biomass and the continuously increasing risk of catastrophic wildfires in the forests of northern Arizona.

Flagstaff, Arizona & Framingham, Massachusetts (June 29, 2007) - Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) and Ameresco Inc. (Ameresco) have executed an agreement that creates the strategic partnership that will consider various clean energy options while providing a landscape scale solution to the issue of accumulation of biomass in the forests and ranch lands of northern Arizona.

Per this agreement, AZFRP and Ameresco will collaborate for the development of a 20 to 35 megawatt renewable energy plant in Winslow, AZ, designed to utilize the biomass generated by AZFRP restorative thinning of the ponderosa pine forests and by the processing of the low value small diameter trees into high value oriented strand board (OSB).

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is developing an oriented strand board (OSB) plant in Winslow, AZ in order to provide the economic engine necessary to enable the restorative thinning of the northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests on a meaningful scale. AZFRP plans to fund the treatment of over 30,000 acres of forest annually along the Mogollon Rim.

Ameresco will be the developer and owner of the biomass power plant that will be located at the AZFRP oriented strand board plant site. In addition to supplying the biomass, AZFRP will also absorb the heat generated by the power plant and utilize it for the operation of its wood dryer and OSB press. This will allow Ameresco to produce renewable energy efficiently. Additionally, since the OSB plant and the power plant will operate conjointly on the same site, Ameresco and AZFRP will provide each other mutual assistance in the development, engineering, and permitting of the two projects.

“We are pleased to develop this partnership with such an industry leader” said Pascal Berlioux, President & C.E.O. of Arizona Forest Restoration Products. “Implementing a landscape-scale solution to the landscape-scale problem of accumulation of hazardous fuel in our forests cannot be conceived without integrating a strong and reliable biomass component into the project”. “Pile burning is simply not a viable solution today, even on the limited acreage that is treated, and it would be totally irresponsible in the framework of a landscape-scale treatment. So much smoke and carbon must not be released in the northern Arizona atmosphere, especially when solutions exist to sequester this carbon and use this biomass to produce clean renewable energy”. “Additionally, we are very pleased about providing the community with what amounts to the critical mass necessary to develop a biomass power plant. Exciting possibilities can then be explored to build on this critical mass and integrate pinion juniper biomass removed from neighboring ranch lands that could not, alone, justify the creation of the power plant”.

“Ameresco looks forward to working with AZFRP on a combination of projects that will yield tremendous benefits for not only the surrounding community but the environment as well. Besides the obvious community benefits this new OSB facility will bring, the aspect of incorporating a new renewable energy facility will enhance the environment through the generation of clean energy (electric and thermal) since the emissions from using wood fuel for energy are far less harmful than those emissions from uncontrolled fires, slash burning, or the fossil fuel it will now displace.” said Michael T. Bakas, Ameresco’s Vice President of Renewable Energy.

About AZFRP:

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. (AZFRP) is a privately owned company created by northern Arizona entrepreneurs for the express purpose of reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires in Arizona’s ponderosa pine forests. Converting low value small diameter trees removed during treatment in high value oriented strand board (OSB) will allow AZFRP to fund the ecological thinning of the forest on a landscape scale and restore the forest to a fire adapted ecosystem. AZFRP is committed to the science of ecosystems restoration and to the collaborative process in the responsible implementation of this science.

More information about Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. can be found at http://www.azfrp.com/.

About Ameresco:

Ameresco, Inc., is the largest independent comprehensive energy solutions provider in North America. Headquartered in Framingham Massachusetts, Ameresco utilizes innovative strategies, systems, and technologies for renewable and sustainable energy generation and infrastructure renewal, thereby reducing operating expenses, increasing energy reliability and enhancing the environment.

More information about Ameresco can be found at http://www.ameresco.com.

June 21, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products initiates the permitting process to build its Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant in Winslow, AZ.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products (AZFRP) is pleased to announce that the pre-application meeting that initiates the process of permitting the OSB plant in Winslow was held on June 21 at AZFRP's main office in Flagstaff.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is a private company created by local northern Arizona entrepreneurs to fund the restorative thinning of the Arizona public forest by converting low value small diameter trees removed during ecological treatment into high value oriented strand board (OSB).

Present to the meeting were:

Trevor Baggiore, Environmental Program Manager, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
Paul Babonis, Environmental Engineering Specialist, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
Craig Beeson, Environmental Engineering Specialist, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
David Tenney, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Navajo County
Jesse Thompson, Supervisor District II, Navajo County
Robb Crimm, Senior Planning & Zoning Engineer, Navajo County
Dale Patton, City Attorney, City of Winslow
Paul Ferris, City Planner
Bruce Snyder, Senior Environmental Scientist, Evergreen Engineering
James Bier, Senior Product developer, Ameresco
Garth Bowers, Client Manager, Cornerstone Environmental Group
Don Walters, Chairman, Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc.
Pascal Berlioux, President & C.E.O., Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc.

Under the guidance of Trevor Baggiore, Paul Babonis, and Craig Beeson from ADEQ, all technical aspects of the project were reviewed with representatives of AZFRP's environmental partners: Bruce Snyder from Evergreen Engineering, James Bier from Ameresco, and Garth Bowers from Cornerstone Environmental Group. A rapid and uncomplicated permitting process is expected thanks to the environmentally-conscious technological choices that AZFRP has been making.

Board of supervisors Chairman David Tenney and Supervisor Jesse Thompson reemphasized Navajo County's commitment to support and facilitate the project in any way possible, while City Attorney Dale Patton restated the City of Winslow's commitment to integrate the OSB plant in the City's utilities networks and to provide any resource required.

Don Walters, AZFRP Chairman, discussed the company's vision of contributing to the saving of the northern Arizona forests, and Pascal Berlioux, AZFRP President & C.E.O. emphasized the need to do things right at every stage and to integrate the collaborative process in every decision.

June 7, 2007

Arizona Forest Restoration Products and Earth Friendly Fuels announce a strategic partnership for the utilization of biomass in northern Arizona.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products (AZFRP) and Earth Friendly Fuels are pleased to announce that they have decided to form a strategic partnership for the utilization of the biomass generated during the forest restorative thinning planned by AZFRP in the northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests.

Earth Friendly Fuels, a private company formed by Diane and David Williamson, of Flagstaff, plans to build a hybrid ethanol plant in the Greater Flagstaff area. The ethanol plant will have the capability to produce 50 million gallons of corn ethanol annually, with the possibility to upgrade the process to the production of cellulosic ethanol when this technology reaches industrial maturity. The ethanol plant will use a hybrid fuel system, capable of supplying the electricity and steam required for the manufacturing of ethanol by burning either natural gas or woody biomass. The annual consumption of biomass by the ethanol plant is expected to be around 200,000 tons, or approximately half of the biomass that the OSB plant thinning operations will generate.

“Two of the fundamental commitments that AZFRP made to the northern Arizona community when we initiated the OSB project, were: 1) to do things right; and 2) to proactively support local businesses in their endeavor to benefit from the critical-mass effect that the OSB plant will create” said Pascal Berlioux, President & C.E.O. of Arizona Forest Restoration Products (AZFRP). “We are pleased to fulfill these commitments by supporting the Williamsons ethanol project. The ethanol plant will contribute to the forest restoration goal a productive use of the biomass that the OSB plant cannot process, and will also contribute significantly to the growth of the local ecologically and economically sustainable forest industry that is needed to fund the restorative thinning”. “There are still many operational and logistic details to iron out, but we believe that Earth Friendly Fuel’s business fundamentals are strong, and we are committed to provide them with as much business and technical support as they need. This is a very exciting synergy”.

“We expect our collaboration to culminate in a long-term, large-volume biomass supply agreement between AZFRP and Earth Friendly Fuels, as soon as AZFRP receives the long-term large-scale stewardship contract that we seek to implement the landscape-scale restoration of the northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest”.

“Partnering with Arizona Forest Restoration Products is a great opportunity for Earth Friendly Fuels to contribute to the restoration of the Arizona forest while aiding significantly to the national effort toward building a future of sustainable fuels” said Diane Williamson, President & C.E.O. of Earth Friendly Fuels. “The hybrid power system of the ethanol plant will utilize the biomass produced by AZFRP’s restorative thinning on the western side of the Mogollon Rim, essentially in the Kaibab National Forest and western part of the Coconino National Forest, and we will also have the ability to absorb pinion juniper biomass produced by the restoration efforts conducted in Yavapai County. This collaboration between our two companies reinforces the inherent strengths of Earth Friendly Fuels, and will allow us to focus on our areas of expertise: corn ethanol, the development of cellulosic ethanol technology, and the sequestration of carbon”.

Please feel free to contact Pascal Berlioux at Arizona Forest Restoration Products or Diane Williamson at Earth Friendly Fuels for further details.

Diane Williamson can be reached at Earth Friendly Fuels LLC, 2730 N. Prescott Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Her office telephone number is (928)773-7994, and her cell phone number is (928)707-0811.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a resolution of support from Gila County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution of support from Gila County.

"the Board of Supervisors of Gila County strongly supports the rapid construction by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. of an oriented strand board (OSB) production plant in Winslow, AZ, and the participation by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. to the development of biomass electricity generation plants along the Mogollon Rim, including one in Gila County"

"the Board of Supervisors of Gila County is committed to help Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. start the implementation of its project as soon as possible, and will facilitate it in any way possible"

"the Board of Supervisors of Gila County is committed to strongly support Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. efforts to secure from the U.S. Forest Service the large scale and long term Stewardship Contracts that are needed to guarantee the supply of wood fiber to the OSB plant and to the biomass power plants over the next two decades."

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a resolution of support from Graham County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution of support from Graham County.

"the Board of Supervisors of Graham County strongly supports the rapid construction by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. of an oriented strand board (OSB) production plant in Winslow, AZ, and the participation by Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. to the development of biomass electricity generation plants along the Mogollon Rim"

"the Board of Supervisors of Graham County is committed to supporting Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. start the implementation of its project as soon as possible"

"the Board of Supervisors of Graham County is committed to strongly support Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. efforts to secure from the U.S. Forest Service the large scale and long term Stewardship Contracts that are needed to guarantee the supply of wood fiber to the OSB plant and to the biomass power plants over the next two decades"

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a resolution of support from Greenlee County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution of support from Greenlee County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a resolution from the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) supporting the construction of an oriented strand board (OSB) plant in northern Arizona.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a resolution from the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) supporting the construction of an oriented strand board (OSB) plant in northern Arizona .

Arizona Forest Restoration Products releases specific Economic Development Impact data in a new section of its website.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has released specific Economic Development Impact data in a new section of its website.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the Board of the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a strong letter of support from the Board of the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization.

The Board of Directors of AZFRP elects Pascal Berlioux, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that its Board of Director has elected Pascal Berlioux, President and Chief Executive Officer. Pascal Berlioux had served as President and Chief Operating Officer since joining the company 6 months ago in August 2006, while Donald B. Walters, Jr., the Chairman of Board, temporarily cumulated the titles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Recognizing the significant progresses accomplished by the company under Mr. Berlioux' operational leadership, the Board expresses its entire confidence in Mr. Berlioux' ability to discharge his new responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer to the satisfaction, and in the best interest, of all the constituents, external or internal, of AZFRP as the company transitions from the planning stage to the execution stage and becomes a key enabler of the ecological restoration of the northern Arizona forest.

The City Council of the City of Winslow passes a resolution strongly supporting AZFRP and committing to "make every effort" to "support in any way possible" the implementation of the project.

The Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership quotes AZFRP as one of its successes and accomplishments in its annual fundraising letter.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it was cited repeatedly as one of the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership's successes and accomplishments in its annual fundraising letter.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products appreciates this strong indication of continued commitment by the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the Board of Supervisors of Navajo County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a strong letter of support from the Board of Supervisors of Navajo County.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a strong letter of support from the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the Society of American Foresters - Northern Arizona Chapter.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a strong letter of support from the Society of American Foresters - Northern Arizona Chapter.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the City of Winslow.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a strong letter of support from the City of Winslow.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products endorses the Arizona Forest Health Advisory Council’s “ Guiding Principles For Forest Ecosystem Restoration And Community Protection”.

The Arizona Guiding Principles For Forest Ecosystem Restoration And Community Protection, as well as the Arizona Guiding Principles For a New Economy Based on Forest Restoration, are the principles that have inspired the Leadership Team of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. to engage into proactive action to save the Arizona forest and create Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. believes that the concepts of: Integrative action; Sustainability from both an ecological , economical, and communal basis; Ecological integrity; Management of the land; and Best Practices, are fundamental to the creation and the operation of an economically viable enterprise designed to contribute significantly to the ecological restoration of the Arizona ponderosa pine forest, based on adding high economic value to the small diameter wood removed from the forest during restorative thinning treatments.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products endorses the forest ecological restoration principles known as "The New Mexico Forest Restoration Principles."

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. is pleased to announce that he has made the decision to publicly support the forest ecological restoration principles known as "The New Mexico Forest Restoration Principles."

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. believes that these principles are aligned with its vision of contributing to the restoration of the northern Arizona forest to a healthy fire-adapted ecology through prescriptive restoration thinning made economically self supporting by the processing of the small diameter wood harvested into high value-added oriented strand board (OSB).

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. believes that it is desirable to apply the New Mexico Forest Restoration Principles in the design and implementation of a large scale mosaic of prescriptive treatments that include wildland urban interface fire prevention treatments, multiple age groups "clumps & groups" treatments, treatments designed in application of the Goshawk Guidelines, etc. designed collaboratively with all the interested constituents, and implemented responsibly by certified MasterLoggers™ or ProLoggers under the monitoring of the Forest Service and of the local community.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. further believes that the critical mass effect that it will create will allow treatment in northern Arizona to scale up to the landscape perspective recommended by the New Mexico Forest Restoration Principles, and will significantly advance the key concerns of reducing the threat of unnatural crown fires and strategically targeting the priority target areas.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors on December 4.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forests of northern Arizona and the rural development of northern Arizona to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors on December 4 at 11 AM.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a letter of support from the White Mountain Regional Development Corporation.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a letter of support from the White Mountain Regional Development Corporation.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a letter of commitment from the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received a letter of commitment from the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Community Forest Forum in Flagstaff on December 5.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forests of northern Arizona to the Community Forest Forum. in Flagstaff's City Hall Chamber on December 5.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Governor's Forest Health Oversight Council in Prescott on December 14.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forests of northern Arizona to the Governor's Forest Health Oversight Council in Prescott on December 14.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products seeks a close collaboration with the Governor's Forest Health Oversight Council to articulate its participation to a state wide forest economics and utilization strategy aimed at restoring the Arizona forests to a state of fire adapted ecology.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives a strong letter of support from the City of Flagstaff signed by Mayor Joseph Donaldson.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has received from Mayor Joseph Donaldson a strong letter of support from the City of Flagstaff.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Regional Office of the Forest Service in Albuquerque NM.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forests of northern Arizona and western New Mexico to the staff of the Regional Office of the Forest Service in Albuquerque on November 17.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products seeks a close collaboration with the Regional Office of the Forest Service as our vision encompasses all the national forests of northern Arizona and western New Mexico, and our central location and scale will allow the Forest Service to implement a true regional management of the Southwestern forests.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products seeks a close collaboration with the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest within the framework of a modified Stewardship Contract in which Arizona Forest Restoration Products will decline receiving cash payment for ecological restoration services rendered to the forest and will purchase from the forest the small diameter trees that need to be thinned for hazardous fuel reduction and restoration of the forest to a healthy state.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the White Mountain Regional Development Corporation.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forest to the Board of Supervisors of the White Mountain Regional Development Corporation on November, 14, 2006 at 3 :00 p.m. at the Show Low Public Library.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Kaibab National Forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products seeks a close collaboration with the Kaibab National Forest within the framework of a modified Stewardship Contract in which Arizona Forest Restoration Products will decline receiving cash payment for ecological restoration services rendered to the forest and will purchase from the forest the small diameter trees that need to be thinned for hazardous fuel reduction and restoration of the forest to a healthy state.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Board of Supervisors of the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forest to the Board of Supervisors of the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District on 13 November, 2006 at 6 pm at the Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, 703 East Sawmill Road in Flagstaff.

Annual growth of ponderosa pine in Coconino county alone produces over 48 million cubic feet of wood every year that have been accumulating for years and that now pose the gravest danger of hazardous fuel accumulation for the forest. Arizona Forest Restoration Products' ability to process the low value small diameter trees that need to be thinned into high added-value oriented strand board allows it to provide a true win-win solution to the issue of natural resource conservation in the Coconino District.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Northern Arizona chapter and the Northern Arizona University chapter of the Society of American Foresters.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give a presentation of its vision for contributing to the ecological restoration of the forest to the Northern Arizona chapter and the Northern Arizona University chapter of the Society of American Foresters on November 2, 2006.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products recognizes the fundamental role played by the Foresters in the management of the forests and welcomes the opportunity to present to this key constituency its vision for contributing to the management of the forest by providing an economically viable solution to the urgent need to treat the forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a presentation to the Coconino National Forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products seeks a close collaboration with Coconino National Forest within the framework of a modified Stewardship Contract in which Arizona Forest Restoration Products will decline receiving cash payment for ecological restoration services rendered to the forest and will purchase from the forest the small diameter trees that need to be thinned for hazardous fuel reduction and restoration of the forest to a healthy state.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products receives strong letter of support from the Flagstaff Fire Department.

A co-author of the Greater Flagstaff Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan, authorized by Congress in the 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act, the Flagstaff Fire Department faces tremendous challenges during each fire seasons, and strongly supports wood-based industry that embraces-and-adheres to the goals, principles, and practices of ecological restoration and thinning of the forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to give a Business Plan presentation to the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership on October 10, 2006.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it will be giving a public presentation of its Business Plan to the members of the Partnership Advisory Board (PAB) of the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership on October 10, 2006 at 10 am at the Flagstaff City Hall, 211 West Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products sees itself as an enabler of the ecological restoration concepts promoted by the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership and supports the Partnership's collaborative process that involves all the community constituents.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products invited to participate to the Forest Resources Association Western Region 2006 Fall Meeting on October 17-19 in Flagstaff.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products is pleased to announce that it will be participating to the Forest Resources Association Western Region 2006 Fall Meeting on October 17-19 in Flagstaff.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products strongly supports the constant efforts of the Forest Resources Association to promote education, safe working conditions, and compliance with the environmental and ecological requirements of responsible harvesting in the forest.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc. joins the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership by unanimous vote.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products (Arizona Forest Restoration Products) is pleased to announce that its candidacy for admission in the Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership (GFFP) has been accepted by unanimous vote. The Greater Flagstaff Forest Partnership is an alliance of 24 environmental and governmental organizations dedicated to researching and demonstrating approaches to forest ecosystem restoration in the ponderosa pine forests surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona. The Partnership's three primary goals are to: Restore natural ecosystem structures, function, and composition of ponderosa pine forests. Manage forest fuels to reduce the probability of catastrophic fire. Research, test, develop, and demonstrate key ecological, economic, and social dimensions of restoration efforts.

Pascal Berlioux appointed as President & C.O.O. of Arizona Forest Restoration Products Inc.

Arizona Forest Restoration Products (Arizona Forest Restoration Products) is pleased to announce that Pascal Berlioux has been appointed to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective August 1, 2006.

Pascal has been serving as chief operating or chief executive officer in various organization for over 20 years, and his leadership brings clear visions, great clarity, strong bias for action, impeccable execution, solid core values, and unquestioned ethics to the Arizona Forest Restoration Products team.

Pascal holds an MBA from New Haven University and is currently completing the dissertation of his Ph.D. in Business Management, concentration in Leadership with North Central University.

Pascal, Benedict, his wife, and their five children have been living in Flagstaff for the last 4 years.