Second quarter grant applications were presented and voted on at the May 26, 2025 AZSFWC Board meeting. Funding for the grants is available through sales of our special Conserving Wildlife license plate. More information about the license plate and how you can obtain one can be found HERE.
Two grants were approved and included the following:
$30,000 was awarded to the Arizona Deer Association for the Cherry Frio Water Pipeline Project. This project will extend a pipeline from the well, onto the Forest, and
add additional water storage and troughs. This will result in reduced pressure on forage around existing water sources. Current conditions have made existing stock tanks water unreliable, diminishing the opportunity to graze the allotment to Forest Service standards as described in the Allotment Management Plan. Additionally, the
permitee has proposed to build two “wing” fences (approximately 0.5 mile each) which will improve management. Through adaptive management the permitee will be able utilize forage and browse over the broader landscape by introducing additional water in areas less frequented by livestock, expanding availability of forage and reducing heavier utilization near existing water sources. Multiple wildlife will benefit from this project. Additional partners include Cherry Creek Lodge, AZ Mule Deer Organization, US Forest Service, Phoenix Chapter SCI, AZ Deer Association and AZ Game & Fish Department.
$50,000 was awarded to the Conservation First USA for the SRP Haigler Creek Phase II habitat project. This $1.2 million project will include 1325 acres of pinyon / juniper mastication in the Tonton National Forest. The benefits of the project will
be a minimum of 10 -15 years of a healthy forest that will in turn benefit waters for all of Arizona by improving wildlife habitat and water availability, reducing the risk of high-severity large scale wildfires and post wildfire flooding, protecting water supplies, infrastructure and water quality and improving watershed function and health. Additional funding partners include SRP, US Forest Service, Rocky Mt Elk Foundation, and Conservation First USA.