HEBER, AZ — Although the peak of wildfire season is several months away, one Arizona company is working year-round to thin out some of the state's forests while providing valuable wooden materials in the process.
For nine years, Restoration Forest Products has been working with the U.S. Forest Service, operating in four of Arizona's national forests.
The company goes through 25,000 acres a year and removes 550,000 tons of sawlogs, which then go through their mills in Heber and near Flagstaff.
Ted Dergousoff, the C.E.O. of Restoration Forest Products, says it's not only important for his business but also to lower the wildfire threat in Arizona's high country.
"By thinning the forests, we're bringing the Ponderosa pine forests back to its natural state," Dergousoff states. "With that, the risk of catastrophic wildfire goes down considerably after we've done our restoration work."
The timber that's cleared out is then repurposed for items like panels, siding, furniture, and door parts.
