Coronado National Forest

In 2024, the Coronado National Forest launched the Catalina-Rincon Restoration and Fuels Mitigation project, focusing on restoring 925,450 acres in the Santa Catalina Ranger District. This initiative, funded by the USDA’s Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, aimed to reduce wildfire risks, protect water quality, and improve wildlife habitats. Efforts included prescribed burns, tree thinning, erosion control, and monitoring of species like the Mexican spotted owl, a threatened bird that depends on mature forest habitats.

The Coronado National Forest's restoration history includes notable projects like the 2022 Mt. Lemmon Reforestation effort, which saw the planting of 43,000 trees in areas affected by two major wildfires over the past 20 years. This project addressed locations unable to naturally regenerate conifer forests, revitalizing the landscape and creating habitat for local wildlife, including deer, wild turkeys, and the rare Mount Lemmon mariposa lily.

In 2020, the Mount Graham Reforestation project focused on the Pinaleño Mountains, where severe wildfires had decimated thousands of acres of conifer forests. Crews planted 22,848 Douglas-fir seedlings across 75 acres to help restore forest cover and provide essential habitat for the Mount Graham red squirrel, a critically endangered subspecies found only in the high-elevation forests of this range. The project also indirectly benefited pollinators like hummingbirds and bees, which are critical to the survival of native flowering plants such as penstemons and lupines.

The Coronado National Forest is a treasure trove of biodiversity, featuring unique flora like agave, sycamores, and oak woodlands, as well as fauna such as the elegant trogon, black bear, and gray fox. Its unique sky islands—isolated mountain ranges surrounded by desert lowlands—create microhabitats for species found nowhere else. The region also holds cultural significance, with archaeological sites from ancient Native American civilizations, such as the Hohokam, who once lived and farmed in the area.

In fall 2024, volunteers and local conservation groups worked together to plant an additional 15,000 trees as part of the Catalina-Rincon project, bolstering habitat recovery and fire mitigation efforts. Initial monitoring reports show a high survival rate for the new plantings, marking a significant step toward restoring the ecological integrity of this treasured forest. These efforts also support recreational opportunities like hiking, bird-watching, and camping, ensuring that the forest serves as a sanctuary for wildlife and people.