Public News Service (May 17, 2023) by Alex Gonzalez

The Arizona Trail stretches 800 miles across Arizona, from Mexico to Utah. The trek is considered by many a “lifeline,” under threat with fire season fast approaching.

Matthew Nelson, Executive Director of the Arizona Trail Association, said the trail helps sustain communities such as Superior and Miami, Arizona, which benefit from eco and outdoor adventure tourism. Nelson said every year these towns fear the potential impacts wildfire season could bring, and added says his group is thankful that Governor Katie Hobbs is committed to addressing the impacts of the climate crisis in the state by tapping into available funding sources.

“We know that fires are going to happen; that is kind of a given,” he said. “I think forests have been mismanaged now for almost 100 years, and we are really seeing the impacts of fire suppression on forests and on communities themselves. So with that in mind, I think we need to be putting a lot of energy into forest health projects.”

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