Wood for Life, a Collaborative Partnership to Provide Wood to the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe

The Wood for Life partnership (WFL) was a collaborative network of organizations in northern Arizona including the USFS, Navajo Nation, and Hopi Tribe. They are working to remove thinned fuelwood from restoration projects in the wildland urban interface (WUI) to reduce the risk of wildfires, and make the removed wood available for Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe members to use for heating, cooking, and ceremonial purposes. The USFS conducted the thinning treatments and has provided approximately 10,000 cords of firewood to Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe members. WFL created wood distribution sites and implemented delivery by partnering with local organizations. WFL used stewardship agreements to overcome policy barriers.