Senate Bill 1118 Summary

• Establishes the forest restoration and treatment fund under the state forester's direction to fund restoration and treatment activities on high-priority forest and woodland areas to protect communities and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire.

• Authorizes the state forester to identify priority forest areas using the 2010 Arizona state forest resource assessment, approved community wildfire protection plans, and federal/state/local land management plans.

• Permits restoration treatments including fuel breaks, mechanical and hand thinning, prescribed burning, watershed restoration, forest insect and disease outbreak prevention, and invasive weed control.

• Allows the state forester to dedicate up to $1.5 million annually from the fund for pre-positioning fire suppression equipment and aircraft for enhanced initial attack on wildland fires in high fire danger zones.

• Authorizes the state forester to award cost-share grants to governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations for restoration treatments, requiring grantees to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions equal to at least one-fourth of the granted amount.