The scenes of devastation in California’s foothills are tragic and terrifying. Homes and businesses burning, cars abandoned, fire hydrants empty, are all reminders of the power of Mother Nature and the destructive consequences of California’s misguided policies.

These scenes should also serve as a wake-up call for policymakers in Arizona.

As a former state forester, elected county supervisor, and longtime resident of northern Arizona, I know firsthand about the deadly and destructive threat that wildfires pose to residents and communities throughout the state. 

I also know what the prescription is to avoid becoming the next California.

Years ago, in my capacity as a Navajo County supervisor, I worked with local elected officials, environmental groups, and the Forest Service to lead and develop the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) – a multi-pronged effort to restore Arizona’s forests at landscape scale. Instead of thinning 10,000-to-15,000 acres per year, we proposed that the Forest Service rely on the private sector to thin 40,000-to-50,000 acres per year, thus protecting a much larger landscape and many more communities.

4FRI was an enormous success – on paper. Unfortunately, poor contracting decisions by the Forest Service and other economic concerns have resulted in far fewer acres being thinned than we had originally planned.

In spite of those challenges, 4FRI, along with aggressive steps that the state took under the leadership of former Gov Doug Ducey, has resulted in a healthier forest than 10 years ago.

Nevertheless, I am deeply concerned that, absent aggressive and immediate action by state and federal policymakers, the images from California we see on our screens will be repeated on a much larger scale throughout northern Arizona. 

Arizona can’t afford to become the next California.

Fortunately, there is a path forward. It involves Arizona’s state and federal policymakers making forest health a top priority by:

1. Fully funding the State Forester’s Good Neighbor and Shared Stewardship programs. 

Arizona has had great success working with the Forest Service and other agencies to expand thinning. To expand on this success will require a commitment from the Legislature and Governor Katie Hobbs. This is not a partisan issue; legislative leadership and the governor should commit now to making it a priority.

 2. Supporting the state’s utilities in their efforts to manage the vegetation in their rights of way and reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.

Legislation sponsored by Rep Gail Griffin is under development that will require utilities to develop Wildfire Mitigation Plans that identify how the utility will manage vegetation in its rights of way and take other steps to reduce the risk of wildfire and protect communities. The bill also aims to protect utility customers from bearing the costs of frivolous lawsuits related to wildfires. Rep Griffin’s legislation should be a priority for both parties at the Legislature.

3. Demanding that Congress provide the Forest Service with the resources it needs to fully implement 4FRI.

Insurance companies are exiting communities throughout the country. We can’t allow that to happen in Arizona. Only a fully committed and fully funded effort by the Forest Service will provide our rural, forested communities with the protection they need and deserve.

When the Rodeo-Chediski Fire hit northern Arizona in 2002, my family and I were evacuated without warning. For days, we weren’t sure whether our home had burned or survived. When we returned home 10 days later, my wife and daughter burst into tears of joy when they saw our home still standing.

No family in Arizona should go through such uncertainty and such trauma.

Let’s work together to ensure that California’s tragedy today does not become Arizona’s tomorrow.

David Tenney served as director of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management from 2018 to 2023. He served on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors from 2005 to 2015. He resides in Heber.