The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

The media is invited to preview The Nature Conservancy’s Restoring Arizona’s Forests Gallery on Wednesday, January 16^th at 10:00 a.m. in Old Town Scottsdale. The preview provides media the opportunity to view and photograph a first-of-its kind exhibit featuring a collection of images and art that tell the story about the health of Arizona’s forests and the Conservancy’s new model for forest restoration and management. The gallery includes dividing walls made from oriented strand board (OSB) which uses small diameter trees such as those being thinned as part of the new model. The gallery also shares the importance of Arizona forests to the Phoenix watershed. Acclaimed Arizona artist, Ed Mell, will be on hand to discuss “Pine Cone,” the oil painting he created for the gallery as will wood sculptor, Mitch Fry. The Nature Conservancy in Arizona’s State Director, Patrick Graham will be on site.

Media members are invited to enjoy a continental breakfast during the preview. 

Background: Arizona forest conditions – 4 million acres overgrown from fire suppression and exacerbated by drought — are ripe for damaging wildfires that burn hotter and more intense than wildfires of the pasts. The Wallow Fire alone cost more than $100 million to fight, while the long-term cost of rehabilitating the land and rural economy is much higher.

Future: The future of forest management in Arizona and throughout the West requires a paradigm shift. Rather than the public footing a huge bill for cutting timber, forest management requires a long-term approach in which private companies thin the trees, using them to make wood products and develop markets that will benefit local economies. The Conservancy and others have joined together to train a workforce skilled in thinning and incorporating new technologies — all designed to improve project management while reducing costs. 

The exhibit is open from Wednesday, January 16, 2013 to May 31, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy, visit www.Nature.org/Arizona.