The City of Prescott’s forestry crew is engaging in a vegetative thinning project around the Constellation Trail and nearby Gateway Trailhead to improve wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire fuel loads, and reduce negative watershed impacts. This project is being funded through a grant from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management as this area has been identified in the AZ-WRAP analysis as an “extreme high risk.”
This 135-acre project will reduce vegetative fuel loads by 50% through a combination of hand thinning and mechanical mastication. The crew will selectively limit dead and downed tree removal to ensure wildlife habitat remains healthy. No herbicide will be used in the project.
The project is expected to continue through late fall of this year. For the safety of both the working crew and recreational users, please avoid the forestry crew’s work areas. The Constellation Trail will largely remain open for the duration of the work. Warning signage will be in place in areas where the crew is operating. Additional information regarding the project will be available on trail bulletin boards.