CLEARFIELD, UT, April 9, 2026 – Salt River Project (SRP) has awarded the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) $500,000 to expand forest restoration efforts in Prescott National Forest. The funding will support the next phase of the Upper Verde Watershed Project, a collaborative restoration effort led by MDF in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. MDF and SRP share similar goals to improve watershed health, reduce wildfire risk, and enhance habitat on national forest lands that serve wildlife and hold critical water resources for the greater Phoenix area.
“This project represents the type of collaborative conservation work needed to address wildfire risk while improving habitat and water resources,” said Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. “Generous support from Salt River Project allows us to scale meaningful restoration across a landscape that benefits wildlife, watersheds, and local communities.”
“Salt River Project is grateful to continue our partnership with the Mule Deer Foundation on this important project. This collaboration will help Salt River Project achieve our goal to help thin 800,000 acres of forest and woodlands by 2035 to reduce wildfire risk and protect water supplies,” said Elvy Barton, Senior Manager of Water and Forest Sustainability at Salt River Project.
SRP’s corporate forest health goal aims to help prevent destructive wildfires and improve forest resilience by addressing high densities of brush and areas of conifer encroachment on native grasslands and riparian areas within the national forest. Through this new investment, MDF will be able to complete approximately 1,200 additional acres of forest restoration treatments. This builds on the 1,285 acres MDF treated in phase one earlier this year thanks to initial funding from SRP and AZGFD’s Habitat Partnership Committee. Several phases of work across the project area are expected to restore approximately 8,000 acres over time.
Across northern Arizona, forests have become increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire due to extensive drought conditions, and dense brush and overcrowded stands of small trees that contribute to wildfire fuels. Since 2000, more than 3.4 million acres have burned within and around the 13,000-square-mile Salt and Verde River and East Clear Creek watersheds, which supply much of central Arizona’s water. In addition to expanding important transitional habitat for mule deer, pronghorn, and other wildlife, the project reduces hazardous fuels, improves the health of remaining trees, and increases soil stability to capture sediment and protect watershed function.
The proactive forest management partnerships MDF and SRP have with federal and state agencies produce wide-ranging forest restoration benefits that achieve multiple goals. Further project phases will be developed collaboratively among the Mule Deer Foundation, Prescott National Forest, and Arizona Game and Fish Department.
About the Mule Deer FoundationThe Mule Deer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer, and their habitat. Through science-based management, partnerships, and community engagement, MDF works to enhance wildlife populations and maintain healthy, connected landscapes for future generations.
About Salt River Project
The Salt River Project is a community-based, not-for-profit public power and water utility serving more than two million people in central Arizona. SRP is committed to providing reliable and affordable water and electricity while advancing sustainability initiatives, including a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and protecting the forests that sustain Arizona’s critical watersheds.
MDF Media Contact: Karina Puikkonen, 385-449-7060, karinap@muledeer.org
Salt River Project: Patty Garcia-Likens, Senior Media Relations Representative, 602-245-0047, Patty.Likens@srpnet.com
