The Nature Conservancy in Arizona’s Future Forests Project is working to transform the way national forests are managed by forming strategic partnerships, developing advanced technology, and modernizing business practices using the 2.4 million-acre Four Forest Restoration Initiative as a demonstration site.

The Nature Conservancy in Arizona and the US Forest Service Region 3 have entered into a 10-year agreement to catalyze this change - to attract new investment and sustain existing investments in wood products by creating a more reliable flow of wood at a reasonable cost and at a scale large enough to make a difference. Together we will create forests that protect our future and sustain and protect water supplies, air quality, communities, jobs, wildlife and recreation.

Bio:
Neil Chapman is The Nature Conservancy’s Forest Restoration Manager and lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with his wife Jennifer Williams and son Joseph.

Neil grew up in South Hadley, Massachusetts, a small western-mass town along the Connecticut River established in 1775.  Heading west for college, Neil received a B.S. from the Colorado State University School of Forestry in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2001. 

In 2004, Neil’s career in conservation began with The Nature Conservancy at the Nachusa Grasslands in northern Illinois, supporting the stewardship of tall grass prairie and oak savannah restoration projects.

In 2006, Neil returned to the west and began managing conservation projects throughout northern Arizona based out of Hart Prairie Preserve.

Neil’s current work involves developing new business practices and field testing new technologies that transform forest restoration project planning and mechanical timber harvesting operations. The technology streamlines project layout and provides an important source of data for adaptive management as real-time information on prescription implementation can be made available to sale administrators.