The project created defensible space while improving tree health, especially for the Emory oak, according to officials.
The Tonto Apache value the Emoryâs acorns as a traditional and culturally important food, explained district staff in a Facebook post.
The project used a mechanized form of thinning rather than fire.
The Forest Service uses fire to thin a forest if conditions allow for a small creep-along-the-forest-floor fire that only burns smaller fuel.
In comparison, a masticator chews up or shreds the smaller sized trees and brush.
Staff explained the masticated material lies on the forest floor for now.
âWe hope to use this masticated material to conduct a prescribed burn next spring, pending favorable conditions,â said staff.