A primary objective of the plan is to help local governments, fire departments, and residents identify at-risk public and private lands to better protect those lands from severe wildfire threat. Additional functions of the plan are to improve fire prevention and suppression activities, as well as to identify funding needs and opportunities to reduce the risk of wildland fire and enhance public and firefighter safety.

The Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan was developed in response to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 for the at-risk communities and unincorporated areas in southern Gila County, Arizona, located south of the Rim Country CWPP area and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Public lands within the CWPP analysis area are administered by the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Gila District Office, Tucson Field Office; the Tonto National Forest; and the National Park Service Tonto National Monument.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT’s) process for working with Local Public Agencies (LPAs) in the development and delivery of their transportation projects has evolved over the years. Recent changes in Arizona’s economy have reduced the distribution of state funds for local transportation projects, which has increased the demand for federal funding sources. In response to the anticipated increase in LPA projects desiring the use of federal funds and the continuing need to meet state and local transportation requirements, this updated manual highlights the steps necessary to capably deliver LPA projects in compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.

The ADOT Local Public Agency Projects Manual has been a collaborative effort among the various Divisions, Groups, and Sections within ADOT, as well as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Arizona Division, with input from LPAs. ADOT would like to express sincere gratitude to Logan Simpson Design Inc. for successfully facilitating that effort and for their contribution to the production of this manual. Their hard work and in-depth coordination with ADOT and FHWA staff has been invaluable to the preparation of this manual.