A $40,000 grant has been awarded to the Friends of the Verde River to help fund the removal of invasive plants and preserve the river’s fragile ecosystem.
The Friends of the Verde River is one of four nonprofits that received grant money from Forever Our Rivers’ new 4Rivers Fund. The 4Rivers Fund was established in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation and has received support from multiple other organizations. It was created with the purpose of funding nonprofits supporting the long-term health of the Dolores, Escalante, Gila and Verde rivers.
Forever Our Rivers administered $150,000 in grants from the 4Rivers Fund this year, and has plans to increase the fund to a nearly $6 million program over the next five years by recruiting new business partners and individual donors, Stacy Beaugh, interim executive director of the Forever Our Rivers Foundation, said.
Beaugh said it chose to support the Friends of the Verde River because of its over 10 years of work in restoring the riverside habitat of the Verde Watershed.
“Their years of effort, community support and engagement has helped to position the Verde River ecosystems to be more healthy for wildlife and people, and to be more resilient in the face of challenges such as drought and climate change,” she said. “We hope that ongoing work of this type continues to improve the river for the enjoyment of the community and inspires others to provide their support as well.”
Part of the work that the organization does to preserve the river is the removal of invasive plant species and the rejuvenation of native plants in the area, drought management and community engagement.
Since 2020, Friends of the Verde River crews completed the task of removing invasive plants from over 360 acres along the river, Executive Director Nancy Steele said. It also monitored vegetation on over 1,500 acres by collecting data on both native and invasive plants. In partnership with the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition, it was also able to complete a number of restoration projects on over 10,000 acres of riparian area along the Verde River over the past 10 years.
The money received from the 4Rivers Fund will directly go to preserving Oak Creek in the area of Cornville and Page Springs, which flows into the Verde River, by removing invasive plants such as tamarisk, tree of heaven, Russian olive and giant reed and replacing them with native species, such as cottonwood and willow trees, that support the hundreds of native species that call the river home, including 270 species of birds, 94 species of mammals, and 76 species of native amphibians and reptiles.
“We want healthy, flowing rivers and creeks that support our natural environment, vibrant communities and quality of life for future generations,” Steele said. “The Verde is treasured for its wildlife habitat, water supply, recreation opportunities and — best of all — its natural beauty. By removing invasive non-native plants alongside the rivers, we protect the rare riparian forests that sustain large and diverse wildlife populations, including native fish and breeding birds.”
In addition to supporting the conservation of the Verde River, Steele said the funding for the riparian restoration also supports the local economy since the organization hires youth, young adults and military veterans through the Arizona Conservation Corps. Friends of the VerdeRiver trains those in the program in restoration techniques, and many participants go on to pursue conservation as a career.
To learn more about the Friends of the Verde River, visit its website at verderiver.org or call 641-6013.
