By Nick Worth The wood processing facility slated to be built in Winslow by Good Earth Power AZ (GEP) will instead be built in Williams, according to a news release issued last week by the company. The facility is being built for the purpose of processing logs and other wood fiber from the Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4FRI). In the press release, GEP announced it had “received approval from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Southwestern Region office to modify the business plan originally submitted for the Phase 1 4FRI contract to include a site in Williams, Ariz., that would accept logs and fiber from the 4FRI task orders. Previously, the contract referenced development of a site in Winslow, Ariz.” “Now that we have USFS approval of the amendment, we can further evaluate our options for the Williams site and how it can be optimally utilized to facilitate operations on task orders going forward,” said GEP Managing Director Darren Gurner. He explained that the majority of the task orders that are available and expected to be released by the Forest Service over the next 12 months are located in the western area of the contract region. “Our number one priority is to increase the pace of restoration efforts in the forests as quickly as possible,” said Gurner. “The best way to do this is by concentrating operations close to the task orders.” He also noted that locating the plant in Williams, which is approximately 40 miles west of Flagstaff, “is expected to minimize the impact of truck traffic on the community, reduce logistics costs, provide costs savings for the USFS and improve the efficiency of the restoration effort.” Asked if this move eliminates Winslow entirely as a possible future plant site, GEP representative Lori Martinek of ED/c Partners said, “GEP is focusing on planning for the development of the Williams site at this time to meet the immediate needs of the available task orders, which are primarily located on the west side of the region. “That may change as the work shifts eastward over time,” Martinek added. “Operations flexibility is always important. But for now, the focus is on preparing the Williams site to accept logs and fiber from 4FRI.” Martinek noted the change in location for the mill was a contractual issue involving a requested modification to the technical proposal and business plan between the Forest Service and Good Earth Power. Jacqueline Banks, public affairs officer for the Kaibab National Forest, echoed Martinek’s statements. “My understanding is that Good Earth Power plans to focus on the development of the Williams site in the near term in order to complete the task orders that have been issued,” Banks said. “While I don’t know of any specific plans on the part of Good Earth Power to develop any other sites at this time, that could certainly change in the future in order to meet the demands of future task orders.” District IV Navajo County Supervisor David Tenney said he sees the announcement as a good sign. “I’m in favor of doing whatever is needed to make 4FRI successful,” said Tenney during a presentation to the RealAZ group last Thursday. “I view the announcement as good news. Good Earth is moving forward.”