TÓ NANEESDIZÍ, DINÉTAH, (TUBA CITY, NAVAJO NATION) – Yee Ha’ólníi Doo (YHD), announced the award of a $10,000 grant from the National Forest Foundation (NFF) through the 2025 Strategic Projects Initiative. This funding will empower the YHD Elderly Heating Program and its Tse’ii’ahi’ Community Wood Bank to efficiently process and distribute essential firewood to vulnerable elderly, veterans, and disabled community members within the Standing Rock region of New Mexico.
The NFF grant, active from April 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025, will facilitate the processing of up to fifty semitractor truckloads of firewood. This initiative forms a key cornerstone of Yee Ha’ólníi Doo’s broader Elderly Heating Program, which establishes strategically located wood distribution sites operating on a community-driven mutual aid model to address critical heating needs across the Navajo Nation. The organization collaborates closely with key partners and local tribal leadership, managing established distribution hubs at its Monument Valley Community Center and Standing Rock Community centers, as well as other designated locations, to provide firewood to elders and families during winter months.
The innovative “Wood for Life” project integrates with the long-standing Cibola National Forest’s Zuni Mountain Stewardship Project, a comprehensive 14-year effort initiated in 2010. This long-term initiative focuses on thinning overgrown timber stands and reducing fuel loads through prescribed burning and timber stand improvement to mitigate wildfire risk and foster healthier, more resilient forest ecosystems. These beneficial practices enhance sunlight penetration to the forest floor, thereby stimulating the growth of native vegetation and creating improved habitat for species such as wild turkeys, pollinators, elk, and deer. The ultimate goal is to establish a robust landscape demonstrably resilient to the impacts of climate change and the threat of wildfires, supporting thriving wildlife populations and ultimately enhancing the well-being of local communities.
A core element of this collaboration addresses the challenge of utilizing smaller-diameter wood removed during thinning operations. The Wood for Life Program bridges this gap by turning this otherwise low-value timber into a vital resource for Indigenous communities that depend on firewood as a primary source of heating.
In November 2024, a successful collaboration between the National Forest Foundation and the Cibola National Forest’s Zuni Mountain Stewardship Project provided an impressive 250 loads of wood to the Wood for Life program. These essential resources were subsequently distributed to the Standing Rock and Rock Springs Chapters, as well as strategically located wood banks in the Nahata Dzill and Ramah Chapters.
“Our deep roots in our community and strong regional partnerships are the foundation of our work. The “Zuni Mountains Wood for Life” project, made possible by the National Forest Foundation, is a powerful example of how, by joining forces, we can create meaningful mutual support for our elders and simultaneously help with key forest restoration projects to help build climate change resiliency,” said Mary Francis, Interim Executive Director of Yee Ha’ólníi Doo.
“Establishing a wood bank at our center is a significant opportunity for the Navajo individuals and families within our local area. This grant award will ensure that we possess the tools and equipment necessary to effectively aid our ongoing efforts enabling us to continue providing essential support and resources to our neighboring communities,” said Jeremy Degroat, Tse’ii’ahi’ Community Center Site Director.
“We are very pleased to grow our partnership with Yee Ha’ólníi Doo. The deep experience they bring to community partnership will allow the expansion of the Wood for Life initiative by bringing wood from key forest restoration projects to people who can use it, expanding firewood access and connection to National Forests,” said Mannie Lopez, New Mexico Program Manager.
This initiative is part of Yee Ha’ólníi Doo’s Resiliency Fund and Elderly Heating programs, which are mutual aid programs designed to resource and support community members. The Cibola National Forest’s Zuni Mountains Wood for Life project addresses the critical need for firewood within the Tse’ii’ahi’ community, where many residents rely on wood for heating during colder months.