U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said the recent announcement that Arizona's Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) will be receiving an additional $10 million per year over 10 years in Forest Service funding is an important step forward in advancing forest thinning projects in the state.

The 4FRI involves four national forests, all of which will benefit from the extra funding.

McCain emphasized the importance of the funds for the state's national forests. Without the recently approved funding, McCain feels that the danger of forest fires may be a much more immediate threat.

"These resources are essential for reducing the intensity of catastrophic wildfires across the four national forests in Arizona," McCain said.

McCain said that there are still areas which require the forest service's attention and that the $10 million per year for the next 10 years is only one step.

"The Forest Service should further demonstrate its commitment to the 4FRI effort by releasing the backlog of approved projects to ensure these areas are not left to chance in our state’s next major wildfire," McCain said.