SWVMA Annual Conference — October 28-29, 2026 — SAVE THE DATE!SWVMA Annual Conference — October 28-29, 2026 — SAVE THE DATE!
2026 Annual Training Event at Fort McDowell – October 28-29
Southwest Vegetation Management Association
2026 Annual Training Event
October 28-29
At Fort Mcdowell • Near Scottsdale
- registration is open for the October Training Event
- registration is open for the October Training Event
Southwest Vegetation Management Association
2026 Annual Training
October 28-29
At Fort Mcdowell • Near Scottsdale
2026 Training at Fort McDowell
event information:
About the SWVMA 2026 Training Event
Explore the official SWVMA 2026 Training Event Schedule. Registration is open now.
The Southwest Vegetation Management Association (SWVMA) regularly hosts partner meetings where we invite land managers and environmental stewards throughout Arizona to share ideas and vegetation management techniques. Our attendees include representatives from government agencies, non-profits, academics, consultants, and research scientists.
This year, vegetation management experts throughout Arizona will present on fire mitigation techniques and challenges within a changing Central Arizona landscape. This training event will include a trip to the Lower Salt River Phon D Sutton Recreational Area to visit a riparian restoration project that includes treatment of salt cedar, buffelgrass, and fountain grass. We will conclude our trip with a visit to a fire fuel break project, including treatment of red brome and stinknet, at McDowell Regional Park.
Check in at the Atrium begins at 8am. Be sure to bring your ID for CEU registration
Hotel Block Info
We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort has graciously extended a hotel room block for this training event. We encourage our attendees and presenters to stay at this lovely resort that overlooks the Verde River and enjoy the breathtaking desert landscape. Rooms are priced at $169/night and room blocks are available from October 27th through the 29th.
Use Group Code: BKG868 ; Password: VEGETATION
We-Ko-Pa Casino
Wassaja Conference Center
Rooms 111-113
10438 Wekopa Way
Fort McDowell, AZ 85264
Presenter Registration
Presenters! Please use the link below to register for the event.
- Please email your presentation(s) to: info@swvma.org by no later than October 26th, 2026.
- Please register by no later than Wednesday, October 14th, 2026.
- If you can’t make it, but already confirmed your spot, please contact us at info@swvma.org as soon as possible.
Event Sponsorship
Looking to sponsor this year’s training event? Check out the different tiers below for contribution amounts and perks.
| Sponsor Tier | Super Platinum | Platinum | Gold | Silver |
| Price | $2000 | $1200 | $800 | $400 |
| Table? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Perks | *Sponsor Happy Hour +4 Free Registrations + Premium Recognition at Happy Hour + Event Materials | +2 Free Registrations + Recognition in Event Materials | +1 Free Registration +Recognition in Event Materials | Recognition in Event Materials |
| More Perks | 10 Minute Presentation During Event | 10 Minute Presentation During Event | N/A | N/A |
Field Trip #1:
Phon D Sutton Riparian Restoration.
Treatment of salt cedar, buffelgrass, and fountain grass.
The Lower Salt River Restoration Project (LSRRP) is located in the Mesa Ranger District, Tonto National Forest (TNF). The LSRRP is a collaborative partnership between the Ecoculture, National Forest Foundation (NFF), Northern Arizona University (NAU), Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM), and the TNF. This long-term collaborative restoration initiative started in 2018 after the 818-acre Cactus Fire. The goal is to reduce/eliminate non-native invasive species and restore native riparian plant communities along the approximate 14-mile stretch of the Lower Salt River (LSR) from Stewart Mountain Dam downstream to Granite Reef Dam.
Treatment began in 2018, focusing on salt cedar (Tamarix spp.) and giant reed (Arundo donax) removal. The LSRRP is poised to make tangible progress towards rebuilding the ecosystem, restoring natural diversity, benefitting wildlife, and increasing high quality water to one of the largest cities in the U.S., and enhancing the human-nature interactions needed to bolster a global conservation ethos in an urban setting. The existing native vegetation along the Lower Salt River in this area includes Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), Goodding willow (Salix gooddingii) and mesquite (Prosopis spp.) which provide shade and habitat resources.
Area Photo: 2026
Area Photo: 2023
Area Photo: 2022
Field Trip #2:
McDowell: Fine fuel breaks.
McDowell Regional Park Invasive Plant Grant Restoration
Treatment primarily focusing on red brome and stinknet.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve (MSP) is 30,580 acres of permanently protected Sonoran Desert habitat. The MSP is owned and managed by the City of Scottsdale (COS), with invasive plant removal support from its non-profit partner, the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (MSC). The MSP and surrounding areas have recently experienced multiple human-caused fires fueled primarily by red brome, which has naturalized across the Sonoran Desert. Since 2019, COS began applying pre-emergent herbicides via spray truck to strategic alignments in and around the MSP to interrupt the continuity of fine fuels to provide firefighters an advantage with suppression efforts. Targeted areas Include adjacent road shoulders, trailhead parking lot perimeters, and drivable routes within the MSP such as the high-voltage transmission lines. This grant will expand these efforts by applying pre-emergent herbicide along trails strategically selected to enhance the overall effectiveness of the City’s wildfire management program.
