In 1959, the Arizona State Land Department designated 4,000 acres of forest land as an "outdoor laboratory" for the School of Forestry at Arizona State College in Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University). The research and education programs initiated by the designation helped establish the school as one of the top rated forestry institutions in the country.

Now, a half-century later, the two organizations have come together once again to establish a new national model for the 21st century.