Monthly Archives: April 2016

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Recalls Poultry Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

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Class I recall is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

WASHINGTON — Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., a Waco, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 40,780 pounds of fully cooked chicken nugget products that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The fully cooked chicken nugget products were produced on Oct. 5, 2015. The following products are subject to recall: [Label (PDF Only)]

20-lb. cardboard boxes containing two, 10-lb. clear plastic bags of fully cooked chicken nuggets labeled as “GOLD KIST FARMS Fully Cooked Whole Grain Popcorn Style Chicken Patty Fritters.”

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-20728” inside the USDA mark of inspection and include package codes 5278105021, 5278105022, 5278105023, 5278105000, and 5278105001. These items were shipped for institutional use to Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

The problem was discovered after the firm received several consumer complaints regarding plastic contamination of the chicken nuggets. The firm notified FSIS personnel of the issue on April 6, 2016.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Game and Fish Commission meeting set for April 8-9 in Phoenix

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PHOENIX — The next meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be Friday and Saturday, April 8-9, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, in Phoenix. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m.

The public is invited to attend the meeting, view it live on streaming video at any department regional office (Friday only), or view it on a webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. Those who wish to speak to the commission may submit “speaker cards” (blue cards) in person at the meeting, or from any Game and Fish regional office. The ability to speak to the commission is not available for those viewing the webcast online.

Items on the agenda include:

  • A briefing on the status of state and federal legislation related to the department’s mission.
  • An informational update on the Research Branch’s projects and activities.
  • An update on the Terrestrial Wildlife Amphibians and Reptiles Program conservation and recovery efforts and capacity-building projects.
  • Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes, and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 2 p.m. Friday).
  • A request to consider proposed commission orders to establish seasons and season dates, bag and possession limits, and open-closed areas for the 2016-2017 seasons for dove, band-tailed pigeon, waterfowl, snipe and sandhill crane (Saturday).
  • Consideration of proposed commission orders to establish seasons and season dates, bag and possession limits, and open-closed areas for the 2016-2017 seasons for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, bear and mountain lion, as well as trapping seasons. The commission also may consider and approve the same for tree squirrel, cottontail rabbit, predatory and furbearing mammals, other mammals and birds, pheasant, quail, chukar partridge and blue grouse (Saturday).
  • A presentation on the proposed hunt-permit tag application schedule for the fall 2016 seasons. The commission will be asked to approve the application schedule (Saturday).

To view a copy of the full meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the “commission agenda” link.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is a five-member, policy-setting board that oversees the Arizona Game and Fish Department. For more information about the commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.

Flagstaff/Williams fishing: hit Dogtown before dog days of summer

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150608-01-dogtown
dogtownbrownNo question: Dogtown Reservoir south of Williams is one of Arizona’s trout fishing hot spots. A shred of evidence: Joshua Rose on Saturday caught this gorgeous 23 ¾-inch, 4.3-pound brown trout out of Dogtown.
Rose caught the fish on corn PowerBait.

This 50-acre lake in the Kaibab National Forest is being stocked consistently and is one of the best bets for a high country Arizona trout fishing adventure. Some experienced anglers are catching plump winter holdovers.
browntroutdogtown_1-1
Effective baits have been PowerBait, small spinners, and wet flies such as bead-headed prince nymphs and zug bugs. Make sure the spinners are small — no heavier than 1/8 of an ounce. Some anglers are having success slow-trolling spinners.

A couple weeks ago, 10-year-old Matthew R. duped this 3 pound-pound that measured 19.5 inches.

Where to trout fish in Flagstaff/Williams area
150608-02-dogtown
Stocking trucks from Page Springs Hatchery have been loading up trout into Flagstaff/Williams regional waters the past few weeks .

Here is AZGFD Region 2 Aquatic Wildlife Program Manager Scott Rogers’ top 5 spots to fish near Flagstaff and Williams (all are being stocked with trout).

  1. Dogtown Lake
  2. Ashurst Lake
  3. Cataract Lake
  4. Frances Short Pond
  5. City Reservoir (Santa Fe Dam)

A high chance of rain is predicted for Flagstaff and Williams Friday and Sunday (trout sometimes bite great just before a storm), and these waters should be great options throughout April.

Grab your gear and your fishing license and get ready for a pine-scented weekend! Temporary fishing permits available at some Williams merchants.

The road to Dogtown has some beautiful trees including Aspens and Oaks. It is a great drive in fall.

The road to Dogtown has some beautiful trees including Aspens and Oaks. It is a great drive in fall.

Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office front desk to be closed for much of the rest of April

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WILLIAMS — The front desk of the Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Williams will be closed from April 11 through April 29 due to short staffing. Members of the public seeking passes or permits, information or other visitor services during that time are asked to go directly to the Williams Ranger District office, also located in Williams.

The Williams Ranger District office is located at 742 S. Clover Road in Williams and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Williams Ranger District office offers all the same resources as the Supervisor’s Office, so visitors shouldn’t experience any disruption of service.

The Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office will reopen to the public with its full offering of resources and services on May 2.

The Williams Ranger District office can be reached by telephone at (928) 635-5600.

Tell us how you get around and help chart Arizona’s transportation future

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How do you get around, Arizona?

Spend a little time sharing what takes you from place to place and you’ll help inform how we all get around in the future.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are asking households, most of them outside of metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, to participate in the National Household Travel Survey. Up to 30,000 Arizona households, chosen at random, will be contacted by letter over the next year.

It’s important that as many households as possible participate because the answers will help state, local and federal officials decide when, where and how to invest limited transportation funding to improve roads, public transportation, sidewalks, bike paths and more.

“Taking part in the National Household Travel Survey requires just a few easy steps with one purpose: We want to hear your travel story,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Your answers are valuable no matter how you get from place to place.”

For those who aren’t invited to participate in the National Household Travel Survey, ADOT has created an online survey available at azdot.gov/NHTS. Information gathered through this survey will also help create a more valuable transportation system for all.

The National Household Travel Survey, conducted every five to seven years, provides an essential snapshot of transportation behaviors and trends by asking how members of a household get around on one day.

Participation, which is voluntary, starts with filling out a brief survey that comes with the invitation letter and returning it in a prepaid envelope. That takes about 10 minutes. Participants receive travel logs to record where members of their household go on an assigned travel day. Then they provide the information online or by phone, a process that usually takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a federal grant, ADOT has commissioned extra survey responses from beyond the Phoenix and Tucson areas to learn more about travel behaviors and trends in rural Arizona. The goal is for about 80 percent of all participants to live beyond the Sun Corridor.

By law, all information provided is kept confidential, will be used only for research and cannot be sold. Names and other identifying information aren’t linked with the survey data used to create statistical summaries.

More information on the National Household Travel Survey and how it helps ADOT and all of Arizona is available at azdot.gov/NHTS.

Brief closures of US 60 and US 93 in Wickenburg for special event

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Due to a special event, the junction of US 60 and US 93 at the south roundabout in downtown Wickenburg will close briefly from 11:30 a.m. to noon Monday (April 11) and again from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday (April 15).

The closures will allow more than 200 horses and riders participating in the 70th annual Desert Caballeros trail ride to cross US 60 the highway safely.

What to expect during the closures:

  • Eastbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to Tegner Street.
  • Westbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to the Hassayampa River Bridge.
  • Traffic destined for northbound US 93 will be stopped at the westbound US 60 closure.
  • Southbound US 93 will be closed at the south roundabout prior to milepost 200.
  • The Wickenburg Police Department will enforce the closures and provide traffic control.
  • Drivers will need to wait for horses to pass through, no alternate routes suggested.

New roundabout on SR 89 at Perkinsville Road takes shape

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CHINO VALLEY — Over the past two months, crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation have been diligently working on construction of a new roundabout on State Route 89 at Perkinsville Road in Chino Valley.

In order to keep progress moving, crews will switch traffic over to the east side of the roundabout (weather permitted) on Friday (April 8) between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Drivers will remain in the new traffic shift for the next four weeks.

As a result of the traffic shift, drivers who wish to access Perkinsville Road on the west side of SR 89 will have to use the dedicated detour as the road will be closed to through traffic. Perkinsville Road (west side) will be open on the weekends and holidays but closed during work hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Drivers may have minimal impacts during work hours and ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

This $1.5 million project consists of a new roundabout at the intersection of SR 89 and Perkinsville Road between mileposts 328 and 329. Additional work includes removal and replacement of existing pavement, drainage improvements, new pavement markings and lighting.

This project is expected to be complete by September.

Mexican wolf/livestock “pay for presence” payment application dates

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Mexican-Wolf-AGFDPHOENIX — Livestock producers may now submit applications to the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council to receive payments for wolf presence under the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Plan. The deadline for application submissions is June 1, 2016.

The plan was developed two years ago by the Council in order to address wolf-livestock conflicts, which is one of the most significant impediments to Mexican wolf recovery. The plan is comprised of three core strategies: payments for wolf presence, funding for conflict avoidance measures, and funding for depredation compensation.

“The Mexican Wolf/ Livestock Council’s payments for wolf presence program recognizes the indirect costs to livestock producers from Mexican wolves, including stress-related weight loss in livestock and other management costs,” said Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s southwest regional director. “While we recognize that the program is not fully funded yet, we and the Council are continuing to seek funding to fully implement this valuable program.”

Payments to livestock producers for wolf presence are based on a formula that considers a variety of factors, including whether the applicant’s land or grazing lease overlaps a wolf territory or core area (e.g., den or rendezvous area) and the number of wolf pups from that pack surviving to Dec. 31, recognizing that survival of wolf pups is not dependent upon the livestock producer. The formula also considers the number of livestock exposed to wolves and the applicant’s participation in proactive conflict avoidance measures.

“We’re encouraged by how many livestock producers have participated in this program over the past two years,” said Livestock Council Chairman Sisto Hernandez. “The driving force behind this program was to develop something that would recognize the increase in expenditures the ranchers experience with the recovery of the Mexican Wolves. Our continuing goal is to search out additional avenues that will increase our capacity to provide assistance to those who need it the most.”

The Payments for Wolf Presence program creates incentives for ranching in ways that promote self-sustaining Mexican wolf populations, viable ranching operations, and healthy western landscapes.

Seed funding for the Coexistence Plan comes from the Federal Livestock Demonstration Program, which in 2015 provided $40,000 for depredation compensation and $60,000 for preventative measures to Arizona Game and Fish Department, and $60,000 for depredation compensation and $34,000 for preventative measures to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. These grant funds are matched by in-kind contributions through the Mexican Wolf Fund and Defenders of Wildlife providing financial assistance to livestock producers to implement proactive measures to reduce conflicts between Mexican wolves and livestock.

“Opposition to Mexican wolf reintroduction is largely based on a lack of reasonable compensation for livestock producers that lose thousands of dollars per animal depredated by wolves. Compensation under the Plan will help build tolerance for the wolf on a working landscape, a factor that is essential for successful Mexican wolf recovery.” said Jim deVos, assistant director for wildlife management for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council continues to seek additional private and public funding, in anticipation of increased rancher participation and potential wolf range expansions.

For more information, visit the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council website: www.coexistencecouncil.org.

For information on the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, visit www.azgfd.gov/wolf or www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/.

Nightime restrictions needed on Milton Road (SR 89A) to test new overhead sign

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FLAGSTAFF — The Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be testing the newly installed overhead electronic message signs on Milton Road (SR 89A), between University and Forest Meadows in Flagstaff. This work will require restrictions for southbound travel on Milton (SR 89A) during nighttime hours, Wednesday (April 6) from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Please observe reduced speeds and exercise caution while traveling through the work zone.

Electronic message signs span ADOT roadways and are used to help keep drivers informed of traffic, road and weather conditions.

Volunteers needed for White Tank Mountains cleanup

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Tread_Lightly__-_Image_1PHOENIX — “Tread Lightly!,” which promotes responsible recreation through stewardship, communication and education, has scheduled a cleanup April 16 in the White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix.

Partner organizations include the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition.

Volunteers – including recreational shooters, off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, hikers and others who champion responsible recreation – are needed for this six-hour event, which begins at 8 a.m. Volunteers are encouraged to bring water, work gloves, hat, sunscreen, trash pinchers and buckets. Long pants and sturdy shoes are recommended.

The project site is located off Interstate 10 and Miller Road. From Phoenix, head west on Interstate 10, take Exit 114 to Miller Road, turn right (north) on Miller Road, then left (west) on Tonopah Salome Highway. Keep left at the fork past the trail service yard and follow posted signs to the project site. Volunteers also will be on-site to provide more information and directions. To view a map, visit http://tinyurl.com/jpd65ds.

Sign up at https://treadlightly.wufoo.com/forms/zk331w1owwg1s/. For more information, email Evan Robins at evan@treadlightly.org.