Monthly Archives: June 2016

Arizona Antelope Foundation seeks volunteers for project June 25-26

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Pronghorn_-_Buck_1_2GREER — The Arizona Antelope Foundation is seeking volunteers for a fence modification project June 25-26 near Greer, adjacent to River Reservoir in the White Mountains.

This area has been identified as a pronghorn migration route between higher elevation summer and lower elevation winter ranges. The project activity includes removing about 1.5 miles of existing four-strand fencing and modifying about 0.3 miles of fencing by removing the bottom strand of barbed wire and replacing it with a single strand of smooth wire 16 inches above the ground.

The project begins at 7 a.m. both days. The Arizona Antelope Foundation will provide dinners Friday and Saturday nights, as well as continental breakfasts with coffee and juice Saturday and Sunday mornings. Volunteers are asked to provide their own lunches to eat in the field. Volunteers also should bring work gloves, snacks, water and personal gear.

Sign up by Friday, June 17, by e-mailing info@azantelope.org. For more information, contact Glen Dickens at (520) 247-4907. For a printer-friendly map to the campsite, visit www.azantelope.org.

Firefighters respond to Wildcat Fire in Saddle Mountain Wilderness

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FREDONIA — North Zone firefighters on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are currently responding to a new fire start called the Wildcat Fire, which was discovered earlier today. They intend to suppress the fire which is about 20-acres.

The fire is south of Highway 89A and southwest of the Forest Road 8910 and 211 junction within the vicinity of the South Canyon trailhead in Saddle Mountain Wilderness. Visitors can expect to see smoke as the wildfire is highly visible from Highway 89A.

The Wildcat Fire is primarily wind driven and currently moving north-northeast. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Fire restrictions to begin Wednesday on four National Forests

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FLAGSTAFF/WILLIAMS/PRESCOTT — Campfire and smoking restrictions will begin 8 a.m. Wednesday (June 15) on the Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in order to protect public health and reduce preventable human-caused fires.

Under the restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are allowed in developed campgrounds only, which are managed by concessionaires or have campground hosts. The restrictions also limit smoking to within enclosed vehicles or buildings or in developed campgrounds. Using a device that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are clear of flammable materials. Fireworks are always prohibited on all National Forest lands. On the Prescott National Forest, Stage I restrictions will not allow shooting firearms due to the drier conditions. However, this activity will be allowed on the other National Forests.

The forests use fire restrictions to help prevent unwanted, human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of users during periods of dangerous fire conditions. Implementation of fire restrictions normally occurs based on a combination of factors that are carefully measured. Criteria used to determine when to implement restrictions include things such as current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources. Additional restrictions may be applied as conditions warrant. In-depth details and criteria for implementing fire restrictions can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/firerestrictionscriteria. Additionally, an explanation of the different stages of fire restrictions and what is typically prohibited during those stages can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/firestagesexplained.

Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the forests receive significant precipitation, at which time they will be rescinded.

Forest officials would also like to remind forest users that building and maintaining a campfire on the National Forest while under fire restrictions is a violation that carries a mandatory appearance in federal court. Visitors should use extra caution when recreating on all public lands during fire season.

Know Before You Go!  The public can obtain additional fire information via the following:

Closure of bridge at I-40 Twin Arrows (Exit 219) on Tuesday

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Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be applying asphalt overlay on the bridge for the Twin Arrows Traffic Interchange (milepost 219) Tuesday (June 14) from midnight to 10 a.m.

Access across the bridge will be closed for traffic during construction; however a detour will be in place to allow for travel in the area and to Interstate 40. Please see information below for details:

Detour for I-40 Eastbound exiting north (Twin Arrows Casino)

  • Travel east on I-40 past the Twin Arrows exit to Buffalo Range exit (milepost 225), then continue westbound on I-40 to Twin Arrows exit (milepost 219).

Detour for traffic exiting Twin Arrows Casino to travel eastbound on I-40

  • Travel west on I-40 to Winona exit (milepost 211) and exit eastbound onto I-40 at this location

Please observe reduced speed limits and allow for extra travel time while traveling through the work zone.

Summer Wildlife Series moves from terrestrial to aquatic

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Roundtail_ChubKINGMAN — The Summer Wildlife Series, presented by the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s regional office in Kingman, has remained on solid ground – until now.

After kicking off the ninth season of its popular program last month with a presentation on the desert tortoise, department personnel will shift from land to water and conduct a one-hour lecture on native Colorado River fishes, beginning at 6 p.m. June 16 at the Kingman Mohave County Library, 3269 N. Burbank St., in Kingman.

The event is free, although seating capacity is limited to 52 on a first-come, first-served basis.

David Partridge, aquatic wildlife specialist, will discuss different species of native fish, provide biological information, explain which fish can be caught by anglers, and the importance of reintroductions and protections. Partridge also will provide tips on where species that qualify as sport fish can be caught, as well as the best types of bait.

Some of the fish to be discussed will include roundtail chub (photo), various species of suckers and dace, and the relationship between many fish species. Matt Chmiel, the region’s aquatic program manager, said most Arizona residents know little about the state’s native fish.

“This presentation will provide people of all ages with an opportunity to come and learn about these species of fish that have learned over years how to survive in the harsh Arizona environment,” Chmiel said.

The series continues with mountain lions (July 8) and Habitat and Wildlife (July 29). For more information, call (928) 692-7700.

Inmate who committed suicide identified

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff has released the identity of the inmate who committed suicide after identifying the next of kin. The man was identified as 38-year-old Alvin Omar Berrios-Martinez. The man was being held on a warrant for previous damage to jail property.

Weather forecast on the spot

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WILLIAMS — Tonight the weather service updated their web site at 9:35 p.m. to include a 100% chance of thunderstorms and rain before 11 p.m. That is about the same time that thunderstorms and rain hit Williams.

Though thunder could be heard in the distance starting about 9:15 p.m., rain started about 9:35. The winds and rain gave Williams a nice respite from the recent heat experienced in the Williams area.

The chance of thunderstorms drops to 50% after 11 p.m. and there is a 20% chance of thunder showers tomorrow. The rest of the week clears with temperatures in the mid-80s.

Bert fire continues to restore forest

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Kaibab Forest Service photo

Kaibab Forest Service photo

VALLE — The Bert Fire on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest continues to increase in size daily and is expected to follow this pattern until annual monsoon precipitation arrives. The lightning-caused fire started May 28, 2016.

The fire, located ten-miles southeast of Valle near Ebert Mountain, has grown to almost 3400 acres. Smoke will continue to be visible from Highways 180 and 64 and from the community of Valle. Volume will fluctuate from day to day depending on weather and fire activity. Predominant winds are pushing most of the smoke away from Valle, but some will continue to drift into Valle and Flagstaff.

The Bert Fire is moving through pinyon juniper woodlands and is reducing tree stand density meeting the desired objectives to restore historic grasslands.

Kaibab National Forest photo

Kaibab National Forest photo

Inmate Commits Suicide

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FLAGSTAFF — On Thursday, June 9, 2016 at around 1:13 pm Coconino County Detention Facility Officers conducting an inmate welfare check found an inmate unresponsive in the shower of the medical unit holding area. The inmate had hanged himself with a sheet from the shower bar. Detention Officers and Medical Staff quickly began lifesaving actions including CPR.

The inmate was transported by Guardian Medical Transport to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) for further medical treatment. The inmate passed away around 2:45 am on June 10 at FMC.

The 38-year-old male was in custody for a failure to appear warrant out of Flagstaff Justice Court on original felony charges related to destruction of jail property. He had been living transiently in Mohave County when he was arrested on the warrant.

His name is being withheld until notification of next of kin. Foul play is not suspected.

Four states sign pact to create I-10 Corridor Coalition

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PHOENIX — In a move to make travel on Interstate 10 safer and more efficient, the transportation leaders in four states have created a coalition supporting innovation along the corridor.

An agreement establishing the voluntary I-10 Corridor Coalition, proposed by Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski, was signed June 2 by Halikowski and:

• Malcolm Dougherty, director of the California Department of Transportation
• Tom Church, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Transportation
• James Bass, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation

“The efficient flow of commerce in Arizona drives our state’s economic vitality,” Halikowski said. “This agreement with our transportation partners in California, New Mexico and Texas will work to build a reliable, friction-free I-10 corridor to support Arizona’s businesses and export industries.

“We want to see the day when a truck or a non-commercial vehicle can travel the 1,700 miles between Los Angeles ports and Houston ports – safely, efficiently and without delay,” Halikowski added.

The I-10 Corridor Coalition is modeled after a coalition involving 15 states that govern Interstate 95 between Florida and Maine. For Arizona, the partnership is designed to remove what transportation officials refer to as “friction” – such as the variety of commercial vehicle permitting and inspection practices in each state along I-10 – that makes the movement of goods less efficient than it could be.

Commerce flowing on Interstate 10 across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas is the engine of a powerful economic region. I-10 is the primary trucking route to and from the Port of Long Beach, which connects to Asian markets, and connects the trillion-dollar markets of Southern California and central Texas.

If the four states were combined, the region would have the 10th largest economy in the world.

“Someday we want the I-10 Corridor to be filled with truck platoons and connected vehicles, weigh-in-motion sensors and automated truck parking lots,” Halikowski said, outlining a vision for the safer, more efficient movement of commercial and non-commercial traffic.

The coalition will employ the transportation expertise of the states collectively to enable resource sharing, joint testing and economies of scale, Halikowski said. It will apply best practices to improve safety and efficiency along the corridor, improve freight movement, expand and coordinate the use of technology along the corridor, and promote cooperative planning.

The coalition also will engage other levels of government and private stakeholders throughout the corridor to achieve the goals of friction-free travel.