Monthly Archives: June 2016

Game and Fish biologists offer small-group bighorn sheep viewing experience June 18 and 19

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BHS_drinking_at_river_webThe Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering two unique opportunities to view one of Arizona’s most iconic arid land animals, the desert bighorn sheep, in an intimate, small-group setting on Canyon Lake. The three-hour morning boat tours will take place on June 18 and 19.

Participants will board department work boats to explore the canyons and bluffs of this scenic lake in search of these spectacular animals. Biologists aboard each of the boats will share and interpret bighorn behavior and biology during the trip. Due to limited space on the boat, attendance is restricted to 22 people per tour.

“Arizona’s hotter months provide the best opportunities for seeing sheep up close,” says Joe Yarchin, Game and Fish’s watchable wildlife program coordinator. “Sheep stay close to the water during June and July, and since the mating season is still under way, we occasionally see rams fighting or chasing ewes. But, the thing I enjoy most is watching lambs born earlier in the year cavorting around near their mothers; their agility is a marvel.”

Game Management Units 22 and 24B are home to some of the largest bighorn rams found anywhere in North America. Canyon Lake forms the border between these two administrative areas, and animals from both areas congregate near the lake’s shore at this time of year. This is an excellent opportunity to view, photograph, and enjoy bighorn sheep in their native environment.

The tour will leave Palo Verde Recreation Area at 7 a.m., heading up lake towards the dam to look for sheep. In addition to bighorn sheep, bald eagles, herons, and a variety of waterfowl are often seen. The area is also home to a myriad of other wildlife including deer, mountain lions, javelina and numerous small mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Parking for the event will be at Acacia Recreation, a short 5-minute walk to the west. Participants will need a $6 Tonto Pass for each vehicle they park at the lake. Tonto Passes are available at a variety of convenience markets and sporting goods stores around the Phoenix Metro area or from the Tonto National Forest Mesa Ranger District Office at 5140 E. Ingram Street in Mesa.

“It’ll be warm out on the lake,” warns Yarchin. “People should dress comfortably and appropriately for a summer’s morning outdoors, including bringing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water and snacks, and don’t forget your camera and binoculars.”

Each boat will have an ice chest for the participants to use.

The cost is $75 per person, payable by check or money order only. For more information or to register, contact Joe Yarchin at (623) 236-7589 or jyarchin@azgfd.gov from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional information, contact Randy Babb at the department’s Mesa regional office at (480) 466-1334 or rbabb@azgfd.gov.

Lake Powell boat, watercraft users swap old life jackets for new

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Lake Powell in Page, Arizona. --- AZGF photo

Lake Powell in Page, Arizona. — AZGF photo

PAGE — The Arizona Game and Fish Department, in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, will hold a life jacket exchange event at Lake Powell on Saturday, June 11.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Wahweap Marina at Lake Powell, where the public can swap their old, less-effective life jackets for new ones (while supplies last).

In addition to the life jackets, the public can also receive free vessel safety checks, boating safety literature and items for the kids, such as safety whistles, coloring books and t-shirts. The life jackets and giveaway items are provided by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

On average, the typical life jacket in Arizona should be replaced every three to five years because the sun and heat greatly reduce its buoyancy.

The department began the life jacket exchange program in 2008 to help save lives and to encourage watercraft users to remain safe on the water. The program is funded through a U.S. Coast Guard grant to purchase new jackets in a variety of sizes.

All boats in Arizona must have a life jacket aboard for every passenger and those 12 years old and younger must wear a life jacket at all times, under state law.

Also during Saturday’s event, the public can visit and walk through the Coast Guard’s RB-S 25-foot vessel, which is used to patrol Lake Powell.

Comments sought on reptile, raptor, amphibian and mollusk regulations

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public comments on draft 2017-2018 regulations for reptiles, raptors, crustaceans and mollusks, and amphibians.

Public comment will be accepted from now through July 5, 2016. If warranted, public meetings on the proposed changes to these commission orders may be held in Phoenix, Tucson and/or Flagstaff.

The proposed changes being considered for the 2017-2018 commission orders include:

  • In Commission Order 25, an increase in the number of peregrine falcon permits available to nonresident falconers from one to two based upon 2015 post-delisting monitoring results.
  • In Commission Order 42, prohibiting applesnails (genus Pomacea) for intentional transport and closing the seasons on the following species: Pinaleno talussnail (Sonorella grahamensis), mimic talussnail (S. imitator), Clark Peak talussnail (S. christenseni), Pinaleno moutainsnail (Oreohelix grahamensis), shortneck snaggletooth (Gastrocopta dalliana), and cross snaggletooth (G. quadrigens).
  • In Commission Order 43, the addition of banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) to the list of invasive species for which the bag limit would be unlimited dead and open the entire range of shovel-nosed snakes (Chionactis occipitalis) with a bag and possession limit of four per year or in possession, live or dead.

The draft commission orders can be viewed at the links below:

Reservoir Fire remains at 138 acres

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Clints Well, Ariz. — The fire that has burned up to 138 acres has not grown in the past three days thanks to firefighter efforts and coordination between state and federal resources. The cause of the fire was determined to be an abandoned campfire. This is just one of the approximately 150 abandoned campfires left by campers in the Coconino National Forest in the past two weeks. Campers are required to have water and tools to extinguish fire cold-to-touch prior to leaving their campsites.

About 40 firefighters are currently assigned to the fire. Motorized access to the reservoir remains closed to the public through the weekend for public and fire crew safety, but is expected to reopen soon after. Rock Crossing Campground remains open. Current containment is 65 percent, with expected higher containment each day.

Crews conducted successful burnout operations Tuesday, limiting the fire to areas along the south shore of the reservoir. A boat will continue to be used to shuttle fire personnel and equipment across the reservoir and coordination between state and federal firefighting resources will continue for the duration of the fire.

Hunter Moore, the Governor’s natural resources policy advisor, and State Forester Jeff Whitney visited the fire area Tuesday and were briefed by the incident commander on the efforts and coordination of federal, state and cooperator resources assigned to the fire.

“I am grateful that our responders were so aggressive in protecting the C.C. Cragin watershed,” said Moore. “It’s a critical piece of infrastructure and we cannot afford irreparable damage to this resource. This serves to highlight the important work collaborating agencies and industry are doing to restore the forest.”

Thief compromises Bert Fire operations and public safety

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image013VALLE — On Tuesday morning a firefighter assigned to the Bert Fire on the Kaibab National Forest discovered the theft of essential emergency safety equipment taken from the scene of the Bert Fire southeast of Valle, Arizona.

Sometime during the night hours of Monday June 6, an electronic safety message sign that was placed on highway 180 was vandalized and multiple power batteries were stolen from inside of the unit. The sign board which displayed illuminated safety messages for travelers was rendered inoperable. The messages were designed to alert drivers of approaching hazardous conditions including smoke and fire personnel working in the area.

Officials would like to remind the public of the importance of safety when conduction fire operations that are near or within rural areas and adjacent to busy highway corridors. These types of careless actions can elevate danger and reduce the ability to provide for public safety of both firefighters and motorists. U.S. Forest Service law enforcement is currently working with the Coconino County Sheriff’s office and would encourage anyone with information related to this crime to contact the sheriff’s office at 928-774-4523 or USFS Law Enforcement at 928-635-5642.

Four Individuals Indicted on Charges for Death of 6-Year-Old Boy

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ash-fork-1ASH FORK — On June 6, 2016 four people were arraigned in Coconino County Superior Court following a May 25, 2016 Grand Jury indictment for the death of six-year-old, Jason Hester. The indictment came after a nearly year-long investigation into the boy’s death by Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Detectives.

On June 22, 2015 the boy was found unresponsive in the home of his aunt and primary caretaker, Lillian Hester. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Kaibab Estates Fire personnel responded and attempted lifesaving efforts but were unsuccessful in reviving the boy. The boy was pronounced deceased later that day at Flagstaff Medical Center.

An autopsy was performed by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. The official cause of death was undetermined, but there were multiple findings suspicious of child neglect. The boy weighed 29 pounds at the time of the autopsy and showed signs of dehydration, multiple bruises and abrasions.

Indicted were:
37-year-old, Lillian Hester (aunt, primary caretaker) – indicted on first degree murder and child abuse
64-year-old, Lenda Hester (maternal grandmother) – indicted on negligent homicide and child abuse
61-year-old, Kimmy Wilson (boyfriend of Lenda) – indicted on negligent homicide and child abuse
36-year-old, Jason Conlee (live-in boyfriend of Lillian) – indicted on negligent homicide and child abuse

All four individuals are residents of an unincorporated area of Coconino County, north of Ashfork, AZ.

Reminder: June 14 is deadline to apply for 2016 fall hunts

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PHOENIX — Time is running out for hunters to apply for 2016 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and pheasant.

All online and paper applications must be received by the department no later than 11:59 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, June 14. Postmarks do not count.

Applicants are encouraged to use the online service at https://draw.azgfd.gov/ (scroll down to “Apply for a Draw”). Purchasing a hunting license and filling out an application online is fast and easy. The online service also dramatically reduces the chances of making errors that could result in a rejected application.

Paper applications can be mailed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or dropped off at department offices statewide.

The department is announcing an exciting, innovative program beginning with the 2016 fall hunt application period. “PointGuard,” the newest benefit for AZGFD Portal customers, ensures that if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.
 
PointGuard is available to applicants who apply online for a hunt permit-tag. All applicants must sign up for a free AZGFD Portal account to purchase PointGuard (visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select the “Create an Account” option). PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant, purchased at the time of completing the online application, or prior to the application period deadline.

For more information about PointGuard, visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard. Applicants who encounter issues related to PointGuard are encouraged to call the department at (602) 942-3000.

Volunteers needed for Doce Pit area cleanup June 11

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PRESCOTT — The Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association, in conjunction with Tread Lightly!,” which promotes responsible recreation through stewardship, communication and education, has scheduled a cleanup June 11 at Doce Pit, a popular recreational shooting area near Prescott.

Volunteers – including recreational shooters, off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, hikers and others who champion responsible recreation – are needed for the four-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.

All volunteers who fill at least two trash bags will receive a free one-year ASRPA membership. The trash bags will be provided, and each volunteer will be shown exactly where their help will be needed along the three-mile stretch of Doce Road. Prescott National Forest representatives will conduct a pre-cleanup informational meeting at 8 a.m.

For more information, contact Noble Hathaway, ASRPA president, at president@asrpa.com or (623) 687-4251, or visit http://www.asrpa.com/Cleanup/cleanup.html.

Bert Fire remains active reaching 1531 acres in size

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WILLIAMS — The lightning caused Bert fire has grown to 1531 acres in size and continues to benefit the landscape while effectively meeting objectives. Yesterday crews successfully completed a burn out operation that was designed to protect resource values that included the Highway 180 corridor and the Arizona Public Service power line.

“As with all fires we manage in the forest, protecting life, public safety, and property is our first priority” said Danelle Harrison, district ranger on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. “Although we recognize the amount of smoke increased yesterday, the benefits of securing these values at risk was essential for us and will likely reduce the number of days smoke will linger in the long term.”

Winds are predicted to remain out of the northeast throughout today and then reverse direction. Smoke is expected to disperse to the southwest on Saturday and then move off to the northeast on Sunday.  Fire managers are preparing for the changes in weather patterns and will adjust operational plans accordingly. Minimizing smoke impacts remains a top priority.

To view recent spherical panoramas and photos of the Bert Fire and the area in which it is burning, visit http://bit.ly/BertFire2016.

Safety improvement project on SR 169 will impact drivers next week

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The Arizona Department of Transportation continues work next week on a safety improvement project on State Route 169 which includes a new left-turn lane at Cherry Creek Road (milepost 9.3) and Orme Road (milepost 4.5).

As a result, drivers will be restricted to one lane at both intersections for chip seal and shoulder work as part of the project.

Starting on Monday (June 6) through Thursday (June 9), drivers will be guided through the work zone with a pilot car and flaggers between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Delays of up to 15 minutes are expected.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The speed limit through the work zone will be 45 mph until the project is complete.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.