Daily Archives: September 7, 2017

Game and Fish Commission to meet Sept. 8 and 9 in Williams

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PHOENIX — The next meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel at 235 N. Grand Canyon Blvd. in Williams.

The public can attend the meeting or view it on a webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. The meeting also can be watched on streaming video at any regional office statewide.

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 office. The ability to speak to the commission is not available for those viewing the webcast.

Items on Friday’s agenda include:

  • A renewal of a road closure on state trust land about 12 miles northeast of Benson.
  • Approval of a wildlife studies agreement between AZGFD and the city of Scottsdale for conservation projects within the McDowell Mountains.
  • A briefing on the status of state and federal legislation related to the department’s mission.
  • A briefing on development of a long-term, state-wide public awareness campaign.
  • An update on the department’s efforts toward accomplishing commission priorities.
  • An update on Williams-area sport fisheries, including economic impacts and recent habitat work.
  • An update on developments relating to resource management plans and actions on federal lands in Arizona.
  • 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 10 a.m.).
  • An informational update on the department’s Hunter Education program.
  • An informational update on the department’s Shooting Sports program’s projects and activities.
  • Approval of a Notice of Expedited Rulemaking amending Article 6 (addressing rules of practice before the commission) and Article 11 (addressing aquatic invasive species) rules.
  • An endangered species update on the evacuation of Gila trout from Ash and Frye creeks during two large wildfires.
  • Amendment of Commission Order 40 to temporarily close Frye Creek Gila trout fishery to allow evaluation and restoration of the population.
  • Consideration of a petition to close .3 miles of road on state trust land near Congress.
  • Consideration of a memorandum of understanding with the state of Nevada on hunting and fishing license reciprocity.
  • Consideration of a memorandum of understanding with the National Forest Foundation on conservation and education programs.
  • Approval of a plan with the Mexican government for the importation/exportation of Sonoran pronghorn with Sonora, Mexico to improve the genetic variability over the next two years to support recovery goals.
  • Approval of proposed hunt guidelines for fall 2018 through spring 2023.
  • Presentation of the 2017 Annual Commission Award nominees and selection by the commission of the award recipients.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the commission may attend a fishing trip and tour of the historic 1800s Hat Ranch.

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.

Arizona Wildlife Views TV Show Now Available on YouTube

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PHOENIX — From highlighting the Sonoran pronghorn recovery to an in-depth look at the making of a wildlife manager, the Arizona Wildlife Views TV show covered a diverse range of wildlife and topics in the last season. And there’s good news if you missed any of the shows from 2016: You can watch them all now on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s YouTube channel.

The Emmy-award winning program is produced by the department’s Information Branch and airs on PBS and city cable channels. It was recently announced that the TV show has been nominated for four Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards for segments from 2016.

Wildlife featured throughout the season includes: bald eagles, narrow-headed gartersnakes, desert tortoises, bison, Chiricahua leopard frogs, sandhill cranes and catfish.

The new season of Arizona Wildlife Views will be starting this fall on Arizona PBS (channel 8.1 or channel 1008 on Cox Cable) and city cable channels statewide. The opening show is focused on bald eagles and covers the work of biologists who build nests to support a growing population as well as volunteers who monitor the species throughout Arizona.

Paper applications for 2018 spring hunts now being accepted

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the “2018 Spring Turkey, Javelina, Bison, Bear and Raptor Capture Hunt Draw Information” online at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

The department now is accepting paper applications for 2018 spring hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for spring turkey, javelina, bison, bear and raptor capture. The online application service is expected to be available in early to mid-September.

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

The deadline for all spring hunt permit-tag applications is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. Paper applications must be received by the department by the deadline. Postmarks do not count.

The deadline for all raptor capture hunt permit-tag applications is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

The printed “2018 Spring Turkey, Javelina, Bison, Bear and Raptor Capture Hunt Draw Information” booklets are expected to be available at department offices and license dealers statewide in early September.

Applicants must possess an Arizona hunting license to apply for a spring hunt permit-tag. Licenses can be purchased online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml, or at all department offices or more than 200 license dealers statewide.

Forest Service completing thinning project north of Parks

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PARKS – Tree removal has begun on a 1,039-acre project on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

The Community Tank Timber Sale area is located about 11 miles north of Parks just south of Forest Road 171 and west of Kendrick Mountain Wilderness near Pumpkin Center. Harvesting operations recently began in the area and are expected to be completed by the end of this year, depending on weather conditions over the next few months.

As thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy, mechanized equipment and workers in the project area and an increasing number of log trucks traveling along the haul route. Because work is progressing quickly at the project site, it is expected that log trucks will begin hauling this week.

The major haul route will be from the project area south along Forest Road 141 through Parks to Interstate 40. It is possible that there could be a significant number of trucks hauling timber through this area until project completion.

Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.

“It’s really important that local community members and visitors understand that they need to be careful when driving near a log truck or in areas where logging work is occurring. These are not areas to camp or play around in, and people need to be aware of what is happening around them,” said Tom Dauenhauer, a timber sale administrator for the Kaibab National Forest. “In the long run, the benefits of this work will be safer communities and healthier forests for all of us for years into the future. In the short term, though, it means being extra vigilant near project areas and haul routes so that this forest restoration work can be accomplished safely.”

The objectives of the Community Tank Timber Sale are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires and to improve forest health and watershed conditions. The thinning and logging work occurring on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest is associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

The goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

For additional information on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, visit www.fs.usda.gov/4fri. Members of the public can find additional information on the Kaibab National Forest through the following sources:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF