Monthly Archives: October 2017

Tipover East Prescribed Fire Update

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FREDONIA – Operations progressed well today as firefighters estimate treating nearly 1,000 acres on the Tipover East prescribed fire project located across the North Kaibab Ranger District on the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

Ideal conditions allowed for larger scale ignition operations today, accelerating the operational tempo and resulting in two cycles of aerial ignitions along FR 270. Aerial firing operations are often preferred within rugged backcountry landscapes like the Tipover Unit because it lessens the need for ground firing within interior portions of the unit that potentially could pose more danger to firefighters.

Anticipated operations over the next operational period will be to continue aerial ignition operations and fortifying black lining along the unit boundary if conditions remain safe to do so.

Smoke: Smoke was much more visible today along AZ Highway 67 just south of Pleasant Valley. Fire managers anticipate smoke impacts to continue to intermittently impact motorists along portions of Highway 89A, Highway 67, Marble Canyon and other visitor areas to the north-northeast of the Tipover prescribed-burn unit.

Safety: During prescribed fires, motorists are cautioned that smoke may be present in short durations, which may impact roads and populated areas. Motorists are reminded to use caution, drive slowly, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel are working.

As a reminder, all prescribed burning is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Fire information: Additional information is made available through the following resources: Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5632/; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404; https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/fire_info.htm.

ADEQ Announces $62,850 Brownfields Grant to the Town of Miami, Gila County, AZ

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PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today a $62,850 Brownfields Grant award to the Town of Miami to help the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum (BPCCM) expand its exhibits by making use of the basement of its historic building located at 150 North Plaza Circle in Miami. Currently contaminated with asbestos and lead-based paint, the building’s basement remains closed to the public.

Mayor Darryl Dalley said, “With the Town of Miami approaching its centennial year in March of 2018, this grant will help us improve this facility and expand the display of the rich history involving the copper mining industry and ethnic cultures that have been the heart and soul of Miami.”

Funds from this second Brownfields Grant will both help the Town realize its long-held vision for expanding the BPCCM and position Bullion Plaza as its showcase. Current museum exhibits document the economic, social and cultural history of Miami.

According to BPCCM Executive Director Thomas N. Foster, this second grant will help “add dimension and access for our visitors and the community overall,” and offer “safe, long-term development and enjoyment of formerly unusable spaces by abating and removing the hazards that linger.”

Last year, ADEQ provided an initial Brownfields Grant to the Town of Miami to:

  • complete an asbestos and lead-based paint survey of the building’s basement and crawl spaces,
  • identify contaminant locations and levels, and
  • estimate cleanup costs.

Clean-up work is scheduled to begin next week.

Desert Roses, Too set to blossom in 2017-18

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PHOENIX — Everything is coming up roses for the women’s shotgun shooting program at the Ben Avery Clay Target Center.

Desert Roses, Too, is a new level of the program for women who want to learn about advanced shotgun shooting. Participants are meeting every second and fourth Thursday of each month. A $10 registration fee includes eye and ear protection, loaner shotguns, ammunition and clay targets.

Desert Roses, Too is the big sister to Desert Roses, the introductory level of the program that meets every first and third Thursday of each month (a $10 registration fee also applies). There is no requirement to complete Desert Roses before registering for Desert Roses, Too.

“We want to retain newer shooters who go through Desert Roses — we didn’t offer anything past those classes,” said Mark Williams, program coordinator. “The goal is to keep them coming back.”

Women will learn in-depth techniques (more than how to shoot a shotgun) in the advanced program, including eye coordination, various stances, different methods of breaking targets and shooting games.

Classes are limited to 50 participants. To register for Desert Roses, visit www.azgfd.gov/desertroses. To register for Desert Roses, Too, visit www.azgfd.gov/desertrosestoo. For more information, call (623) 434-8119.

Kaibab National Forest to offer Christmas tree permits starting November 16

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WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest will sell over-the-counter and through-the-mail Christmas tree tags on a first-come, first-served basis for each of its three ranger districts beginning November 16 and continuing until they are sold out.

The $15 permit will allow the holder to cut a tree of any species that is not more than 10 feet in height within a designated area on the Kaibab National Forest from Nov. 16 through Dec. 24. The tag is only good for a tree on the ranger district from which it was purchased and can’t be used to cut a tree on a different district unless specifically noted. No refunds will be made, even if weather conditions prevent access to cutting areas.

Individuals who purchase tags will be provided with a map showing their designated cutting area along with additional tree cutting instructions. The number of available tags and tree species, locations and hours for purchasing the permits, and contact information for each ranger district are as follows:

# of Permits Available and Tree Species Location of Designated Cutting Area Contact Information Open Days and Hours
800

Any Species

 North Kaibab Ranger District

Note: The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 26 for tag sales. The visitor center is located at the intersection of highways 89 and 67 in Jacob Lake and can be reached at (928) 643-7298.

 

 Physical address:        430 S. Main St., Fredonia, AZ 86022

Mailing address:        P.O. Box 248,    Fredonia, AZ 86022

(928) 643-7395

 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The office will also be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on two Saturdays, Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, for tag sales.

Note: Please bring cash or check for North Kaibab Ranger District Christmas tree tag purchases.
500

Any Species

 Tusayan Ranger District Physical address:        176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Mailing address:        P.O. Box 3088,       Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

(928) 638-2443

 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
500

Any Species

 

 Williams Ranger District

Note: The Williams Ranger District office will also have 100 tags available for the Tusayan Ranger District.

 

 Physical and mailing address:                      742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046

(928) 635-5600

 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Individuals desiring to purchase Christmas tree tags through the mail should contact the appropriate ranger district office for information on the required process. Turnaround time for arrival of tags through the mail is often 10 business days, so individuals desiring these tags should call well in advance to ensure adequate time for their permits to arrive.

The Kaibab National Forest is also pleased to announce that all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit, while supplies last, through the Every Kid in a Park initiative. Every Kid in a Park is a nationwide call to action to connect kids to nature. All fourth graders are eligible to receive a fourth grade pass that allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year.

In support of this initiative, the Forest Service is making available a free Christmas tree permit to every interested fourth grader with a fourth grade pass or paper voucher. For additional information about the initiative and how to obtain a pass, visit www.everykidinapark.gov. To be eligible for a free Christmas tree permit from the Kaibab National Forest, all fourth graders must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth grade pass or paper voucher.

National association honors Interstate 15 bridge project

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PHOENIX – A national industry group has honored the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $30 million rehabilitation of an Interstate 15 bridge through the rugged Virgin River Gorge in far northwestern Arizona.

The American Public Works Association selected the Virgin Bridge No. 6 improvement, completed last year, as Project of the Year among transportation projects worth between $25 million and $75 million, with ADOT as the managing agency, Pulice-Wadsworth Brothers Joint Venture as primary contractor and Jacobs as primary consultant.

“This award acknowledges the creativity and cooperation that went into making a critically needed improvement to a vital regional economic corridor,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT state engineer and deputy director for transportation.

Upgrading the 50-year-old bridge was the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades to the 30 miles of I-15 passing through Arizona, including paving the entire stretch and repairing the decks of three other bridges.

At Virgin River Bridge No. 6, crews replaced girders, decks and railings and widened the roadway. Accomplishing that required 4,000 cubic yards of structural concrete, 3 million pounds of structural steel, 910,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 4,000 tons of earth moved and 3,600 tons of asphalt.

A $21.6 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant ADOT won for the project in 2014 provided three years for ADOT to complete the design, for the project to receive environmental clearance and for crews to complete the bridge upgrades.

The project’s challenges also included the rugged, remote location. The bridge stands 100 feet above the Virgin River in a narrow canyon, requiring specialized equipment to work in tight spaces. ADOT and its partners also worked closely with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State Land Department and Environmental Protection Agency to safeguard the river.

Among other honors, the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 rehabilitation has been named International Partnering Institute Partnered Project of the Year and has received the Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Award as part of the Alliant Build America Awards.

ADOT’s current five-year construction program commits $50 million in fiscal 2020 to renovate Virgin River Bridge No. 1 near Littlefield and $5.5 million in fiscal 2019 to rehabilitate other I-15 bridges.

AZGFD asks hunters to help keep Chronic Wasting Disease at bay

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking hunters to continue doing their part to help keep Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to deer and elk, at bay.

All successful deer and elk hunters are encouraged to bring the head of their harvested animal, especially bucks and bulls, to any department office statewide between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The preferred method for delivery is to place the head in a heavy-duty plastic trash bag, and keep it cool and out of the sun.

The department also requests hunters to provide accurate hunter information (name, telephone number), as well as hunt information (hunt number, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, state and hunting license number). This information is crucial should a positive CWD sample occur.

Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 1,200-plus deer (mule and white-tailed) and elk that were harvested by hunters and voluntarily submitted for testing in 2016. Game and Fish has been testing for the presence of the disease in Arizona since 1998. While CWD has been found in the neighboring states of Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, the disease has not been detected in Arizona. CWD has not been documented to cause disease in people.

CWD is transmitted and spread by animal movement and direct contact, which means the illegal importation of a cervid carcass or parts with brain or spinal column tissue of an infected animal could introduce the disease into Arizona. To that point, an individual is only allowed to possess, transport or import the following portions of cervids lawfully taken in another state or country:

  • Boneless portions of meat, or meat that has been cut and packaged.
  • Clean hides and capes with no skull or soft tissue attached.
  • Antlers, clean skull plates or skulls with antlers attached with no meat or soft tissue remaining.
  • Finished taxidermy mounts or products (hunters may ship their harvested animal to a taxidermist)
  • Upper canine teeth with no meat or tissue attached.
  • Do not bring the brain, intact skull or spinal column of a deer or elk harvested in another state back into Arizona.

It may take longer than a year before an infected animal develops symptoms of CWD, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurological symptoms. CWD can affect animals of all ages, although it’s most frequently noticed in older animals. CWD is fatal, and there are no treatments or vaccines.

All hunters are advised not to shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick. Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing deer or elk. All hunters are asked to contact the department at 1-(800)-352-0700 if they see or harvest an animal that appears to be sick.

Surveys of endangered Mount Graham red squirrel show decline due to impacts from the Frye Fire

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PHOENIX — An annual survey of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel showed a significant decline due to the effects of the lightning-caused Frye Fire in the Pinaleño Mountains of southeastern Arizona.

The annual survey, conducted jointly by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), Coronado National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation – Phoenix Zoo, and the University of Arizona, resulted in an estimate of only 35 squirrels. This is a significant decrease from the 252 squirrels estimated in 2016. Evidence of the Frye Fire was observed in 95 percent of the surveyed locations, 80 percent showed at least some habitat loss, and 44 percent were completely burned.

“Although the estimated numbers were significantly lower this year, we are uncertain if our standard survey method allows for an accurate estimate in severely burned areas,” said Tim Snow, AZGFD terrestrial wildlife specialist. “Our current survey methodology does not account for squirrels that dispersed from fire-impacted areas. Surveyors observed some squirrels in previously unoccupied areas.” Annual red squirrel surveys consist of visiting all known middens, which are areas where red squirrels store or cache their cones. Activity at these middens is used to estimate the population size.

“This year the Forest has experienced a particularly challenging fire season, with 79 fires burning over 125,000 acres,” said Coronado National Forest Supervisor Kerwin Dewberry. “Several fires covered large portions of the mountain ranges we manage, including the Frye Fire at over 48,000 acres in the Pinaleño Mountains. We appreciate the efforts of fire suppression personnel, and of the Burned Area Emergency Response Team. Their evaluation and recommendations will guide us as we work to stabilize and protect those areas on Mount Graham that sustained damage from the fire, including Mount Graham red squirrel habitat.”

“This is a textbook example of how species with low population sizes, especially those confined to a small geographic area, are vulnerable to natural events such as fires, floods, and severe drought,” said Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Field Supervisor. “We’re grateful to have a cadre of the best squirrel biologists and habitat specialists dedicated to this subspecies’ survival.”

“Survival through this winter may be the key to the persistence of this species given the fire effects on their habitat,” said Snow.

Immediate conservation measures under consideration due to the effects of the Frye Fire include: assessment of the remaining habitat, reducing food and habitat competitors, supplemental feeding during this winter, as well as the enhancement of natural middens. These actions will be followed next spring by a complete census of the population in the Pinaleño Mountains.

The subspecies was listed as endangered in 1987. Mount Graham red squirrels live only in the upper elevation conifer forests of the Pinaleño Mountains and feed primarily on conifer seeds. This subspecies is highly territorial and has lower reproductive rates than red squirrels in other locations. Other long-term impacts to Mount Graham red squirrels and their habitat include insect infestations, competition with non-native Abert’s squirrels, and poor cone crops caused by drought, all of which influence population size; however, this year’s fire had unprecedented impacts. Biologists continue to explore new methods to conserve the species, including continued squirrel research, developing long-term forest management strategies across the fire-impacted landscape such as reseeding and planting coniferous trees, and a managed care breeding program. The Mount Graham red squirrel population peaked at about 550 animals in the late 1990s, but typically ranges between 200 and 300 individuals.

Please help locate a bit of Arizona Highways history

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PHOENIX – Since it began showcasing the state’s beauty and diverse landscapes, Arizona Highways has been a collector’s item. People around the country have not only subscribed but held on to the monthly issues of the magazine, produced by the Arizona Department of Transportation, so they could go back again and again to look at the photos and read about the history.

Now Arizona Highways needs a little help finding a piece of its history, in this case a December 1930 issue to add to its digital collection.

“We know that many of you are collectors,” editors shared on the magazine’s Facebook page. “Is there any chance one of you could give us a hand in locating a copy?”

Editors say they’d like to have a copy of the December 1930 edition to keep, but they’d gladly scan and return the edition if the owner wants to keep it.

Arizona Highways began as a simple newsletter in 1921 and became a magazine in April 1925. From the beginning, it contained travel stories and scenic photographs. In the early years the photos were black-and-white, and the magazine contained page after page detailing the Arizona Highway Department’s (now the Arizona Department of Transportation’s) road-building projects. Editors added cartoons to liven up those pages.

Arizona was one of several states to develop a magazine to entice drivers to explore their newly developed roads. Of these magazines, none dates as far back or has featured the iconic photography that has made Arizona Highways a national treasure.

If you can help by sharing a December 1930 edition of Arizona Highways, please contact the magazine through its website at arizonahighways.com.

No access to eastbound Interstate 40 from A-1 Mountain early Friday

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BELLEMONT – Northern Arizona drivers who access eastbound I-40 at A-1 Mountain (milepost 191) will need an alternate route during early hours on Friday because of resurfacing. The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to allow extra travel time as the nearest interchange–at Bellemont—is five miles to the west.

The A-1 Mountain on-and off-ramps to eastbound I-40 will be closed from 4:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 20. Drivers will use westbound I-40 to Bellemont (milepost 185) and turn around at the Bellemont traffic interchange to access eastbound I-40.

Forest Service seeks public input on issuance of new permit to operate Elk Ridge Ski Area near Williams

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WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest is seeking input and responding to any inquiries members of the public may have regarding issuance of a new permit to operate the Elk Ridge Ski Area near Williams.

The Forest Service is considering issuance of a new term permit to reflect a change in the ownership of the ski area, which is being purchased by Arizona Snowbowl to include in the Mountain Capital Partners collection of resorts – Arizona Snowbowl, Purgatory Resort, Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, and Hesperus Ski Area.

The issuance of the new term permit by the Kaibab National Forest is dependent on evaluation and acceptance of an application from Arizona Snowbowl and would be for assuming the current operations at Elk Ridge starting this winter. No changes to existing facilities or operations would be authorized with the issuance of this new term permit.

Following issuance of a new permit, Arizona Snowbowl may propose updates to the facility master plan in the future, which would be considered by the Forest Service in a separate environmental analysis in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

Elk Ridge Ski Area encompasses 37 acres and is located on Bill Williams Mountain on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. The current ski area term permit authorizes public operation of the ski area during the winter from November through April to provide downhill skiing and tubing opportunities.

Existing improvements within the permit area boundary include two surface lifts, a ski lodge, a parking area, eight cleared ski and tubing runs, and other supporting infrastructure. Under current conditions, some of the existing ski area improvements will require considerable maintenance and repairs and possible replacement. Summer operations include maintenance activities and infrequent, small special events held at the lodge, which are approved on a case-by-case basis by the Forest Service.

The issuance of a new permit for an existing ski area is considered an administrative change when the only modification is in ownership of ski area improvements.

Members of the public with questions or seeking to provide comments about the issuance of a new term permit should do so no later than Nov. 3 by contacting Liz Schuppert, Public Services Staff Officer, Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. Sixth Street, Williams, Arizona 86046; telephone 928-635-8367; fax 928-635-8208, or e-mail comments-southwestern-kaibab-williams@fs.fed.us.

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