Monthly Archives: July 2018

Candidates sought to run for school board

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FLAGSTAFF – There are 11 Coconino County School Districts with governing board vacancies for the November 6 election.

Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey encourages residents to get involved in local education by running as volunteer school board members to help shape policies impacting education.

Governing board seats are open in the following districts:

  • Flagstaff Unified School District (two seats);
  • Williams Unified School District (two seats);
  • Grand Canyon Unified School District (three seats);
  • Chevlon Butte Unified School District (four seats);
  • Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District (five seats);
  • Page Unified School District (three seats);
  • Maine Consolidated Unified School District (four seats);
  • Tuba City Unified School District (two seats);
  • Coconino Community College District 5 (one seat);
  • Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology (CAVIAT) Fredonia, Grand Canyon, Williams, and Page; and
  • Northeast Arizona Technological Institute of Vocational Education (NATIVE) Tuba City.

To be eligible, candidates must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the Nov. 6 election. Candidates or their spouses may not be an employee of the district.

Nomination packets can be found online at: http://coconino.az.gov/1939/2018-School-Board-Elections

Packets can only be turned in between July 9, 2018 through August 8, 2018.

For more information or to request a packet by mail, please call Elizabeth Sorg at 928-679-8070 or e-mail esorg@coconino.az.gov.

Interstate 40 ramp closures between Parks and Williams in northern Arizona

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Drivers on Interstate 40 in northern Arizona are advised to plan for travel delays on Interstate 40 because of traffic realignment and ramp closures at Parks, Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads. Crews are repairing 17 miles of pavement on I-40 between Parks and Williams. The project also includes making bridge deck repairs at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads.

As crews complete work to rebuild 5 westbound miles of the freeway between mileposts 167 and 172, traffic moved back to the westbound lanes as the temporary crossover in that section was removed and the westbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads reopened after being closed since May.

On Thursday, July 12, the eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp at Parks will close for a few weeks to allow crews to continue rebuilding a 1-mile section of I-40 in both directions near the interchange. Traffic for both ramp closures will be detoured to Pittman Valley Road where traffic will exit and re-enter I-40 eastbound towards their destination.

In a few weeks, crews will place concrete barrier on the westbound side of I-40 so both directions of traffic will use one lane in each direction while crews rebuild the eastbound lanes between mileposts 167 and 172. The eastbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will close for the next few months. The ramps at the Parks Road interchange at milepost 178 will reopen to help detour traffic.

Work on this 5-mile section of I-40 is anticipated to wrap up by the fall.

Meanwhile, crews continue to repave other portions of the highway between mileposts 162 and 179 from Cataract Lake to Parks.

Crews are completing work on westbound I-40 between Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads first, then moving to eastbound I-40 in the same area. Construction will pause for the winter season and is scheduled to resume in spring 2019 for additional paving, bridge and intersection work. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

What to expect

Crews are scheduled to work Mondays through Fridays from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lane closures, ramp closures and restrictions will be required

For more information, email MKirby@azdot.gov or call Mackenzie Kirby, MPP, Community Relations project manager, ADOT Northcentral District, at 928.525.6494. Information is also available on the project web page.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

Tiny Elk Calf and Pronghorn Fawn Rescued by Bearizona Make Their Public Debut

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WILLIAMS – An elk calf, appropriately named Lucky, was rescued by Bearizona after her pregnant mother was hit by a vehicle on I-40 June 10. A month later, the one-month-old calf is almost fully recovered from a dramatic entry into the world and is on display in her new home at the wildlife park near the Grand Canyon. Lucky is the twelfth wild animal rescued this year by the popular drive- and walk-through park devoted to providing homes to wild animals in need.

Lucky’s late mom was pregnant with her at the time of the accident, and the newborn elk calf was brought into the world and saved by Flagstaff firefighters and a Prescott family who stopped at the scene and then rushed the calf to Bearizona in their motor home. She is now healthy enough to be on display along with a recently rescued two-month-old pronghorn fawn. Jessie, the pronghorn fawn, was displaced and then unable to be safely reunited with her family by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The public can see the two together in their new home at Bearizona beginning this week.

Lucky and Jessie.

“It really is a miracle Lucky made it, which is why the family that helped save her requested we give her that name,” said Bearizona Owner Sean Casey. “We are so grateful to the Flagstaff firefighters and Prescott family that rushed to give her care at the scene, and to the veterinarians and animal staff that watched over her day and night those first few days.”

Bearizona’s mission is to rescue wild animals in need of new homes and promote conservation by inviting visitors to view wildlife in spacious, natural environments. The park has rescued four black bear cubs, two elk, one pronghorn and five otters to date in 2018.

Since it was founded in 2010, Bearizona has fast-become a must-see attraction when visiting the Grand Canyon’s South Rim or driving through Northern Arizona. It was voted among the top three wildlife parks by the annual USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards twice in the past two years.

Williams Ranger District Plan Pile Burns today

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WILLIAMS – Fire managers on the Williams Ranger District will take advantage of the recent widespread rain that has delivered adequate moisture to the area and will burn two small areas of slash piles on Friday of this week.

A 20 acre unit of hand piles approximately 8 miles south of Williams near county road 73 and forest road 139, and a single pile at the green waste disposal site located at the old dump site off forest road 900 north of Pittman Valley are scheduled for ignition on Friday morning.

This operation is projected to be complete in one day and is not expected to have any long term smoke impacts to roadways or developed areas. Smoke may be visible near both locations throughout the day however will be short in duration. No overnight impacts are expected.

Visitors are always reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires, as firefighters, fire-related traffic and smoke may all be present.

All prescribed fires are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit www.azdeq.gov/SmokeManagemet

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fires are provided regularly throughout the year. This information can be found at the following sources:

· Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
· Kaibab website “Recent News”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· Kaibab South Zone Rx Fire: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/

ADOT rolling out online scheduling for VIN inspections

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PHOENIX – Until now, getting a more involved vehicle identification number inspection through the Arizona Department of Transportation has required a trip to an inspection site or Motor Vehicle Division office and waiting on a first-come, first-served basis.

That’s changing. Customers are now able to schedule Level 2 and Level 3 VIN inspections through ServiceArizona.com for the Glendale MVD office location. ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which handles these inspections, anticipates adding online scheduling for five other locations in Maricopa and Pima counties later this summer.

These inspections confirm the identities of vehicles by matching VIN numbers to titles and other ownership documents.

Offered at MVD offices and Authorized Third Party providers, Level 1 VIN inspections are for out-of-state vehicles without proof of title or registration and for bonded titles. While most vehicles are verified at this level, follow-up inspections sometimes are required by officers at Enforcement and Compliance Division inspection locations:

Level 2 when a vehicle’s VIN number can’t be matched or the VIN number isn’t there.
Level 3 when a vehicle is a restored salvage or recovered stolen vehicle, or has been involved in a collision.

The change, part of ADOT’s efforts to continuously improve its customer focus using the Arizona Management System, adds to online appointments launched in 2016 for road tests and those applying for a Voluntary Travel ID.

“This scheduling feature will provide a lot of value to our customers by allowing them to fit the inspection into their schedules instead of arriving early at an office and waiting,” said Jeff Stanhope, Enforcement Services Bureau chief for the Enforcement and Compliance Division. “The new feature made sense given that our officers inspect an average of 840 vehicles per week in the large metropolitan areas.”

To schedule an appointment, visit ServiceArizona.com and click on “Vehicle Inspection Appointments.”

Customers should arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointments and check in with the Enforcement Services representative.

ADOT’s goal is to have all VIN inspection locations statewide available for online scheduling by the end of the year.

A list of VIN inspection locations can be found at azdot.gov/mvd under Enforcement.

Forest Service fosters stewardship through youth conservation education

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WILLIAMS – In late June, Kaibab National Forest employees spent time educating young campers at the Pine Combs 4-H Camp near Williams in order to help create future public land stewards. The 34 campers, ranging in age from 9 to 13, eagerly participated as specialists showcased natural and cultural resources from across the Kaibab National Forest.

“The goal of 4-H is to develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and positive youth development,” said Misti Todd, youth development program coordinator for Pinal County 4-H. “Our slogan is ‘learn by doing’ and having the representatives from the Forest Service come and interact with our kids helps to not only broaden their horizons, but allows them to learn things while they are in the situation.”Over two days, the 4-H campers and counselors were treated to a series of interactive programs and activities presented by Kaibab National Forest specialists. On the first day, fire prevention specialists provided information on fire safety and protecting public lands through Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. Kids also learned how to extinguish a fake campfire and participated in an exercise designed to highlight the importance of forest restoration treatments. Even Smokey Bear made an appearance, reminding campers, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

The second day brought a rotation of activities, with four separate stations highlighting Kaibab National Forest resources. At one station, campers learned about forest restoration and tree measurement tools with a forester from the Williams Ranger District. Under the guidance of an archaeologist, kids were given the chance to replicate 3,000-year-old willow branch figurines using pipe cleaner. Soon, the campers were excitedly trotting their colorful, deer-like miniatures around the table, giggling as they playfully sparred with each other.

“It is crucial that we pass on messages of conservation to youth so that when they visit the forest, they do so with respect for public lands,” said Neil Weintraub, an archaeologist with the Kaibab National Forest. “For archaeology, this is critical. Artifacts and cultural sites are fragile and irreplaceable traces of history, so conserving them on the landscape is critical to be able to reconstruct the past.”

Additional programs included outdoor safety and orienteering. During the outdoor safety session, campers learned the importance of being prepared and packing the correct equipment. As part of the orienteering lesson, the kids were taught to use a map and compass. Forest Service specialists even brought along aerial maps of the camp, giving the kids a birds-eye view of everything from the outhouses to the dining hall.

“For many of the 4-H campers, this was one of their first experiences with a National Forest and meeting Forest Service employees. I think they got to see another side of Arizona and were interested in the skills presented by our employees,” said Mark Christiano, GIS coordinator for the Kaibab National Forest. “The best way to protect and conserve our public lands is though creating good stewards of the forest. This all starts with our youth, helping them to make that connection to the outdoors. We plant the seeds now to grow strong stewards of the future.”

For pictures of Kaibab National Forest’s involvement in the Pine Combs 4-H Camp, please visit the Flickr album at bit.ly/4HKidsCamp2018.

Kaibab National Forest to Manage Three New Lightning Caused Fires

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Officials on the Kaibab National Forest will begin managing three new lightning caused wildfires for the benefit of accomplishing land management objectives that include reducing hazardous fuel accumulations and restoring overall forest health.

The Pine Ridge fire at 5 acres and the JD fire at half an acre were discovered on July 8 and are located on the southern portion of the Williams Ranger District near Pine Flat. The 1 acre Blue fire also discovered on July 8 is located approximately 5 miles east of Red Butte on the Tusayan Ranger District. All of these fires will be monitored closely over the next several days with the intent of allowing fire to burn as it would naturally over the landscape as long as it can be safely managed while benefiting forest resources.Each of these fires will have a designated planning area that will identify management objective priorities within the individual locations.

Recent moisture from monsoon rains has created ideal conditions to allow for low to moderate fire intensity to occur in these areas that are in a predominant ponderosa pine fuel type. Weather forecasts are predicting more rain in the week ahead so growth potential is expected to be minimal over the next several days.

Smoke may be visible at times from the surrounding areas. Fire managers will monitor smoke closely and take precautions to minimize impacts to adjacent residential areas. Motorists are asked to be aware of fire personnel and vehicles and use caution when driving near the vicinity of these fires.

For additional information on these fires and for the Kaibab National Forest the following sources are available:

InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5916/ inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5917/ inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5918/
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: twitter.com/kaibabnf
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/
Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311.

Deer, turkey, youth-only javelina hunt permit-tags available

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PHOENIX — Arizona hunters will have an opportunity to receive a hunt permit-tag for select 2018 deer, fall turkey and fall youth-only javelina hunts.

As of Wednesday, there were 1,614 leftover hunt permit-tags available for general deer hunts, with most of those hunts being for antlered white-tailed deer only in Game Management Units (GMUs) in the southeastern portion of the state.

There also were leftover hunt permit-tags for muzzleloader deer (288), youth-only deer (26), turkey (408) and youth-only javelina (72) hunts. A single youth-only pheasant hunt permit-tag was available in GMU 40B.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will accept applications for leftover hunt permit-tags — by mail only — beginning July 23. All completed paper applications must be addressed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Draw/First Come, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. There is no “mini” draw. Allow 10 to 15 business days to receive a hunt permit-tag by mail.

All remaining leftover hunt permit-tags will be available for purchase on a “first come, first served” basis at all department offices beginning July 30.

For a complete list of leftover hunt permit-tags, visit https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Draw/.

For more information, including license and hunt permit-tag requirements, view the “2018-19 Arizona Hunting Regulations” booklet online, or call (602) 942-3000.

Groups aim to boost non-lead ammo for ecosystem health

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PHOENIX – The North American Non-Lead Partnership — formed late last year by the Oregon Zoo, The Peregrine Fund and the Institute for Wildlife Studies — seeks to expand the coalition of hunters, anglers and other conservationists dedicated to improving ecosystem and wildlife health by choosing non-lead options.

“This is a long-term, multi-organization effort to help North America’s wildlife,” said Leland Brown, the Oregon Zoo’s non-lead hunting education coordinator and a lifelong outdoorsman. “Many of us are hunters ourselves, so we have a personal connection to this project. We’re proud of the contributions we’ve made to conservation, and we hope to inspire more outdoor enthusiasts and organizations to lend their support and help realize this vision in the months and years to come.”

Three state wildlife agencies — the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — have recently joined the partnership, and at least five sports groups have pledged their support. One, the Arizona chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, even committed to an annual donation to support the efforts.

“ODFW supports a voluntary strategy to increase the use of non-lead ammunition among hunters in Oregon,” said Curt Melcher, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife director. “We’re pleased to join the North American Non-Lead Partnership so we can increase our efforts to educate and encourage hunters to voluntarily switch to non-lead ammunition.”

“We’re excited about the partnership and confident that working with stakeholders — on all sides of the lead issue — is necessary to ensure the long-term health of Utah’s wildlife and their habitats,” said Mike Fowlks, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources director. “We recognize the role that stakeholder engagement has in wildlife management and look forward to working cooperatively with the program partners.”

“The Arizona Game and Fish Department is committed to conserving and protecting Arizona’s diverse wildlife, which is why we are lending our support to the North American Non-Lead Partnership,” said Jim deVos, Arizona Game and Fish Department assistant director for wildlife management. “Our department has placed non-lead ammunition into the hands of our hunters and worked to inform the public to consider switching to non-lead ammunition to better protect our wildlife and human health.”

Since the 1980s, people have worked to remove lead from paint, gasoline and plumbing, but it still can pose a threat to wildlife. When scavenging birds and mammals eat the remains of carcasses shot with lead ammunition, tiny fragments of the heavy metal can be ingested and then absorbed into their bloodstream, often causing long-term side effects and sometimes even death. Non-lead ammunition options, such as high performance solid copper bullets, help prevent lead poisoning in scavengers like bald eagles, golden eagles and other birds of prey.

The North American Non-Lead Partnership works to engage hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts by:

  • Designing and promoting voluntary measures to increase the use of non-lead ammunition
  • Supporting the continued long-term viability of scientifically managed hunting and the associated conservation culture by providing programs that encourage sportsmen and sportswomen participation in conservation actions
  • Supporting continued efforts to conduct scientific research into the relative risk associated with specific lead exposure pathways between use of lead ammunition and wildlife
  • Using scientific evaluation to assess and improve programs

“Voluntary lead-reduction programs in Arizona and Utah have been very successful,” said Chris Parish, The Peregrine Fund’s director of conservation. “We want to see these voluntary efforts expanded across North America. We are confident that as this partnership expands, more hunters and organizations will join.”

The three founding organizations that launched the new partnership were inspired by the success of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, recognizing a long tradition of conservation among America’s outdoor sports enthusiasts.

I-40 project east of Williams advances with 5 westbound miles rebuilt

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WILLIAMS – An Interstate 40 paving project east of Williams continues to move forward with crews completing work to rebuild 5 westbound miles of the freeway between mileposts 167 and 172 and preparing for a traffic switch Thursday, July 12, that will move traffic back to the westbound lanes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Westbound I-40 traffic in this stretch has been using one eastbound lane, separated from eastbound traffic by temporary concrete barrier.

Also on Thursday, July 12, the westbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will reopen after being closed since May. In addition, the westbound on-ramp and eastbound off-ramp at Parks will close for a few weeks to allow crews to continue rebuilding a 1-mile section of I-40 in both directions near the interchange.

In a few weeks, crews will place concrete barrier on the westbound side of I-40 so both directions of traffic will use one lane in each direction while crews rebuild the eastbound lanes between mileposts 167 and 172. The eastbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will close for the next few months. The ramps at the Parks Road interchange at milepost 178 will reopen to help detour traffic.

Work on this 5-mile section of I-40 is anticipated to wrap up by the fall.

Meanwhile, crews continue to repave other portions of the highway between mileposts 162 and 179 from Cataract Lake to Parks. Crews will work until cooler temperatures arrive, then they will break for winter and return next spring to complete the work.

ADOT continues to improve pavement on other sections of I-40 and Interstate 17 in the Flagstaff area. Crews repaving northbound I-17 continue to progress toward Flagstaff making a smoother surface to drive on. Work at the I-17/I-40 interchange continues to move forward as falsework for bridge improvements has been put in place and the westbound I-40 bridge decks have been removed.

Work on the interchange is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, while paving along I-17 will break for winter and finish next summer.

For more information on this project and others in the Flagstaff area, visit azdot.gov/projects (click on Northcentral District).

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.