Monthly Archives: February 2019

Mexican wolf survey begins February 7

Posted on by

PINETOP — Residents of Alpine, Arizona, Reserve, NM and surrounding areas may notice a low-flying helicopter in the region between February 7 and February 20 as biologists conduct their annual Mexican wolf population survey and capture.

Arizona Game and Fish photo

The flights are part of the Mexican wolf Reintroduction Project, a multi-agency cooperative effort among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Service Inspection Service – Wildlife Services and the White Mountain Apache Tribe.Survey flights will occur — weather permitting — on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation; the Apache-Sitgreaves, Gila and Cibola National Forests in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico; and possibly some locations immediately outside forest boundaries.

“Each year this survey is done in the wintertime to provide a snapshot of the Mexican wolf population, by collecting critical data to help partner agencies make sound management decisions in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program,” said Paul Greer, AZGFD Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team leader. “Additionally, data collected helps us know how these animals are using habitat in Arizona and New Mexico.”

As part of the operation, biologists will attempt to capture selected wolves born in 2018 that have not yet been fitted with a radio telemetry collar, in addition to those with collars that need a battery replacement or any wolf appearing to be sick or injured. Wolves are captured after being darted with an anesthetizing drug from a helicopter containing trained personnel.

After being immobilized, the wolf is then brought by air to a staging area for processing and any necessary veterinary care. The wolf is then returned to the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) and released on public land.

The field team is contacting private landowners to gain permission to property to capture a wolf, if necessary, and will be coordinating with land management agencies and county sheriff offices on survey operation details.

There were a minimum of 114 wolves in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico at the end of 2017, according to a survey by the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team. The survey found that there were 63 wolves in Arizona and 51 in New Mexico.

Results of the survey will be made available to the public in March. For more information on the Mexican wolf reintroduction program, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/wolf or https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/.

CCSO Search and Rescue respond to report of overdue skier

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF – On February 3, 2019 at approximately 5:00 PM the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of an overdue skier who had left the ski area boundary at Arizona Snowbowl and entered the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. The skier, a 16-year-old male from Flagstaff, became separated from his group and the rest of the group returned to the Arizona Snowbowl where they made the report to the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Patrol. The skier was reported to be equipped with only his skis and cell phone and no other survival equipment. At the time the report was made, it appeared that the skier’s cell phone had been powered off or had run out of battery.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit along with the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Patrol initiated an investigation and search for the skier. At approximately 5:45 PM the Sheriff’s Office located the skier on Snowbowl Road at approximately milepost 3. The skier was uninjured and was provided a ride to the Agassiz Lodge to be reunited with his family and friends. While this situation turned out well, it had the potential to be a dangerous situation for the skier.

This incident was the third lost out of bounds skier / snowboarder call received by either the Sheriff’s Office or the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Patrol on Sunday. With the recent snowfall and the expected heavy snow through mid-week, it is expected that more skiers and snowboarders may elect to ski out of bounds. Skiing or snowboarding outside of the ski area boundary carries with it some risk. The area outside of the Arizona Snowbowl boundary is not patrolled and avalanche mitigation is not conducted in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. Most skiers and snowboarders who leave the ski area boundary intend to return to the ski area, but terrain tends to force them to the south and away from the ski area.

WHAT YOU SHOULD CARRY

Those who recreate outside of the Arizona Snowbowl boundary should carry the following equipment; extra food and water, extra warm clothing, navigation equipment (map, compass, and GPS), headlamp, first aid kit, shelter material (large leaf bag or space blanket), fire starting kit or backpacking stove, pocket knife/multi-tool, whistle, avalanche beacon, avalanche probe, backcountry shovel, and a cell phone with a back-up battery pack.

Amateur radio repeaters are also located on Mount Elden. If you have an amateur radio, you can program 146.980 with a 162.2 CTCSS and negative offset and 147.140 with a 162.2 CTCSS with a positive offset. In the Williams area, the Bill Williams repeater is 146.780 with a 91.5 CTCSS and negative offset.

Wilderness users should also avoid traveling alone. Education about the winter backcountry hazards including avalanche should be sought out. Avalanches often occur within 24 hours of a storm and heavy snowfall amounts over a short period of time, high winds which deposit snow in starting zones, or signs of instability in the snowpack warrant concern in the backcountry.

The Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center offers weekly snowpack summaries that highlight the hazards in the snowpack as well as offer educational classes about avalanche. More information about the snowpack summary and courses available can be found at www.kachinapeaks.org.

A free Kachina Peaks Winter Backcountry Permit is required for backcountry travel in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness when accessing the Wilderness from Arizona Snowbowl and along the Snowbowl Road at Viet Spring and Friedlein Prairie Road. The permit can be obtained from the U.S. Forest Service and more information about the permit can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=fseprd479744.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition Voluntarily Recalls Select Canned Dog Food for Excessive Vitamin D

Posted on by

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is voluntarily recalling select canned dog food products due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. While vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs, ingestion of elevated levels can lead to potential health issues depending on the level of vitamin D and the length of exposure, and dogs may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction. Pet parents with dogs who have consumed any of the products listed and are exhibiting any of these signs should contact their veterinarian. In most cases, complete recovery is expected after discontinuation of feeding.

In the United States, the affected canned dog foods were distributed through retail pet stores and veterinary clinics nationwide. No dry foods, cat foods, or treats are affected.

Pet parents who purchased the product with the specific lot/date codes listed should discontinue feeding and dispose of those products immediately or return unopened product to your retailer for a refund. For more information, please contact Hill’s via our website or at 1-800-445-5777.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition learned of the potential for elevated vitamin D levels in some of our canned dog foods after receiving a complaint in the United States about a dog exhibiting signs of elevated vitamin D levels. Our investigation confirmed elevated levels of vitamin D due to a supplier error.

We care deeply about all pets and are committed to providing pet parents with safe and high quality products. Hill’s has identified and isolated the error and, to prevent this from happening again, we have required our supplier to implement additional quality testing prior to their release of ingredients. In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients.

For further information, please contact Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. at 1-800-445-5777 Monday-Friday during the hours of 9am-5pm (CST) or at contactus@hillspet.com. Information can also be found at www.hillspet.com/productlist

This voluntary recall only impacts canned dog food and primarily in the United States. It is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Impacted products outside of the United States will be subject to separate notices on the country-specific website. If you are outside of the United States, please check your own country’s Hill’s website for more information.

Product Name SKU Number Lot Code/Date Code
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® c/d® Multicare Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz 3384 102020T10
102020T25
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz 3389 102020T04
102020T10
102020T19
102020T20
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 5.5oz 3390 102020T11
112020T23
122020T07
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® z/d® Canine 5.5oz 5403 102020T17
112020T22
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® g/d® Canine 13oz 7006 112020T19
112020T20
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine 13oz 7008 092020T30
102020T07
102020T11
112020T22
112020T23
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® j/d® Canine 13oz 7009 112020T20
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® k/d® Canine 13oz 7010 102020T10
102020T11
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine 13oz 7017 092020T30
102020T11
102020T12
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® z/d® Canine 13oz 7018 102020T04
112020T22
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic + Mobility Canine Vegetable & Tuna Stew 12.5oz 10086 102020T05
102020T26
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine Vegetable & Chicken Stew 12.5oz 10129 102020T04
102020T21
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Low Fat Canine Rice, Vegetable & Chicken Stew 12.5oz 10423 102020T17
102020T19
112020T04
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Derm Defense® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz 10509 102020T05
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Small & Toy Breed Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 5.8oz 4969 102020T18
Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Chicken & Barley Entrée 13oz 7036 102020T12
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz 7037 102020T13
102020T14
112020T23
112020T24
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Turkey & Barley Dog Food 13oz 7038 102020T06
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Chicken & Beef Entrée Dog Food 13oz 7040 102020T13
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Light with Liver Dog Food 13oz 7048 112020T19
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz 7055 092020T31
102020T13
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Beef & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz 7056 092020T31
112020T20
112020T24
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Turkey & Barley Entrée 13oz 7057 112020T19
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Healthy Cuisine Braised Beef, Carrots & Peas Stew dog food 12.5oz 10452 102020T14
102020T21
Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Youthful Vitality Chicken & Vegetable Stew dog food 12.5oz 10763 102020T04
102020T05
112020T11

Regional transportation study public meeting to be held in Show Low

Posted on by

PHOENIX – The regional transportation plan study process for the White Mountains area, administered by the Arizona Department of Transportation, continues with a public meeting to present study findings Thursday, February 7, in Show Low.

Those attending the meeting, to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Show Low City Hall, 180 N. Ninth Street, can review and comment on potential transportation improvement projects identified in the region. Public input will inform selection of projects that will be documented in the study’s final report.

ADOT is administering the transportation study for southern Navajo and Apache counties that will evaluate the current transportation infrastructure in the region and make project recommendations over the next 20 years. These projects may involve roads, bike lanes, transit routes, pedestrian trails or anything that would improve residents and visitor’s mobility within the region.

The public can also view and provide comments on the Southern Navajo and Apache County Work Plan by visiting the project webpage at azdot.com/SNAC. Click the “comment form” link to provide feedback.

The southern Navajo and Apache County region began this regional transportation plan update due to population growth and economic development that are placing a burden on the existing infrastructure.

The study region includes Snowflake, Taylor, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside and unincorporated areas of southern Navajo and Apache counties, including the communities of Concho and Vernon.

Visit azdot.gov/SNAC for more information on the study.

AZGFD reduces size of Glassford Hill pronghorn herd

Posted on by

A helicopter helps drive the pronghorn into a holding pen during the capture.

PRESCOTT VALLEY — The fastest land animal in North America can make it seem so effortless, reaching a top speed of 55 mph, then being able to coast at 30 mph for miles. When they get their wheels rolling, there isn’t a predator that can keep up with them, let alone catch them.

There is one thing, however, that an estimated 100 pronghorn that have roamed the Glassford Hill area near Prescott Valley cannot outrun — development.

On January 24, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in partnership with the Arizona Antelope Foundation (AAF) and local private landowners, reduced the size of the iconic herd by capturing 45 of the fleet-footed animals and transporting them to various release sites in southeast Arizona.“Our mission at Game and Fish is to conserve and protect all of Arizona’s wildlife,” said Erin Butler, terrestrial wildlife program manager for the department’s regional office in Kingman. “With a four-lane, divided highway to the north, an encroaching subdivision to the east, another housing community under construction to the west, and more development to the south, this particular herd needs our help.

Pronghorn are released at several sites in southern Arizona.

“As development in this area continues, and their habitat dwindles, these pronghorn will find it increasingly difficult to survive. Our goal is that translocating them will boost and add genetic diversity to existing populations in the southeast portion of the state.”

The one-day operation was conducted on private property south of Highway 89A. A helicopter was used to round up and funnel the pronghorn into a holding area, where wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and others evaluated the health of each pronghorn, attached an ear tag for identification and fitted them with GPS tracking collars.

The pronghorn then were transported almost 300 miles south to release sites near Bonita, Altar Valley and San Bernardino Valley, where they will bolster a small population numbering about 100. Extensive habitat improvement work has been done in these areas over the past 10 years in partnership with the Arizona Antelope Foundation and the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), both of which provided funding and volunteers. These improvements included clearing 22,000 acres of mesquite, modifying 35 miles of fencing to facilitate easier pronghorn movement, and the placement of 15 water troughs.

As for the remaining pronghorn near Glassford Hill, AZGFD expects the lower-elevation grassland habitat to be completely developed within the next five to 10 years, resulting in a decrease in the population through natural attrition.

Costs incurred for the operation were paid for through wildlife restoration funds (which are generated by sportsmen who support conservation through their purchase of hunting, fishing and other outdoor equipment), as well as support and volunteers from AAF and NRCS.

ADOT launches website focused on safe driving

Posted on by

PHOENIX – Have you ever wondered what action to take when an overhead sign warns of an oncoming wrong-way driver? Curious about how to proceed when a dust storm appears on the horizon? Want to confirm the logistics of navigating a roundabout?

FocusOnDriving.com has answers to those questions and more.

This week, the Arizona Department of Transportation launched FocusOnDriving.com, a collection of safe-driving resources aimed to make motorists more informed about how to stay safe on Arizona’s roads. The site contains video public service announcements, information from current and past safety campaigns and general safe-driving tips.

“This website provides a wide variety of safe-driving information to drivers,” said ADOT director John Halikowski. “Informed drivers make better decisions and, in turn, that makes Arizona’s roads safer for all of us.”

Current safe-driving topics on the site include wrong-way drivers, dust storms, winter weather, child safety seats, Arizona’s “Move Over” law and more.