Monthly Archives: March 2019

Visiting winter boaters: Schedule your free watercraft inspections

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PHOENIX — Visiting winter boaters: It’s time to schedule your free watercraft inspections and decontaminations before heading home. In order to avoid fines, quarantines and even impoundments when traveling across state lines, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has authorized providers to perform inspections and decontaminations for boats traveling from waters designated as having aquatic invasive species (AIS).

“Watercraft inspection and decontamination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of AIS and we are asking the boating public to do their part in calling and scheduling a no-cost inspection and decontamination,” AZGFD Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Erin Raney said. “It is absolutely essential to have your boat inspected and if necessary, decontaminated, to prevent the spread of mussels and AIS into other waterbodies.”

Aquatic Invasive Species are non-native species that are often unintentionally introduced by human movement. They do not have predators outside of their native range, and are able to outcompete native species.

They can be animals, plants and even pathogens that cause disease in native wildlife. They can often be invisible to the naked eye, making them even more difficult to control. Once introduced, they can alter ecosystems by interrupting food chains, cause damage to boats and other recreational gear, clog up water and power infrastructure and pose safety hazards.

Appointments fill up fast, so be sure to call the Arizona Game and Fish AIS Program (623) 236-7608 with plenty of time ahead of departure.

Stop the spread of AIS and keep our waters clean and beautiful for ourselves and future generations. Regardless of where you boat, always remember to:

Clean boats, waders, anchors, equipment and gear by removing mud, plants, attached animals such as snails.
Drain all residual water from engines and motors, ballast tanks, live wells and bait wells. Pull your bilge plug and leave out during transport. Store with boat keys or in a location where you will remember before launch.
Dry all equipment that comes in contact with water, such as life jackets, ropes, buoys, tubes, etc.

Many states require that watercraft must stop for inspection, which includes both motorized and non-motorized boats. If you see signs that indicate that an inspection station is open, please stop and have your watercraft inspected by the state in which you are traveling.

Quagga mussels are extremely small and are excellent at hiding in places that are hard to inspect. So the more eyes looking over your watercraft, the better chance of preventing these hitchhikers from entering a new waterbody.

Boaters are required to comply with all AIS regulations of the respective states where they are traveling, as well as those of their final destination. Be sure to contact your local state AIS authorities for any additional questions on local regulation compliance.

OHV riders: Protect habitat, stay on trails and avoid wet, muddy areas

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PHOENIX — While it’s tempting to head out on an off-highway vehicle (OHV) following rain or a snowstorm, soggy trails quickly turn muddy, and riding on them can create long-lasting damage that negatively impacts wildlife habitat.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department advises OHV riders that come upon wet and muddy roads to resist the urge to hit the gas and instead turn around or avoid the area. Splashing or mudding straight through can tear up roads and trails, making them impassable for others and causing serious damage to meadows, streams and other areas important to wildlife and Arizona’s water supply.

Even a lighter-weight OHV with low-pressure tires can do lasting damage.
While the practice of “mudding” — purposefully driving through wet areas, whether it’s a meadow, lakeshore or water tank for wildlife or ranchers’ animals — may be touted as fun on places like social media, it can cause long-lasting damage to the habitat and forest roads.

OHV riders can be issued citations and be held liable to fix the damage caused. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair an area and an untold amount of time for a habitat to recover.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, mudding has many negative impacts, including:

  • Rips up native plants — when plants are gone soil washes into nearby streams and lakes, and it creates the opportunity for noxious weeds to move in.
  • Compacts soil — tire tracks create hard soil that keeps water from moving into the ground and they make it difficult for plants to grow.
  • Harms wildlife — when vehicles tear up meadows and wetlands, it removes nesting and hiding cover, interferes with feeding, and may push animals out into areas where they may not survive.
  • Smothers fish — many species of fish and amphibians use gravel to build nests and bury their eggs. Driving through streams destroys these gravel areas.

It’s also a safety issue for riders. OHVs handle differently on wet roads than they do on dry ground, so use caution and drive at slower speeds when roads and trails are wet.

OHV riders are also reminded to wear a helmet at all times while on the trails.

If you see someone mudding, call 1-800-VANDALS. It’s helpful if you can get a license plate number and description of both the OHV and the operator as well as a location of the activity so law enforcement personnel can follow up on the information.

Frontiere at Rogers Lake available for special events

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Parks & Recreation is currently accepting reservations for special events at Frontiere at Rogers Lake. The rental season is May 1 to Septeptember 30, with additional dates by request.

Located adjacent to the Rogers Lake County Natural Area, Frontiere at Rogers Lake has views of the San Francisco Peaks. The site may be reserved for overnight or day use. A reservation may include two buildings, the overall grounds, four RV sites and tent camping areas. To help protect the natural and cultural features, people are encouraged to incorporate sustainable event planning.

For more information on Frontiere at Rogers Lake, visit http://www.FrontiereAtRogersLake.com or call the Coconino County Parks & Recreation Department at 928-679-8000.

2019 pronghorn, elk hunt draw results now available

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has completed its random draw for 2019 pronghorn and elk hunts.

The results are now available for those who have a free AZGFD portal account, or by calling the department at (602) 942-3000, pressing “2” and following the prompts. Be prepared to provide a Social Security or Department ID number, and date of birth. This service is free of charge.

To open a portal account, visit https://accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register and complete the required fields. A portal account allows customers to create a secure account where they can view and manage their contact information, as well as their licenses, draw results history and bonus points in their personal “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. For questions about creating a portal account, call the department at (602) 942-3000 and press “7.”
By the numbers:

26,168: The total number of hunt permit-tags issued.
186,683: The total number of those who applied for hunts or bonus points (99 percent of all applicants applied online).
144,455: The total number of applications submitted (paper and online).

All hunt permit-tags for successful applicants, along with refund warrants for those who were unsuccessful in the random draw, are expected to be mailed by April 5.