Category Archives: City

AZGF National Bison Day viewing November 2

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FLAGSTAFF — Bison are synonymous with the great west, but not many people realize that Arizona is home to these magnificent animals.

To increase awareness and provide information about this great animal, the Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a bison viewing workshop near Flagstaff on National Bison Day, Saturday, November 2. The workshop will take place at the Arizona Game and Fish Commission-owned Raymond Wildlife Area (RWA) 30 miles east of Flagstaff. Sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and are limited to 20 people each. Both include a presentation, field trip and a light lunch.

Register for the 9 a.m. session
Register for the 10:30 a.m. session

Each session costs $40 and the deadline to register is November 1. Participants will receive the same information, presentation, field trip, with lunch including bison burgers or brats and sides.

The viewing workshop is recommended for those 12 years or older.

All fees support the Department’s Watchable Wildlife Program, which was created to increase public awareness of wildlife through positive and personal wildlife viewing experiences.

Raymond Wildlife Area is approximately 30 miles east of Flagstaff on I-40. To reach Raymond Wildlife Area, take I-40 east from Flagstaff and take exit 225. Turn right after exiting the freeway. Go 10 miles south on Buffalo Range Road to the visitor’s center. Visitors should be aware the last 10 miles is along a relatively unmaintained dirt road but accessible for passenger vehicles.

Raymond Wildlife Area was purchased by the department in 1942 from Flagstaff physician R.O. Raymond to serve as winter range for the Anderson Mesa pronghorn antelope herd. Due to drought conditions in 1945, the area became home for bison that were moved from the House Rock Valley herd.

Some scopes will be available, but it is recommended that participants bring binoculars, water, snacks, and dress appropriately for the weather and field trip. More details on the field trip will be provided during the presentations.

Flagstaff drivers should plan for overnight closure of McConnell Drive under Interstate 17 Sunday

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The Arizona Department of Transportation advises Flagstaff drivers who use McConnell Drive to plan for a full overnight road closure while crews continue work to replace the McConnell Bridge on Interstate 17 and State Route 89A approaching Flagstaff.

McConnell Drive under I-17 will be closed in both directions from 8 p.m. Sunday, October 20, to 6 a.m. Monday, October 21.

Motorists should follow signed detour routes and plan for travel delays.

The project involves a full bridge deck replacement, bridge widening and sidewalk construction on the north side of McConnell Drive. Work is scheduled in three phases over two years with completion scheduled for fall 2020.

Outfitters, guides invited to apply for commercial services on Flagstaff Ranger District

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FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest is soliciting proposals from prospective outfitter and guide companies interested in providing commercial services to the public from October to December 6.

Opportunities to provide commercial services include mountain biking, day hiking, trail running, rock climbing and more. The various services are limited and are only available in the Mount Elden and Dry Lakes Area as described in the prospectus.

Proposals for additional use on existing special-use permits, as well as a limited number of new permits, will be considered. A Forest Service panel will select applicants through a competitive process based on written applications.

Applicants are advised to read the prospectus and appendices carefully. All items listed under Application Package Requirements must be complete and included for submission.

Applications submitted in response to this prospectus are subject to Cost Recovery pursuant to 36 CFR 251.58(c)(3)(iii) and will be collected through an application fee.

Applications must be received by close of business (4:30 p.m.) Dec. 6. The final decision on issuance of a special use permit will be contingent on compliance with any needed environmental analysis as determined by the National Environmental Policy Act.

The prospectus and supporting documents are available on the Coconino National Forest website. Paper copies will be made available upon request.

For questions related to this potential business opportunity, please contact Kevin Lehto at kevin.lehto@usda.gov or 928-527-8287.

Museum Fire closure area to be reduced today

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest is reducing the size of the area closure for the Museum Fire on today to allow for increased access and recreation on parts of Mt. Elden.

The Burned Area Emergency Response team has completed treatments to the land, including mulching with a helicopter in effort to stabilize the watershed and encourage recovery. Now that this important work is complete, the public will be allowed in additional areas of the burned area.

Although additional areas are open, the public is urged to use caution, as hazards still exist such as ash pits, rolling rocks, weakened trees, falling trees and possible floodwaters.

Some areas will remain closed that pose a continued and increased risk to visitors. These areas will be re-evaluated after the winter season to see what risks can be mitigated before opening to the public.

Portions of Forest Road 789 and FR 6353 marking the restricted-area boundary are OPEN to non-motorized use only. Elden Lookout Road (FR 557) is closed to all traffic where it intersects with the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Please see the official closure order and map for details.

The following trails will be OPEN:

  • Arizona National Scenic Trail (ANST)
  • Heart Trail
  • Little Bear Trail
  • Little Gnarly
  • Lower Oldham Trail from Buffalo Park to the ANST junction
  • Rocky Ridge Trail from ANST to Schultz Creek Trail
  • Schultz Loop Trail
  • Sunset Trail from the intersection of Schultz Tank to Little Bear Trail

The following trails will remain CLOSED:

  • Brookbank Trail (entire trail)
  • Lower Oldham, from ANST to Brookbank Trail
  • Rocky Ridge Trail, from ANST to Brookbank Trail
  • Sunset Trail, from Little Bear Trail to Elden Lookout Trail
  • Upper Oldham Trail (entire trail)

For more information about the Mt. Elden area, please call the Flagstaff Ranger District at 928-526-0866.

Three Sisters Prescribed Fire Project Near Williams to Begin This Week

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WILLIAMS — Kaibab National Forest fire managers will begin implementing prescribed fire treatments on the first units of the Three Sisters Prescribed Fire Project near Williams beginning Friday of this week. The project is expected to take multiple days to complete, however ignitions will only occur on days that will be most effect for meeting objectives and minimizing smoke impacts to the adjacent rural areas.The 7400 acre prescribed burn area is located just north of the City of Williams and Interstate 40, east of Forest Road 124, and west of Airport Road and Highway 64. Goals of the prescribed fire treatment include decreasing the threat of unnatural severe wildfire by reducing accumulated fuels, improving forest health, and reintroducing fire to the landscape that aligns with the desired historical condition.

The project will be broken into smaller units that will be scheduled to be burned on days that will help to allow smoke to disperse away from developed areas and ventilate quicker reducing the impacts to local communities.

Area residents can expect to see and hear a helicopter in the area, as aerial ignitions will occur on portions of the burn. Smoke will be highly visible from the City of Williams and from roadways and recreation areas in the general vicinity of this project. Specific areas from which smoke is likely to be noticeable include H.A. Clark Memorial Field airport, Kaibab Lake, portions of State Route 64, Valle, the City of Williams, and Interstate 40.

Smoke is expected to lift during the day and travel northeast toward Red Lake Valley. However, cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying areas surrounding the burn location.

Fire managers are aware that community members may be sensitive to the smoke produced, and they make every effort to limit the amount and duration of production. Prescribed fires with short-term impacts to air quality can help prevent future severe unplanned wildfires under unpredictable conditions with smoke that may pose significant risks to public health and safety.

To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

No road or trail closures are planned as part of the Three Sisters prescribed fire project. However, during operations, fire personnel and vehicles will be visible to the public. Motorists are reminded to slow down and drive with heightened awareness when passing through active project areas.

The Kaibab National Forest is part of a fire-dependent ecosystem. Fire on the landscape is critical to overall ecosystem functioning and the sustainability of local communities, watersheds and wildlife habitat.

Prescribed burns are always dependent on weather and wind conditions, as well as approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Members of the public may view approved prescribed burns for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov/

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fire projects are provided regularly by news releases throughout the year and through the following sources:

• InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/
• Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
• Fire Information Recorded Hotline: (928) 635-8311

Bald eagle breeding areas expand, number of nestlings dips in 2019

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PHOENIX — A record number of bald eagle breeding areas couldn’t guarantee another shattered record of eagle nestlings, which dipped to 71 during the 2019 breeding season from 87 hatched in 2018.

A juvenile bald eagle flies away after being released at Horeshoe Lake in June 2019.

During the Arizona Game and Fish Department annual bald eagle survey this summer, raptor biologists counted a minimum of 74 occupied breeding areas statewide, which was up from the 69 counted last year. Despite that, the number of eggs laid this year dipped slightly to 97 from the 102 counted last year. 
Additionally, the number of birds that made the important milestone of their first flight, known as fledging, dipped to 63 from the 70 recorded in 2018. 

“While we always hope for Arizona’s bald eagle population to increase, it’s not uncommon for productivity to slow occasionally,” said Kenneth Jacobson, AZGFD bald eagle management coordinator. “Similar comparatively lower productivity rates were seen in 2014 and 2010, so we were due for a slow year. Overall, our eagle population continues to be strong because we continue to see an increase in breeding areas statewide. Our ongoing efforts to help conserve and protect Arizona’s bald eagles appear to be working.” 

Arizona’s bald eagle population has flourished since 1978, when 11 pairs were counted within the state and the species was listed as endangered. Today there are an estimated 74 adult breeding pairs. 

Bald eagles nationwide were removed as a protected species under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2007, but protections under the act were reinstated in 2008 in Arizona and remained until 2011. The department’s conservation efforts contributed to the species recovery.

Nationally, the birds remain protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.  The impressive recovery of the population is attributed to the continued efforts of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee – a coalition of AZGFD and 27 other government agencies, private organizations and Native American tribes – and its years of cooperative conservation efforts, including extensive monitoring by the nationally-awarded Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program.

The breeding season for bald eagles in Arizona runs from December through June, although eagle pairs at higher elevations nest later than those in the rest of the state.  Continued support from the committee, State Wildlife Grants, the Heritage Fund (Arizona Lottery ticket sales) and funding through the Pittman-Robertson Act, will help ensure that Arizona’s bald eagles continue to thrive.

For more information on bald eagles in Arizona, visit www.azgfd.gov (click on “wildlife”) or www.swbemc.org. 

Prescribed burns planned this week

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino National Forest firefighters have planned and prepared to conduct several prescribed burns at locations across the Flagstaff Ranger District and Mogollon Rim Ranger District starting tomorrow, with some operations possibly being conducted simultaneously through early next week.

As always, each prescribed fire operation will be conducted when it has the most favorable conditions and are within its specific prescription. As such, these burns might not occur on the days listed below. Firing ignitions begin at approximately 9 a.m. each morning.

MOGOLLON RIM RANGER DISTRICT

1. Cragin Watershed Protection Project

  • When: Wednesday through Friday (Oct. 2 to 4).
  • Where: Approximately 4 miles south of the Mogollon Rim Ranger Station. GPS: 34.565258°, -111.169051°.
  • Size: 2,176 acres.
  • Duration: Several-day operation using helicopter-assisted aerial ignition.
  • Smoke Impacts: Ventilation is predicted to move smoke toward the northeast impacting state Route 87 and the Blue Ridge Communities possibly into the weekend. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas surrounding the burn. This prescribed burn will be visible to motorists on SR87 and Lake Mary Road. Motorists who see smoke along on the roadway should slow down and be cautious.
  • Closures/Restrictions: Forest Road 95 will be closed between the junction of FR 751B south to the FR 139 junction for public safety.

FLAGSTAFF RANGER DISTRICT

1. Experimental Forest

  • When: Oct. 8 (Tuesday).
  • Where: Six miles northwest of Flagstaff. GPS: 35.272710°, -111.691766°
  • Size: 707 acres.
  • Duration: This is a one-day operation.
  • Smoke Impacts: Ventilation is predicted to move smoke toward the northeast and may impact U.S. Highway 89 north of Flagstaff. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas of Flagstaff and Fort Valley.
  • Closures/Restrictions: None expected.

2. Kachina

  • When: Oct. 9 & 10 (Wednesday and Thursday).
  • Where: Nine miles south of Flagstaff. GPS: 35.072046°, -111.711435°
  • Size: 844 acres.
  • Duration: Two-day operation.
  • Smoke Impacts: Ventilation is predicted to move smoke toward the northeast. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas surrounding the burn, such as Kelly Canyon or possibly Oak Creek Canyon.
  • Closures/Restrictions: None expected.

These burns are part of a strategy to allow fire across the landscape in order to restore forests to healthier conditions and improve the safety of the communities around them. Frequent, low-intensity fire removes accumulated smaller fuels and recycles nutrients in the soils to promote healthy vegetation and wildlife habitat. A healthier forest is a safer forest for firefighters and residents when wildfires inevitably occur.

Prescribed burns are always dependent upon weather and wind conditions, as well as approval from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The public can view approved prescribed burns on ADEQ’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov. Coconino National Forest burns begin with the Burn Number designation “COF.”

For more information about prescribed burns and the benefits of these fires across the landscape, please visit our Prescribed Burns and Smoke webpage. As well, if you are interested in how prescribed burns are planned and implemented, please see the document “Planning for and Implementing Prescribed Fire in Fire-Dependent Forests,” by Ecological Restoration Institute.

Steep Slope Treatments on Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project Begin

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WILLIAMS — A collaborative partnership between The National Forest Foundation, Coconino County, and the Kaibab National Forest has produced successful results in the strategic planning and securing of necessary assets to begin the first stages of steep slope restoration treatments on Bill Williams Mountain on the Kaibab National Forest.

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) promotes and raises funds for the restoration and enjoyment of National Forests.

For the Bill Williams Restoration Project, the NFF has worked to bring together funds from multiple contributors that include $1,800,000 from the Kaibab National Forest, $800,000 from Coconino County, private funds from the Sperling Foundation, and a state grant from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

“The implementation of this important project would not be possible without partners coming to the table to support the work because we all recognize the multiple benefits of preventing catastrophic fire and flooding.” Mary Mitsos, National Forest Foundation President.

NFF has awarded the contract for the first 300 acres that are scheduled for treatment to Markit! Forestry Management of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Restoration efforts will include using helicopter logging methods on the steepest slopes of the north face on Bill Williams Mountain. Operations are expected to begin by the end of this month.

The purpose of this work is to protect critical watershed drainages that deliver vital water supply to the City of Williams. Removing heavy loads of woody material from inaccessible areas will ultimately reduce the risk of a potentially destructive wildfire that could have devastating effects not only to Williams, but long lasting impacts to other communities to the south that are also dependent on flows from this mountain.

“The passion and dedication of our employees and partners in finding innovative ways to treat Bill Williams Mountain have really been unparalleled,” said Debra Mollet, district ranger for the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts of the Kaibab National Forest. “Despite tremendous challenges, their focus hasn’t wavered. This steep-slope contract is evidence of the hard work and commitment of so many people to the long-term health and sustainability of the mountain itself and the Williams community.”

Coconino County has identified that fire, and post-wildfire flooding is the number one health and safety threat to the citizens of the County. The County Flood Control District is proud to be invested in this project to help ensure a properly maintained forest for the safety of its citizens and visitors and for the economic prosperity of the area.

“We’re extremely excited that a contractor is in place to start the much-needed restoration work on the steep slopes of Bill Williams Mountain,” said Coconino County District 3 Supervisor Matt Ryan. “We know, through studies, that a wildfire on the mountain, and the subsequent post-wildfire flooding, would be economically crippling to the city of Williams, the watershed and the entire region. I want to thank the many agency partners including the U.S. Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation for the hard work that went in to securing this first stage of the forest restoration process.”

A Forest Area Closure Order will be forthcoming in the areas around the mountain where steep slope treatments will be occurring. Helicopters accompanied by noise will be noticeable from the City of Williams and surrounding residential communities adjacent to this operation as work begins. There will also be an obvious increase in traffic within city limits as material removed from the slopes will be hauled out by trucks and chip vans.

More detailed information will be made available in the near future as this project moves forward.

Additional Information can be found at the Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project web site.

Northern Arizona drivers should plan for extended closure of Transwestern Road at Bellemont (Exit 185)

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BELLEMONT — The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers on Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff to plan for an eight-day FULL closure of Transwestern Road at Bellemont (Exit 185) beginning Friday, October 4, at 6 p.m., while crews work on replacing the bridges.

During this closure, both directions of I-40 will be re-routed onto the ramps alongside I-40 through the construction zone during the following times:

  • From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning late Friday, October 4, through the morning of Monday, October 7
  • From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning late Monday, October 7, through the morning of Thursday, October 10

DETOUR: Bellemont traffic accessing I-40 ramps across the Transwestern Road closure will be detoured to the next exit to re-enter the interstate.

Motorists should follow signed detour routes and plan for travel delays.

Learn more on the project webpage.

Expect lane closures, up to 30-minute delays on State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon through fall

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SEDONA — Drivers who use State Route 89A through Oak Creek Canyon should plan for long delays and lane closures in both directions from just north of Sedona to the bottom of the switchbacks, this fall while crews complete hazard tree removal work and begin pavement preservation work.

Crews are currently removing hazard trees from both sides of SR 89A from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, until late October. Hazard trees are generally identified as dead or dying; pose a danger of falling into the roadway because of high winds, unstable soil or other factors; or otherwise can cause harm to life or property.

Pavement-improvement work will occur from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday nights through Thursday mornings, beginning in early October and continuing through mid-December.

After paving work is complete, crews will begin the replacement of over 30,000 feet of guardrail through the project. This work will continue through the spring.

The following traffic restrictions will be in place when crews are working:

  1. SR 89A will be narrowed to one lane only and drivers could experience delays up to 30 minutes.
  2. Flaggers and a pilot car will direct drivers through the work zone.
  3. Speeds will be reduced to 25 mph.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

For more information, visit the project website.