Category Archives: Kaibab National Forest

Fire Managers plan for pile burn near Jacob Lake Lookout Tower

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FREDONIA — Taking advantage of the recent moisture, North Zone fire managers will continue to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health by conducting a pile burn as early as today on the North Kaibab Ranger District.

Forest visitors should be aware that the planned 8-acre treatment area will be located around the Jacob Lake Lookout Tower along Highway 67. Fire managers expect the piles to consume quickly with little to no smoke impacts expected to the surrounding area. However for the safety of forest visitors, “Smoke Ahead” signs will be posted, and ignitions are expected to be completed by 3 p.m.

As with all prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest, this burn 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 for any given day, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

For additional information regarding the North Kaibab Ranger District pile burns, contact the North Zone Fuels Specialist, Dave Robinson, at (928) 643-8138.

Reforestation efforts continue on North Kaibab Ranger District

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FREDONIA — Together North Kaibab Ranger District personnel and a crew from MP Forestry Inc., from Medford, Oregon, were able to take advantage of this winter’s relatively light snow pack and reasonably mild weather to successfully replant another 485 acres of ponderosa pine seedlings in the Warm V project area that was severely damaged by the 2006 Warm Fire.

During a 3-week window in late spring, crews replanted approximately 100,000 seedlings, made possible in part by a $12,200 grant from the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program, a program dedicated to restoring forest ecosystems.

“This is a multi-phase reforestation effort with many facets that must be accomplished,” said North Kaibab District Ranger Randall Walker. “Seeds must be harvested, grown, and the area salvage logged before any seedlings actually go in the ground.”

Salvage logging this project area and then replanting has been a high priority for the North Kaibab Ranger District. Logging the salvageable wood reduces the volume of potential fuel loads on the ground that could potentially pose a wildfire re-burn risk.

In addition to salvage logging, seeds must be harvested. Seeds for this reforestation effort were harvested from the Kaibab Plateau in 2009, grown at the Cal Forestry Nursery in northern California, and returned to the North Kaibab and stored in a large cooler where they were kept frozen until conditions favored their survivability.

“These replanting efforts are crucial to helping speed the recovery of this project area by reestablishing the native trees and creating a seed source for natural regeneration,” said North Kaibab Silviculturist Garry Domis.

Reforestation efforts will also help to stabilize sensitive soils, reduce erosion and provide improved habitat for wildlife, according to Domis.

To date, more than 5,000 acres have been reforested since this recovery project began, more than one million ponderosa pine and Douglas fir seedlings have been replanted, and this year’s reforestation project is the fifth replanting endeavor in the Warm Fire project area.

Over the last five years, this reforestation effort has been made possible through grants provided by the National Forest Foundation, American Forest Foundation, Salt River Project Trees for Change program, and the National Bank of Arizona’s Sustainable Initiatives program.

Kaibab urges campfire safety this Memorial Day weekend

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FREDONIA — Kaibab National Forest managers urge the public to use extreme caution with campfires and any recreational activity that could potentially cause a wildfire.

As spring moves into summer, visitation to Kaibab National Forest is expected to increase. The Memorial Day weekend has historically marked the beginning of that transition, with campers and other visitors looking to enjoy the unique recreational opportunities the forest has to offer.

Fire managers would like to remind visitors that even though no fire restrictions are in place, fuel moisture levels can rapidly change in a very short timeframe, so there is always a need to be responsible with campfires.

Fire crews are ready to respond to any fires and will be patrolling the forest to inform visitors about weather and potential fire conditions.

The following suggestions will help ensure a safe visit to the Kaibab National Forest:

  • If you don’t need a fire, don’t build one.
  • Have a shovel and plenty of water on hand to put it out.
  • Have more water than you think you will need.
  • Never leave a campfire unattended.
  • Use existing campfire rings to minimize impact to the surrounding soil.
  • Ensure the area surrounding a campfire has a bare dirt buffer surrounding it.
  • Be responsible with cigarettes and charcoal grills, and only dispose of resulting materials in an ashtray or ashcan.
  • Always supervise children around a campfire.

As weather conditions become warmer and drier, fire managers will continue to assess the need to implement fire restrictions. Forest visitors may call the Kaibab National Forest fire information phone line at (928) 635-8311 for current conditions and the status of fire restrictions. To find out if fire restrictions are in effect anywhere in Arizona, visit www.firerestrictions.us/az.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and US Forest Service Offer Woods Watch Training and Orientation

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Coconino-County-3FLAGSTAFF — Concerns regarding very dry conditions and the impending Wild Land Fire Season are on the minds of many community members who live in cities and unincorporated areas throughout Coconino County. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and the US Forest Service are offering “Woods Watch” training and orientation.

This volunteer program is similar to Neighborhood Watch and is of vital importance in residential areas that interface with forested land. Volunteers are trained to assist local officials in watching for and properly reporting people accessing closed areas or people who are using fire carelessly or against fire restrictions, especially on forested lands.

Woods Watch has been very successful in years past. Volunteers assist Northern Arizona law enforcement officers in watching access points to the forest. By providing additional sets of eyes in our community, Woods Watch Volunteers assist law enforcement officers in keeping unlawful fire activity under check. With the extremely dry and windy conditions our communities often experience, a fire start may spread very quickly endangering lives and property.

This year, we are offering Woods Watch re-certification and new volunteer training on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd. Citizens who have attended this training in previous years are asked to attend again as a review and to receive updated information. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will also provide Woods Watch training to our established volunteer groups such as Search and Rescue, existing Neighborhood Watch Programs, and CERT during their regular meetings. The training takes approximately one hour.

The Woods Watch Program is a commitment to join local law enforcement officers with community members to keep our communities and our forests beautiful, safe and free of wild land fires. For any additional questions or information, please contact Gerry Blair of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-226-5089 or Sergeant Margaret Bentzen at 928-556-2300.

Big Springs Cabin Rentals now available for public use

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Kaibab Forest Service Photograph

Kaibab Forest Service Photograph

FREDONIA — The North Kaibab Ranger District has seven cabins available at Big Springs as part of the Kaibab National Forest’s cabin rental offerings, which are now available as part of the Arizona Cabin Rental “Rooms with a View” program.

Reservations must be made at Recreation.gov, and may be found by searching for “Big Springs Cabin Site, Kaibab National Forest, AZ.” A complete listing of available amenities is available here. The rental rate is $65 per night per cabin. The cabins can be reserved from May 1 to Nov. 30.

The Big Springs cabin site is located approximately 30 miles from Fredonia, Arizona, on Forest Service Road 22, about an hour drive from the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The cabins are about a 35-minute drive from the Rainbow Rim Trail, a winding 18-mile hiking and mountain biking trail on the forest that offers stunning views from five scenic overlooks along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Individual cabins vary in occupancy from two to four people per cabin and include use of the shared shower house, fully furnished kitchen and dining hall. There are toilets on site but not in the cabins. There are no laundry facilities. Each cabin has two twin-size beds and one full-size bed. Please bring your own linens, towels, and pillows.

See more photos of the Big Springs cabins at Kaibab Cabin Rentals.

Kaibab National Forest seeks public input on Town of Tusayan Proposed Roadway Easements

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TUSAYAN — The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comments on a proposal to provide roadway and utility easements across National Forest System lands to the Town of Tusayan. The public scoping period will run for 40 days through June 2.

The easements, if approved, would allow the Town to make improvements to segments of existing forest roads and construct new segments to provide all weather access and utility service to two inholding properties within the Kaibab National Forest that are in the incorporated limits of the Town. The Ten-X Ranch and Kotzin Ranch properties are not owned or managed by the federal government but are surrounded by federal lands administered by the Kaibab National Forest. The only access to the Ten-X and Kotzin properties is through National Forest.

A scoping packet is available at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=46776 that provides specifics of the project including a description of the proposed action. Additional information on the Town of Tusayan Proposed Roadway Easements project is available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/TusayanEasement. The following public scoping meetings are scheduled to provide information about the proposed action:

  • May 18, 5 to 8 p.m., Williams Elementary-Middle School, 601 N. 7th St., Williams
  • May 19, 5 to 8 p.m., Grand Canyon Squire Inn, 100 Highway 64, Tusayan
  • May 20, 5 to 8 p.m., Doubletree Hotel, 1175 W. Route 66, Flagstaff

Comments on the proposed action may be provided in the following ways:

Online:
www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=46776  (Click “Comment on Project”)

Email:
comments-southwestern-kaibab@fs.fed.us

Subject Line: Tusayan Roadway Easements

U.S. Mail:       
ATTN: Deirdre McLaughlin
Kaibab National Forest
Williams Ranger District
742 S. Clover Rd.
Williams, AZ 86046

Fax: (928) 635-5680
Subject Line: Tusayan Roadway Easements

Forest Service and local communities open Moonset Pit

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates, is providing the public with access to a cinder pit on Forest Service land on specific Saturdays from May through September in order to encourage local residents to create defensible space around their homes.

Moonset Pit is located just west of the Parks community on a dirt road east of Spitz Springs on the north side of old Route 66. On the following Saturdays, the pit will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the disposal of natural, woody debris such as tree limbs and pine needles:

May 9, 23, June 13, 27, July 11, 25, August 8, 22, September 12 and Sept. 26

“We encourage everyone to take advantage of this community service in order to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire,” said James Pettit, fire management officer for the Williams Ranger District. “We work with our partners to provide this opportunity each year because a little planning and preparation can make a big difference to community safety. Neighbors are linked by wildfire risk. If one home is inadequately prepared, the risk to the whole neighborhood increases.”

Only natural forest debris will be accepted at Moonset Pit. No garbage, building materials, lumber or other items will be allowed. Items should not be bagged.

This annual service is offered by the Kaibab National Forest and the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates in coordination with the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.

For more information or to volunteer to staff Moonset Pit on open dates, contact Anne Dudley at (928) 635-0417 or Joanie Raetzel at (928) 635-0059.

North Kaibab Ranger District opens campground sites on May 14

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FREDONIA — Recreational campgrounds on the North Kaibab Ranger District will open May 14 and remain open until Oct. 29.

Both the Jacob Lake campground and the DeMotte campground will be open and available for public recreation and overnight camping. The Jacob Lake campground is situated as roughly 8,000 feet and is located 30 miles southeast of Fredonia, Ariz., on U.S. Route 89A. The DeMotte campground is located about 25 miles south of the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center on Arizona Highway 67 at roughly 8,700 feet.

A complete list of amenities may be found at Recreation.gov by searching for the specific campground. Campers are reminded to be mindful of any rules associated with the campground and always maintain fire safety when making a campfire. To stay current with any fire restrictions in Arizona go to firerestrictions.us/az.

Additionally, the Kaibab Camper Village, which is privately owned and managed but surrounded by Kaibab National Forest, is also scheduled to be open from May 14 through Oct. 15. Kaibab Camper Village offers full RV hookups and tent sites, and is located just 40 miles from the Grand Canyon National Park North Rim.

For more information on Kaibab Camper Village, please visit kaibabcampervillage.com or call 928-643-7804.

To make reservations at the Jacob Lake campground or the DeMotte campground, please visit Recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777.

For additional information on all of the Kaibab National Forest recreational sites please visit fs.usda.gov/recmain/kaibab/recreation.

Forest Service Issues Decision on Historic Effort to Restore Forests on a Half Million Acres

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Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams [left] and Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart signed the Final Record of Decision for 4FRI’s 1st Environmental Impact Statement on Friday, April 17 in Flagstaff, AZ.

Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams [left] and Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart signed the Final Record of Decision for 4FRI’s 1st Environmental Impact Statement on Friday, April 17 in Flagstaff, AZ.

FLAGSTAFF — On Friday April 17 the Forest Service reached the next milestone in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) when Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart and Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams signed the final decision.  It results in accelerated forest restoration on more than a half million acres of national forests and grasslands.

Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell lauded the decision. “This is exceptional work of Forest Service employees and stakeholders who joined together to support this historic endeavor,” he said. “This restoration work will contribute significantly to our efforts to sustain healthy, resilient landscapes.  Support from these stakeholder groups will ensure we maintain this momentum for the long haul. That’s what it will take to make a difference.”

This achievement is the result of four national forests and more than 30 stakeholder groups joining together over five years to work on the largest landscape-scale restoration project ever analyzed in Forest Service history.   4FRI builds on many years of collaboration, research, and action since the mid-1990s. Over the past five years, the Forest Service has progressed toward accelerating restoration by implementing projects within the 4FRI landscape, using previous NEPA analyses. Progress continues with this final Record of Decision. It approves various restoration activities on over 586,000 acres of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests. These activities include thinning; prescribed burning; watershed and road maintenance; grassland, spring, and stream channel restoration; and habitat improvements.
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Williams looses Williams

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300-m-williamsWILLIAMS — Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams has accepted a position in the Pacific Northwest Region of the USDA Forest Service after serving in his current role since 2001. Williams was recently announced as the Forest Supervisor for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, headquartered in Wenatchee, Wash.

“I am thrilled to announce the selection of Mike Williams as the new Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Supervisor,” said Jim Peña, Pacific Northwest Regional Forester. “Mike is a proven leader and he brings an extensive set of skills and experience to the Northwest spanning fire ecology, restoration and natural resource management. His experience in community relations and collaboration will be a great asset to the forest and region.”

Williams became Forest Supervisor of the Kaibab National Forest in 2001 and has since worked diligently on improving forest health and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems through efforts such as the Four Forest Restoration Initiative and reintroducing fire on a landscape scale. Williams has worked for the Forest Service for more than 30 years and has served in many leadership roles throughout the agency. During that time, he has maintained a commitment to community relations and collaboration as key elements in achieving results on the ground.

“I started my permanent Forest Service career in the Pacific Northwest and am really excited to return,” Williams said. “At the same time, it is with great sadness that I leave the Kaibab National Forest and its employees and partners. We have set the stage for an unprecedented scope and scale of forest management work in northern Arizona in the coming years, and I expect that important work to continue. I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish through a commitment to shared stewardship of our public lands.”

Williams is a native of southern Minnesota and grew up in a small agricultural town north of the Iowa border. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in forest resource management from the University of Minnesota College of Forestry. His first permanent job with the Forest Service was on the Siuslaw National Forest on the Oregon coast in 1977. Subsequent jobs took him to northern California and assignments on the Klamath, Plumas and Lassen national forests. He was a district ranger on two forests in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains for more than a dozen years and also served on the forest management staff at Forest Service national headquarters.

Williams will report to his new assignment next month.