Category Archives: Kaibab National Forest

Red Flag Warning in effect today for North Kaibab and Tusayan Districts

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TUSAYAN — The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for today from noon to 8 p.m. that covers the North Kaibab and Tusayan ranger districts of the Kaibab National Forest, as well as other areas of northern Arizona, due to strong winds and low relative humidity.

Visitors to the North Kaibab and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest are advised to refrain from having a campfire when Red Flag Warning conditions exist. This advisory covers all campfires across the districts, including in developed campgrounds.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected and that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create an increased potential for large fire growth. The campfire advisory remains in effect until the Red Flag Warning ends.

The Kaibab National Forest is committed to educating visitors about their role in helping prevent unwanted, human-caused fires. Avoiding having campfires on windy days is one way they can do that.

Tusayan Ranger District fuelwood permits available in Cameron

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TUSAYAN — The Kaibab National Forest will issue free-use, paid personal-use and ceremonial fuelwood permits for the Tusayan Ranger District out of the Forest Service office in Cameron, which is located just south of the Cameron Chapter House, beginning this month. The fuelwood permits will be available out of the Cameron office from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Daylight Savings Time on the following dates:

  • April 23
  • May 15
  • June 11
  • July 16
  • Aug. 13
  • Sept. 10
  • Oct. 8
  • Oct. 29
  • Nov. 12
  • Nov. 19
  • Dec. 10
  • Dec. 17

Permits are also available at the Tusayan Ranger District office, 176 Lincoln Log Loop in Tusayan, (928) 638-2443, during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Permits will be issued for dead and down (dead standing and downed trees) and green fuelwood cutting. Dead and down permits are sold for $5 per cord. Green permits are $10 per cord. There is a minimum purchase of $20 per permit. Cords will be sold in increments to meet the $20 minimum. Free-use permits will also be issued for the removal of downed wood within designated areas. A maximum of six cords (combined) of paid fuelwood may be purchased per household. An additional four cords of free-use fuelwood may also be issued.

The Kaibab National Forest has a policy for providing free forest products to Native Americans for traditional and cultural uses. A permit is required for the collection of fuelwood for ceremonial purposes. Detailed information about the policy is available on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/fuelwood or by contacting Mae Franklin at (928) 679-2037 or mfranklin@fs.fed.us. Ceremonial use permits are only available on the Kaibab National Forest during fuelwood season, so interested individuals should ensure they get them prior to the close of the season.

Visitors to the Kaibab National Forest are reminded to always be extremely careful with fire. Fuelwood cutters should be aware that chainsaws can throw sparks and ignite grasses and brush. Always carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher or water in case of a fire start. Additionally, all chainsaws must be equipped with a stainless steel spark arrestor screen. Cutters should check with forest offices periodically for information about the implementation of fire restrictions. For additional information on permits available out of the Forest Service office in Cameron, please contact Mae Franklin at (928) 679-2037 or mfranklin@fs.fed.us.

Kaibab National Forest seeks comments on adding camping corridors

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is seeking public comments on an Environmental Assessment released today that analyzes the potential effects of adding camping corridors and making other changes to the transportation system of the Williams and Tusayan ranger districts.

The document and background information are available on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://go.usa.gov/kpQV. The 30-day comment period begins today and runs through May 11.

Specifically, the Kaibab National Forest is proposing to:

  • Designate approximately 291 miles of camping corridors along all or portions of several system roads on both districts. The corridors would extend 200 feet from either side of the centerline of the road, except where limited by topographical factors, resource concerns or private land.
  • Add 15 spur roads to the open road system on the Tusayan district. These spurs total 1.3 miles and would provide access to areas historically used for motorized camping.
  • Close approximately 9 miles of currently open roads across the two districts.
  • Add approximately 16 miles of roads to the open road system across the two districts. This includes 12 miles of formerly closed roads and 4 miles of user-created routes.
  • Develop an adaptive management strategy for making future changes to the transportation system for the two districts based on changing needs and/or new information.

Besides the proposed action, the Environmental Assessment also analyzes the potential effects of other alternatives such as varying corridor widths.

The proposed action and alternatives were all developed based on several years of monitoring following implementation of the Travel Management Rule on the two districts, which included documenting public concerns about recreational access and other issues.

Additional information and methods to submit comments are available at http://go.usa.gov/kpQV

Fire managers issue moderate fire danger rating today

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forestWILLIAMS — Effective immediately, fire managers are raising the fire danger rating to “moderate” across the Williams Ranger District, Tusayan Ranger District and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The fire danger rating on the North Kaibab Ranger District and the North Zone of the Grand Canyon National Park remain low, but North Zone fire managers are continuously monitoring conditions on the Kaibab Plateau and will increase fire danger levels to moderate when appropriate.

Forest visitors are reminded to use extreme caution when camping as warming temperatures, lack of precipitation, lowering humidity levels and high winds are ideal conditions for wildfires to spark up. Visitors are also reminded to check with local district ranger offices and ask if any fire restrictions are in effect, as this can quickly change.

Fire managers use the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) to assist in determining Preparedness Levels and when Campfire and Smoking restrictions may be implemented. Using this tool helps Fire Managers to identify critical times when fires can become difficult to control.

For more information on fire activity updates, please call or visit: Fire Information Line: 928-635-8311

Gosar submits bill for cull hunt of bison at Grand Canyon

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(Because of the deadline for this article, the office of Representative Gosar could not be reached for comment)

White Bison at Bearizona Wildlife Park.

White Bison at Bearizona Wildlife Park.

WASHINGTON — In 1906, Charles “Buffalo” Jones brought bison to northern Arizona in an unsuccessful attempt to breed them with cattle. The descendants of these bison have been managed since 1950 by the state of Arizona in the House Rock Wildlife Area (HRWA) on the Kaibab National Forest, through an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In 1990 the 1990 the bison started moving to the top of the Kaibab Plateau and into the Grand Canyon National Park.

The Grand Canyon National Park began a request for input on a Bison Management Plan that ended in June of 2014. The effort was an attempt to balance their mission to secure natural vegetation, archeological sites and water resources while maintaining the bison as wildlife.

On March 18, Paul Gosar [R-AZ-4] submitted H.R. 1443 (S. 782 in the Senate by McCain) to permit a cull hunt for Bison at the Grand Canyon National Park.

The bill calls for the Secretary of the Interior to publish a management plan for Bison no later than 180 days after H.R. 1443 is enacted. The plan would be to reduce, through humane lethal culling by skilled public volunteers and other non-lethal means the population of Bison in the park.

Skilled public volunteers are defines as those with a valid hunting license issued by the State of Arizona and other qualifications the Secretary may require after consulting with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Kirby Shedlowski, Acting Public Affairs Officer at Grand Canyon National Park, said, “In order have allowed cull, there’s usually a very large management planning process.”

She said, “There has never been a cull hunt for bison at the Grand Canyon. There has been a cull on the forest. On the Kaibab Forest on the north side.”

Kirby said she was not sure of cull hunts for Bison in other parks, such as Yellowstone. “There are different culling hunts in different parks for different animals. Rocky Mountain did it for elk. Rock Creek Park has done it for white-tail deer. Getteysburg has done it for white-tail deer. But, as far as Bison go—I’m not sure. But Grand Canyon National Park has never had a cull for Bison.”

Kaibab National Forest treats almost 3,000 acres with Heritage Grant

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image006WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest recently completed treatment of almost 3,000 acres of grassland on the Williams Ranger District using a $50,000 Heritage Grant awarded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Specifically, the Kaibab National Forest used an agra-axe, which is a tree shearing machine, to remove encroaching junipers and other conifers from 2,901 acres of a historic grassland in the far northern corner of the Williams district near White Hill. The purpose of the work was to restore habitat for ferruginous hawks, burrowing owls, golden eagles, Gunnison’s prairie dogs and pronghorn antelope.

“This funding was obtained specifically to address non-game species that rely on grassland habitat in northern Arizona,” said Justin Schofer, wildlife biologist. “Interest in and funding for grassland restoration for game species has been a longtime, worthwhile and ongoing effort. Through the Heritage Grant program, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has shown its commitment to restoration for non-game species such as hawks, prairie dogs and other wildlife that also rely on grassland habitat.”

The agra-axe project involved cutting about 100 to 300 trees per acre in the grassland. Many large trees were retained to provide important foraging perches and suitable nesting habitat for ferruginous hawks and other raptors. Cut trees were often crushed, which improves the line of sight for Gunnison’s prairie dogs and other wildlife species. Also, pinyon and juniper trees on rocky hills and outcrops were left, as they historically served as nesting and roosting habitat.

Functioning grasslands are declining across the Southwest due to a variety of factors, which is resulting in loss of wildlife habitat and other negative impacts to ecosystem health. By removing encroaching trees and conducting prescribed burns on a broad scale, forest managers hope to reduce tree densities, reestablish natural fire regimes, and promote grassland-associated wildlife species.

The completed 2,901-acre project complements other work accomplished on the district in recent years as well as future projects being planned to restore historic grasslands. Due to their important ecological role, the Kaibab National Forest has identified restoring grasslands by reducing tree encroachment and restoring fire as a priority in its recently revised Land and Resources Management Plan. Plan objectives include reducing tree density to less than 10 percent on 5,000 to 10,000 acres of historic grasslands annually.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund Grant Program provides funding for wildlife conservation programs in Arizona. It was established in 1992 as a way to promote outreach in order to enhance important partnerships and generate fresh approaches in support of the department’s mission. Since inception, the department has awarded more than $13 million in support of more than 670 projects throughout the state.

Oregon Congressman submits bill limiting the ability of Forest Service and BLM to create travel management plans

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Representative Walden of Oregon. (House Photo)

Representative Walden of Oregon. (House Photo)

WASHINGTON — Greg Walden of Oregon (R-2 district) introduced H.R. 1555, yesterday, which purports to require the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to obtain the consent of the local affected communities prior to implementing any travel management plans affecting access to National Forest System lands.

The Summary and Text of the bill is currently not posted so it is unclear how much limitiation will actually be included.

Congressman Walden wrote a letter earlier this month to Randy Moore and Jim Pena, U.S. Forest service Foresters for Region Five and Six, respectively. The letter was signed by all members of the Oregon delegation, five members from Washington State and one from California.

The letter complained about the manner in which the Forest Service holds their input sessions. The letter complains that the input sessions were urban focused and limited access to rural dwellers who would have difficulty traveling to the site to give their input. The letter stated:

For over 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan has profoundly impacted the communities within our districts and any revisions to the plan will have a similar effect. Holding only three listening sessions disadvantages our constituents in these rural communities. Many of our constituents would have to travel several hours and hundreds of miles to participate. The cost and time commitments involved would likely present an unacceptable hardship for many residents who would otherwise participate in these sessions.

Forest Service notices usually include electronic and mailing addresses for input, as well.

The current title of the bill is:

To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Service travel management rule and require the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to incorporate the needs, uses, and input of affected communities, and to obtain their consent, before taking any travel management action affecting access to National Forest System lands derived from the public domain or public lands, and for other purposes.

Kaibab National Forest seeks public input on grassland restoration project

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forest-image004WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comments on a proposed grassland restoration project on the forest’s Williams and Tusayan ranger districts that would restore the structure and function of grasslands and woodland areas by reducing tree densities, reestablishing natural fire regimes, and promoting grassland-associated wildlife species.

The detailed proposal and associated documents, including maps, are available on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44132. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit comments during the 30-day scoping period, which will run from March 24 to April 22.

Comments may be written, hand-delivered, oral, or electronically-delivered. Hand-delivered comments can be submitted to the Williams Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046, or to the Tusayan Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.

Comments may also be submitted via electronic mail to comments-southwestern-kaibab-williams@fs.fed.us. Please include “South Zone Grassland Restoration Project” in the subject line of the email.

The Southwestern landscape, including the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab, has been greatly altered over the past century by the encroachment of woody plants, particularly juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa pine, into areas that were formerly grasslands and open pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Many factors have played a role in this transition, including historical livestock grazing, fire suppression, changes in wildlife populations, and climate change. These factors have eliminated the vegetation necessary to carry low intensity surface fires across the landscape, thereby altering the natural fire regimes and allowing uncharacteristic forest succession to take place. Encroachment can alter water and nutrient cycling, impact soil integrity, and negatively impact wildlife habitat.

Forest managers are seeking to reduce this encroachment and move toward desired conditions by thinning conifer trees, conducting prescribed burns and implementing associated actions on a broad scale across the two southern districts of the Kaibab National Forest.

“Grasslands serve an important ecological role and provide habitat for wildlife including birds and mammals,” said Roger Joos, wildlife biologist and project lead. “Functional grasslands are much less abundant than they were historically, which reduces the amount of available habitat for grassland-associated species. Understanding the value of these grasslands and the threats they are facing, we recognize the need to work toward restoring them to healthier conditions.”

Tusayan Ranger District achieves goal of zero human-caused fires

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fire-20141020-1244212014, the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest achieved a longtime goal of zero human-caused wildfires. According to forest wildfire records, the last time the district had zero human fires was in 1965, exactly 50 years ago.

“Over the last three years, we have had a specific, written goal of reducing human-caused wildfires on the district to zero for the entire calendar year,” said Quentin Johnson, fire management officer for the Tusayan Ranger District. “Given that the district receives millions of visitors each year because it is located immediately adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park, we knew this would be an incredible challenge.”

Johnson added that while the district had been averaging about seven human-caused wildfires per year over the last 20 years, there were actually many summers during which 200 or more abandoned campfires had been found and extinguished by district fire personnel before they were declared wildfires.

The district’s success in 2014 was due largely to focused fire prevention efforts beginning almost 15 years ago that have chipped away at the leading cause of human fires on the district – abandoned campfires. Specifically, district fire prevention specialist Bob Blasi worked to gain compliance in dispersed camping areas and issued citations when necessary. With increased early-morning patrols, an extensive signing program, visits to local schools, Smokey Bear presence at local events, and a consistent prevention message for more than a decade, Blasi was able to systematically reduce the number of abandoned campfires and, therefore, the overall number of human-caused wildfires.

“This goal seemed almost impossible,” Blasi said. “Only one careless action by a single person can have a devastating outcome, as we see every year across this country somewhere in the wildlands of America. There were a couple years in the past decade when we only had two or three human-caused fires. It was then I realized that with a little extra effort focused on specific targets with increased fire prevention patrols, it might just be obtainable.”

Besides traditional fire prevention techniques such as patrols and signing, the Tusayan Ranger District has also been a leader in putting fire back on the landscape as frequently and broadly as conditions have allowed. Over the past 12 years, nearly 40 percent of the 327,250-acre Tusayan district has been treated with thinning and fire, which has contributed enormously to reducing human-caused wildfire.

“Because most of the popular camping areas have already been treated with fire at appropriate times of the year, these areas are less likely to catch on fire during the hottest, driest months,” Johnson said. “To truly prevent wildfire, you have to use all of the fire prevention tools available in combination.”

During the 2014 monsoon season alone, the Tusayan Ranger District managed more than 17,000 acres of fire across the landscape in order to improve forest health and reduce the likelihood of future high-severity fires resulting from sources such as abandoned campfires.

“Because of the support of fire managers, Kaibab National Forest leadership, the community and public, we have been able to go beyond just re-introducing fire into the ecosystem, to take it to the next level and demonstrate how when fire is managed responsibly, it becomes an integral part of obtaining desired forest health,” Blasi said. “This is the proof in the pudding. The more fire treatments we are able to successfully implement, the better chance we have of reducing and ultimately eliminating unwanted human-caused fire in our part of the forest.”

While focused fire prevention efforts have decreased the number of abandoned campfires in the Tusayan area, the challenge of eliminating all human-caused fires will continue. Each fire season brings a unique set of challenges including millions of new visitors to a popular tourist destination.

“If I were to designate one goal for the future, it would be that this record never last 50 years again,” Blasi said. “Eliminating human-caused fires is attainable through education, prevention and good stewardship.”

Kaibab National Forest Seeks Public Input on Project Proposal

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forest-image004FREDONIA— The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comments from the public on its proposal to implement vegetation management treatments in the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project area within 28,060 acres of the North Kaibab Ranger District.

The proposed Burnt Corral project, which lies within the southwest portion of the Kaibab Plateau, will improve forest health and vigor while enhancing habitat conditions by making them more resilient to change in the event of wildfire or other climatic condition changes such as drought.  The proposed project calls for mechanical thinning as well as the use of prescribed fire.

The public scoping letter and packet, which contains detailed information about the proposed project activities, was mailed out to the public and stakeholders yesterday. The scoping packet may be obtained electronically from the Kaibab National Forest website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=44236.

Participation of interested persons, state and local governments, and Native American tribes in the development of the Burnt Corral project is encouraged now and throughout the National Environmental Policy Act process. Public scoping and gathering public comments on the project’s Proposed Action is just the first step under the NEPA process.

Specific comments on this project will be accepted during the 30-day public review and comment period. Comments can be submitted electronically via fax or e-mail, or can be mailed or hand-delivered to the district office at 430 South Main Street in Fredonia on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project, please contact:

Garry Domis (NKRD Silviculturist – Project Lead)
U.S. Forest Service, Kaibab National Forest – North Kaibab Ranger District
430 S. Main Street, P.O. Box 248
Fredonia, AZ, 86022
(928) 643-8140