Category Archives: Kaibab National Forest

Early opportunity to preview 4FRI final environmental impact statement and draft record of decision

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350-4friFLAGSTAFF – The Forest Service is providing the public with an early opportunity to preview the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (DROD) for Phase 1 of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).  The FEIS and DROD for the first analysis area on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests will be available by November 21, 2014 at the 4FRI website.

In order to allow additional time for public consideration of these extensive documents, online access to the FEIS and DROD is being made available prior to the official start of the formal objection period.

“This environemntal analysis and the subsequent decision will help shape restoration action on almost a million acres for a decade,” said Kaibab National Forest Supervisor, Mike Williams. “An early preview will give the public extra time to review, understand, and ask questions about a significant step forward for our landscape.”

The FEIS analyzes about one million acres on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in northern Arizona. The Coconino and Kaibab National Forests are proposing 586,110 acres of restoration activities with approximately 355,708 acres on the Flagstaff, Mogollon, and Red Rock districts of the Coconino NF and 230,402 acres on the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab NF. The completed environmental analysis and a subsequent final ROD for Phase 1, provide the legal authority to accelerate restoration activities.

“The FEIS and DROD incorporate years of stakeholder and public input including key concerns such as the protection of large and old trees. Meaningful collaboration continues to be essential to our success on this project,” added Williams.

In accordance with federal regulations, the Forest Service will offer a 45-day formal objection period on the FEIS, which will begin with the publication of the Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register.  The NOA is expected to be published in early December 2014.

Kaibab National Forest to sell Christmas tree permits later this month

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2012 Mountain Village Holiday tree.

2012 Mountain Village Holiday tree.

WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest will sell over-the-counter Christmas tree tags for each of its three ranger districts later this month. The permit will allow the holder to cut a tree of a particular species within a designated area on the Kaibab National Forest until Dec. 24.

The tags will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone. Tags are $15 per tree. No refunds will be made, even if weather conditions prevent access to cutting areas. Tags for the North Kaibab Ranger District will be available starting Nov. 20, while tags for the Williams and Tusayan districts will be available starting Nov. 21. Customers will be provided a map that shows the designated cutting areas along with additional Christmas tree cutting instructions. The number of available tags and contact information for each ranger district is as follows:

No. of Permits Available Location Contact Information Hours
800 North Kaibab Ranger District 430 S. Main St., Fredonia, AZ 86022
(928) 643-7395		 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

The office will also be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following select weekend days: Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13.
500 Tusayan Ranger District 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Tusayan, AZ 86023
(928) 638-2443		 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

The Tusayan office will be open for limited hours on Nov. 17, Nov. 19, Nov. 21, Nov. 24 and Nov. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Tusayan office will be closed entirely on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20.
200 Williams Ranger District 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046
(928) 635-5600		 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Note: The Williams Ranger District office will also have 100 tags available for the Tusayan Ranger District.

Prescribed Fires Continue to Restore the Landscape

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Kaibab Forest burn crews watch the line along Perkinsville Road.

Kaibab Forest burn crews watch the line along Perkinsville Road.

WILLIAMS – With the primary objective of protecting the Williams, AZ watershed, fire managers will continue prescribed burning operations south of Bill Williams Mountain in the Twin project areas, during the week of October 26, 2014. This on-going effort to remove accumulated hazardous fuels is part of the multi-dimensional process of accelerated forest restoration taking place over time.

The Twin project areas are located on the southern base of Bill Williams Mountain immediately north of FR 122, also known as the Twin Springs Road. The planned project area is approximately 620 acres and smoke impacts are expected to be light to moderate. Smoke may be visible from Williams, AZ and surrounding communities, Interstate 40, State Route 89 and County Road 73.

All prescribed fire activity is dependent on regional Forest Service approval, personnel availability, weather – including winds and ventilation, and approval from the ADEQ.

Lights from a Friday night high school football game shine through smoke settling over Williams.

Lights from a Friday night high school football game shine through smoke settling over Williams.

Tree Removal Begins in Timber Sale Area on Kaibab National Forest

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WILLIAMS – Tree removal has begun in a timber sale area on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest located just north of Parks, Ariz., and will continue through at least the end of November.

The Wright Hill timber sale area, which is about 2,300 acres in size, is bounded to the south by the El Paso Gas Pipeline, to the west by Forest Road (FR) 76, to the north by FR 785B, and to the east by Spring Valley Road.

Objectives of the timber sale include reducing tree densities in the wildland/urban interface, which is the area where forest and communities meet, in order to lower wildfire risk; improving wildlife habitat and diversity; reducing infection levels of dwarf mistletoe, which is a parasitic plant that can severely damage tree health and vigor; improving understory conditions; restoring historic grasslands and savannahs; and, enhancing overall forest health.

High Desert Investments is the contractor performing the tree removal and hauling work. Residents and visitors can expect to see heavy equipment and workers in the timber sale area and along haul routes. Specifically, material will be driven on FR 58 and FR 785B east to Spring Valley Road and then south to old Route 66 and Interstate 40. Safety signs have been posted in the area to inform members of the public about the operations. Up to 10 truckloads of material may be hauled daily between Monday and Friday. No operations are expected on weekends. Workers may also be traveling to and from West Triangle Pit occasionally to haul cinders.

Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not cut firewood from the log decks nor climb on them at any time due to the possibility of collapse.

The Wright Hill timber sale is part of the larger Spring Valley Urban/Wildland Interface Fuels Reduction Project intended to improve forest health and reduce wildfire potential in the greater Parks area.

Tusayan treatment fires

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640-TusayanTUSAYAN – Fire managers anticipate starting multiple prescribed fire treatment projects on the Tusayan Ranger District as early as Thursday. Officials hope to treat approximately 3,000 acres with fire before wet weather conditions arrive for the winter.

Prescribed fire treatments require that fire managers continuously monitor weather and fuel conditions throughout the treatment process in order to ensure firefighter and visitor safety. The following prescribed treatments are scheduled for the upcoming week but will only be implemented only once conditions are favorable to do so:

Russell Prescribed Fire: The Russell project is comprised of three burn units totaling about 800 acres, and is located adjacent to the Russell Tank area on the east side of the district. This burn unit is mainly comprised of ponderosa pine with oak and juniper. Forest Service Road (FSR) 311 and a section of the Arizona Trail will be within the immediate area to be treated. The trail will remain open to the public but users are asked to avoid active sections of the trail where fire is present and use caution when traveling through the area.

Scott Prescribed Fire: The Scott project is comprised of three burn units totaling about 800 acres, and is located within the vicinity of FSR 310 and west of the Grand View Lookout Tower along FSR 2719. This burn unit is mainly comprised of ponderosa pine. A section of the Arizona Trail falls within one burn unit near the Grand Canyon National Park boundary and will remain open during operations; however, hikers are asked to use caution and follow the direction of fire personnel when moving through the area. Smoke may be visible from State Highway 64 along the east rim drive, but is not expected to significantly hinder the air quality.

Flying J Prescribed Fire: The Flying J project is located just west of the town of Tusayan and is approximately 450 acres. Fire Managers will evaluate conditions closely with this project due to its proximity to developed areas in the vicinity. Smoke mitigation will be a top priority and will influence decisions prior to ignitions taking place and throughout daily operations. Smoke will be visible from rural areas and along State Highway 64.

Ignitions Begin Today on Oquer Rx

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640-OquerFREDONIA – As weather conditions continue to present ideal conditions for prescribed burning on the North Kaibab Ranger District, North Zone fire managers are preparing to implement a prescribed fire treatment on the Oquer project today.

The Oquer project is 3,541 acres in size and is located within the central portion of the district. The unit is bound by Forest Service Road (FSR) 761 on the north/northwest side, FSR 418F on the southwest side, FSR 418B on the south/southeast side and FSR 1025 to 1025B to 761Y on the northeast side, and is predominately comprised of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer with scattered clumps of aspen.

Objectives specific to this season’s prescribed treatments include improving a defensible space in the Wildland/Urban Interface within the North Kaibab Ranger District developed areas, expediting the development of northern goshawk habitat, increasing landscape resilience to wildfire, insects and disease, returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem, improving forest health and sustainability and enhancing public safety.

During these prescribed treatments, visitors may see fire personnel and fire vehicles in the vicinity when any prescribed fire is being implemented. Visitors should drive slowly, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel are working.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest 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.

Lightning caused wildfires burning in the Kaibab

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Managed fires were started yesterday to combat Sitgreaves and Duck fires. View from I-40

Managed fires were started yesterday to combat Sitgreaves and Duck fires. View from I-40

PARKS/TUSAYAN/FREDONIA – The Williams area is experiencing the first fires of the season. The Sitgreaves and Duck fires are located in the area of Parks and the McRae fire is located in the Tusayan Ranger District. The fires are lightning caused. The Quaking fire, reported today, is burning near Fredonia in the North Kaibab Ranger District. The forest service has identified areas in which the fires may spread and are conducting preventative managed burns.

Sitgreaves fire visible from Williams.

Sitgreaves fire visible from Williams.

In the Williams Ranger District, the Sitgreaves Fire is 350 acres located five-miles northwest of Parks. Aerial ignitions are being used to prevent the spread of the fire into areas identified by the forest service. The Duck fire located three-miles northwest of Parks has grown to 324 acres and is being monitored by fire crews. Some beneficial fires may be started to reduce standing densities to reduce the threat of high intensity wildfire. Smoke from both fires are visible from I-40.

“With recent deep moisture, we feel confident in a quick transition from extreme fire danger and the associated full suppression fire management strategies to managing natural fire to benefit our resources” says District Fire Management Officer, James Pettit.

The Tusayan Ranger District is fighting the 1500-acre McRae fire is located about five-miles southeast of Tusayan and smoke may be visible from State Route 64. While varying monsoonal precipitation and winds are likely to change fire behavior and growth over the next several days, general fire behavior is anticipated to be low intensity with 6-12 inch flame lengths. Crews are planning 500-acres of managed ignitions as needed within the planning area.

About eighty fire fighters are engaged in these three fires.

The 27-acre Quaking fire is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Fredonia in the North Kaibab Ranger District. There is no information as to the cause. Today crews are planning managed ignitions as needed along FSRs 271 and 206. No smoke impacts are anticipated at this time.

Fire restrictions lifted in Coconino and Kaibab

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640px-Kaibab-140709-02FLAGSTAFF – Due to significant and widespread rain and rapidly decreasing fire danger, the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in northern Arizona will lift all fire restrictions at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8.

640px-Kaibab-140709-01Managers typically lift fire restrictions when at least a half inch of precipitation has been received over more than two-thirds of the forests. To date, many areas of both forests have received double that amount of precipitation, with an inch or more of rain being reported in many locations. Fire danger has decreased dramatically from “extreme” last week to “moderate” today.

Besides lifting all fire restrictions, the Kaibab National Forest will also reopen the Bill Williams Mountain Watershed on the Williams Ranger District tomorrow morning, which had been closed to public entry due to wildfire risk. The Coconino National Forest is evaluating conditions in Fossil Creek and will make a determination later this week about the appropriate time to reopen the area.

“With the onset of the monsoon season, the low number of human-caused fire starts, and the availability of many firefighting resources, we are comfortable that it is the appropriate time to lift fire restrictions,” said Holly Kleindienst, deputy fire staff officer for the Kaibab National Forest. “Fire restrictions were extremely effective this year in reducing the number of fires caused by people. We are thankful to our visitors for their help in preventing fires by complying with the restrictions that were in effect.”

800px-bee-01The two forests initially implemented campfire and smoking restrictions on April 18. This was relatively early but was necessary due to a dry winter and impacts of long-term drought on the forests. Additional fire restrictions and area closures were implemented as the forests faced increasing levels of fire danger through the spring and summer.

While all fire restrictions will be lifted as of tomorrow, forest visitors are always expected to use caution with campfires and other potential ignition sources. For information on preventing human-caused fires.