Category Archives: State Government

Northern Arizona drivers should plan for delays during overnight closures of Interstate 40 September 16 and 19

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BELLEMONT – The Arizona Department of Transportation urges northern Arizona drivers on Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff to prepare for delays while crews fully close Interstate 40 and begin work to replace the bridges at Exit 185 near the community of Bellemont.

The work will require the following overnight closures next week:

  • Eastbound I-40 will close at Bellemont (Exit 185) from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday, September 16.
  • Westbound I-40 will close at Bellemont (Exit 185) from 7 p.m. to midnight Thursday, September 19.
  • During these interstate closures, Transwestern Road passing over I-40 will also be closed.

DETOUR: I-40 traffic will be re-routed onto the ramps alongside I-40 through the construction zone.

Input sought from elk hunters to help guide management of state’s herds

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is asking all elk hunters to submit data from their upcoming hunts to assist the department in managing the state’s herds.

AZGFD’s goal is to receive a completed questionnaire from each hunter who was issued a hunt permit-tag, whether or not that hunter harvested an elk or participated in a hunt. AZGFD will use that data to estimate harvest and hunter participation, along with population surveys, to set hunt permit-tag numbers.

A questionnaire will be mailed (or emailed) to each elk hunter, to be completed and returned to the department after the hunt. Other options include using a link or scanning a QR code, which are located on the back of the questionnaire. A questionnaire and link also can be found on the reverse side of the hunt permit-tag.

Meanwhile, hunters who are successful harvesting a bull elk in Game Management Units 1, 9, 10 or 23 are being asked to submit a tooth from the animal. These units are managed under alternative management guidelines to provide higher hunt success and more abundant, older, age-class elk.

In order to manage herds in accordance with these guidelines, it’s important to collect additional data on the age of harvested elk. All successful applicants who received hunt permit-tags in these units will receive a mailing that includes a return envelope in which to send back a tooth.

For more information, email AZGFD’s big game management supervisor, Amber Munig, at amunig@azgfd.gov.

Plan for lane restrictions on Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff September 7-8

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BELLEMONT – The Arizona Department of Transportation advises northern Arizona drivers who use Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff to plan for eastbound lane closures and restrictions this weekend and to allow extra travel time.

Drivers should plan for travel delays while eastbound I-40 is narrowed to one lane at Bellemont (Exit 185) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8.

The restrictions are necessary so crews can continue work to replace the bridges on I-40, approximately 13 miles west of Flagstaff. The project is scheduled for completion this fall.

More project information is available here.

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

ADOT: No highway closures over Labor Day Weekend

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PHOENIX – Arizona drivers can look ahead to open highways and no scheduled construction closures over Labor Day weekend. The Arizona Department of Transportation and contractors will not schedule any construction or maintenance-related closures along state highways between Friday afternoon and late Monday, September 2.

Motorists should still plan ahead and expect heavy traffic during peak travel times on highways to and from popular destinations, including the state’s high country and California beaches.

ADOT also will work with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and local first responders in clearing crashes, disabled vehicles or other incidents that can cause travel delays.

Drivers have the most important role in keeping highways safe at all times, including holiday weekends. Motorists should focus on safe driving behavior, including using seat belts, obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions and not allowing impaired people to get behind the wheel. Being prepared for changing weather conditions, including blowing dust and potentially heavy rain, is another important safety measure as the summer travel season winds down.

Last year, nine people were killed in eight fatal crashes on Arizona roadways, including local streets, over Labor Day weekend. Four of those fatal crashes involved alcohol.

ADOT will position personnel and equipment in areas along heavily traveled highways during peak times this weekend, including I-17 and State Route 87 north of the Phoenix area. Those crews will be prepared to assist AZDPS troopers and local emergency responders in clearing travel lanes if crashes or other incidents occur.

While no weekend closures are scheduled along state highways during the Labor Day period, motorists should be prepared to slow down and merge safely in existing improvement project work zones.

Free Wood Cutting Opportunity at Game and Fish Wildlife Area

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FLAGSTAFF — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has authorized by permit only, fuel wood cutting and removal on the Lamar Haines Wildlife Area (LHWA).

The permits, which are free to the public, help to decrease the threat of a catastrophic wild fire, protect the area’s unique cultural and historical value and to improve the area’s wildlife habitat. The LHWA is located approximately three miles up Snow Bowl Road northwest of Flagstaff.

The public can only obtain a permit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AZGFD) Flagstaff regional office at 3500 Lake Mary Road. The wood cutting season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 15.

Anyone obtaining a permit must adhere to several requirements:

● All permit holders must sign an agreement and waiver of liability forms and carry the agreement form with them while cutting, gathering, and transporting firewood.
● Fuel wood cutting is for personal use only and the wood may not be sold. The permit is only issued for the LHWA and does not include other department wildlife areas, public, or private lands.
● Vehicle access is authorized only within the LHWA while actively engaged in wood cutting and gathering, no off-road driving is allowed.
● Fuel wood cutting is only for dead and down wood, no live standing or dead standing wood may be cut.
● All permit holders must be 18 years or older.

“The department has decided to provide this unique opportunity in an effort to maintain a healthy wildlife area, while giving the public the chance to collect free firewood,” said Rob Nelson, AZGFD habitat program manager. “There is a lot of dead and downed wood at Lamar Haines and we need help removing it.”

More detailed directions to LHWA will be available when obtaining the wood cutting permit.

The LHWA is owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and consists of approximately 160 acres of relatively undeveloped old-growth forest and wet meadow.

The property was originally patented under the Homestead Act by Ludwig Veit in 1892, and purchased by the Jenks family in 1928. It was acquired by the department in 1948 as a water source for wildlife on the southwest slope of Agassiz Peak.

Currently, the property is a valuable wildlife area located in old growth forest habitat.

Last chance: Space still available for “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” workshop

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PRESCOTT — There are still a few spots available for the “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” (BOW) workshop on September 6-8 at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott.

The program introduces women to outdoors skills in an enjoyable, non-threatening environment with expert instructors. Classes include horsemanship, rappelling, wilderness medicine, birding, hiking, archery, fly and warmwater fishing, paddling a kayak, and shotgun/rifle/pistol shooting, among more than 30 others.

Evenings and mornings are filled with fun and entertainment, including bird walks, yoga, fly tying, night fishing and presentations. Participants stay in rustic cabins, but there are showers and bathrooms in each cabin, and a central dining hall for meals.

Class materials, food and lodging are all included in the $275 registration fee (horsemanship and ropes challenge are $50 extra each).

The program is sponsored by the Arizona Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

For more information and to register, visit https://azwildlife.org/bow or contact Kim at (480) 201-7456 or Linda at (623) 979-4612.

Elk workshop at Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area scheduled for October 5

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PINETOP — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is again partnering with the Arizona Elk Society White Mountain Chapter (AES) to offer an elk natural history and viewing workshop Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area near Eagar.

Workshop presentations will begin at 11 a.m. and are followed by an early dinner AES. Maps will be provided to nearby areas with likely elk viewing opportunities. Sipe Wildlife Area has several hiking trails where you might see elk or other wildlife.

Late September to early October is breeding season, making it the best time of year to view local elk. The bulls will bugle as they battle to gather cow elk into harems and it is truly an awesome time of year to experience this unique wildlife event.

The workshop will be limited to 150 participants and costs $20 per person for each reservation. The dinner is a fundraiser for the AES, whose mission is to enhance the quality of wildlife habitat as well as teaching our next generation the importance of being responsible stewards of our national heritage our great outdoors.

Dinner will include a hamburger, side and dessert. Water and refreshments will also be provided. Children must be at least 12 years old to participate.

Workshop topics covered include:

  • Elk natural history
  • Elk management in Arizona
  • History of Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area
  • How to choose the best optics for wildlife viewing or hunting
    Elk calling
  • Wildlife Photography by AZGFD photographer George Andrejko OR
  • How to get started hunting by AES​​​​​​​

Directions to Sipe
Take Highway 191 south to Eagar towards Alpine; you’ll see the turnoff signs just two miles outside of Eagar. Follow the graded dirt road, suitable for passenger cars, about five miles to the property.

Additional information
If you plan on looking for elk after the workshop, please wear long pants and hiking/comfortable shoes. Participants might be walking distances of a quarter-mile or more in low light conditions.

Be prepared for a cool night and possible rain; layering would be best. Also, try to wear dark or camo clothing. White or bright clothes will alert wildlife when participants are near. Bring a headlamp or flashlight, binoculars or spotting scope if you have one, a camera and water.

For more information contact Diane Tilton at the Arizona Game and Fish Pinetop Office at (928) 532-3691 or email dtilton@azgfd.gov. To register for the event, visit www.arizonaelksociety.org.

New mobile app with hourly air quality forecasts for certain Arizona cities

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) launched new hourly forecasts for Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Nogales and surrounding areas on the Air Arizona mobile app. These forecasts can be used to help residents and visitors better plan their outdoor activities through the day to minimize the impacts of air pollution.

“A team of meteorologists at ADEQ creates the hourly forecasts every morning,” said acting Air Quality Division Director Daniel Czecholinski. “Our meteorologists provide expertise on the factors that affect air quality, producing a more accurate picture of how it fluctuates through the day and impacts people’s daily lives and that of their families.”
Available in English and Spanish, Air Arizona provides information for the following areas of the state:

Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Nogales and surrounding areas

  • Hourly air quality forecasts for the next 5 days
  • Alerts sent to your device’s home screen when a High Pollution Advisory or Health Watch is in effect
  • Tips for how you can help improve air quality | 5 Things You Can Do To Help Improve Air Quality

Globe/Miami and Hayden/Winkelman

  • Air quality forecasts, alerts and notifications sent to your device’s home screen for pollutants emitted during mineral processing activities
  • Pollution reduction efforts
  • Historical pollution data

Flagstaff area drivers should plan for overnight closures of McConnell Drive under Interstate 17

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FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Transportation advises Flagstaff drivers who use McConnell Drive to plan for a full overnight road closure next week beginning tonight, while crews continue work to replace the McConnell Bridge on I-17/SR 89A.

McConnell Drive under I-17 will be closed in both directions nightly from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning Monday, August 19,through the morning of Friday, August 23.

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 and is scheduled in three phases over two years with completion scheduled for fall 2020.

AZGFD to host webcast on hunt management approaches August 15

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PHOENIX — In an ongoing effort to better serve its constituents, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will host a webcast to provide an update on existing hunt management approaches, recent projects and to gather public input.

Those who access the webinar from 6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 15, will be able to submit questions, comments or concerns about existing hunt management approaches or hunt guidelines to Amber Munig, big game management supervisor, who will open the online discussion with a short presentation. Other department personnel also will be available during the webcast to address input as it relates to specific game management units (GMUs) or regions.

The webcast can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/webcast, or in person at any department office statewide. Those locations include:

AZGFD headquarters: 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix
AZGFD (Region I): 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop
AZGFD (Region II): 3500 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff
AZGFD (Region III): 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman
AZGFD (Region IV): 9140 E. 28th St., Yuma
AZGFD (Region V): 555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson
AZGFD (Region VI): 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa

The public can email questions during the webcast to AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov. All questions pertaining to hunt management approaches or hunt guidelines will be addressed at the end of the presentation.

The existing hunt management approaches or hunt guidelines provide the biological and social parameters used by wildlife biologists to develop annual hunt recommendations (season structures, season lengths, season dates, permits allocated, etc.). These recommendations result in the annual hunts in which licensed hunters may participate.

While hunting opportunity is important, wildlife is held in the public trust; therefore, using science-based principles to shape the guidelines process remains paramount to ensure healthy, sustainable and diverse wildlife populations in perpetuity.

AZGFD continues to seek feedback on how to best meet the demands of the hunting public, while finding ways to develop new opportunities that help pass along our hunting heritage to future generations.

For those who miss the webcast, it will be recorded and available to be viewed at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Guidelines/. Additional comments can be emailed to AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov.