Category Archives: State Government

Reward offered in North Rim deer poaching

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FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering up to $8,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of yet another suspected poacher.

The latest case involves a mule deer buck that was found dead near Mount Logan on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The deer was recovered in game management unit 13A off County Road 5 and is suspected to have been killed sometime between November 17 and 19.

A lawful deer hunt started November 17 in unit 13A, but evidence at the scene suggests that the mule deer buck was possibly poached and edible portions of the animal were left to waste.

“This crime was obviously not the behavior of ethical, responsible hunters,” said AZGFD Wildlife Officer Luke Thompson. “We’re asking anyone who may have been in the area or has knowledge of the crime to come forward with information on this case. Poaching is a crime against all Arizonans and will not be tolerated. One tip could be all that’s needed to bring a poacher to justice.”

Anyone with information about the case can call the Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll-free at (800) 352-0700 and provide case number 17-004571 or use the online form at www.azgfd.gov/ogt. Callers identities will be kept confidential and people can report anonymously if needed.

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant boosts ADOT crash-data gathering

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PHOENIX – A grant from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is helping the Arizona Department of Transportation collect fuller and more accurate vehicle crash data that, in turn, will help transportation engineers, law enforcement and researchers examine trends and causes of fatalities and serious injuries.

The $389,520 grant provides critical financial support for ADOT’s Crash Records Unit, including annual licensing fees to use Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS), a data collection and management tool. Through this grant money, ADOT provides access to TraCS to Arizona law enforcement agencies at no cost.

“TraCS is considered to be one of the best software platforms in the nation for managing electronic forms associated with traffic stops and crash reports,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Support from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and Director Alberto Gutier is invaluable to collecting crash data and identifying trends, helping make Arizona’s roads safer.”

ADOT is responsible under state law for compiling crash data and creating comprehensive reports that government agencies, nonprofit groups and other entities statewide use to improve traffic safety. That includes annual Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts reports.

The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is the focal point for highway safety issues in Arizona. The cabinet agency provides leadership by developing, promoting and coordinating programs; influencing public and private policy; and increasing public awareness of highway safety.

For more information about the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, please visit azgohs.gov.

For more information about ADOT, please visit azdot.gov.

Arizona launches Traffic Incident Management website for responders

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PHOENIX – A new website will help make traffic incident response more efficient and vehicle travel safer for motorists in Arizona.

Created by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Traffic Incident Management website – tim.az.gov – debuts this week with the goal of being the go-to resource for Arizona TIM responder training.
TIM freeway

“Effective Traffic Incident Management keeps the public safe, emergency responders safe and traffic moving,” said Derek Arnson, ADOT’s Traffic Management Group manager. “It’s important that everyone who responds to a traffic incident, from law enforcement to tow truck operators, are working together and following the same practices.”

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) is the coordinated practices, responsibilities and cooperation of emergency responders, which includes law enforcement, fire departments, medical services, transportation crews and tow truck operators, at traffic incidents. These coordinated efforts help keep crash victims and emergency responders safe, while restoring traffic flow.

A primary focus in building the website was to create a central location for all of Arizona’s incident responders to sign up for and receive TIM training.

While the website is geared toward emergency responders, tips for the public can be found there, too, including videos and infographics related to Arizona’s “Move Over” law, “Quick Clearance” and work-zone safety.

A plank road was once the way between Yuma and San Diego

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Arizonans think nothing of a quick weekend drive from Phoenix to San Diego’s beaches in about six hours. But a century ago, that trip could take the better part of two days across primitive roads and nearly impassable sand dunes.

Horses were more reliable for traversing sand dunes until enterprising road builders came up with a boardwalk for motorcars in 1915.

That’s right. Early adopters of horseless-carriage technology built a road of wooden planks across seven miles of sand west of Yuma in California. Arizona notably did not follow California down the path of building wooden roads.

The Plank Road and the Colorado River bridge at Yuma, completed in April 1915, were key steps forward for motorists traveling across the Southwest deserts in the early 20th century. Those advancements also were factors in competition between San Diego and Los Angeles to be the western terminus for a cross-country highway along a southern route.

The Colorado River State Historic Park in Yuma has a Plank Road display with a Model T automobile. There’s also a preserved section of the Plank Road at the Bureau of Land Management’s Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area south of Interstate 8 on the Gray’s Well Road about 12 miles west of Yuma. That’s where this Bureau of Land Management photo was taken.

Plank Road skeptics like civil engineer Joseph Lippincott, an Auto Club of Southern California consultant, pegged the wooden highway as “the most asinine thing he had ever heard of,” according to a San Diego Tribune report at the time.

But the road, despite its flaws, carried traffic for more than a decade until it was replaced in 1926 by an asphalt road that became US 80 and more recently Interstate 8.

One Yuma merchant praised the Plank Road. “It is no ride across the Sahara Desert, but rather a pleasure trip anyone can enjoy,” the man said, according to B. Johnny Rube in his 1996 book A Wooden Road Through the Hollow of God’s Hand.

Initially, the Plank Road was boards laid in parallel tracks to provide a path for adventurous drivers. In 1915, the California Highway Commission took over the Plank Road, installing 12-foot by 8-foot wooden sections on the dunes west of Yuma.

The knock on the one-lane Plank Road was that it forced drivers traveling in opposite directions to use pullouts every 1,000 feet to pass each other. Maintenance was a constant problem as horse-drawn scrapers were used to clear the sand, which damaged the planks and made for a rough ride. Sand drifted across the planks and drivers would “lose” the road and end up stuck in the sand. That created commerce for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indians whose horses served as the tow trucks of the era, pulling cars out of the sand and back onto the Plank Road, said Tina Clark, historian of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.

The Plank Road was an extension of previous methods early motorists used to get through sand dunes and other difficult terrain.

In 1910, the National Highway Association employed a pathfinder named A.L. Westgard to explore cross-country routes from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. He’s been described as the “Marco Polo of the Motor Age.”

While scouting a route called the Trail to Sunset , Westgard used rolls of canvas on the sand to get across the Yuma dunes. He later carried wooden planks on his vehicle to get across sand or mud flats, according Arizona Highways, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Is an OHV part of your hunting strategy? Buckle up

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PHOENIX — When hunting for big game, off-highway vehicles (OHVs) can be a key part of how hunters retrieve downed animals. In fact, sometimes it’s the only way to retrieve a harvested elk or bison. As hunters hit the trails on OHVs like side-by-sides, it’s important to buckle up if the vehicle is equipped with seatbelts.

Numerous fatal accidents this year have involved utility task vehicles (UTVs) that roll over and pin the operator underneath. Wearing a seatbelt is critical because it will help keep the operator and any passengers inside the UTV in the event of an accident.

“You wear your seatbelt when driving a car or truck, make that habit the same for operating an OHV,” said Josh Hurst, OHV law enforcement coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “If your off-highway vehicle is equipped with seatbelts, there’s no reason to not take the simple step of buckling up. Stay in the vehicle, stay alive.”

And if your kids are joining you on the hunt, helmets are required for all OHV operators and passengers under the age of 18 (but they’re strongly recommended for everyone).

In addition to seatbelts and helmets, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind when combining hunting and OHVs:

  • It’s illegal to discharge a firearm from a motor vehicle, including OHVs.
  • Ask for permission before operating an OHV on private roads and trails.
  • Off-trail use on Arizona public lands is illegal, with the exception of specific areas for the retrieval of lawfully taken big-game animals. Consult with the land management agency responsible for the area to find out about the rules and regulations.
  • Share the road with others whether they’re hunters on foot, OHV recreationists or anyone enjoying Arizona’s outdoors.

Any acts of vandalism or habitat destruction can be reported 24/7 to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 1-800-VANDALS hotline. It’s helpful to provide a license plate number and description of both the OHV and operator as well as a location of the activity so law enforcement personnel can follow up on the information.

If the illegal take of wildlife is witnessed, the department encourages anyone with information to report it to the Operation Game Thief hotline at 800-352-0700 or visit www.azgfd.gov/ogt. The department pays cash rewards to individuals whose reports of wildlife crimes lead to an arrest.

Get more information about OHV education and safety as well as rules and regulations at www.azgfd.gov/ohv.

ADOT and its plows are prepared for winter weather. Are you?

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PHOENIX – With winter on the horizon, the Arizona Department of Transportation has spent months preparing for snow and ice that storms will dump on the state’s higher elevations.

ADOT has 375 certified snowplow operators ready to operate the agency’s nearly 200 snowplows, which are stationed around the state to keep people and commerce moving when snow falls on highways.

Now it’s time for drivers to do their part, starting with following essential safety tips available at azdot.gov/KnowSnow to prepare themselves and their vehicles for winter travel. That includes slowing down, leaving extra room behind the next vehicle, taking along warm clothing, blankets, food and water, and packing an emergency kit.

Your preparations should include staying apprised of weather conditions and being ready to postpone travel so ADOT’s snowplows can clear roadways. A highway takes much longer to plow when it’s jammed with vehicles that had no business traveling on a roadway that’s slick with snow and ice. That happened last Christmas Eve, when a powerful storm dropped inches of snow per hour, closing a long stretch of Interstate 40 in a tangle of crashes and stranded vehicles that took many hours to clear.

A snowplow can’t clear a highway if it’s pulled out of service when another vehicle hits it. That happened several times last winter, fortunately without significant injures. Every vehicle, from semis to passenger cars, needs to give snowplows room to work – a minimum of four vehicle lengths to allow room to stop.

Avoid passing a snowplow that’s clearing a highway until the driver pulls over to let traffic pass. Never assume a snowplow operator knows your vehicle is nearby. If you can’t see the plow driver, there’s a good chance the driver can’t see you.

Always remember: The safest place on a highway when it’s snowing is behind a snowplow.

Heading to sled and throw snowballs? Do that in designated areas away from highways, not parked on shoulders, which are for emergencies only. Parking on a highway shoulder to play in the snow distracts other drivers and can interfere with first responders who may need to use the shoulder. If that isn’t reason enough, keep in mind that a snowplow can hurl large amounts of snow and ice well away from a highway.

ADOT recently installed signs along a stretch of US 180 northwest of Flagstaff reminding drivers that parking on the shoulder is for emergencies only.

Those heading to popular snow-play areas should be prepared to spend extended time in winter conditions, as traffic at day’s end is often heavy on highways including US 180 toward Flagstaff. In addition, highways can have extended closures from crashes and weather conditions.

Prepare for trips by visiting the ADOT Know Snow website (azdot.gov/KnowSnow), which has tips on making sure your vehicle is ready for winter driving, driving safely on highways with snow and ice, driving safely while snowplows work and packing supplies in case a vehicle becomes stranded. For example, a little cat litter or sand will provide traction if a vehicle becomes stuck along the roadway.

Before heading out, drivers can call 511 or visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov for the latest highway conditions. The website features real-time images along state highways that give drivers a glimpse of weather in various regions. ADOT’s Twitter account (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook page (facebook.com/AZDOT) are sources of real-time information and interaction.

When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, ADOT’s free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.

Hunters get second shot at doves beginning Friday

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PHOENIX – Arizona dove hunters will be able to double their wing-shooting pleasure when the state’s “second” season begins Friday, November 24.

Unlike the 15-day season that begins September 1, the late season lasts 45 days and runs through January 7, 2018. There still is a 15-bird daily bag limit, all of which must be mourning doves. The possession limit remains 45 mourning doves after opening day, of which no more than 15 may be taken in any one day. As always, there is an unlimited daily bag and possession limit for the invasive Eurasian collared-dove.

Here are a few things to remember to make the most of the upcoming season:

A license for youth hunters ages 10 to 17 is only $5. Children 9 and under do not need a license when accompanied by a licensed adult (two children per adult). Licenses can be purchased from any license dealer, regional department office or online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml. NOTE: All department offices will be closed Thursday, November 23, in observance of Thanksgiving. All offices will reopen 8 a.m. Friday, November 24.
Hunters 18 and older must purchase an Arizona migratory bird stamp for $5 from any license dealer, regional department office or online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml.
Shooting hours are 30 minutes before legal sunrise until legal sunset. On opening day in the Phoenix area, legal sunrise will be 7:08 a.m. Figure up to nine minutes earlier for eastern areas and nine minutes later for western areas.
One fully feathered wing must remain attached to each harvested dove until it reaches the hunter’s home.
Keep in mind that dove hunters are responsible for cleaning up after themselves. Shell casings (shotgun hulls) and associated debris constitute litter and must be picked up and packed out. Littering while hunting or fishing are revocable violations, and a conviction can result in the loss of hunting privileges for up to five years.
For everything “dove,” visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/species/smallgame/mourningdove.

Dove hunters play an important role in conservation. Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) funds are comprised of excise taxes collected on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment (including 11 percent on ammunition), the benefit of which comes right back to Arizona for habitat improvements, shooting ranges, boating access and more.

Here’s a fishing license deal ​​​​​​​you’ll want to gobble up

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PHOENIX — Happy Thanksgiving from the Arizona Game and Fish family to yours! At AZGFD, we are grateful for many things – especially you. Thank you for making Arizona’s outdoor heritage a part of your life.

To express our appreciation, between now and December 1, 2017, we’re offering a 25% discount on Arizona adult general fishing licenses and community fishing licenses purchased online. And as always, youth licenses (for ages 10-17) are only $5.

This is a great time of year to get outdoors, enjoy Arizona’s spectacular weather and scenery, and spend quality time fishing with family, friends and out-of-town visitors. Invite them to experience their own Arizona outdoor adventure!

Thank you for your loyalty, and may the upcoming holiday season be filled with happiness, BIG fish, and lots of outdoor memories.

FISHING LICENSES
General Fishing: Valid for take of all fish species statewide, including at Community Fishing waters.
Available to Residents and Non-residents Resident $37 Non-Resident $55
Community Fishing: Allows take of all fish species at Community Fishing waters.
Available to Residents and Non-residents Resident $24 Non-Resident $24

COMBINATION HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES Resident $57 Non-Resident $160
Hunt/Fish Combo: Valid for take of all fish species statewide (including at Community Fishing waters), small game, fur-bearing animals, predatory animals, certain nongame animals, and upland game birds. A valid tag or stamp is required for the take of big game animals and migratory game birds. Using this license to hunt big game requires a permit-tag (obtained through the big game drawing), or a nonpermit-tag (obtained at any Game and Fish office or at a Game and Fish authorized license dealer).

Still time to enter Polaris Ranger drawing to benefit SECC charity campaign​​​​​​​

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Each year the State Employees Charitable Campaign (SECC) gives State of Arizona employees the opportunity to voluntarily contribute monetary donations to support nonprofit agencies. The funds raised by state employees support more than 400 charities.

The state employee pledge drive for this year recently concluded, but the public still has an opportunity to assist the SECC campaign. Wildlife for Tomorrow, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to provide additional support for projects and education activities where traditional resources aren’t adequate, is offering, through a raffle, the chance to win a Polaris custom camouflage Ranger, generously donated by RideNow Powersports. Raffle tickets can be purchased online until December 2, 2017. The winning ticket will be drawn at random no later than December 8.

For more information or to purchase raffle tickets, visit the SECC website at https://secc.az.gov/2017-prizes-and-rules and click on the tabs to “WFT Polaris Ranger Raffle” and “WFT Raffle Rules.”

ADOT seeks input on I-15 Virgin River Bridge No. 1 rehabilitation project

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Virgin River Bridge #6 – ADOT Photo

PPHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking input from community members on a bridge rehabilitation project along Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge with a public hearing on November 29 in Littlefield.

Those attending the hearing, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 91 North, can review and comment on the draft environmental assessment for the bridge project. A formal presentation is scheduled from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The hearing will present three issues identified with Bridge No. 1 along I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge as well as a preferred design solution to replace the bridge and widen the roadway shoulders.

The draft environmental assessment, which is available for review through Dec. 14, can be reviewed online at www.azdot.gov/i15ea and at the following locations during business hours:

Mesquite Library, 121 W. First North Street, Mesquite, Nevada
Washington County Library-St. George Branch, 88 W. 100 South Street, Street George, Utah
Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 91 North, Littlefield, Arizona

Outside of the public hearing, community members can provide comments on the draft environmental assessment through the following ways:

  1. In writing: I-15, Bridge 1, 101 N. First Avenue, Suite 2600, Phoenix, AZ 85003
  2. Online: www.azdot.gov/VRB1Comments
  3. Email: projects @adot.gov
  4. Phone: 855.712.8530