Tag Archives: Moonset Pit

Moonset Pit green waste disposal to begin May 4

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates will be re-opening Moonset Pit on May 4, 2024 for residents to dispose of green waste materials from private property.

The pit will be open every other Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. until September 7, 2024. Moonset Pit is located just west of the Parks community, east of Spitz Springs on the north side of old Route 66.

Green waste may be disposed at the pit only while staff is present. They may close due to lightning.

Local area residents are encouraged to take advantage this free opportunity as they make their private property defensible against the threat of wildfire this season.

Users may discard natural woody debris such a logs, limbs, branches, brush, needles, and leaves. Stumps/roots must be clear of dirt and rocks.

No bagged substances, lumber, construction material, household garbage or any other items can be deposited at the site.

This service would not be possible without the volunteers who have helped manage the site over the last 15+ years. For additional information or to volunteer to staff Moonset Pit, contact community coordinators Kathie Krushinksy, Sue Hamilton, or George Chambers. See attached flyer for contact information.

Moonset Pit to Re-open on May 8 for Green Waste Disposal Benefiting Local Communities

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates is pleased to announce the reopening of the Moonset Pit on May 8 of this year for residents to dispose of green waste materials from private property.

The pit will be open on the following days this year from 8am to 2pm:

Saturday-May 8, Saturday-May 22, Saturday-June 5, Saturday-June 19, and Saturday-July 10.

Users will only be allowed to access and discard natural woody debris such as logs, limbs, branches, brush, needles, and leaves on these dates while staff is present. No bagged substances, lumber, construction material, household garbage or any other items should be deposited at the site.

The Moonset Pit serves the local area providing a location for the disposal of natural forest debris. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this facility to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire.

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.

Personal Use Cinder Information: Personal use cinder permits are now available from the Williams Ranger District Office. People who wish to acquire a permit will need to call the district office first and make an appointment to come in. Due to the ongoing pandemic and preventive procedures currently in place, a specific set of guidelines will be required to obtain a permit that will require payment by credit card only.

Click here to learn more: Cinder Permit Requirements 2021

Cinders will only be available for collection on weekends to avoid safety conflicts with Coconino County mining operations.

There are personal use cinders also available to the public all days of the week at the Wright Pit located off Lillie J Ranch road in Parks and the W-Triangle Pit north of Spring Valley.

For information about obtaining permits or questions about all these services, please call the Williams Ranger District office at 742 S Clover Road in Williams. (928) 635-5600.

The success of this community provision is largely attributed to the volunteers of the Parks Area Connection and Sherwood Forest Fire Department who staff the pit on Saturdays during the open hours of operation. This annual service is also supported by the Kaibab National Forest and the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.

Moonset Pit Renovations Begin But Will Remain Closed For Public Safety

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WILLIAMS – Officials on the Kaibab National Forest, are alerting local residents in and around the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates, that Moonset Pit will undergo an expansion project set to begin this month.

The purpose of the project is to open up the space within the pit which will allow for separation between the cinder operations and the woody debris piles ultimately providing for a much safer environment for all users. It will also provide for a larger capacity which in turn will accommodate more users for this popular site in the future.

The work will involve a Forest Service contractor who will clear timber from an additional 5 acres adjacent to the existing area. Once the timber has been safely removed, Coconino County Public Works will continue with the surface expansion creating a larger, safer area between the personal use cinder materials and the debris pit used for public disposal of natural woody materials.

Unfortunately, due to the hazardous nature of the site undergoing construction, the entire pit will remain closed for public use for the remainder of the year to ensure public safety. Kaibab National Forest and Coconino County officials hope to complete the entire project by spring of 2019 and expect the Moonset Pit to be fully operational and open for both uses by the summer of 2019.

In the interim, alternative locations have been designated to provide residents options to access personal use cinders and provide a location for dumping of herbaceous materials from cleanup of private properties.

The W-Triangle Cinder Pit just north of Spring Valley will be available to residents for personal use cinder collection. Personal mineral material permits are available at the William Ranger District office at 742 S Clover road during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

The alternative green waste disposal site will be at the old dump site off Buggy Wheel road on forest road 900 north of Pittman Valley off forest road 74. Scheduled days and hours of operation at this temporary location will be made available by early next week. Access will only be permitted during open hours of operation.

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of these services in order to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire. No garbage, household trash, building materials, lumber or other items will be allowed. Materials should not be bagged.The success of this community provision is largely attributed to the volunteers of the Parks Area Connection and Sherwood Forest Fire District who staff these pits during open hours of operation. This annual service is also supported by the Kaibab National Forest and the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.

For more information on the about the Moonset Pit expansion project contact Deirdre McLaughlin at damclaughlin@fs.fed.us 928-635-5662
For additional information on creating defensible space, visit www.firewise.org or fireadapted.org/

Moonset Pit to re-open in May with limited use

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WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates, will reopen the Moonset Pit on May 13 of this year to local residents to dispose of herbaceous materials from private property. Dates will be limited for use this year as scheduled renovations to expand the site an additional 5 acres are expected to begin by July. The pit will be open on the following four Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; May 13, May 27, June 10, and June 24.

The Moonset pit serves the local area providing a location for the disposal of natural forest debris. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this facility in order to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire. No garbage, household trash, building materials, lumber or other items will be allowed. Materials should not be bagged.

“Opening up the space within the pit will allow for separation between the cinder operations and the woody debris piles which will provide for a much safer environment for all users” said Lands and Minerals Staff Officer Deirdre McLaughlin. “This will also provide a larger capacity and accommodate more users for this popular site in the future”.

Officials are planning to close the pit as monsoonal rains arrive which typically occur in July. This will allow fire crews to burn and consume the remaining materials accumulated from previous months with current disposals to prepare for the site expansion. Residents are strongly encouraged to get to the pit early this year due to the limited schedule for use this season. Once the pit is closed, it will not re-open until 2018.

The success of this community provision is largely attributed to the volunteers of the Parks Area Connection and Sherwood Forest Fire Department who staff the pit on Saturdays during the open hours of operation. This annual service is also supported by the Kaibab National Forest and the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.

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. 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.

For additional information on creating defensible space, visit www.firewise.org or www.fireadapted.org.

Kaibab National Forest temporarily suspends issuance of personal use cinder permits for Moonset Pit

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is temporarily suspending the issuance of personal use cinder permits for Moonset Pit on the Williams Ranger District due to operations underway to expand and improve the popular cinder collection area.

Moonset Pit is located just west of Parks, off a dirt road, east of Spitz Springs and to the north of old Route 66. The Kaibab National Forest, working in conjunction with Coconino County, is undertaking a pit expansion project over the next two years in order to make the area safer and also easier to access and use for cinder collection purposes.

Specifically, several acres of trees will be cut and then removed. It is expected this wood will be made available to the public as free firewood once that work has been completed. Then, the existing material in the pit will be moved and rearranged in order to create a more stable and durable structure.

“This pit expansion project is really about public safety,” said Deirdre McLaughlin, lands and minerals staff officer for the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest. “We had personal use cinder collectors in the pit who would dig into the material and then have issues with the top collapsing in. We have to restructure the pit so that we don’t have those potentially dangerous situations.”

While the expansion and improvement project is underway, the Kaibab National Forest will not issue personal use cinder permits for Moonset Pit. However, cinder collectors will still be able to obtain personal use permits for W Triangle Pit, also located on the Williams Ranger District. Individuals interested in obtaining a personal use cinder permit should contact the Williams Ranger District office at (928) 635-5600.

A portion of Moonset Pit is also made available by Kaibab National Forest to members of the public to dispose of natural forest debris on specific days in order to assist residents in creating a defensible space around their homes and property. This public service will continue to be offered and will not be impacted by the expansion project. To view open pit dates and additional information on the wildfire risk reduction service, visit http://go.usa.gov/cuYbP.

Forest Service and neighboring communities set Moonset Pit dates

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Williams, Ariz., Mar. 11, 2016—For Immediate Release. The Kaibab National Forest, together with the communities of both Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates will provide the general public access to Moonset Pit, a cinder pit on Forest Service land, to assist residents in creating a defensible space around their homes and property.  The pit will be open on the following Saturdays starting in May through September, to dispose of natural forest debris such as pine needles and branches:

  • May 14, 28
  • June 11, 25
  • July 9, 23
  • Aug 13, 27
  • 10, 24

Moonset Pit is located just west of Parks, off a dirt road, east of Spitz Springs and to the north of old Route 66. The pit will be open starting at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. for non-bagged, natural forest debris.

“By creating defensible space around our homes, we can help reduce wildfire risk not only to our individual property but to our entire community as a whole” said Danelle D. Harrison, District Ranger for the Williams Ranger District. “Working together with our partners, to offer this community service each year, shows the importance in preparing both ourselves and our neighborhoods for the upcoming wildfire season. Our community’s safety is of the utmost importance.”

Debris such as garbage, building materials, lumber or other non-natural items will not be accepted.

Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District, Ponderosa Fire District and the Kaibab National Forest are all also part of the 14-member Wildland Fire Advisory Board (WFAB), serving western Coconino and northern Yavapai counties, which seeks opportunities to treat vegetation within their respective communities.

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

Additional information on how to create a defensible space can be found at www.firewise.org or www.fireadapted.org.