Tag Archives: Phoenix

State Transportation Board OKs contract for ADOT wrong-way detection system

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PHOENIX – Construction of a first-in-the-nation system to detect wrong-way vehicles and alert law enforcement and other drivers is scheduled to begin in early August following State Transportation Board approval of the contract for installation.

At the direction of Governor Doug Ducey, the Arizona Department of Transportation has accelerated the start of construction on the $3.7 million pilot project along 15 miles of Interstate 17 in Phoenix. That includes pre-ordering materials, including thermal cameras that will detect wrong-way vehicles as well as poles and fiber-optic cable, rather than waiting for a contractor to secure those items.

On Friday, the State Transportation Board conditionally approved a $1.89 million bid from Contractors West Inc. of Mesa to install the system.

Construction is scheduled to begin in early August, a month sooner than earlier project estimates. Installation and testing are expected to be completed by early next year.

The system will use thermal cameras to detect a wrong-way vehicle along an off-ramp, triggering an illuminated wrong-way sign with flashing lights aimed at getting the attention of the driver. The system will immediately alert the Arizona Department of Public Safety and ADOT while warning other freeway drivers in the area through overhead message boards. On the freeway, additional thermal cameras placed at one-mile intervals will signal when a wrong-way vehicle passes to help State Troopers plan their response.

While ADOT and the DPS react quickly to reports of wrong-way drivers, the response right now usually begins with 911 calls from other motorists.

The I-17 pilot system will speed notification, but it can’t prevent wrong-way driving, which in most cases involves impaired drivers. ADOT and partner agencies, including DPS and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, continue to study other potential responses to reduce the risk from wrong-way driving.

AZGFD receives grant to battle bat-killing fungus

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was awarded $12,440 in grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to help protect the state’s 28 species of bats from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease.

Funds issued by the FWS were part of $1 million in grants to 37 states to help combat the disease that has killed millions of bats in recent years nationwide. In Arizona, the funding will be used to research whether the fungus is impacting our own bat populations.

“Very little information is available on Arizona’s wintering bat populations as few bats have been found hibernating in caves,” said Angie McIntire, an AZGFD biologist and bat specialist. “The detection of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome on cave-dwelling bats in Texas is a cause for concern for Arizona populations. These funds will help us to gather as much data as possible to better understand the winter ecology of cave myotis in Arizona.”

First discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, white-nose syndrome received its name from the white fungus that was found on a bat’s muzzle and wings. White-nose syndrome has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America.

The syndrome has now spread to 33 states and five Canadian provinces and infects eight of the top 10 agricultural producing states. While the syndrome hasn’t yet been detected in Arizona, it’s critical to monitor for the disease and research its impact to better protect our 28 species of bats, which include 13 that migrate or that are active in winter, and 15 presumed to hibernate.

“In addition to wintering locations, two important summer bat roosts would be surveyed with this funding,” McIntire said. “Additional information will be obtained on two roosts used as migratory stop-overs, which will help us to better understand when cave myotis arrive and depart from these roosts under normal conditions.

For more information on Arizona’s bats, visit https://www.azgfd.com/ and search for “living with bats.”

Specialty license plates help Arizonans be generous to the tune of $9.8 million

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PHOENIX – Arizona’s specialty license plates come in many different colors, but one color they have in common is green – as in dollars.

In the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, sales of these plates generated more than $9.8 million for charitable causes and public programs. In the previous fiscal year, that figure totaled just under $9.4 million.

Many long-time plates continue to see growth in their sales, and the overall figures were bolstered by the introduction of four new plates midway through the fiscal year. Those plates support the 100 Club of Arizona, Special Olympics, Grand Canyon University scholarships and preservation efforts for Historic Route 66.

“The specialty plate program is a real point of pride for Arizona and is a tremendous success,” said Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen. “To see this kind of continued growth proves Arizonans are both generous and eager to support great causes.”

Specialty plates typically cost $25. Of that, $17 is committed to the benefiting organization. For more information about specialty plates including how to order, please visit ServiceArizona.com or azdot.gov/mvd.

The specialty plate program was established by state law in 1989.

New system allows qualified trucks to bypass some ADOT ports of entry

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PHOENIX ‒ To help interstate commerce flow more efficiently while promoting safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation is adding a system that automatically checks the weight and registration of qualified commercial trucks without requiring them to stop as they enter the state.

“Using cutting-edge technology allows us to enforce safety requirements on trucks that enter Arizona while letting trucks that comply with our rules to continue on their way,” said Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, which operates commercial ports of entry. “We’re eliminating friction that can be costly for both the trucking companies and the state of Arizona.”

The Drivewyze Preclear technology, similar to a system in place since 2015 near three ADOT interstate highway rest areas, uses geofencing technology and sensors embedded in the roadway to identify and check the weight, credentials and safety status of trucks that subscribe to the service as they approach seven Arizona ports of entry from California, Utah and New Mexico.

The driver’s cellphone or an electronic logging device in the truck’s cab then receives instructions. Trucks registered with Drivewyze that pass the tests may continue on their way, though like other trucks some will be selected at random for safety checks. Registered trucks that are overweight or have paperwork issues will be instructed to stop for inspection.

“If we pull over every truck, it causes unnecessary delays for drivers and companies that have complied with Arizona’s regulations,” Lane said. “This system will allow us to increase enforcement in the cases where we need to do that.”

The system is being added at these locations over the coming month:

  • Interstate 8: Yuma
  • Interstate 10: Ehrenberg near the California line, and San Simon near the New Mexico line
  • Interstate 15: St. George, just north of the Arizona-Utah line
  • Interstate 40: Topock near the California line, and Sanders near the New Mexico line
  • State Route 68 and US 93: Kingman

For the past two years, a similar system at the McGuireville Rest Area on I-17, the Canoa Ranch Rest Area on I-19 and the Sacaton Rest Area on I-10 has used sensors and cameras to determine a commercial vehicle’s approximate weight and check the status of its registration, U.S. Department of Transportation number, fuel tax assessment and carrier safety records. A sign instructs vehicles exceeding weight requirements to pull into the rest areas to be weighed and inspected.

Reducing wait times at commercial ports is among ADOT’s priorities using the Arizona Management System. Championed by Governor Doug Ducey, the system has employees continuously looking for ways to make state agencies more valuable to customers.

ADOT’s other steps in the past year to remove barriers to commercial travel include training truckers and trucking firms in Mexico on inspection requirements to reduce delays at the border without sacrificing safety.

Dove, band-tailed pigeon regulations now available online

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2017-2018 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations online at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/.

What hunters will notice right away is the new format. The color brochure is easier to read and features important hunting information, such as season dates, daily bag and possession limits, and legal requirements, at a glance. The printed version should be available at all department offices and more than 200 license dealers by mid-August.

A youth combination hunt/fish license is only $5 and includes an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp. Hunters 18 and older who want to hunt doves and band-tailed pigeons (as well as ducks, geese, coots, snipe and common moorhens) must possess a valid Arizona hunting license, as well as an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp for the 2017-18 season. Both can be purchased online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml, or any department office or license dealer.

The dove season begins September 1 and runs through September 15. The late season is November 24 through January 7, 2018. The band-tailed pigeon season is Oct. 7-20. For more information about hunting doves or band-tailed pigeons, visit https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Species/.

‘Tripod’ the three-legged desert tortoise, 50 others ready for adoption

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PHOENIX — A brutal round with a dog resulted in an amputated leg, but Tripod the three-legged desert tortoise is ready for a new home.

The surgery was conducted at the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital and since then, Tripod – as he is affectionately known – has recovered at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Wildlife Center, where he and 50 other desert tortoises are in desperate need of a forever home.

“When this tortoise was brought into the veterinary clinic, the damage was so severe that it’s left front leg needed to be immediately amputated,” said Tegan Wolf, AZGFD Tortoise Adoption Program coordinator. “Tripod has since recovered nicely and gets around perfectly fine on three legs.”

While Tripod is between 30 and 50 years old, dozens of other desert tortoises eligible for adoption vary in age and size. Arizona residents interested in providing an adoptive home to a desert tortoise can find an adoption application and packet with general information at www.azgfd.gov/tortoise.

Those applying to adopt a tortoise will be contacted by the department once their application is approved.

Adopters need to have a securely enclosed yard or separate enclosure in their yard, free from potential hazards such as a dog, fire pit or unfenced pool. The enclosed area must include an appropriate shelter for the tortoise to escape Arizona’s extreme summer and winter temperatures.

All of the desert tortoises eligible for adoption are given health exams before going to their new homes.

Desert tortoises offer a unique alternative to more traditional family pets and can teach many of the same life lessons to children, including responsibility, compassion and commitment. Contrary to many assumptions, desert tortoises can be interactive and provide companionship without as many demands as a cat or dog.

ADOT-sponsored Construction Academy provides gateway to careers

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PHOENIX – Thirty-one individuals seeking a hand up obtained entry-level positions as flaggers on construction projects, paying $13 to $19 per hour, thanks to free training provided by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Those who took part in the flagger-certification program held this summer are the latest cohort in the Construction Academy Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program offered by ADOT’s On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program, part of the agency’s Business Engagement and Compliance Office.

Many of the recent trainees starting off as flaggers will move on to construction apprenticeships and later reach journeyman status as ADOT provides continuing support and guidance.

Flagger certification is just one of the training opportunities available to women, minorities and members of economically disadvantaged groups, including those who are out of work, through ADOT programs funded by the Federal Highway Administration. Individuals also can receive training that will help them become concrete finishers, block masons, highway surveyors, heavy equipment operators and commercial drivers.

ADOT’s goal in sponsoring this training: removing barriers to beginning construction careers.

ADOT-sponsored Construction Academies also are offered through Gila Community College, Gateway Community College and, starting this fall, Pima Community College and Pima County Joint Technology Education School District.

ADOT covers training costs and fees for participants and provides support including transportation and child care assistance, job-readiness training and safety gear such as hard hats and protective eyewear.

This past spring, for example, all 18 Construction Academy participants at Gila Community College landed jobs. They completed a 16-week program that included highway flagger certification, training in carpentry and job-seeking strategies, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration instruction on job-related safety and health hazards.

Participants in Pima Community College’s first Construction Academy will receive 10 weeks of similar training, while 30 students in the Pima County JTED Construction Academy’s construction and heavy equipment program will receive training that includes flagger certification.

Meanwhile, a Commercial Driver License Construction Academy that ADOT offers in Phoenix and Tucson helps participants obtain Class A commercial driver licenses to land trucking jobs in the construction industry. The ADOT Business and Compliance Office Construction Project Management Academy, launching this fall, will provide training for participants in the On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program as well as to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.

For more information or to apply for a Construction Academy, please visit azdot.gov/BECO, call 602.712.7761 or pick up materials at the ADOT Business Engagement and Compliance Office, 1801 W. Jefferson St., Suite 101, in Phoenix.

Arizona Big Game Super Raffle nets record $673,600 for wildlife

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PHOENIX – Winners of the 12th annual Arizona Big Game Super Raffle were announced Thursday night at Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters in Phoenix.

The prizes included a total of 10 Special Big Game Tags, one for each of the state’s big game species – bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, bison, turkey, bear, javelina and mountain lion. The permit-tags were awarded by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Raffle tickets ranged from $5 to $25, depending on the species. A New Mexico elk hunt and Swarovski optics package also were raffled.

In the 12-year history of the raffle, more than $6.1 million has been raised for wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona. This year’s event generated a record $673,600, topping $633,750 in 2016.

The 2017 winners:

  • Bighorn sheep: John Donovan, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Black bear: Peter Migale, Novato, Calif.
  • Bison: Larry Lunsford, Carlsbad, N.M.
  • Elk: Martin Lindstrand, Damascus, Ore.
  • Javelina: Norman Unruh, Saragosa, Texas.
  • Mountain lion: Stephen Todd, Chandler, Ariz.
  • Mule deer: Roy Crouch, Artesia, N.M.
  • Pronghorn: Robert Sherer, Great Falls, Mont.
  • Turkey: Kent McClelland, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • White-tailed deer: Ryan Jackson, Kingsburg, Calif.
  • New Mexico elk hunt: David Knox, Lakeside, Ariz.
  • Swarovski optics package: Brett Zeis, Langdon, N.D.

The raffle is conducted by a nonprofit entity to raise money for wildlife conservation efforts. A volunteer board of directors, comprised of representatives from sponsoring organizations, oversees the operation of the raffle.

Every dollar raised for each species through the raffle is returned to the department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (AHPC) for that particular species. With input from local habitat partners across the state and sponsoring organizations involved in the fundraising, project priorities are determined that will provide the most benefit to each species.

Game and Fish officers keep Arizona’s waterways safe as part of Operation Dry Water

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PHOENIX — Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) officers made contact with hundreds of boaters the weekend before the Fourth of July as part of Operation Dry Water, a national awareness and enforcement campaign that targets people who are operating a boat or watercraft while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Alcohol is a top factor contributing to recreational boater deaths, and the initiative’s goal is to increase safety on Arizona’s lakes and rivers and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.

This year’s weekend of enhanced enforcement took place June 30 to July 2, in advance of the Fourth of July, which fell on a Tuesday. During those three days AZGFD officers stopped 812 boats, 74 of which had a designated driver. Three arrests were made for operating watercraft under the influence, 94 citations were written, and two individuals were arrested for driving motor vehicles under the influence. Statewide, 89 AZGFD officers participated in the initiative.

The lakes and waterways patrolled were: Lake Havasu, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Pleasant, Lake Powell, Apache Lake, Bartlett Lake, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake and Roosevelt Lake, as well as Bullhead City and Parker Strip along the Colorado River.

AZGFD has been participating in Operation Dry Water since the initiative began in 2009. AZGFD partners with local agencies on the effort, which is done in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Although the legal limit for operating a boat in Arizona is .08 blood-alcohol content, an operator is in violation of the law and may be prosecuted for operating a watercraft while impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol and/or drugs.

While on the water, boaters should also keep in mind:

State law requires all passengers 12 years old and younger to wear a life jacket while onboard and that each passenger must have a properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Drowning is the most common cause of death in boating incidents — always wear your life jacket.
Anyone being towed by a boat or on a personal watercraft, such as a Sea-Doo or Jet Ski, must wear a life jacket.
Know the “Rules of the Road.” Navigation rules identify who has the right of way and determine the required direction of travel.
Never allow passengers to board or swim while the engine(s) are running. A boat’s propeller can still be spinning while the motor is in neutral. Always make sure no one is near the propeller before starting the boat’s engine.
Paddle boards, kayaks and canoes are considered watercraft and users are required to have a wearable personal flotation device onboard while on the water. These watercraft must also follow the same navigation laws pertaining to all watercraft.

For more information on boating safety or to sign up for a boating education course, visit www.azgfd.com/Education/Boating/.

Arizona conservationists to be honored at 2017 Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet​ August 19

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PHOENIX – The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation, together with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will induct five individuals into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame.

The Foundation’s 20th Annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place during the annual Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Chaparral Suites Scottsdale at 5001 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale.

The inductees for this year’s event include:

  • Steve Hirsch, of Phoenix, is being inducted posthumously. Steve was a prominent attorney, avid outdoorsman and the son of Bob Hirsch, a prior Hall of Fame inductee and acclaimed outdoors columnist. Steve’s passion for Arizona and its wildlife led him to serve as a director and the president of the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation for more than 16 years. Steve’s leadership and vision provided the driving force for Wildlife for Tomorrow as it worked closely with the department to support projects that benefited the management and enjoyment of Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources, youth educational activities and projects that made a difference to wildlife habitat in our state.
  • Larry Voyles, of Phoenix, has devoted his 43-year career to wildlife conservation and outdoor heritage, including nine years as director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. He began his career with AZGFD as a wildlife manager and in 2008 was selected as the agency’s director. He worked to modernize the department and unified the 50 states’ conservation agencies to improve wildlife conservation efforts nationwide. He is a national leader in shooting sports, recruitment and retention.
  • Jean Wilson, of Yuma, who has served Yuma County readers for decades through her outdoors column in the Yuma Sun and has dedicated her life to encouraging families and children to appreciate the outdoors. She regularly runs clinics and classes designed to get people to enjoy fishing, hunting and archery.
  • Steve Clark, of Glendale, who is a founding member of the Arizona Elk Society and has worked tirelessly for the past 17 years to carry the organization and its mission forward. He also serves on the Arizona Livestock Recovery Board and the Arizona Natural Resources Committee, was recognized as Civilian Conservationist of the Year in 2010 by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Conservationist of the Year in 2015 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
  • Warner Glenn, of Douglas, a fourth-generation Arizona cattle rancher who operates two ranches in Cochise County. In addition to ranching, he operates the hunting guide service established by his father – legendary hunter Marvin Glenn. In 1991, Warner Glenn was among the founders of the Malpai Borderlands Group, a conservation ranching organization that established a system of scientific-based ecosystem management on more than 1 million acres of ranch land in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

The Hall of Fame event will include a social hour and silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m., with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. The evening will also feature a live auction, exciting raffle prizes, and musical entertainment by the Back Porch Bandits.

Individual tickets are $70. A table for 10 is $700. A table of 10 and a full-page ad in the full-color banquet brochure is $1,200. The options for ordering tickets are:

  1. Download a ticket ordering form, fill in the requested information, and either scan and e-mail to duanewellnitz@yahoo.com or mail Wildlife For Tomorrow, c/o Duane Wellnitz, 719 W. Wildwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85045.
  2. Call Duane Wellnitz (Wildlife for Tomorrow Board Member and Ticket Chairman) at (480) 625-9540.
  3. Purchase your tickets on the Wildlife for Tomorrow website at wildlifefortomorrow.org.

Wildlife for Tomorrow was created in 1990 to enhance the management, protection and enjoyment of Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources. The foundation is 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 are not adequate.

The Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame was developed in 1998 by the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation to honor those who have made significant contributions to Arizona’s wildlife, the welfare of its natural resources and the state’s outdoor heritage.