WILLIAMS — Tree removal has begun on a 3,571-acre project on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

The McCracken Task Order area is located about 6 miles south of Williams in the vicinity of Coleman Lake and McCracken Knolls. A contractor recently started harvesting operations off of forest roads 108 and 728. The McCracken Task Order area is bounded on the north by Forest Road 122, on the east and south by County Road 73, and on the west by Forest Road 42.

As thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy equipment and workers in the project area and along haul routes. Log trucks are expected to begin hauling before the end of the month. The major haul routes will be forest roads 108 and 728 feeding into County Road 73 heading north into Williams on 4th Street and then following Route 66 west to Interstate 40 eastbound.

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 camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.

The objectives of the thinning operations in the McCracken Task Order area are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires, to improve forest health and watershed conditions, and to provide wildfire protection for the City of Williams and its surrounding residences.

The goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

WILLIAMS — Fire managers with the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest plan to conduct two large prescribed fire projects over the next two weeks beginning today south of Williams and then moving to Pitman Valley west of Parks.

The first of the two prescribed fire projects to be implemented will be the McCracken Project, which is located east and west of County Road 73 between Coleman Lake and Barney Knoll about 6 miles south of Williams. Fire managers plan to treat 2,532 acres with aerial ignition using a helicopter. They anticipate ignitions over three days beginning tomorrow and continuing through Saturday.

Smoke from the McCracken Project is likely to be noticeable near Dogtown Lake, Sherwood Forest Estates, Pitman Valley, Parks, and Bellemont. While major smoke impacts are not anticipated in Williams, it is possible that smoke will be visible from the community and from Interstate 40.

Fire managers had planned to begin treatment of the McCracken Project area Monday but had to postpone due to precipitation received Saturday that increased fuel moistures to levels not conducive for achieving optimal fire effects. A few days of drying have created conditions that are once again ideal for treatment of this area.

If conditions remain favorable following completion of the McCracken Project, fire managers will move to the Green Base Project located in Pitman Valley just west of Parks to begin prescribed fire operations. About 14,181 acres are scheduled to be treated in this area, which is north of Interstate 40, south of Bald Mountain, and west of Spitz Hill. Fire managers plan to use a helicopter to complete aerial ignitions on the burn unit over several days, likely from Sunday through all of next week. Smoke from the Green Base Project is expected to be visible from Interstate 40, Spring Valley, Highway 180, Kendrick Park, and possibly the northern portions of Flagstaff.

Kaibab National Forest fire managers have a number of other prescribed fires planned for fall and winter on each of its three ranger districts depending on fuel moistures and weather conditions. Public notification will be provided prior to the implementation of additional projects.

Fire plays a beneficial role in maintaining the ecological stability of many landscapes, including the Kaibab National Forest. Managers use prescribed fire as a practical means to reduce risks associated with uncharacteristic wildfires that can pose significant threats to public health and safety.

Forest managers recognize that prescribed fires may create negative impacts to air quality at times. However, these efforts, which are essential to restoring forests in a fire-adapted ecosystem, can also significantly reduce the amount and limit the duration of smoke impacts associated with uncontrolled wildfire situations in the future. In order to minimize smoke impacts to businesses and residences during prescribed fires, managers closely monitor wind direction and ventilation and adjust operations accordingly.

In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be present.

All prescribed fires on the Kaibab National Forest are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit https://www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

Additional fire information for the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources: InciWeb http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4112/#; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Massage – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.

WILLIAMS — The front desk of the Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Williams will be closed next week from Oct. 10 through Oct. 14 due to the Columbus Day holiday on Monday and short staffing through the remainder of the week. Members of the public seeking passes or permits, information or other visitor services during that time are asked to go directly to the Williams Ranger District office, also located in Williams.

The Williams Ranger District office is located at 742 S. Clover Road in Williams and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, through Friday, Oct. 14, next week but closed on Monday, Oct. 10, in observance of the Columbus Day holiday. The Williams Ranger District office offers all the same resources as the Supervisor’s Office, so visitors shouldn’t experience any disruption of service.

The Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office will reopen to the public with its full offering of resources and services on Oct. 17.

The Williams Ranger District office can be reached by telephone at (928) 635-5600.