Kaibab National Forest seeks input on proposed wildlife viewing area

Northern leopard frogs with egg masses. (Kaibab National Forest Photo)

WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest is seeking public input on a proposed project to construct a pond for the northern leopard frog as well as a larger wildlife viewing area on the grounds of the Williams Ranger District compound. The goals of the project are to increase the viable habitat for the frog and to provide the community with the opportunity to learn about conservation issues.

The project would include the pond that would serve as a habitat and source population for the northern leopard frogs, a pollinator garden to attract pollinator species, interpretive signs, and an Americans with Disabilities Act-approved trail, all of which are intended to enhance public education and recreation experiences.

The Kaibab National Forest is within the natural historic range of the northern leopard frog, which spans the northern and central portions of Arizona. Leading biologists have noted the species is undergoing significant declines in the southwestern United States. Factors like the presence of invasive species and infection by fungal diseases have contributed to the loss of northern leopard frog populations in Arizona, but no stressing factor is more prevalent than the loss of suitable wetland habitat.

The northern leopard frog, which was considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2011, was identified and listed as a Forest Service Sensitive Species by the Regional Forester in 2013. This means that it is a species for which population viability is a concern. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has also prioritized the northern leopard frog as a Tier 1A species, which categorizes it into the highest priority for conservation management and considers it to be a species of greatest conservation need.

The Kaibab National Forest has a history of working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve existing and attempt to establish new populations of northern leopard frogs on both the Williams and North Kaibab districts of the forest.

The Clover Pond Wildlife Habitat Project Proposed Action is available on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=51795. Members of the public are invited to provide their comments through Aug. 21. To submit e-comments, please email comments-southwestern-kaibab-williams@fs.fed.us. For hard copy mailed or hand delivered comments, please deliver them to the Williams Ranger District office at 742 S. Clover Road, Williams, AZ 86046 during office hours Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on the project, please contact Travis Largent, wildlife biologist, at (928) 635-5600.

ADEQ Confirms Groundwater Quality Now Restored at Three WQARF Sites in Phoenix and Quartzite

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that contaminated groundwater at three sites now meets applicable Aquifer Water Quality Standards (AWQSs), allowing their removal from the WQARF Registry. Each of these sites was added to the registry in 1998 due to groundwater contamination.
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Low-cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic

FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) is sponsoring a low-cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, July 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Coconino Humane Association, 3501 E. Butler Ave.

Rabies vaccinations will be $10 per dog and cat. Fees for other vaccinations will vary and only cash or check will be accepted. The Kaibab Veterinary Clinic will provide services.

CCPHSD Animal Management will also be offering the opportunity to license your canine companion for $12 altered and $25 unaltered. Spay/neuter vouchers ($30 value) will also be available for canine owners with current rabies vaccinations and licensing.

Arizona State law requires all dogs to be properly vaccinated and licensed. The CCPHSD strongly recommends that cats be vaccinated against rabies.

Rabies is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord of animals and humans. It is caused by a virus present in the saliva of infected animals and is transmitted to humans through contact with the live virus.

For more information, call the CCPHSD Animal Management Program at 928-679-8756 or visit http://www.coconino.az.gov/health.

Upgrades coming to Ben Avery Shooting Facility’s main range

PHOENIX — When the Ben Avery Shooting Facility’s main range opens bright and early Aug. 30, recreational shooters will zero in on several improvements:

Earthen berms that serve as backstops for 67 shooting stations will be higher, more level and — most important — safer.
Target bumpers (which hold up the target frames) with re-stenciled lane numbers.
Refurbished shooting benches.

In order to complete more than $100,000 in improvements, the main range will be closed to the general public Aug. 14-29. The projects will be paid for through funding from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR). The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive general funds from the State of Arizona.

“While this work is going to inconvenience some folks, due to the extended duration of the closure, the work on the range is necessary to maintain the highest levels of standards of safety and stewardship that our customers have come to expect from the facility,” said Christopher Dean, range manager.

The two-week closure also will apply to the adjacent specialty ranges designated for user groups – Smallbore, Rifle 2 (which also will see improvements to its berm), Pistol 3 and Pistol 4.

Located on 1,650 acres in north Phoenix, the Ben Avery Shooting Facility is one of the nation’s largest publicly-operated shooting facilities, drawing more than 120,000 shooters each year. A City of Phoenix “Point of Pride,” the facility has received a five-star rating from the National Association of Shooting Ranges.

For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov and click on “Shooting,” or call (623) 582-8313.