Monthly Archives: March 2016

Prescribed burn planned to begin Sunday east of Tusayan

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image004TUSAYAN — Crews plan to begin ignitions on a 264-acre burn on the Tusayan East Prescribed Fire Project on Sunday and intend to continue burning for approximately two days in the area if conditions remain favorable. The burn area is located just south of Grand Canyon National Park and east of the Town of Tusayan.

Smoke may be visible from Highway 64 and in the communities of Valle and Tusayan. Light smoke may linger overnight and in the early morning hours. To minimize smoke impacts, fire managers will only conduct ignitions when conditions exist that will allow smoke to ventilate away from sensitive areas.

Smoke is expected to disperse to the east and northeast during the day. Residual smoke may settle into drainages and low lying areas overnight but will dissipate rapidly throughout the morning hours.

Prescribed fires are essential tools for restoring the forests in a fire-adapted ecosystem, and smoke is an unavoidable byproduct of these efforts. Fire managers strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible. Burns occur when winds and other atmospheric conditions will push the majority of smoke away from homes and ultimately limit the number of days smoke is in the air. Fire managers work closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, partners in the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as surrounding Native American tribes to monitor air quality.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. The public can find this information online or through a recorded hotline. Contact your local Kaibab National Forest office for additional information.

2016 fall hunt recommendations to be available for review

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Bighorn_Sheep_-_Ram_1_1PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has scheduled a series of six “open houses” for its constituents to review and ask questions about the proposed 2016 fall hunt recommendations for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, bear, mountain lion, predators and furbearers, small game and trapping.

The department annually makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas and permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years.

The proposed recommendations will be posted Friday, March 25, at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines. The open houses will be conducted at the following Game and Fish regional offices:

  • Thursday, March 31: 3-5 p.m., Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
  • Thursday, March 31: 4:30-6:30 p.m., Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive.
  • Monday, April 4: 3-5 p.m., Yuma, 9140 E. 28th Street.
  • Monday, April 4: 3-5 p.m., Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
  • Monday, April 4: 3-5 p.m., Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
  • Tuesday, April 5: 6-8 p.m., Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.

Constituents who are interested in particular game management units within those regions will be able to review the hunt recommendations and ask questions. No formal presentations are planned.

“The meetings allow us to meet with sportsmen and other members of the public to answer questions and discuss the direction for the recommendations based on survey data, harvest rates and the hunt guidelines,” said Amber Munig, big game management program supervisor.

The proposed recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration during the Saturday, April 9, portion of its April 8-9 meeting at Game and Fish headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, in Phoenix.
The agenda will be posted at https://www.azgfd.com/Agency/Commission.

To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

Registration open for Native and Wild Trout Conference

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Apache Trout Photo by George Andrejko, Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Apache Trout
Photo by George Andrejko, Arizona Game and Fish Department.

PHOENIX — Registration is open for the 7th Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference on April 21 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, in Phoenix.  Register online by April 18 for this free event.

The event provides a free educational conference for those interested in meeting, networking, and developing future plans for restoration and management of watersheds and native and wild fish in Arizona and New Mexico.  

The 2016 conference will again have more than 100 attendees from more than 35 various organizations and agencies from the southwest.  Opening the conference will be Arizona Game and Fish Department Assistant Director Jim deVos.  The agenda will include the topics of:

  • AZGFD Coldwater Fisheries Vision and Management Plan
  • Trout Unlimited Southwest Native Trout Initiative
  • Western Native Trout Initiative Programs
  • Glen Canyon Dam:  Long Term Experimental Management Plan
  • Stream and Temperature Monitoring Networks
  • Making Hatcheries Work:  Mora National Fish Hatchery Operations
  • Wildfire Risk Assessments and Impacts
  • Trout-In-the-Classroom Programs
  • Conservation Awards for Distinguished Service


Presentations and materials from prior conferences can be found on the Trout Unlimited Arizona State Council website.

The conference has become a model in developing relationships for conservation organizations with state and federal agencies for habitat and conservation projects, which reach beyond native fish to restoration and management of watersheds for the benefit of all wildlife.

Williams Ranger District fire managers announce locations scheduled for prescribed burning over the next month

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WILLIAMS — Fire managers for the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are planning to ignite prescribed fires at various locations across the district through the end of April. Operations may start as soon as Saturday. The specific prescribed fire units to be ignited will be chosen based on weather and fuel conditions.

Areas that could be treated are as follows:

Kendrick Prescribed Fire: Ten burn units northeast of Williams, approximately 3,400 acres

McCracken East Prescribed Fire: Three burn units southeast of Williams, approximately 840 acres

McCracken West Prescribed Fire: Four burn units southeast of Williams, approximately 1,700 acres

“Fuel moistures and weather conditions in the springtime are at prescriptive levels to meet objectives for fuels reduction projects,” said James Pettit, fire management officer for the Williams Ranger District.

During prescribed fire operations, community members and visitors may see fire personnel and vehicles in the vicinity. Smoke may also be present and may result in short-duration impacts to populated areas.
burnimage002
All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Additional fire information for 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 Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.

Toddler Dies from Injuries Sustained when Hit by Vehicle in Driveway

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FLAGSTAFF — On Thursday, March 31, 2016 around 9:48 am the Flagstaff Police/Coconino Sheriff 911 Dispatch Center received an emergency call from a distraught man in route to the Flagstaff Medical Center with his approximately two-year old son. The man told dispatch that the child had been struck by his truck as he was leaving his driveway.

Officers in the field were notified and Flagstaff Police Department located the vehicle in route and escorted it to the hospital. The child was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

According to the father/driver, he was unaware the child had followed him outside. He further stated he was not able to see the child over the hood of the vehicle. The incident occurred at a resident off of Fort Valley Road.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office are continuing investigation of the incident.

The thoughts of the Sheriff’s Office and Northern Arizona Gazette are with the family, friends and community impacted by this tragedy.

First peregrine falcon egg visible in downtown Phoenix nest

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Phx_peregrine_eggPHOENIX — If you checked on downtown Phoenix’s nesting peregrine falcons Easter Sunday via the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s wildlife camera live stream, you’d know there were no eggs. But, around 5:30 a.m. yesterday, the first egg was laid with two to three more expected over the next two to four days.

Once the female lays all of the eggs and begins incubating them, viewers will have a chance to observe the male bringing food to his mate. The eggs will be incubated primarily by the female for 29 to 33 days.

“We hope that viewers get hooked on watching the progress of this peregrine pair as it is a very unique opportunity to have full, live access to the pair’s attempts to reproduce and raise young,” said Randy Babb, watchable wildlife program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Viewing will be more consistent and predictable now that the female is incubating eggs, and viewers will see new developments consistently as the birds progress through the various stages of raising young.”

Anyone with a computer, smart phone or tablet can watch the birds that live atop the Maricopa County Administration building in downtown Phoenix at www.azgfd.gov/livecams.

Game and Fish launched this live stream in early March when the pair was starting to display courtship behavior.

Peregrine falcons have been nesting in the downtown Phoenix area for more than a decade.

Maricopa County partnered with the department and is allowing biologists to monitor the birds and access the nest site when necessary.

Peregrine falcons are one of the world’s most widespread raptors and are found on nearly every continent. The species nearly went extinct in North American from pesticide poisoning, but thanks to recovery efforts, the species was removed from the U.S.’s Endangered Species Act in 1999. This falcon feeds almost exclusively on medium-sized birds such as pigeons and doves, which are plentiful in urban areas.

Closure of Bell Road near Grand Avenue starts this weekend

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PHOENIX — A section of Bell Road near Grand Avenue (US 60) in Surprise will be closed for six to eight months starting Friday night for faster construction of a bridge that will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in the area, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

When it opens later this year, the new Bell Road overpass will allow drivers to travel over US 60 and the BNSF Railway tracks and connect with US 60 via new ramps.

The closure of Bell Road between West Point Parkway and 134th Drive starts at 10 p.m. Friday. While the closure is in place, Bell Road traffic will be directed to a primary detour route along Dysart, Greenway and Litchfield roads.

The overpass construction is part of an ongoing $41.9 million project to significantly enhance connections between the two roadways. Access to local businesses located closest to the Bell-Grand intersection will be maintained while construction is underway.

The full closure of Bell Road, timed to start with the end of the Cactus League season at Surprise Stadium, will shorten construction by several months. ADOT’s accelerated schedule means Bell Road will be reopened in time for the holiday shopping season in November.

Initial project work, which started in January, has focused on Grand Avenue. Grand Avenue will remain open to traffic at most times while Bell Road is closed. Any necessary closures of Grand Avenue are currently planned at night or on weekends.

When the new interchange is completed, on- and off-ramps located along the center median of Grand Avenue will connect with the Bell Road overpass. The entire 14-month project is due for completion by spring 2017.

ADOT and the prime contractor on the project, Coffman Specialties Inc., have been working with the city of Surprise and other local organizations on public outreach and traffic-access plans in support of local businesses located in the area of the Bell Road closure.

Additional law enforcement officers will patrol the area while the Bell Road closure is in place. Drivers are urged to obey traffic signage as well as posted speed limits.

The US 60 (Grand Avenue) and Bell Road Interchange project is part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. Funding sources include a county half-cent sales tax for transportation projects and the MAG region’s share of federal highway funds.

Fierce winds and cold follows a nice Resurrection weekend

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Zip line will likely be closed through Wednesday.

Zip line will likely be closed through Wednesday.

Clouds over Route 66 in Williams.

Clouds over Route 66 in Williams.

WILLIAMS — Fierce and cold winds are expected in Williams and Flagstaff through tomorrow night. Clouds rolled in this morning in Williams and a sprinkling of rain fell in Williams and Parks around 1 p.m.

In the Williams area, there is a slight chance of rain this afternoon raising to 30% overnight. A 30% chance of snow is expected for Tuesday through Wednesday dropping to 20% Wednesday night. It is expected to clear Thursday with temperatures rising to 63-degrees over the weekend. The forecast for Flagstaff is about the same with a 10% higher chance of rain and snow tonight and tomorrow.

Give your trigger finger a workout at 2016 Outdoor Expo

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Expo_-_ShootingPHOENIX — If you’re interested in firearms but don’t know where to start, or just want to take a few shots with the latest firearms from some of the biggest manufacturers, then don’t miss the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2016 Outdoor Expo.

For two days – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 3 – the largest outdoor recreation expo in Arizona will take over the Ben Avery Shooting Facility and provide all kinds of fun, hands-on activities and demonstrations, including opportunities to watch, learn and sample everything “shooting.” Admission and parking are free.

The best way to get started would be to attend “An Introduction to Firearms” at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Outdoors Presentations Tent, located in Area 1 (Family Adventure) just west of the expo entrance. Cliff Saylor of Cabela’s will explain the basic types and concepts of firearms, offer tips for choosing a firearm, and suggest places where a novice can learn the basics of shooting.

Then head over to “Introduction to Shooting” (also located in Area 1), where after a brief safety presentation adults and children 9 and older can participate in target shooting using .22 rifles. Adults with children 8 and older are encouraged to give BB gun shooting a try in Area 2 (Main Area). If shooting with a bow and arrow sounds like fun, learn all about it at “Archery for the Whole Family” (in Area 1). This activity is geared for families with children 8 and older.

Other shooting opportunities will include steel target, black powder, air gun, practical pistol, mini gun, clay target, benchrest, rimfire steel challenge, cowboy action and an archery field course. While most are free, keep in mind some venues charge a nominal fee for ammunition.

A few of the organizations that will be sponsoring shooting opportunities include Hassayampa Rod and Gun Club, Arizona Cactus Cappers, Desert Christian Archers, Honeywell Sportsman Club, Shoot Right, Arizona Cowboy Shooters Association, Dillon Aero, Shooter’s World, Cactus Match League and Ben Avery Benchrest Shooters.

Some of the biggest names in the firearms industry, like Sturm, Ruger & Co., Glock, Walther Arms, Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF), Robar Companies, Heckler & Koch (HK), Sig Sauer and Nemo Arms, also will make available their latest products for expo-goers to take a few shots (for a nominal fee for ammunition).

If watching an accomplished shooter in action is more your speed, international trap competitor and Olympics hopeful Tayler McNeil will perform at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days in Area 3 (OHV, RV, Mounted Shooting Arena, Shotgun).

The expo is presented by Shikar Safari Club International. Gold sponsors include the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Cabela’s and Arizona State Credit Union. Silver sponsors are Bass Pro Shops, HPR and Sportsman’s Warehouse. Bronze sponsors are the Mule Deer Foundation and Bill Luke Dodge.

Game and Fish conducts the expo to promote wildlife-related and other outdoor recreation activities. The public’s participation in these activities supports the department’s mission and funding. The department receives no Arizona tax dollars, and no tax dollars are used in conducting the expo.

For more information about the expo, visit www.azgfd.com/expo.

Shed antler hunting? Stay on roads and trails

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wln_100507_Shed_PickupPHOENIX — As many shed antler hunters prepare to scour the landscape for the best dropped rack, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds those utilizing an off-highway vehicle (OHV) in their search to stay on roads and trails.

“Just like during the hunting season, it’s important for those using an OHV to remember to ride safely and responsibly,” said Matt Eberhart, AZGFD OHV Safety Education coordinator. “That includes always wearing a helmet while operating the machine and safeguarding against habitat damage by riding on established trails. Once you’ve found your search area, all sheds should be packed out by foot to keep habitats intact. ”

Many animals shed their antlers in the spring and spend the summer and fall seasons growing a new set. Many shed hunters begin their search in early spring and utilize OHVs to easily cover more ground.

However, damage caused by those driving off-trail can take more than 100 years to recover, especially if the area travelled is wet. Vehicle tracks can be seen by other users as an open invitation to unknowingly ruin a pristine recreational area.

OHV operators are reminded that riding off-trail is illegal, negatively impacts wildlife and can cause erosion in sensitive areas.

Additionally, excessive noise can cause animals to leave their normal habitat or could startle an animal into defending their territory. Minimizing impact on habitat is key to successful wildlife conservation.

For more information about the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s OHV program and safety course options, visit www.azgfd.gov/ohv.