Monthly Archives: August 2016

With extreme weather possible, be prepared to wait out a storm

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PHOENIX — With thunderstorms occurring in southern Arizona and extreme weather possible elsewhere in the state, drivers should leave prepared and be ready to wait out heavy rain, high winds and blowing dust.

The latest National Weather Service forecast calls for a strong chance of rain and thunderstorms through at least Wednesday evening. Before driving on highways, review the Arizona Department of Transportation’s monsoon-safety tips at PullAsideStayAlive.org.

Monsoon storms can produce sudden, torrential rain. Turn on your headlights while driving in threatening weather and, when roads are wet, reduce speed and maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead.

Avoid areas where water is pooling in travel lanes. If your vehicle appears to be hydroplaning, ease your foot off the gas pedal until you regain traction rather than braking suddenly, which can cause a vehicle to skid off the roadway.

Don’t risk crossing a flooded wash, even if it doesn’t look deep. Just a few inches of running water can carry away a vehicle, even a heavy pickup truck or SUV.

Downdrafts from thunderstorms can create sudden dust storms. If you see blowing dust ahead, get off the highway as soon as you can do so safely. Don’t wait until poor visibility makes it difficult.

If you are caught in blowing dust, immediately check traffic around your vehicle, begin slowing down and get completely off the roadway. Don’t stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane.

Once you are off the highway, turn off all lights, including your emergency flashers, so another vehicle doesn’t use your lights as a guide and crash into your parked vehicle. Set your emergency brake, take your foot off the brake and stay in the vehicle with seat belts buckled until the storm passes.

Kaibab National Forest seeks comments on grassland restoration project

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WILLIAMS — Managers are seeking public comment on a proposed project to use mechanical treatments and prescribed fire to restore grasslands across a 550,000-acre project area on the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest.

Known as the South Zone Grassland Restoration Project, the effort would implement thinning, prescribed burning and other activities to restore the structure and function of grassland and pinyon-juniper grassland, also referred to as savanna, ecosystems in an effort to improve their resilience to disturbance and changing climate regimes.

The Environmental Assessment analyzing the potential effects to forest resources of implementing the proposed project and all other associated documentation are available on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44132. In addition to potential environmental effects, the Environmental Assessment describes the project’s background, outlines the purpose of and need for the project, describes the components of the alternatives under analysis, and summarizes consultation and coordination that has been completed throughout the life of the project.

The South Zone Grassland Restoration Project area encompasses about 269,000 acres of the Williams Ranger District and 281,000 acres of the Tusayan Ranger District. The project area consists of the portions of the South Zone located outside the Four Forest Restoration Initiative project boundary.

The Southwestern landscape, including the South Zone of the Kaibab National Forest, has been greatly altered over the past century by the encroachment of woody plants, particularly juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa pine, into areas that were formerly grasslands and open pinyon-juniper grasslands. These factors have eliminated the vegetation necessary to carry low intensity surface fires across the landscape, thereby altering the natural fire regimes and allowing uncharacteristic forest succession to take place. Encroachment can alter water and nutrient cycling, impact soil integrity, and negatively impact wildlife habitat.

Comments concerning this project must be in writing and may be delivered electronically or by mail, facsimile, or hand. Comments will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of a legal notice in the Arizona Daily Sun, which is expected to occur today. For additional information on the project or to provide comments, visit the Kaibab National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44132.

Public invited to grand opening of Second Knoll Target Range on Aug. 27

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target-range1PINETOP — Shooting sports enthusiasts and other members of the public are invited to the grand opening of the Second Knoll Target Range, located near Show Low, on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016.

The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. with honor guard, posting of colors, remarks by Arizona Game and Fish Director Larry Voyles and other invited dignitaries, and a ribbon cutting and ceremonial first shot.

The opening of the Second Knoll Target Range is the culmination of a long-term effort by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), the Forest Service (FS), and the White Mountain Shooters Association (WMSA) to establish a public shooting facility in the White Mountains. Phase 1 includes a 50-yard range and a 100-yard range and four 25-yard pistol bays.

The Second Knoll Target Range will be operated by the WMSA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, through a license agreement with the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, under a 20-year special use permit issued to AZGFD. The target range is located in an unused cinder pit that was previously permitted by the FS to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The range is located on approximately 80 acres of land managed by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Future construction plans include a 300-yard rifle range, camp host site, classroom and club house.

The Second Knoll Target Range is located approximately 6 miles east of Show Low. From the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 77 in Show Low, take Hwy 60 east 4.4 miles and turn right (south) and follow the road for about a half mile.

ADEQ Awards $1.9 Million in Grants to Improve Arizona’s Water Quality

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today seven Water Quality Improvement Grant (WQIG) awards totaling more than $1.9 million to fund field projects aimed at reducing E. coli, excess nutrients and sediment caused by runoff from non-regulated sources in four state waterways the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates as impaired.

Located in ADEQ water protection plan areas, these waterways include the popular and highly recreated Oak Creek and San Francisco River, as well as the San Pedro River and Granite Creek. Each of these waterways is impaired because rainfall, snowmelt and/or irrigation pick up pollutant-containing sediments and deposit them into the waterway.

Polluted runoff from non-regulated sources, such as agriculture, forestry, grazing and septic systems, threatens public health and the environment and can have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries and wildlife. Common pollutants include nutrients and microbes, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia Shigella, for which E. coli tests are used to indicate their presence. Water with high levels of E. coli can cause gastrointestinal problems if unintentionally swallowed while swimming.

“ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant Program arms qualifying parties with funds to support important projects to prevent and address pollution from non-regulated sources,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director, Trevor Baggiore. “We vet each application using a stringent evaluation process to ensure awarded funds achieve the most impactful environmental benefits and outcomes for impaired waters in Arizona.”
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Paving work on eastbound Interstate 40 to continue near Flagstaff

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Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) crews continue with paving operations on eastbound Interstate 40 near Flagstaff (milepost 196-197), just before the Interstate 17 junction on Tuesday (August 9) from 4 a.m. to noon.

Lane restrictions and reduced speeds will be in place during construction; please allow for extra time for travel in the area, and watch for crews and equipment in the work zone.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned roadway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

ADOT honored for US 89A repairs after 2015 House Rock flash flood

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800-houserockflood1PHOENIX — After a spectacularly strong monsoon dumped 1.5 inches of rain on northern Arizona’s Vermilion Cliffs in just 15 minutes, it was no surprise that mud and rocks had covered US 89A.

But when Arizona Department of Transportation crews arrived on that day in August 2015, what they saw stopped their bulldozers in their tracks: boulders the size of elephants – 15 feet in diameter – and mud in seven different slides that covered portions of 24 miles of the only road across a wide area north of the Grand Canyon.

In the first six hours, ADOT crews from Page, Flagstaff and Fredonia rescued motorists trapped between mud flows, and within about 20 hours they had one lane open across the area. But the rest of the job was too big for ADOT’s local crews to handle.

The solution: A process known as Job Order Contracting allowed ADOT to bring in The S.J. Anderson Company of Mesa to repair damaged sections of the road quickly and at the lowest possible cost. For that rapid and efficient response as well as its value to the public, the US 89A House Rock Flash Flood Project has been recognized as the 2015 Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence Winner in Job Order Contracting.

Invented in 1982, Job Order Contracting is a competitively bid construction procurement process government agencies use to accomplish a large number of repair, alteration and straightforward construction projects based on a set of locally priced construction tasks and competitively awarded contracts. Since its invention, Job Order Contracting has developed into a popular solution for agencies to manage and expedite construction projects.

The award, presented annually since 2007 by Greenville, S.C.-based Gordian Group, a provider of construction cost data, software and services, recognizes facility owners, managers and contractors who perform essential repair, alteration and maintenance work using the Job Order Contracting system. ADOT’s entry was selected from thousands nationwide.

“This year’s Award of Excellence winner demonstrated the speed, versatility and efficiencies of Job Order Contracting, even in the face of a natural disaster,” said William Pollak, CEO of Gordian. “We congratulate Arizona DOT and The S.J. Anderson Company for the remarkable job they did serving road users in Arizona.”

Even with the challenges of a huge task in a remote location, the US 89A repairs were completed in just 53 days, with ADOT providing on-site inspection. The contractor mobilized within days of proposal acceptance, bringing crews and equipment from around the Southwest.

“This award recognizes a creative approach that allowed ADOT’s Northcentral District to respond quickly, efficiently and effectively to an unexpected challenge,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “Completing the repairs and cleanup of such a large event in less than two months was an outstanding achievement.”

The value of the Job Order Contracting process was clear when a second monsoon storm caused damage while the repairs were underway. Using standard costs approved by the Arizona Department of Administration, ADOT was able to approve the added work without delay and incorporate it into the project.

Gordian presented the award Thursday, Aug. 4, at the ADOT administration building in Phoenix.

Nazi death camp survivor will sign books in Williams

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auschwitz_arrivee-2WILLIAMS — On September 1, 1939, the German army entered Poland after a false flag at a German radio station. In four days they took Bendzin; the hometown of 12-year-old Dora Szpringer. The Germans burned down a synagogue with about 200 Jews inside. While most Jews in the town were killed, the entire family of Dora Szpringer survived the war.

Now Doris Martin will be here in Williams August 9th to sign copies of her book, Kiss Every Step—the story of that survival.

The book signing is being arranged by Cosette Riggs who is arranging a radio interview. “This is going to be a great opportunity and maybe the last for any of you that want to, to meet a survivor of the Prison camps,” Cossette said. “Our children should be told what happened to these millions of people and we should never forget. ”

Doris will conduct a radio interview on Tuesday, August 9 at 11:30 on KZBX 92.1 FM. She will sign copies of her book at the Wild West Junction dining hall at 1 p.m.

Overnight paving work starts Sunday night on SR 69 between SR 169 and Mendecino Drive in Prescott Valley

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PRESCOTT VALLEY — The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin paving work on State Route 69 in Prescott Valley between State Route 169 and Mendecino Drive (mileposts 281 to 287) this Sunday (Aug. 7). Crews will begin at the State Route 169 and State Route 69 intersection and work northbound for the first week.

Work hours are Sunday through Thursday nights between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Drivers can expect a single lane restriction through the work zone during work hours. Minimal delays are expected.

This $3.8 million project consists of new asphalt, guardrail replacements, new curbs and gutters, sidewalks, sidewalks ramps, new striping and other miscellaneous work.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.

Game and Fish Commission to meet tomorrow in Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF — The next meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be Friday, Aug. 5, at Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave., in Flagstaff. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m.

The public can attend the meeting or view it on a webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. The meeting also can be watched on streaming video at department headquarters in Phoenix, or any regional office statewide with the exception of the regional office in Flagstaff.

Those who wish to speak to the commission may submit “speaker cards” (blue cards) in person at the meeting, or from any Game and Fish office. The ability to speak to the commission is not available for those viewing the webcast.

Items on the agenda include:
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  • A briefing on the status of state and federal legislation related to the department’s mission.
  • An update on the department’s statewide outreach campaign to increase public awareness of the department, its mission and how it’s funded.
  • An update on the department’s efforts toward accomplishing commission priorities.
  • A request to approve a notice of exempt rulemaking amending Article 8, Wildlife Areas and Department Property.
  • Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes, and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 10 a.m. Friday).
  • A briefing on black-footed ferret recovery efforts.
  • A briefing on alternative elk harvest strategies in Game Management Units 12A, 12B, 13A and 13B.
  • A request to approve proposed commission orders to establish seasons and season dates, bag and possession limits, hunt permit-tag numbers and open areas for the 2017 seasons for spring turkey, spring javelina, spring bison and spring bear (time certain at 2 p.m. Friday).
  • A presentation on the proposed hunt-permit tag application schedule for the spring 2017 seasons.

To view a copy of the full meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the “commission agenda” link.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, the commission and department staff will be given a tour and informational briefing about bison management at the Raymond Wildlife Area east of Flagstaff.

Arizona Game and Fish accepting 2017 Heritage Fund Grants

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is now accepting applications for more than $400,000 in Heritage Fund grants.

The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 31, 2016 to be eligible for grant funding, which will be available through a competitive application process in the following categories: environmental education, outdoor education, schoolyard habitat, urban wildlife/habitat, public access, and Identification, Inventory, Acquisition, Protection and Management (IIAPM). This year 501(c) non-profit organizations can apply for grant funds without the need of a sponsor

The Heritage Fund was created after voters approved an initiative in 1990 and is funded through Arizona Lottery ticket sales. Heritage funding goes toward conservation efforts such as protecting endangered species, educating students and the general public about wildlife and the outdoors, and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The grant program was established by AZGFD in 1992 as part of the overall Heritage Fund program. The grants were initially developed as a way to promote outreach to enhance important partnerships and generate fresh approaches in support of the department’s mission.

Since the grant program’s inception, the department has awarded more than $14 million and supported more than 700 projects throughout the state.

Applicants for this year’s grants should refer to the documents on our Heritage Grant web page for guidance on applying. The documents include the Heritage Grant Application Manual, the Heritage Grant Application Form and the various “Heritage Grant Funding Window” documents, which describe eligibility information and provide specific eligibility criteria listed within each grant sub-category.

Potential grant recipients must have a project that is either located in Arizona or involves research in which the wildlife or its habitat is located in the state.

Proposals/applications for these grants can be submitted either by e-mail to rbeck@azgfd.gov or mailed to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Wildlife Grant Administrator, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. No faxed applications will be accepted.

Applicants can submit grant applications up until the application deadline of 5 p.m. (MST) Monday, Oct. 31, 2016.

Upcoming Heritage Grant Workshops
To learn more about Heritage Fund grants and how to apply for the more than $400,000 in available funds, attend one of the department’s workshops being held at the following times and locations:

  • 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 at the Flagstaff regional Game and Fish office at 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
  • 2-4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 at the Game and Fish Headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix.
  • 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23 at the Tucson regional Game and Fish office at 555 N. Greasewood Road.

Those planning to attend a workshop, and those wanting to learn more about eligibility for the grant money, should RSVP to Robyn Beck at (623) 236-7530. A minimum of three people must sign up for each workshop or the session will be cancelled 48 hours prior to the date.