Daily Archives: October 16, 2016

Public forums set for 2017 pronghorn, elk hunt recommendations

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pronghornPHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host four public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2017 hunt recommendations for pronghorn, elk and population management seasons.

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

The meetings will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. at the following Game and Fish regional offices:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 19: Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
  • Thursday, Oct. 20: Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 26: Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
  • Thursday, Oct. 27: Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive.

Constituents who are interested in specific game management units within those regions will have the opportunity to discuss management direction. The proposed hunt recommendations will be outlined during a short presentation, which will be followed by an opportunity to submit comments regarding those recommendations. All comments will be reviewed by the department.

After the public forums have been completed, the final proposed draft hunt recommendations will be made available for public review at several regional open houses and posted on the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines by Nov. 21, 2016.

Open houses will be conducted at the following Game and Fish regional offices:

  • 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 23: Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
  • 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 23: Yuma, 9140 E. 28th St.
  • 3 to 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28: Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
  • 3 to 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28: Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
  • 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 29: Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
  • 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., TBD: Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive.

The final 2017 pronghorn and elk hunt recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration during its Dec. 3 meeting in Phoenix.

South Mountain Freeway design meetings draw big crowds, important input

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meeting-0277_cropPHOENIX – Nearly 800 people attended three public meetings on preliminary design plans for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, providing input and asking questions that will guide final design of the 22-mile-long link between the West Valley and East Valley.

The meetings, held in Ahwatukee Foothills, Laveen and west Phoenix, provided an opportunity for residents to learn more about the freeway’s alignment, traffic interchanges, noise walls, landscaping and aesthetics.

Representatives from the Arizona Department of Transportation and the developer, Connect 202 Partners, answered questions, received feedback and encouraged attendees to provide comments on detailed design plans.

“The South Mountain Freeway has generated significant interest, as evidenced by the great attendance at these design meetings,” said Rob Samour, ADOT senior deputy state engineer of major projects.

All input is being assessed by ADOT’s development team and, when possible, will influence how the freeway is constructed.

A comprehensive summary of the public meetings, which will be posted at SouthMountainFreeway.com in November, will address any questions that remained unanswered after the three meetings. Participants submitted about 500 comment forms and question cards.

For those who were unable to attend the meetings, the presentations have been posted online and the public can provide feedback through Thursday, Oct. 20, in these ways:

  • Online: SouthMountainFreeway.com
  • Email: SouthMountainFreewayInfo@c202p.com
  • Phone: 1.855.SMF.L202 (1.855.763.5202), or para Español, 623.239.4558
  • Mail: ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson St., MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007

The latest project information is available via the project website at SouthMountainFreeway.com, email and text updates (click “Subscribe for Updates” on the project website) and the project hotline numbers (1.855.763.5202, or para Español, 623.239.4558).

Construction of the South Mountain Freeway began in September with improvements to the Interstate 10/Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) interchange. Work includes extending Loop 202 HOV lanes and widening the shoulders to Pecos Road near 48th Street. Construction of the mainline freeway is scheduled to begin in early 2017.

Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley when it opens to traffic by the end of 2019.

North Zone fire managers plan for Tipover Unit

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FREDONIA – North Zone fire managers on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park plan to conduct additional hazardous fuels reduction treatments within the Tipover East prescribed fire burn unit as early as Tuesday.

Fire managers anticipate treating between 1,000 to 3,000 acres pending favorable weather conditions and resource availability with the goal of reducing the dead and downed woody fuels by 30 to 60 percent. Currently, fuel loading through much of the unit can be characterized as moderate to heavy with approximately 36 to 55 tons per acre and averaging approximately 40 tons per acre across the entire unit. To date fire managers have treated more than 6,000 acres in the last few weeks.

“Over the past month we have accomplished a lot of prescribed burning; we are very pleased with the results we have seen so far. Overall fuel loadings within the treated areas have been reduced, wildlife habitat is being protected and enhanced, we are moving towards desired conditions that promote healthy forests, and we have continued to return fire to our fired adapted ecosystems,” said North Zone Fuels Specialist Dave Robinson.

The total Tipover East project area is 10,296 acres in size, but the entire project area will not be burned at once. Fire managers have divided the project area into separate burn units that will be treated over the next 3 to 5 years. It is located on a strip of forested land along the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest west of Highway 67 and is bound by FS 223 on the north, portions of FS 270 and Highway 67 on the east, the 2003 Poplar fire history area on the south, and portions of the NPS-W4, FS 268B and FS 268 roads on the west.

In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area. Smoke is expected to be visible from Highway 89A, Highway 67, Marble Canyon and other high-use visitor areas. However, fire managers will strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible. Smoke is expected to disperse during the daytime, but residual smoke may settle into drainages and low-lying areas overnight. Fire managers will only commence ignitions when conditions exist that will allow smoke to adequately ventilate.

As a reminder, implementation of prescribed fires is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke, as well as prior coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.