Monthly Archives: July 2017

Upgrades coming to Ben Avery Shooting Facility’s main range

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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.

Page area birth certificate services expanded

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PAGE – The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) has expanded birth certificate services at the Northern Region Office located at 467 Vista Ave., Page, AZ.

Beginning in July, birth certificate services will be available:

Second Tuesday of each month from 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Second Wednesday of each month from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

“Many people never think about whether they have an official copy of their birth certificate until they need it. Birth certificate may be required to obtain a driver’s license, a marriage license, to get a passport, to enroll in school,” said CCPHSD Chief Health Officer Marie Peoples. “Getting a birth certificate now may save valuable time when it’s needed.”

CCPHSD offers certified birth certificates only for births that occurred in Arizona. The cost is $20 each. To obtain a certified copy of a birth certificate from another state, contact that state’s vital records office.

CCPHSD can only correct or amend records for births that occurred after 1997. For births that occurred prior to 1997, correction paperwork must be sent to the State Office of Vital Records. The cost is $30 and includes a birth certificate.

Birth certificate services are also available by mail and at other locations throughout the County. For more information, call the Coconino County Public Health Services District at 928-679-7272 or toll-free at 1-877-679-7272 or visit www.coconino.az.gov/birthcertificates.

County to downgrade to Stage 1 fire restrictions

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County will rescind Stage 2 fire restrictions at 9 a.m., Thursday, July 13. Stage 1 restrictions will remain in effect and is in coordination with the National Forest Service and the State of Arizona.

Monsoonal rainfall throughout northern Arizona over the past week has brought moisture to the forests and the area. When local area U.S Forests move out of Stage 2 fire restrictions and back into Stage 1 restrictions, the Coconino Wildland Defense Ordinance allows for Coconino County Emergency Manager Whitney to downgrade restrictions. Coconino Emergency Management briefed the Board of Supervisors on the change in restrictions during a special session on Wednesday, July 12.

Although much of the region received rain, several areas may have received much less rainfall and fire conditions may still be high in some locations. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution when using equipment or items that can spark a fire. They are also asked to extinguish all campfires, operate ATVS and motorcycles with spark arrestors and to use caution when operating barbeque grills. Residents and visitors are reminded they can be legally responsible for causing wildfires.

The County Enacted Stage 2 fire restrictions on June 22 due to very high wildfire danger in the area.

The following restrictions apply on County public lands, as well as private lands in the unincorporated areas of the County. During Stage 1, the only combustion open fire and campfire allowed are listed below:

1. By persons with a written permit or variance.
2. For personal use of cigarette or other tobacco smoking medium when inside an enclosed vehicle or building, or in a developed recreational site in an area that is free of combustible materials and vegetation.
3. For emergency repair of public utilities and railroads and other health and safety mitigation measures when operated by a public utility or railroad and implemented in accordance with an approved agency plan.
4. By persons conducting a cultural or religious ceremony with a written permit or variance.
5. By any Federal, State or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting entity in the performance of an official duty.
6. By persons whose OPEN FIRE is the result of a device manufactured, for the purpose of cooking food, fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and turned off (for example a gas grill) when used in an area that is free of combustible materials and vegetation. This does not include Liquid fuel or LPG fire rings.

7. By persons operating internal combustion engines, in the course of mechanical or industrial operations, that would produce open flames and sparks but containing appropriate spark arresting devices; those welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame in an area that is free of combustible materials and vegetation; and those using explosives with written permission of an authorized governmental agency.
8. By persons operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.
9. By persons operating electric generators or pumps with an approved spark arresting device in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding combustible materials within three (3) feet of the device.
10. Persons engaged in industrial and ranching operations with a permit or variance.
11. With an open fire using charcoal or wood for cooking food or providing warmth for human beings in a for fee campground with fire hosting amenities [grill, fire ring].

Unless allowed by an exemption above, common prohibited activities include open fire, campfires, fireworks, open smoking and use of exploding targets and tracer round ammunition.

A link to the full Wildfire Defense Ordinance can be found at on the Coconino County homepage at www.coconino.az.gov/emergency.

Plan for lane restrictions and possible closure of eastbound Interstate 40 near Bellemont early Thursday, July 13

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BELLEMONT – Drivers could be delayed on eastbound I-40 near Bellemont early Thursday, and Mother Nature is to blame. A recent lightning strike damaged a 90-foot pine tree adjacent to travel lanes at milepost 186, and the tree must be removed for safety.

Work is scheduled to occur on eastbound I-40 from 6 to 11 a.m. Thursday, July 13. I-40 will be narrowed to one lane; however, a full closure of eastbound travel lanes might be necessary to prevent debris from entering the roadway.

Drivers should plan to slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment, as well as law enforcement officers who will be on site to assist with traffic control.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Wanted: Your best wildlife photos

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PHOENIX — If you enjoy watching and photographing Arizona’s amazing wildlife, consider entering the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s annual wildlife calendar photo contest.

Send three of your finest wildlife photos via email or through a file-sharing website. Information and rules are posted at www.azgfd.gov/photocontest. As always, entry is free.

Winning images will be featured in the 2018 wildlife calendar, in the November–December 2017 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. Cash prizes are awarded. Prize money is funded through publications sales.

Whether you’ve photographed a colorful hummingbird in flight, a bighorn ram perched on a rocky ledge or a rabbit sipping water from a pond, submit your best work. Your photo could be chosen as a winner or for honorable mention.

The contest accepts entries through August 11 at 5 p.m. MST.

Back to School and Community Health Fair in Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Public Health Services District is holding a Back to School and Community Health Fair on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 29. The event will be held at the Health and Community Services Building, 2625 N. King St., Flagstaff, Az.

Students grades K – 12 will receive free backpacks and school supplies, while supplies last. Students must be present and complete an event passport to receive a backpack.

Students can receive vaccinations required for Arizona school entry and vaccinations recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Insurance will be billed with no insurance copay or office visit fee regardless of insurance status. Please bring insurance card and immunization records.

Other services and activities available at the Health Fair include:

  1. Free sports physicals ~ Limited number available. Inquire at Check-in tent.
  2. Oral health information ~ Free toothbrushes (limited supply), meet Tootsie the Tooth.
  3. WIC, nutrition and injury prevention information.
  4. Review of children and adult immunization records.
  5. Fun activity stations.
  6. Prizes, giveaways, music.
  7. Learn more about the Health District and other community resources.

For more information visit www.coconino.az.gov/health.

Nominations sought for 2017 Game and Fish Commission Awards

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is soliciting nominations for its 2017 Commission Awards. The deadline for submission is Aug. 24, 2017. The purpose of these awards is to recognize Arizonans who have contributed significantly to the conservation of the state’s wildlife, its outdoor heritage, and the mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Nominations may include individuals, organizations, clubs, foundations or government agencies. Arizona Game and Fish Department employees are not eligible for nomination.

To submit a Commission Awards nomination, download a nomination form and submit the completed form and all supplemental materials to:
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attn: 2017 Commission Awards
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086

Nominations also can be submitted via email to lroe@azgfd.gov or faxed to 623-236-7299.

The submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2017.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will select the 2017 Commission Award recipients at its Sept. 8-9, 2017, meeting. The awards will be presented at the annual Arizona Game and Fish Commission Awards Banquet to be held on Jan. 13, 2018.
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AZGFD reviewing feds’ draft Mexican wolf recovery plan

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is reviewing the draft Mexican wolf recovery plan released June 29 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although the plan appears to address the substance of AZGFD’s lawsuit filed in June 2015, Department scientists are continuing to evaluate the plan in detail before submitting formal comments by the August 29 comment deadline.

The draft plan outlines several key strategic acknowledgements to ensure the success of Mexican wolf reintroduction, including the recognition of Interstate 40 in Arizona and New Mexico as the appropriate northern boundary for recovery encompassing all of this wolf’s historical range, as well as recognition of the critical role Mexico plays in any recovery effort within the U.S.

“This science-based plan provides a description of the Mexican wolf’s historical range to ensure proper genetic management between Mexican wolves and Canadian gray wolves that were transplanted into the northern Rocky Mountains, which are prominent in areas north of I-40,” said Jim deVos, assistant director for wildlife management for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “This affords agencies invested in wolf recovery a pathway toward preserving and protecting the Mexican wolf from genetic swamping that would jeopardize this uniquely smaller subspecies.”

Arizona Game and Fish’s involvement in Mexican wolf conservation began in the mid-1980s. Since that time, the Department has spent more than $7 million on wolf recovery in the state and has been the predominant on-the-ground presence working to manage Mexican wolves.

Genetic viability has been one of the most controversial elements of Mexican wolf recovery. “The Department is analyzing the plan, which appears to be developed on the best available science by Dr. Philip S. Miller, a world-renowned population viability analysis expert,” said deVos. “Based on Dr. Miller’s analyses, the plan includes explicit science-based numbers of wolf releases required to maintain a genetically diverse Mexican wolf population.”

DeVos also noted that the draft plan outlines criteria for formally delisting and down-listing the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies, and that it also formally recognizes the key role Mexico plays in any recovery effort, given that 90 percent of Mexican wolf historical habitat is within Mexico.

“In total, the plan provides management options and direction to future delisting of Mexican wolves as an endangered subspecies and addresses weaknesses in the 1982 recovery plan,” said deVos. “We will work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies to ensure the success of wolf recovery efforts, in balance with other elements of the ecosystem, wildlife and the people who live, work and recreate on this landscape.”

In June 2015, AZGFD filed a lawsuit against the secretary of the Department of Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service seeking an updated recovery plan – a requirement of the Endangered Species Act, the first update since the current plan was published in 1982. In April 2016, the Service signed a settlement agreement with AZGFD and other parties to complete a final revised Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan by the end of November 2017.

The public is invited to submit written comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the draft plan, either electronically (go to http://www.regulations.gov and enter the docket number FWS-R2-ES-2017-0036 in the search bar), or by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R4-ES-2017-0036, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. Comments must be received on or before Aug. 29, 2017. To view the draft recovery plan and other documents, visit https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/MWRP.cfm.

The Service also will hold two public meetings in Arizona to provide an opportunity for citizens to learn about the revised Mexican wolf recovery plan and to provide written comments. The dates and times of these information meetings are:

  • Tuesday, July 18, 6-9 p.m., Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University’s Prochnow Auditorium, South Knowles Drive.
  • Wednesday, July 19, 6-9 p.m., Pinetop, Hon-Dah Resort’s Casino Banquet Hall, 777 AZ-260.

    • ​​​​​​​

Two additional public meetings will be held in New Mexico: July 20, 6-9 p.m., Truth or Consequences, Ralph Edwards Auditorium, Civic Center, 400 W. Fourth; and July 22, 2-5 p.m., Albuquerque, Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd. NE.

The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Forest Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Wildlife Services, and several participating counties in Arizona.

For more information on Mexican wolves, visit www.azgfd.gov/wolf.

​​​​​​​Bat workshop offers hands-on experience with AZGFD biologists​​

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SCOTTSDALE — Bats get a bad rap, but the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) aims to change that by highlighting all the good they do — such as eating pesky mosquitoes and flies — during a series of bat monitoring surveys Friday, July 21, July 28 and September 15.

The workshops and surveys run from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., cost $25 per person and will be held at Needle Rock Recreation Area northeast of Scottsdale. During the events, participants will help capture and identify local bat species alongside AZGFD biologists as part of the department’s overall bat conservation and monitoring efforts.

AZGFD biologist and Watchable Wildlife Program Manager Randy Babb will provide a dynamic evening experience educating participants about Arizona’s 28 species of bats, while netting over the Verde River. Attendees will help identify bats captured and collect important data before the animals are released unharmed.

Babb has worked on numerous studies and projects on small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates in Arizona, New Mexico, the southeastern U.S., Mexico, Central America, Vietnam and southern Africa.

Babb has published widely on these and other subjects, and has participated in a bat survey of Vietnam’s Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, which was the latest segment of an ongoing biological survey that has been underway since 2002. Babb has also provided illustrations and photographs for numerous books including “Venomous Reptiles of Arizona,” “Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona,” and “Vampiro: Vampire Bat In Fact & Fantasy.”

Space is limited for the events so register early.
Participants should wear long pants, close-toed shoes, a hat and insect repellent, and bring water and a headlamp or good flashlight. To reach the events, head east on Rio Verde Drive to Needle Rock Road and head north 2.5 miles until you reach the fully developed recreation area.

Drive carefully on SR 69 with firefighting still underway

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PHOENIX – While State Route 69 has reopened between Interstate 17 and State Route 169 near Prescott, drivers need to use caution as crews in the area continue fighting the Goodwin Fire, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Those using SR 69 through the affected area should slow down and watch out for vehicles and equipment entering and exiting the highway. In addition, windblown smoke can reduce visibility.

Other options for reaching the Prescott area from the Valley include taking SR 169 west from Interstate 17 or taking SR 89 north from US 93 via US 60 through Wickenburg. Because both SR 169 and SR 89 are one lane in each direction most of the way, heavy traffic can lead to slowing on those routes.

SR 69 closed Tuesday between Cordes Junction and SR 169 as the Goodwin Fire burned near Mayer. It reopened to all traffic Friday morning.

Initial assessments by ADOT suggest that only minimal fire damage occurred along SR 69. Approximately 20 guardrail posts were damaged when fire crossed the highway near Mayer. ADOT will conduct a full assessment once firefighting operations wind down.

For the most current information about highway closures and restrictions statewide, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511.