Daily Archives: November 10, 2020

Kaibab Forest Service selling Christmas tree permits

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is selling Christmas tree permits through Recreation.gov. Permit holders will be allowed to cut November 16 through December 24.

A total of 2,500 permits will be available for purchase through the Recreation.gov webpage for Kaibab NF Christmas Trees, which also lists details about designated cutting areas, maps, dates, and sizes of trees that may be cut. Five hundred permits will be designated for cutting areas on the Tusayan Ranger District, while the North Kaibab and Williams ranger districts will each have 1,000 permits available.

Permits are limited to one per household and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis until sold out. Each permit costs $15.00 per tree. Permits designated for the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts will be good for one tree each. For the North Kaibab Ranger District, up to 5 trees may be purchased on a single permit. A processing fee will be applied to each transaction.

When purchasing an online permit, it is important to carefully read the overview and need-to-know information prior to purchasing. Visitors will also need to set up or login to a Recreation.gov account to complete the transaction.

Fourth-grade students can get a free Christmas Tree through the Every Kid Outdoors Program by entering their pass ID on Recreation.gov. For additional information about the initiative and how to obtain a pass, visit www.everykidoutdoors.gov.

Fire restrictions lifted in Coconino and Kaibab Forests

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FLAGSTAFF, WILLIAMS — Stage 1 fire restrictions have been lifted for the Kaibab National Forest, and a reduced Bill Williams Mountain closure is anticipated to be issued in the coming days.

Although fire danger has decreased, safety hazards will still exist on Bill Williams Mountain while fuels reduction and forest restoration operations occur on the steep slopes, which is expected to continue through the season as conditions allow. The current closure on Bill Williams Mountain will remain in place at this time; however, the Forest Service is developing a reduced closure that allows as much access as possible while continuing to provide for public safety. Details of this change will be distributed when the closure is updated.

Fire managers have been evaluating conditions regularly since restrictions were implemented earlier this summer. While the forecast for the next several weeks includes dry weather and unseasonably higher temperatures, the recent precipitation and generally colder weather has helped reduce fire danger.

It is important to remember that wildfires could still burn uncharacteristically for this time of year, given the overall conditions of the forest. The public is urged to help prevent human-caused wildfires by ensuring campfires are fully extinguished – cold to the touch – before leaving them unattended. Abandoning a campfire is prohibited all year round.

Fire restrictions and closures can be found on the Kaibab National Forest Alerts and Notices webpage.

Stage 1 fire restrictions are currently lifted across Coconino National Forest, as key components and measurements that fire managers use to determine the implementation of fire restrictions have dropped, which has also decreased fire danger.

However, visitors should be aware of certain areas that have fire restrictions year-round, which can be found on the Coconino NF Forest Orders web page.

Coconino Forest briefly came out of fire restrictions when monsoon arrived in July, but then reentered Stage 1 fire restrictions on August 14 and has been in restrictions up until today.