Daily Archives: June 26, 2025

June 29 is deadline to apply for Local Sportsmen’s Group grants

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PHOENIX — Time is running out for local sportsmen’s organizations to apply for $75,000 in annual grant funding to provide public, mentored projects that are focused on the recruitment and development of new hunters and anglers.

Applications must be received by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Sunday, June 29. Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Online applications and instructions are available at www.azgfd.gov/LSG.

The Local Sportsmen’s Group grants program places a high priority on projects that involve the pursuit or harvest of fish or wildlife with a valid license (and any necessary hunt permit-tag) and are geared toward participants who have the appropriate experience and skill levels relevant to a particular project.

“This grant program continues to provide much-needed funding for Arizona’s conservation organizations to connect with the public through quality, mentored projects at a time when there’s a huge demand for traditional outdoor and wildlife recreation like hunting and fishing,” said Doug Burt, AZGFD’s recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) manager.

“The projects from these funds, and the efforts of these community groups, return far more in value than the grant dollars would on their own by providing education about safe and ethical hunting and fishing, and how sportsmen play an important role in wildlife conservation.”

There is no cost to Arizona taxpayers for this grant program. Game and Fish does not receive any of the state’s general tax funds and operates under a user-pay, public-benefit model. The grant program is an investment in the continuance of wildlife conservation efforts and outdoor recreation participation in Arizona.

Visit www.azgfd.gov/wsfr for more information about how hunters, anglers, shooters, and boaters fund wildlife conservation through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program.

To learn more about AZGFD’s Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) program, visit www.azgfd.gov/outdoorskills for hunting, and www.azgfd.gov/FishAZ for fishing.

Hutton Ranch Road – Rio de Flag Crossing Project Completed

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FLAGSTAFF — A project to build a new and improved Rio de Flag crossing culvert at Hutton Ranch Road has been completed.

The $548,000 Hutton Ranch Road – Rio De Flag Culvert Crossing Project will improve transportation in and out of the Hutton Ranch neighborhood when the Rio de Flag is flowing. The project, which broke ground in late March, features a 3×20-foot cast-in-place concrete arch culvert under Hutton Ranch Road at the Rio de Flag crossing along with new fencing, guardrails, water inlet & outlet protection, and a paved surface over the culvert.

The Coconino County Public Works Engineering Division and County contractors began planning the project after the Slayton Ranch Road/Rio de Flag crossing was washed out by heavy snowmelt flows in March 2023. The Slayton Ranch crossing was replaced in July 2023, and the team used data from both that project and the record winter runoff of 2023 to determine the optimal drainage structure for the Hutton Ranch Road/Rio de Flag crossing.

“The washout at Slayton Ranch Road two years ago was a powerful reminder of the Rio de Flag’s flood potential and the need to swiftly address any vulnerabilities in our drainage infrastructure,” said Public Works Director Christopher Tressler. “Just as we did at Slayton Ranch, we’ve designed and constructed a resilient new crossing at Hutton Ranch Road engineered to safely handle seasonal snowmelt and monsoon flows while minimizing impacts to the surrounding neighborhood, as much as is feasible.”

“I’d like to thank everyone in Hutton Ranch area for their patience during the three months of work it took to complete this important project,” said Supervisor Judy Begay, whose district includes the Slayton Ranch Road area. “I’d also like to thank the engineers and construction team for working so hard to finish this project in time for what is forecast to be an active monsoon season.”

For more information about the Hutton Ranch Road – Rio De Flag Culvert Crossing Project please contact Public Works at 928-679-8300.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions to begin Friday, June 27

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WILLIAMS—Due to increasing fire danger, Stage 1 Fire and Smoking Restrictions will go into effect beginning 8:00 a.m. Friday, June 27, 2025, on the North Kaibab and Tusayan ranger districts.

Under Stage 1 restrictions, the building, maintaining, attending, or using fire, campfire, or stove fire including charcoal and briquettes outside of a permanent metal or concrete fire pit or grate that the Forest Service has installed and maintained at its developed recreation sites is prohibited. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

Using a stove or grill that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the stove or grill.

The Kaibab’s fire restrictions do not prohibit target shooting. However, all existing regulations for discharging a firearm on public lands still apply.

Additional restrictions may be necessary in the future. Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the area receives enough widespread precipitation to significantly lower the fire danger.

Fire restrictions are implemented to help prevent human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of visitors during periods of potentially dangerous fire conditions. Decisions about fire restrictions are based on a combination of carefully measured factors. Criteria used to determine when to implement restrictions include current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels, enduring drought, and available firefighting resources.

The public is reminded to always be extra cautious when recreating on public lands, regardless of restrictions. Fireworks and explosives are always prohibited and leaving a campfire unattended is illegal all year round.

Violations could result in mandatory appearance in a federal court, fines, or jail time.

For information on restrictions and other alerts on the Kaibab National Forest visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/alerts.

For restriction information on state and federally managed lands in AZ visit wildlandfire.az.gov/fire-restrictions. Coconino County fire restriction information can be found at https://www.coconino.az.gov/AlertCenter.