Category Archives: Phoenix

Governor Ducey proclaims June 20 American Eagle Day

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eagle-03PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey has proclaimed June 20 American Eagle Day in Arizona, part of a national effort to recognize the United States’ symbol of freedom and power, the bald eagle. Since its inception in 1995, 47 states have signed proclamations to celebrate the day.

More than 230 years after the newly-formed United States of America adopted the bald eagle over the wild turkey as its national symbol, the bald eagle is once again thriving nationally.

The bald eagle population numbered an estimated 250,000 birds when Europeans first settled the continent. However, populations began to decline in the 1800s when the birds were shot for feathers and trophies; their habitat was reduced to build houses and farms; and, their food sources were used to support the booming European settlements. In the 1900s, the species was affected by the use of DDT, and populations declined further.

“Arizona implements a nationally-recognized bald eagle management program that has successfully taken the state from only 11 breeding pairs when the species was federally listed as endangered in 1978 to 65 pairs today,” said Edward “Pat” Madden, incoming chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. “The bald eagle’s success is entirely due to the long-term commitments made by the 26 partners of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC), a group that includes the Game and Fish Department, federal, state, Native American, and private organizations.”

Although the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list nationally in 2007, the population in Arizona still requires management due to its small size and isolated nature. Management efforts include closing high-use recreation areas during bald eagle breeding season; the Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program that monitors nests near high recreational use areas; banding and visual identification to monitor the health of the population; nest survey flights; a monofilament (fishing line) recovery program to remove fishing line from the shores of Arizona’s waterways to keep eagles from being entangled; and, a winter population count.

Also found in Arizona, golden eagles are large, impressive raptors, but little historic information existed about their population and habits in Arizona. Growing conservation concerns have increased the demand for a better understanding of the current status of the species and its conservation needs. Game and Fish kicked off a multi-year population assessment in 2011 and has identified more than 250 breeding areas through helicopter surveys. In addition, the Southwestern Golden Eagle Management Committee was created to provide management support for the species.

Game and Fish’s eagle management efforts are supported in part by the Heritage Fund, an initiative passed by voters more than 20 years ago to provide for wildlife education and conservation through Arizona lottery ticket sales.

ADEQ Announces Reduced Vehicle Emissions Test Fees for Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area Motorists

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced yesterday motorists whose vehicles are registered in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, including Maricopa County and portions of Pinal and Yavapai Counties, known as “Area A,” will save $3.00 per vehicle for emissions testing fees, effective July 1, 2016.

ADEQ estimates that these fee reductions, representing approximately 1.2 million tests, will save vehicle owners about $3.7 million annually. All “Area A” vehicle emissions inspection fees will be reduced by $3.00.

“ADEQ continuously looks for ways to improve its vehicle emissions testing program,” said ADEQ Air Quality Division Director Timothy Franquist. “The State legislature’s passage of House Bill 2702 will reduce fees and more equitably cover ADEQ program costs.”

Beginning in 2014, ADEQ voluntarily lowered vehicle emissions inspection fees by more than 25 percent for more than one million tests in the Phoenix metropolitan area, which resulted in a savings to vehicle owners of about $8.2 million.

ADEQ supports a stepwise approach to reducing vehicle emissions testing fees as a prudent approach to balancing fees with service costs. The approach ensures program resource needs are met and minimizes reversing fee reductions at a later date.

ADEQ also instituted a Gas Cap Distribution Program in Maricopa and Pima counties, which provides vehicle owners with a new gas cap, free of charge, if their gas cap fails emissions inspection. This eliminates the need for the owner to leave, buy a new gas cap and return to retest, and immediately eliminates the release of gasoline vapors into the environment. If the testing station doesn’t have the gas cap size needed, motorists are offered a $5 prepaid card to help cover the cost of a new cap. Since its inception in 2014, ADEQ and its contractor have provided more than 91,000 gas caps and prepaid cards to Arizona motorists.

ADEQ is committed to better, faster, cheaper services by providing more service for less cost to customers applying Lean principles of continuous improvement and elimination of waste.

Please visit the following online resources for more information about ADEQ and vehicle emissions inspection and testing:

ADEQ

http://www.azdeq.gov/

ADEQ Vehicle Emissions Inspection

http://www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/vehicle-emissions-inspection-vei

myAZcar.com

http://www.myazcar.com/

Film production on Loop 303 to continue through early Saturday

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PHOENIX — Loop 303 will remain closed west of Interstate 17 through 3 a.m. Saturday as production of a motion picture continues.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is allowing Paramount Pictures additional time to film “Transformers 5: The Last Knight” between I-17 and Lake Pleasant Parkway in the north Valley. Traffic through this area is detouring east- and westbound on State Route 74.

While Loop 303 is closed between I-17 and Lake Pleasant Parkway:

• I-17 drivers can use westbound SR 74 to southbound Lake Pleasant Parkway to reach westbound/southbound Loop 303.
• Eastbound Loop 303 drivers can exit at Lake Pleasant Parkway and travel north to eastbound SR 74 to connect with I-17.

The production has had 300 people at locations in Arizona for nearly three weeks, boosting the economy through meals, lodging, fuel purchases and more. It has hired local companies for a variety of services, including equipment rental, transportation and construction.

ADOT regularly issues permits at no cost to film within highway right of way. The agency’s requirements for film permits safeguard taxpayer dollars and the taxpayers’ investment in state highways. This includes making sure there is no cost to the state.

Arizona Highways goes wild: New wildlife guidebook now available

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800wildlifeguide-blog-gilawoodpckr_original PHOENIX — As Arizona’s summer travel season begins, residents and visitors will take to the outdoors and, with a little research and a keen eye, catch glimpses of the wildlife that calls this state home.

Arizona Highways Wildlife Guide, available now at ArizonaHighways.com, documents 125 native species in full-color photography with informative descriptions. The guide features Arizona’s most frequently viewed mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fish, all shown through photographs from Arizona Highways contributors. It’s a resource for any outdoor enthusiast who spends time hiking, fishing, camping and exploring Arizona’s natural beauty.

The wildlife guide is authored by Brooke Bessesen, an Arizona-based naturalist who travels worldwide to study animals in their habitats.

It will be available at Costco, Barnes & Noble, Changing Hands Bookstore and Amazon.com on June 30.

Published since 1925, Arizona Highways magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries, and is regarded around the world as the leading authority on Arizona travel. In addition to the wildlife guidebook, Arizona Highways publishes guidebooks on hiking, camping, fishing and photography, along with a number of coffee table books. Arizona Highways magazine is a publication of the Arizona Department of Transportation.

For more information on Arizona Highways magazine, or to purchase a subscription or a book, visit ArizonaHighways.com.

Two road workers hit and killed this month on state highways

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worker-safety-sign_originalPHOENIX — In the past 10 days, two people working on state highways have been hit and killed by vehicles. These unnecessary and avoidable tragedies illustrate the need for drivers to pay attention in work zones and to give a safe margin of space to vehicles with flashing lights, such as tow trucks and emergency responders.

To remind drivers of the importance of paying attention to their surroundings, ADOT will display the following message this week on overhead signs statewide:

2 ROAD WORKERS
KILLED THIS MONTH
DRIVE ALERT

When traveling in work zones, drivers should expect the unexpected, as normal speed limits may be reduced and people may be working in the road. They also should slow down, keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and pay attention. Minimizing distractions could save a life.

Not only is it a safe practice to give space to emergency response vehicles, such as ambulances, fire trucks, tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles, it’s also the law. Arizona’s “Move Over” law requires motorists to move over one lane – or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes – when driving by any vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of the roadway.

Early Monday morning, a passenger car struck and killed an employee of a contractor working on an ADOT project as he removed barricades from Loop 101 Pima Freeway in Scottsdale. Earlier this month, a box truck hit and killed a tow company driver responding to a stalled vehicle on Interstate 10 near Benson.

Arizona Wins EPA’s Air Quality Flag Program Challenge

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PHOENIX — Arizona schools won the EPA’s Spring Air Quality Flag Program Challenge to protect people’s health. Schools state-wide are raising brightly colored flags to help students and members of the community be aware of daily air quality conditions. The colored flags correspond to the Air Quality Index to inform community members about air quality forecasts so they can take steps to protect their health.

The Spring Challenge aimed to increase the number of participating schools and organizations and raise awareness about the Air Quality Index colors and associated health messages.

“We applaud Arizona for enrolling 63 new schools in the Flag Program and winning the nationwide challenge,” said Alexis Strauss, EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “These flags give community members information to make smart choices about their outdoor activity levels.”

“As one of the first schools in Arizona to participate in the Air Quality Flag Program and now going on nearly a decade, our K-8 students have learned how air quality affects their daily activities and lives from the color of the flag and what they can do to protect themselves from poor air quality,” said Annette Heasman, Registered Nurse, P.L. Julian School, Phoenix, Arizona.

“Having served as the model for EPA’s nationwide Air Quality Flag Program, Arizona is proud to continue to be a leader in this effective voluntary public health program, which makes a difference in the lives of some our most vulnerable children and adults,” said ADEQ Air Quality Division Director Timothy Franquist.

Each day a flag is hoisted above schools, or other community sites, that participate. In the school setting, recess and physical education are sometimes held indoors on days with particularly poor air quality, especially for sensitive populations, like children with severe asthma. The program also contains an environmental education component with teacher lesson plans about air pollution, and the science behind air monitoring technology.

Our daily lives are affected by local air quality, which can change from day to day, season to season, and even vary depending on the time of day. The EPA’s Air Quality Index provides information about the health effects of common air pollutants, and how to avoid those effects. The flags alert people to that particular day’s air quality, so they know when to modify their outdoor activities.

“As participation in Arizona’s Flag Program continues to grow, we are hopeful that community awareness too will increase and positively impact both children’s and public health,” said ADEQ Children’s Health Program Lead Julie Finke. “Our success in Arizona is due to our community’s ongoing commitment and the tireless promotion work of our partners and local coordinators, whom we recognize and thank for their participation and efforts.”

Getting up-to-date air quality information is easy by subscribing at www.enviroflash.info or downloading the AirNow app. You can get the daily air quality forecast sent to your email, cell phone or Twitter. This is especially helpful for those who are sensitive to the effects of air pollution, such as children, adults who are active outdoors, people with heart and lung disease, and older adults.

For more information on the Air Quality Flag Program visit EPA’s AirNow website at www.airnow.gov/flag.

For more information about the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality program, please visit: http://www.azdeq.gov/node/603.

Arizona Antelope Foundation seeks volunteers for project June 25-26

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Pronghorn_-_Buck_1_2GREER — The Arizona Antelope Foundation is seeking volunteers for a fence modification project June 25-26 near Greer, adjacent to River Reservoir in the White Mountains.

This area has been identified as a pronghorn migration route between higher elevation summer and lower elevation winter ranges. The project activity includes removing about 1.5 miles of existing four-strand fencing and modifying about 0.3 miles of fencing by removing the bottom strand of barbed wire and replacing it with a single strand of smooth wire 16 inches above the ground.

The project begins at 7 a.m. both days. The Arizona Antelope Foundation will provide dinners Friday and Saturday nights, as well as continental breakfasts with coffee and juice Saturday and Sunday mornings. Volunteers are asked to provide their own lunches to eat in the field. Volunteers also should bring work gloves, snacks, water and personal gear.

Sign up by Friday, June 17, by e-mailing info@azantelope.org. For more information, contact Glen Dickens at (520) 247-4907. For a printer-friendly map to the campsite, visit www.azantelope.org.

Closure of bridge at I-40 Twin Arrows (Exit 219) on Tuesday

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Arizona Department of Transportation crews will be applying asphalt overlay on the bridge for the Twin Arrows Traffic Interchange (milepost 219) Tuesday (June 14) from midnight to 10 a.m.

Access across the bridge will be closed for traffic during construction; however a detour will be in place to allow for travel in the area and to Interstate 40. Please see information below for details:

Detour for I-40 Eastbound exiting north (Twin Arrows Casino)

  • Travel east on I-40 past the Twin Arrows exit to Buffalo Range exit (milepost 225), then continue westbound on I-40 to Twin Arrows exit (milepost 219).

Detour for traffic exiting Twin Arrows Casino to travel eastbound on I-40

  • Travel west on I-40 to Winona exit (milepost 211) and exit eastbound onto I-40 at this location

Please observe reduced speed limits and allow for extra travel time while traveling through the work zone.

Four states sign pact to create I-10 Corridor Coalition

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PHOENIX — In a move to make travel on Interstate 10 safer and more efficient, the transportation leaders in four states have created a coalition supporting innovation along the corridor.

An agreement establishing the voluntary I-10 Corridor Coalition, proposed by Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski, was signed June 2 by Halikowski and:

• Malcolm Dougherty, director of the California Department of Transportation
• Tom Church, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Transportation
• James Bass, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation

“The efficient flow of commerce in Arizona drives our state’s economic vitality,” Halikowski said. “This agreement with our transportation partners in California, New Mexico and Texas will work to build a reliable, friction-free I-10 corridor to support Arizona’s businesses and export industries.

“We want to see the day when a truck or a non-commercial vehicle can travel the 1,700 miles between Los Angeles ports and Houston ports – safely, efficiently and without delay,” Halikowski added.

The I-10 Corridor Coalition is modeled after a coalition involving 15 states that govern Interstate 95 between Florida and Maine. For Arizona, the partnership is designed to remove what transportation officials refer to as “friction” – such as the variety of commercial vehicle permitting and inspection practices in each state along I-10 – that makes the movement of goods less efficient than it could be.

Commerce flowing on Interstate 10 across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas is the engine of a powerful economic region. I-10 is the primary trucking route to and from the Port of Long Beach, which connects to Asian markets, and connects the trillion-dollar markets of Southern California and central Texas.

If the four states were combined, the region would have the 10th largest economy in the world.

“Someday we want the I-10 Corridor to be filled with truck platoons and connected vehicles, weigh-in-motion sensors and automated truck parking lots,” Halikowski said, outlining a vision for the safer, more efficient movement of commercial and non-commercial traffic.

The coalition will employ the transportation expertise of the states collectively to enable resource sharing, joint testing and economies of scale, Halikowski said. It will apply best practices to improve safety and efficiency along the corridor, improve freight movement, expand and coordinate the use of technology along the corridor, and promote cooperative planning.

The coalition also will engage other levels of government and private stakeholders throughout the corridor to achieve the goals of friction-free travel.

Game and Fish biologists offer small-group bighorn sheep viewing experience June 18 and 19

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BHS_drinking_at_river_webThe Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering two unique opportunities to view one of Arizona’s most iconic arid land animals, the desert bighorn sheep, in an intimate, small-group setting on Canyon Lake. The three-hour morning boat tours will take place on June 18 and 19.

Participants will board department work boats to explore the canyons and bluffs of this scenic lake in search of these spectacular animals. Biologists aboard each of the boats will share and interpret bighorn behavior and biology during the trip. Due to limited space on the boat, attendance is restricted to 22 people per tour.

“Arizona’s hotter months provide the best opportunities for seeing sheep up close,” says Joe Yarchin, Game and Fish’s watchable wildlife program coordinator. “Sheep stay close to the water during June and July, and since the mating season is still under way, we occasionally see rams fighting or chasing ewes. But, the thing I enjoy most is watching lambs born earlier in the year cavorting around near their mothers; their agility is a marvel.”

Game Management Units 22 and 24B are home to some of the largest bighorn rams found anywhere in North America. Canyon Lake forms the border between these two administrative areas, and animals from both areas congregate near the lake’s shore at this time of year. This is an excellent opportunity to view, photograph, and enjoy bighorn sheep in their native environment.

The tour will leave Palo Verde Recreation Area at 7 a.m., heading up lake towards the dam to look for sheep. In addition to bighorn sheep, bald eagles, herons, and a variety of waterfowl are often seen. The area is also home to a myriad of other wildlife including deer, mountain lions, javelina and numerous small mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Parking for the event will be at Acacia Recreation, a short 5-minute walk to the west. Participants will need a $6 Tonto Pass for each vehicle they park at the lake. Tonto Passes are available at a variety of convenience markets and sporting goods stores around the Phoenix Metro area or from the Tonto National Forest Mesa Ranger District Office at 5140 E. Ingram Street in Mesa.

“It’ll be warm out on the lake,” warns Yarchin. “People should dress comfortably and appropriately for a summer’s morning outdoors, including bringing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water and snacks, and don’t forget your camera and binoculars.”

Each boat will have an ice chest for the participants to use.

The cost is $75 per person, payable by check or money order only. For more information or to register, contact Joe Yarchin at (623) 236-7589 or jyarchin@azgfd.gov from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional information, contact Randy Babb at the department’s Mesa regional office at (480) 466-1334 or rbabb@azgfd.gov.