Category Archives: National Government

Williams Ranger District fire managers announce locations scheduled for prescribed burning starting this fall

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WILLIAMS — Fire managers for the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are announcing locations where they plan to complete prescribed fire projects starting in October and continuing through much of next year. Up to about 12,500 acres could be treated across the district during that time as long as weather and fuel conditions allow.

Areas that could be treated are as follows:

  • McCracken East Prescribed Fire: Three burn units southeast of Williams, approximately 850 acres
  • McCracken West Prescribed Fire: Southeast of Williams, approximately 1,700 acres
  • Twin South Prescribed Fire: South of Williams, approximately 300 acres
  • Dutch Kid Knoll Prescribed Fire: Southwest of Williams, approximately 4,100 acres
  • Dutch Kid Hat Tank Prescribed Fire: Southwest of Williams, approximately 100 acres
  • Dutch Kid East Loop Prescribed Fire: South of Williams, approximately 1,000 acres
  • Newman Hill Prescribed Fire: Northeast of Williams, approximately 900 acres
  • Kendrick Prescribed Fire: Eleven burn units northeast of Williams, approximately 3,400 acres

During prescribed fires, community members and visitors may see fire personnel and vehicles in the vicinity. Smoke may also be present and may result in short-duration impacts to populated areas.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Prior to any given prescribed fire, additional information will be released regarding location, timing and anticipated smoke impacts. Kaibab National Forest fire information is also available through the following resources: InciWeb http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4112/; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.

Campgrounds scheduled to close for season on Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts

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WILLIAMS — Campgrounds on the Williams and Tusayan ranger districts of the Kaibab National Forest will soon be closing for the winter season.

Williams Ranger District

The last night to camp at Dogtown Lake Campground and White Horse Lake Campground on the Williams Ranger District will be Sept. 30. Campsites may be reserved at www.recreation.gov through Sept. 22. After Sept. 22, all campsites at the two campgrounds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The last night to camp in the group sites and the upper loops of Kaibab Lake Campground will be Sept. 30. The lower loops (loops A and B) will remain open until Oct. 17, with the campsites being available on a first-come, first-served basis. The day-use area and the boat ramp will remain open.

Spring Valley Cabin north of Parks, Ariz., does not close seasonally. It will remain open throughout the winter months and can be reserved at www.recreation.gov.

Tusayan Ranger District

The last night to camp in the group sites at Ten-X Campground on the Tusayan Ranger District will be Sept. 30. The single-family campsites will remain open until Oct. 4. The single-family campsites may be reserved at www.recreation.gov through Sept. 25. After Sept. 25, they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hull Cabin is scheduled to close for the winter season Sept. 30. It will reopen in April 2016 and can be reserved at www.recreation.gov.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Waters Small Grants program is currently requesting proposals

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Under this announcement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will advance EPA’s water quality and environmental justice goals. Proposed projects will address urban runoff pollution through diverse partnerships that produce multiple community benefits, with emphasis on underserved communities. Note that proposed project activities must take place entirely within one of the Eligible Geographic Areas, as illustrated on the interactive map provided on the Urban Waters Small Grants mapping website at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants-mapping

The complexity and widespread impact of urban runoff pollution requires various levels of government and local stakeholders (e.g., community residents, local businesses, etc.) to work together in developing effective and long-term solutions with multiple benefits. EPA supports and empowers communities, especially underserved communities, that are working on solutions to address multiple community needs, and fostering successful collaborative partnerships. Projects should address local water quality issues related to urban runoff pollution; provide additional community benefits; actively engage underserved communities; and foster partnership.

The total estimated funding available for awards under this competition is approximately $1.6 million. EPA expects each award to range from $40,000 to $60,000. EPA Regional Offices will award the cooperative agreements resulting from this announcement. It is anticipated that each EPA Regional Office will award approximately two to three cooperative agreements. Funding is contingent upon Agency funding levels, the quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations.

Visit the Urban Waters Small Grants website to learn more about the program and how to submit a proposal at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Please be sure to allow 3 weeks for your organization information to be updated in Grants.gov.

Award of Hospitality Contract on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

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Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced the award of a concession contract to Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. Xanterra will provide lodging, food services, retail, transportation, mule rides, and other services on the South Rim.

Xanterra, the incumbent operator, submitted the selected offer in response to a prospectus issued earlier this year. Superintendent Uberuaga stated “We are pleased to continue our long relationship with this important park partner, and we look forward to working together to implement some exciting improvements to services on the South Rim.”

The new 15 year contract is one of the largest in the National Park Service (NPS) in terms of revenue and lodging inventory. The services required in this prospectus have generated an average of approximately $66 million in gross revenues annually. New services will include a re-constructed Maswik South Lodge, improved food offerings including food trucks, and other improvements to operations and services.

This historic lodging and hospitality contract (CC-GRCA001-15) will include lodging, retail and food service in the historic Grand Canyon Village including the El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird and Kachina Lodges, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch, as well as retail and food service at Hermits Rest. It will also continue to include transportation services such as bus tours, taxi service and mule rides.

Concessions contracts are developed and issued under the authority of the Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998, P.L. 105-391, and its attending regulations in 36 CFR §51.

Save the date: National Public Lands Day at NKRD

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FREDONIA — The Kaibab National Forest and the International Mountain Bicycling Association will host a weekend trail building event for volunteers September 26 through 27 at Timp Point.

The 18-mile Rainbow Rim Trail is a single-track trail located in the vicinity of the south-southwestern most portion of the North Kaibab Ranger District on the Kaibab Plateau along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Once completed, the extension project will extend the existing Rainbow Rim trail east for 8 miles.

What: Volunteers will continue Rainbow Rim trail extension project

Where: Rainbow Rim, Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District

When: Saturday, September 26, 9:00 am through Sunday, September 27, 12:00 pm

General Information:

  • Camping sites reserved for volunteers at North Timp Point
  • Cold breakfast provided both days & hot dinner provided Saturday evening
  • Volunteers must bring their own lunch
  • Volunteer bike ride of Rainbow Rim trail on Saturday afternoon (3 to 6pm)

RSVP required:

Please click on email links below to RSVP, and please include the number of volunteers that may be joining you in the body of your email. For example: “I’m responding to your National Public Lands Day Rainbow Rim Volunteer Event invitation, Sept. 26 through Sept. 27. Please add myself (+ 2) to your list.” Or “Regretfully, I will not be able to attend your event. Thank you.”

Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink parking area to temporarily close

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640-keyhole-sink-038WILLIAMS — The parking area that provides access to the Oak Hill Snow Play Area and Keyhole Sink Trail on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest will be temporarily closed beginning Sept. 8 due to the presence of heavy equipment and construction materials.

Old toilet facilities are scheduled to be removed in the area and replaced with new ones. Forest managers expect the construction work and disturbance of the parking area, which is located off of old Route 66 just west of Parks, to last from Sept. 8 through Sept. 16. It is anticipated that the parking area and the new facilities will reopen to public use on Sept. 17.

Due to no other available parking nearby, there will be no motorized access to the Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink areas while the construction work is taking place. The Keyhole Sink Trail will remain open, but the trailhead will only be accessible via nonmotorized means.

“This construction work will result in an improved recreation experience for our visitors once it is complete,” said Lisa Jones, recreation staff officer for the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts. “We hope to have the parking area cleaned up and reopened for public use by Sept. 17. Until then, we ask our visitors to understand that the temporary inconvenience will result in better facilities in the long term.”

General Mobile Radio Service license DOES cost

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Radio-15-08-31-07(9/1/15) You might remember the citizens band (CB) radio craze of the seventies. The craze was driven by movies such as Smokey and the Bandit. There were CB clubs and conventions throughout the country much like the amateur radio class. At the time, both required a license to operate.

Amateur radio still requires a license but the requirement to get one is much different. Depending on which class you go for limits you to operating on certain frequencies. Operating on the CB frequencies no longer requires a license, but you can still get in trouble for operating illegally, which we will discuss later.

Today the Family Radio Service (FRS) band has become popular. You can purchase a pair of FRS radios and chargers from $20 on up depending on what you want. I have collected several of these radios which people seem to be dumping onto thrift stores. They are of different brands, but because they operate on the same frequencies you can communicate between them.

One specification you might notice on the package is the promise of ranges from 21-miles to 35-miles, or so. What they do not explain is that those particular models are also equipped with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) channels. Those operate at a higher power and that is why they print those ranges. The problem is that you will not get those promised ranges even operating on the GMRS channels without absolutely perfect conditions. Any obstruction or change in atmospheric condition will severely limit the range you will actually get.

Another thing that they do not tell you is that you are required to obtain a license from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC or Uncle Charley if you want to make them angry). There is some licensing requirement confusion on the Internet. Articles such as this one claim that the FCC has eliminated the license fee for GMRS. As with much that is on the Internet, I found this to be false at considerable cost to my wallet. My license actually cost me $90. The license, however, is good for five-years so long as I do not violate the laws governing this class of radio.

This may cause many to get into trouble by operating on these frequencies. It is equally hampered by the fact that I cannot find one single, simple list of licensing fees or requirements on the FCC web site. Human nature, being what it is, people will generally flock toward what they want (being no license) and run with it. A good rule of thumb is if you operate at an output power from about 4-watts on up, you probably need a license. And a check book.

Their article references an FCC proposal to eliminate the license requirement bound up in the legal mumbo-jumbo of this PDF. The problem is that proposal has not been approved. The article suggests people go to the FCC web site and flood it with comments to eliminate the license requirement. The problem with that is the licensing fees, in this case anyway, are not set by the FCC, but the Congress.

I am not one known to support or defend ANY government bureaucracy whether of national, State or county government origin. The ORIGINAL purpose of the FCC, however, might be considered Constitutionally based. Except that they do not have the right to suppress the Internet. While you may have the right to operate on a channel, you do not have the right to tie it up all day. You do not have the right to overstep my transmission. You MUST clear the channel for ANY emergency traffic. And your HAM radio cannot interpreter with my satellite television (which I do not have. This is just an example). Enforcement of the rules to prevent radio interference was the original purpose of the FCC. Like most bureaucracies, the FCC has gone way beyond its constitutional purpose.

For those who do not know, those channels that you dial into your GMRS/FRS or CB radio correspond to certain established frequencies. Like when you dial in your favorite FM (frequency modulation) station 92.9 in Flagstaff, you are tuning into a certain frequency. In this case 92.9 megahertz. If you program your radio so that it goes to 92.9 MHz when you press the “1” button, you are setting up a channel similar to the way GMRS/FRS and CB radios work. It should be noted that channel 1 on a CB and channel 1 on a GMRS/FRS radio are not the same frequency, so you cannot communicate between them.

As for the law, Title 47 of the United States Code parts 0-199 concern the operation of the FCC. The parts important to this article is Title 47 Subchapter D Part 95 for General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and Family Radio Service (FRS) and Title 47 Subchapter D Part 96 for Citizen Band, or CB radio. Part 97 concerns Amateur or HAM radio.

While the CB license requirement has been eliminated—and the GMRS requirement may be—there are still stipulations. The main one is that you may not alter the radio to put out more power or add devices that will increase your output. This is the same for GMRS or FRS. I read one article that blasted the FCC for fining a man for operating a CB without a license even though a license has not been required for some thirty years. It turns out that is not what they fined the man for. What they fined him for is that he was broadcasting with a power amplifying device, called a linear amplifier, attached to the radio. That has always been illegal.

You also cannot modify the channels of either radio so that they broadcast at a different frequency. Some older CB radios had three channels and you could change the crystals (things that determined the frequency) to any CB frequencies; but ONLY those frequencies allotted for CB.

The FCC does allow you to use a pseudonym or “handle,” like Bandit or Snowman (although snowman may have an entirely different meaning today). You must, however, use a self-assigned call sign. Your call sign would begin with a “K,” followed by your initials and then your zip code. You are supposed to begin your transmission with that code and rebroadcast it every fifteen minutes. The same reason that television stations “Pause for station identification” every half-hour.

I went into a lot of detail on the various radio services that are open to the public in one way or another. The bottom line is to broadcast on CB or FRS does not require a license. Yet there are still things that you should be aware of. Some of the instructions you receive when you buy the radio gives you some of the specifics, but you should consult the FCC web site or the laws for more in depth information. If you purchased your radios at a swap meet or thrift store, it is very important that you are aware of the laws as you may not get the instruction booklet with it. Operating instructions are generally available online in PDF format. The operating instructions will tell you which channels on your radio are FRS and which are GMRS. If you do not have a license, you are limited to operating on channels 8 to 14 on your dual-purpose radio.

The one feature that you should look for on any of these radios is the weather frequencies. In a weather emergency the NOAA may still be broadcasting in your area.

Military veterans give North Kaibab trails a facelift

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kaibab-veterans-1FREDONIA — The Forest Service’s most recent 2015-2020 Strategic Plan contains four outcome-oriented goals, one of which is to “Deliver Benefits to the Public.” Last week, recreational staff from the North Kaibab Ranger District (NKRD) of the Kaibab National Forest partnered with the Arizona Wilderness Coalition (AWC) and military-veteran volunteers to once again work toward meeting that goal by working together to maintain trails within and near the Saddle Mountain Wilderness.

Since the recent June release of the new Strategic Plan, the district’s staff has taken this challenge seriously by implementing various projects throughout the summer that would help meet this strategic goal. In addition to this most recent AWC Veterans Saddle Mountain Wilderness project, other summer projects on the district include: trail, sign, and building maintenance performed by students from the local Youth Conservation Corps, trail maintenance on the Rainbow Rim performed by volunteers from the American Conservation Experience and the International Mountain Bicycling Association, and prescribed fire prep work on the Tipover East prescribed fire burn unit performed by inmate fire crews from the Arizona State Forestry Division, who completed approximately 30 acres of thinning and hand piling fuel reduction work.

kaibab-veterans-2“For my veteran brothers and sisters, this trip was a good chance to push reality and stress aside and enjoy one of this country’s treasures, meet other veterans and make some new friends,” said U.S. Army veteran Bill Losh.

During the Saddle Mountain Wilderness project, AWC coordinator Brian Stultz and NKRD coordinator Denise Carpenter, jointly hosted ten U.S. military veteran volunteers to three days of trail maintenance and hiking followed by four nights of rest and relaxation, campfire bonding, and evening dinners consisting of burgers, pastas, fresh salads and three much-loved dutch-oven entrees cooked by Stultz.

“The cord is cut,” said Mind, Body and Resilience trainer Nick Manci, who instructed yoga and trauma release classes throughout the week. “I felt a disconnect to my world back in Phoenix. My time in the forest with no communication with anyone outside of our camp and the trail time, yoga, trauma release and meditation all played a role in my reemerging with nature. I’m once again reminded of where I’ve come from and where to find solace and peace. It took four days. I’ll return to the city tomorrow a little different man. I am thankful for my time here on the Kaibab Plateau.”

“I especially enjoyed the beauty and quiet seclusion of the wilderness,” said U.S. Marine Corps veteran John Morgan. “There was nothing but friendly and professional folks running this program, and plenty of time to myself. I think the volunteer program is a major plus and would do it again if asked.”

Throughout the week, volunteers dispersed camped in a water-and-electric free environment alongside Forest Service Road 611 just a few miles from the three trailheads. Each day, the crew started with morning yoga, breakfast and a short hike before the work of cutting trees and trail brushing began.

“I have shed a lot of military skin in the eight years since I got out,” said U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jeff Glessing. “Reconnecting with veterans who get it was a great treat for the weekend. We were able to speak freely about our experiences, connect over common ground and speak in acronym-filled sentences without having to decipher it for our audience.”

Throughout the days, the veteran crew worked alongside NKRD and AWC personnel. All told, they improved about 3.5 miles of the North Canyon Trail, clearing a 10-foot by 12-foot wide corridor to accommodate pack horses, and an additional 1.6 miles on the Saddle Mountain Trail. All maintenance work was done with hand tools such as the crosscut saw, bow saw, pruning saw, grub hoe, and loppers.

“It’s kind of like performing plastic surgery for the trails,” said Carpenter, a seasoned and certified crosscut sawyer. “Trail work requires many various kinds of hand tools and, to be safe and productive, trail workers must know how to select the best tools for the job and be skilled at using them. Productive trail work depends upon knowing your way around sharp tools, working together as a team and having a constant awareness of surrounding hazards, and this crew did remarkably well for their first time doing this type of work together.”

Since this particular trail maintenance was done on trails leading into and within Saddle Mountain Wilderness, the crew was prohibited from using motorized equipment within the wilderness due to the Wilderness Act of 1964 in order to provide wilderness protections for future generations.

“When everything was said and done, we were greatly supported by the AWC and USFS, who proved very knowledgeable and were willing to answer all kinds of questions about forestry, land management and ecology,” Glessing added. “We had a shared experience that is difficult to find once you leave the military. It was fun and I’ll be looking forward to my next AWC trip; hopefully, just around the corner.”

Flagstaff Ranger District looking for volunteers to plant trees

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download1FLAGSTAFF — FLAGscanner is reporting that the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest is inviting volunteers to help replant approximately 2,000 ponderosa pine trees in the Schultz burn are on Saturday, Aug. 29. Volunteers should arrive by 8:30 a.m. to attend a safety briefing and planting demonstration.

A meeting area has been established at Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420) at the entrance to the Vulcan Mine. From Flagstaff, head north on Highway 89 approximately 12 miles. When you see the turn-off for Wupatki-Sunset Crater National Monument, turn left and go across the other side of the highway onto the dirt road. Follow the forest road to a “T” intersection and turn left again. Drive approximately one-half mile until you see signs for the planting event. The road should be suitable for most cars. Persons with low clearance vehicles are advised to drive carefully on the forest road.

More information including contact is available at FLAGscanner.

Kraft Heinz Foods Company Recalls Turkey Bacon Products Due To Possible Adulteration

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Kraft-2WASHINGTON — Kraft Heinz Foods Company, a Newberry, S.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,068,467 pounds of turkey bacon products that may be adulterated because it may spoil before the “Best When Used By” date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The problem was discovered by the establishment during an investigation into spoilage-related consumer complaints. The turkey bacon was produced between May 31, 2015, and August 6, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:

  1. 56 oz. cardboard boxes (containing four plastic wrapped packages) marked Oscar Mayer “Selects Uncured Turkey Bacon” bearing the plant number P-9070, the line number RS19 and Product UPC 0 4470007633 0, and with “Best When Used By” dates of 24 AUG 2015 through 26 OCT 2015.
  2. 36 oz. cardboard boxes (containing three plastic wrapped packages) marked Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon “Smoked Cured Turkey Chopped and Formed” bearing the plant number P-9070, the line number RS19 and Product UPC 0 7187154874 8, and with “Best When Used By” dates of 28 AUG 2015 through 20 OCT 2015.
  3. 48 oz. cardboard boxes (containing four plastic wrapped packages) marked Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon “Smoked Cured Turkey Chopped and Formed” bearing the plant number P-9070, the line number RS19 and Product UPC 0 7187154879 3, and with “Best When Used By” dates of 3 SEPT 2015 through 30 OCT 2015.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “P-9070” inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as the line number “RS19”. These items were shipped nationwide and exported to the Bahamas and St. Martin.

FSIS has not received any confirmed reports of adverse reactions related to the consumption of these products. However, the company has received reports of illness related to the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.