Category Archives: News

Forest Thinning at Fort Tuthill County Park

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Parks & Recreation is conducting a forest thinning project in Fort Tuthill County Park to increase forest health, to improve public safety and to reduce wildfire risk. Removal will be by hand and mechanical thinning.

The Fort Tuthill Thinning Project is a collaborative effort between Coconino County, Arizona Department of Forestry & Fire Management, Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Arizona Game & Fish Department, Northern Arizona University Ecological Restoration Institute, and the City of Flagstaff.

To educate the community about the project, Coconino County Parks and Recreation will host two open houses. Staff and project stakeholders will be available to answer questions.

WHAT: Fort Tuthill Forest Thinning Community Open House
WHEN/WHERE: 1 – 3 p.m. June 9 – East Flagstaff Public Library, 3000 N. Fourth St.
4 – 6 p.m. June 13 – Fort Tuthill Commercial Building, 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop.

Forest treatments are planned to occur on approximately 325 acres of the park, and include both hand thinning (approximately 70 acres) and mechanical thinning operations. Crews will cut trees and remove logs that can be utilized offsite. Residual slash and debris from hand thinning operations will be piled for disposal through burning. Slash produced from mechanical operations will be chipped and hauled offsite for other potential use. Treatment areas include the former Arizona State Trust Land located in the northwest part of the park, and near the archery range in the southwest part of the park. Fort Tuthill County Park and Soldiers Trail will remain open during the project although intermittent trail and area closures will occur to ensure public safety.

Approval for the thinning project contract and two associated funding grants will be decided by the County Board of Supervisors, June 6. The contractor may begin thinning after Board approval and the project is expected to be completed in December 2017.

For more information on Coconino County Parks and Recreation: http://www.coconino.az.gov/parks

Prescribed Fire Update: Forecasted transport winds cause adjustment in today’s operations

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FREDONIA – As a result of this morning’s weather forecast, North Zone fire managers elected to adjust the scale and firing plan for today’s prescribed burn on the Jacob Ryan North Basin Unit located just north of Jacob Lake because forecasted transport winds from late morning through evening were predicted to be unfavorable for smoke dispersion.

“Instead of initiating large-scale broadcast burning operations, we focused on conducting a small-scale pile burning operation along portions of the burn unit boundary,” said Burn Boss Dave Robinson. “Northerly transport winds could have resulted in undesirable diurnal smoke impacts to the Jacob Lake Area and Highway 89A.”

Meanwhile, fire managers did successfully conduct pile burning operations, and reduce fuels along portions of the burn unit boundary. Likewise, they reinforced pre-burn preparation activities and observed fire behavior in portions of the burn unit – increasing firefighters’ situational awareness as they prepare to move forward into tomorrow’s planned operations.

Fire managers will re-visit weather conditions again tomorrow morning and move forward with the large-scale broadcast burning operations if air quality and smoke dispersion are favorable for meeting both forest health and public safety goals and objectives. Tomorrow’s weather forecast indicates that transport winds will shift back to a southeast/westerly pattern, which should greatly reduce the potential for diurnal smoke impacts the area.

As a reminder, implementation of prescribed fires is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke, as well as prior coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

Additional fire information for the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:

  • Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
  • Find us on Facebook: @KaibabNF
  • Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
  • (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
  • Kaibab website “News & Events”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
  • InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5194/

County Finance Department recognized for excellence in financial reporting

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FLAGSTAFF — The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Coconino County Finance Department the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

The award recognizes the department’s commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

“It’s a tremendous achievement to once again be nationally recognized for our excellence in financial reporting,” said Bonny Lynn, Coconino County Finance Director. “Every member of our team, led by Tom Johnson, CPA, Accounting Manager, works extremely hard to ensure the audit is accurate and we continue to meet our own extremely high standards for accounting.”

Award recipients have led efforts to improve the quality of financial reporting and provide examples for other governments to follow from throughout North America. The department has won the award 3 consecutive years.

“On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I’m very proud of the continued excellence demonstrated by our Finance Department,” stated Chairwoman of the Board Liz Archuleta. “This award signifies the commitment to accuracy and professionalism of the department staff and evidence of their great service to the people of Coconino County.”

The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1906 that represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association has more than 19,000 federal, state/provincial and local finance officials involved in planning, financing and implementing thousands of governmental operations in each of their jurisdictions.

For more information go to www.gfoa.org.

Investigation of Possible Homicide-Suicide Near Wahweap

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PAGE – On June 2, 2017 at approximately 6:00 am the National Park Service Dispatch received a report of two deceased subjects near the Wahweap Swim Beach parking area of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Deputies from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, and National Park Service Rangers responded to the scene and located a 37 year old male and 25 year old female subject from the Page area deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The deceased have been identified as Raelle Begay and Matthew Franklin both of Page, AZ.

There are no outstanding suspects or concerns for public safety at this time. The incident is being investigated as a possible homicide suicide.

Due to the close proximity of the Utah/Arizona state line, this incident is being investigated through coordinated efforts of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office, and the National Park Service.

Additional details are not available at this time, but will be provided via similar joint media releases as the investigation continues.

AZGFD to host webinar on draft proposed hunt guidelines

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PHOENIX — In an ongoing effort to better serve its constituents, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will host a webinar on draft proposed hunt guidelines for the 2018-19 through 2022-23 hunting seasons.

Those who access the webinar from 6-8 p.m. Monday, June 5 will be able to send questions, comments or concerns about the draft proposed hunt guidelines to Amber Munig, big game management supervisor, who will open the online discussion with a short presentation. Other department personnel also will be available during the webinar to address input as it relates to specific game management units (GMUs) or regions.

How to register for “AZ Hunt Guidelines Review”:

Those who register for the webinar will receive an e-mail confirmation, which will include details on how to join the webinar. The e-mail address and personal information provided will be used by the webinar organizer to communicate about this event. For more information, contact Munig at amunig@azgfd.gov.

At the same time as the webinar, AZGFD will be hosting a series of statewide public meetings where constituents can view the webinar and provide feedback to department personnel. Those locations include:

  • AZGFD (Region III): 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman
  • AZGFD (Region IV): 9140 E. 28th St., Yuma
  • AZGFD (Region V): 555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson
  • AZGFD (Region VI): 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa

Two additional meetings where constituents can view a PowerPoint presentation (no webinar), as well as provide input to department personnel, include:

  • 6-8 p.m. June 5: Eagar Town Council Chambers, 22 W. 2nd St., Eagar
  • 6-8 p.m. June 7: Payson Public Library (in the Rumsey Park Complex), 328 N. McLane Road, Payson

The draft proposed hunt guidelines provide the biological and social parameters used by wildlife biologists to formulate annual hunt recommendations (season structures, season lengths, season dates, permits allocated, etc.). These recommendations result in the annual hunts in which licensed hunters may participate.

While hunting opportunity is important, wildlife is held in the public trust; therefore, using science-based principles to shape the guidelines process remains paramount to ensure healthy, sustainable and diverse wildlife populations in perpetuity.

The draft proposed hunt guidelines were developed based on public input received earlier this year and can be viewed at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Guidelines/. The department still is seeking feedback on how to best meet the demands of the hunting public, while finding ways to develop new opportunities that help pass along our hunting heritage to future generations.

Sheriff’s Office Responds to Beaver Falls for Drowning – Second Drowning over Memorial Day Weekend

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Havasupai, AZ – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to Beaver Falls on the Havasupai Reservation for a reported drowning on May 29, 2017. This was the second reported drowning incident in Coconino County over the Memorial Day Weekend, the first occurring at Lake Mary.

At approximately 3:00 pm, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Havasupai to assist in response to a possible drowning. A male camper reported that another male camping with him and a group of friends had attempted to enter a cave behind the falls. The entry required diving to a depth of several feet before reaching the entrance. Another individual had also tried to enter the cave, but unable to, returned to the surface. After approximately 30 minutes, the friend had not returned and the incident was reported to tribal officials.

Air West transported a Sheriff’s Deputy to the falls to coordinate rescue / recovery events with tribal officials. By approximately 7:00 pm the body of the deceased missing person resurfaced and was recovered. The body was transported from Havasupai by DPS Ranger Helicopter to the rim where transfer was made to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The person has been identified as Mark Magleby, a 36 year-old from Orem, UT. No foul play is suspected at this time; however, the incident is still under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Havasupai Officials reported that there were over 250 individuals registered for use of the area that day.
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Sheriff’s office to continue display flag on Red Flag days

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office announce it will continue its practice of displaying a red flag at the entrance to the parking lot of the Law Enforcement Administrative Facility–911 E Sawmill Rd, Flagstaff—whenever Red Flag Warnings are in effect for the area. The flying of this red flag is an adoption of the nationwide Red Flag Warnings that are issued by the National Weather Service and meant to inform the public about the fire conditions.

Red Flag Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service to indicate the imminent danger of Critical Fire Weather conditions – very low relative humidity, strong winds, and dry fuels. You can view a map of current Red Flag Warnings and other National Weather Service Hazards in Arizona by going to http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=psr. The bright pink legend indicates areas with Red Flag Warnings.

The Sheriff’s Office started this practice in June 2014. “By displaying red flags throughout our community in concurrence with the weather service Red Flag Warnings, we can help bring higher visibility to the threat of wild land fires,” said Sheriff Jim Driscoll. “We hope people will see our red flag and other red flags in the community and be reminded to take appropriate actions to avoid catastrophic wild land fires.” Sheriff Driscoll issues a challenge to other Northern Arizona government agencies and local businesses to increase community awareness of the threat of wild fires by posting a red flag on their property when an official Red Flag Warning has been issued.

The Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone who lives in or comes to visit Northern Arizona to know about current fire hazards and restrictions and comply with any fire restrictions that may be in place. This may include restrictions on campfires or other open flames, smoking cigarettes, operating combustible engines, or other activities. Information about fire restrictions in Coconino County can be found at https://firerestrictions.us/az/az-coconino-county/

The Sheriff’s Office also encourages people to participate in the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office / Flagstaff Police Department Woods Watch Program. For more information about Woods Watch, contact Jon Paxton at (928) 226-5089.

Drowning victim recovered at Lake Mary

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FLAGSTAFF – A Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Volunteer conducting a holiday patrol was flagged down by a citizens yesterday at approximately 3:30 p.m at Lake Mary. The citizens reported that a young male individual had been swimming near buoys located south of the boat ramp. The swimmer reportedly had some difficulty making it back to shore while approximately 100 feet from land. He was seen going beneath the water and not returning to the surface by several family members who entered the water in attempts to locate him.

Deputies from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and US Forest Service Law Enforcement responded to the scene and entered the water in attempt to locate the victim. It was determined at that time that the depth where the victim was last seen was over 10 feet deep and visibility was very poor. These initial response units were supplemented by response from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Flagstaff Fire Department and a Department of Public Safety Helicopter. Several citizens who were in the area also assisted with the search efforts by providing the use of their boats.

Search efforts continued into the evening and at approximately 9:30 pm members of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team recovered a body in close proximity to where the victim had last been seen.

The body of the victim identified as 18-year-old Kevin Anaya of Mesa, AZ was turned over to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. This case remains under investigation by Sheriff’s Office Detectives and the County Medical Examiner.

Prescribed Fire Alert: Fire managers plan burn north of Jacob Lake

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FREDONIA – North Zone fire managers plan to conduct a prescribed burn within the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest as early as Thursday, June 1, if weather, fuel moistures, air quality and smoke dispersion remain favorable for meeting both forest health and public safety goals and objectives.

Hand and aerial ignitions on the 3,764-acre unit, approximately 2 miles north of Jacob Lake, could continue for several days depending on forecasted weather, fuel conditions and resource availability. By further reducing accumulated forest fuels that exist in the area, fire managers plan to reduce surface fuel loads within the unit to approximately 5 tons per acre. Currently, fuel loading through much of the Basin Unit can be characterized as moderate with an average of 10-to-15 tons-per-acre across the entire unit, according to North Zone fuels specialist Dave Robinson.

In the interest of both firefighter and public safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be present, and while winds are expected to disperse the smoke to the north-northeast, motorists are cautioned to anticipate light smoke along Highway 89A throughout the day and settle into lower elevations and drainages overnight through midmorning. However, fire managers will strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible, and will only commence ignitions when conditions exist that will allow for adequate ventilation.

As a reminder, implementation of prescribed fires is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke, as well as prior coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

Additional fire information for the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:

· Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
· Find us on Facebook: @KaibabNF
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
· Kaibab website “News & Events”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5194/

Route 66 license plate named tops in the nation

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PHOENIX – “Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona… Kingman…” Arizona figures prominently in the lyrics to the iconic pop song celebrating the highway known as the “Mother Road.” Now Arizona gets even more attention because the new Route 66 specialty license plate has been named the Best New License Plate in the U.S.

The honor, which will be formally recognized at a 1:30 p.m. ceremony Thursday, May 25, at the northwest corner of Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix, comes from the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA).

ALPCA has given the award since 1970. ALPCA members worldwide vote based on the overall attractiveness of the plate design and its legibility as a tool for public safety and law enforcement. This is the third time for Arizona to win this award. The general issue plate introduced in 1996 and the Centennial plate introduced in 2011 also received Best Plate Awards.

ALPCA’s President Cyndi McCabe stated, “I’m delighted to announce that the state of Arizona is this year’s recipient of ALPCA’s Best Plate Award for their historic Route 66 specialty license plate. The plate’s visually appealing retro design particularly resonated with our members for its tribute to the legendary Mother Road.”

The Route 66 plate was introduced in late 2016 and has been a strong seller among specialty plates. As of the end of April, more than 3,000 had been sold, and more than $51,000 had been raised to support preservation efforts for the highway that crosses iconic northern Arizona landscapes and historic communities.

Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said, “Route 66 carried more than cars, it carried peoples’ lives and millions of their stories. Even though its use as a major highway ended long ago, its ability to be an inspiration endures. We’re honored to be part of the effort to preserve this historic roadway by offering this award-winning plate.”