Category Archives: State Government

Interstate 40 paving work by Interstate 17 interchange on Monday, Nov. 14

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — Motorists traveling eastbound along Interstate 40 just outside of Flagstaff should allow for extra time for travel on Monday, Nov. 14 as crews perform spot-repairs to the roadway near the Interstate 17 junction (milepost 194-197).

Work will begin early in the morning and continue during daylight hours. The speed limit will be reduced through the construction zone.

Drivers should allow extra time for travel, use caution in the work zone and watch for equipment and personnel.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov, follow us on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511 except while driving.

ADEQ Awards $22,530 in Brownfields Grants to Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council, Kingman

Posted on by

PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today two Brownfields Grant awards totaling $22,530 to the Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council (JAVC) (http://www.javc.org/) to support redevelopment of the long-vacant, deteriorating Arnold Plaza located at 301-315 E. Oak Street in downtown Kingman. JAVC’s reuse plan for Arnold Plaza, called ‘Operation 6’, will establish and provide transitional housing, treatment, training and reintegration for homeless and at-risk military veterans and their families.

Grant funds will be used to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and asbestos and lead-based paint survey. The ESA and survey will address both the underlying land and physical improvements to the property by identifying potential or existing environmental contamination and the presence, type and amount of building materials that contain asbestos and lead-based paint, which require cleanup or abatement to protect public health and the environment.

Arizona highways honor veterans all year long

Posted on by

img_2463As you prepare to mark Veterans Day and then the Dec. 7 anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, look to signs along our highways for tributes to our veterans.

ADOT’s employees join all Americans in their deep gratitude to veterans and their families, and we hope you’ll be inspired by highway designations including these:

Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway (I-10)
Interstate 10 is referred to outside of the Valley as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. A group of veterans requested the designation from the Arizona State Legislature in 1995.

The highway designation was formalized by House Joint Resolution 2003, and the first signs bearing the name went up later that year.

Buffalo Soldier Trail (SR 90)
State Route 90 from I-10 to Fort Huachuca is known as Buffalo Soldier Trail, a designation created in 1994 by House Joint Resolution 2001.

Lawmakers wanted to honor the black soldiers who traveled the route on horseback long before it was paved.

Buffalo Soldiers, officially known as the U.S. Army’s 10th Cavalry Regiment, fought in the so-called Indian Wars of the 19th century. In 1983, Bob Marley immortalized them in the song “Buffalo Soldier.”

Veterans Memorial Highway (I-15)
State lawmakers designated Interstate 15, which runs through the northwest corner of Arizona, as Veterans Memorial Highway in 1995.

Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and California have also designated the interstate as Veterans Memorial Highway. As such, the highway spans about 1,430 miles from San Diego to Montana’s border with Canada.

Arizona Veterans Highway (I-17)
Arizona Veterans Highway is the name given to the 140 miles of Interstate 17 between Flagstaff and the Valley, thanks to a 2004 resolution by state lawmakers.

A 5-foot stone monument honoring veterans and the highway’s designation stands at the McGuireville Rest Area. It’s engraved with messages including, “Freedom isn’t free.”

Purple Heart Trail (I-40)
In 2003, lawmakers endorsed dedicating Interstate 40 as the Purple Heart Trail.

According to House Joint Resolution 2001, the Military Order of the Purple Heart provided funds for signage and wanted the designation “to promote patriotism, history and education among the people of this state.”

“The State of Arizona and the other states in the union, by likewise designating portions of their highways, can establish the Purple Heart Trail as a nationwide tribute to the millions of purple heart recipients who have courageously and selflessly defended this nation in times of war,” the resolution reads.

Bushmaster Memorial Highway (SR 64)
SR 64 stretching north from Williams to the Grand Canyon and then east to Cameron is known as the Bushmaster Memorial Highway in honor of the Arizona National Guard 158th Infantry Unit that fought in World War II.

It got the name in 1995, joining Veterans Memorial Highway (I-15) and Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway (I-10).

The Bushmasters unit “distinguished itself in three separate sectors on Luzon (Philippines) after a long and sanguinary march through New Guinea and its neighboring jungle islands,” according to resolution.

Blue Star Memorial Highway (I-8, I-19, US 89, SR 80)
The National Council of State Garden Clubs began erecting placards honoring veterans on highways across the nation in 1945.

Arizona has four of them.

“The Blue Star became an icon in World War II and was seen on flags and banners in homes for sons and daughters away at war, and in churches and businesses,” according to the National Garden Clubs website.

There are placards on I-19 three miles north of Nogales, US 89 near the Utah state line, US 89 at Hell Canyon Bridge and US 80 near the I-10 junction.

Piestewa Freeway (SR 51)
Perhaps the best-known freeway honoring an Arizonan who served in the armed services is the Piestewa Freeway (State Route 51) in Phoenix, which is named for Army Specialist Lori Piestewa, who was killed in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The freeway runs past Piestewa Peak, also named in her honor.

Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe, was the first female Native American member of the U.S. armed services to die in combat.

Arizona Game and Fish’s sandhill crane cam now streaming

Posted on by

crane-camSandhill cranes have returned to southeastern Arizona and the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s live-streaming camera is again trained on their wintering grounds at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area.

“Now is the perfect time to watch these magnificent birds as they winter in Arizona,” said Randy Babb, watchable wildlife program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “This live-steaming camera allows the public to have an unfiltered view of our state’s wildlife. It also allows the department to connect the public with wildlife.”

The live stream is one of two in the country that offers viewers a glimpse into crane wintering habits. Each year, sandhill cranes coming as far away as Siberia travel thousands of miles to winter in southern Arizona.

Streaming sandhill cranes
The best time to view the birds is a half-hour before and up to a half-hour after sunrise, just before they leave the roost to feed for the morning. Cranes also return to Whitewater Draw sometime in the late morning, generally before noon and remain at the wildlife area for the remainder of the day.

While the department will do its best to keep the camera focused on the cranes and other interesting wildlife subjects, there will be times it isn’t possible due to the unpredictability of wildlife. Viewers that don’t see activity when they try the camera are encouraged to routinely check back. This is especially true in the early winter, when the newly arrived birds are establishing a routine.

The live stream is offered from early November when cranes first start to arrive at Whitewater Draw, through March or early April when the birds leave to migrate to northern nesting grounds.

For those that find the live stream viewing fascinating, the department encourages a trip to Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area for a full sensory viewing experience. The sight of up to 10,000 birds is impressive.

2016 Wildlife Photo Contest winners announced

Posted on by

photo-contestPHOENIX — “I was watching this coyote flipping mice, early one morning at Gilbert Water Ranch,” says Bryan Keil of Scottsdale, describing the instant he took the winning shot in this year’s wildlife photo contest. Keil didn’t just stumble across the scene: The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch has a devoted following among wildlife photographers, and many people knew coyotes were hunting there. Keil was there, putting in the hours required to capture a special shot.

To this opportunity, he brought the tools of his trade: a good eye, time, concentration … and a long lens. He took quite a few photos as the coyote hunted, but didn’t check his camera until after it left. He knew right away: “I was excited about this one.” Keil, who also earned four honorable mentions in this year’s contest for his masterful bird images, studies wildlife behavior to improve his photography. “That way, you’re ready when the moment comes.”

More than 180 photographers entered this wildlife photo competition, which is co-sponsored by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona Highways. Thirteen winning images are published in a full-size 2017 wildlife calendar in the November–December 2016 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine, on sale now. Arizona Highways magazine will publish the best-in-show photo in 2017.

In addition to Keil, the other 12 winning photographers are:

Craig Miller, Payson: bald eagle
Kathleen LaRose, Tucson: bobcat
Archie Tucker, Goodyear: bison
Yasmina Parker, Mesa: least bittern
Guy Schmickle, Sedona: black-chinned hummingbird
Tim Van Den Berg, Tucson: northern rough-winged swallow
Jole Guthery, Flagstaff: golden-mantled ground squirrel
Thomas Hansen, Phoenix: Western diamond-backed rattlesnake
Peggy Kniffin, Chandler: snowy egret
Kenneth Wayne Don, Tucson: pallid bat
Bruce Sitko, Lakeside: Gould’s turkey
Tam Ryan, Mesa: pyrrhuloxia

Given the strength and diversity of this year’s 1,900-plus entries, the judges singled out 38 more images from 27 talented photographers for honorable mention. These are also featured in Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. The names of honorable mention photographers are posted on the photo contest’s Web page, www.azgfd.gov/photocontest. News about next year’s contest will also be posted there when it becomes available.

Arizona Game and Fish welcomes new subscribers to Arizona’s award-winning magazine about wildlife and outdoor recreation. The regular price is $8.50 for six issues (one year), but through Dec. 31, subscriptions are on sale at $7 for seven issues. They can be purchased at www.azgfd.gov/magazine.

Those who subscribe by Dec. 31 will be sure to receive the calendar issue showing this year’s winners and honorable mentions. The calendar issue is also sold at all Game and Fish offices for $3 starting in mid-November.

Removing mystery from commercial vehicle inspections at international ports

Posted on by

DOUGLAS — Before trucks hauling Mexican products into the United States can leave the port of entry at the border, officers from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division make sure those commercial vehicles are safe to travel on Arizona roads. Inspectors check drivers’ credentials and look for obvious safety issues. Some of the trucks are weighed and undergo 37-point safety inspections. Before that, agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conduct their own inspections.

The faster those trucks are processed, the faster they can get on their way and boost Arizona’s economy with goods ranging from decorative rock to mini-blinds. And the better trucking companies and their drivers understand the various port of entry processes, the sooner their trucks can head north on US 191 or State Route 80.

That’s why ADOT, its federal partners and the Arizona Department of Public Safety will hold an educational event next week in Douglas. The goal: helping trucking companies understand what each agency’s inspectors are looking for and what the companies can do to avoid unnecessary delays.

Trade with Mexico is vital to Arizona. In 2015, $30 billion in both imports and exports moved through the state’s border ports, supporting 100,000 Arizona jobs.

“Events like this one in Douglas will help ensure that we continue to operate efficiently, effectively and safely at all of our border ports of entry,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We will continue working to improve how we work at the border and on our roadways to take full advantage of our trade opportunities with Mexico.”

The event will be 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the port of entry.

ADOT enforcement officers will explain state and federal safety guidelines and regulations. They also will demonstrate inspection procedures and answer questions from trucking representatives.

“We want them to understand the process from start to finish,” said Lt. Christina Parrish with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “Everything we do is based on our agency’s mission: ‘To ensure the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services throughout Arizona while promoting compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations.’”

About 35,000 trucks come through the Douglas port every year, carrying about $4 billion in seat belts, medical garments, copper from Mexican mines and other goods. It’s Arizona’s second-busiest commercial border crossing behind the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

The event, like others held at Arizona’s international ports, is just one way ADOT works to continuously improve the movement of international trade.

ADOT inspectors already have taken steps to reduce wait times for commercial vehicles at all ports. For example, officers have been equipped with laptop computers to enter data during an inspection rather than writing information down by hand and then entering it on the computer later.

Officers will be checking carriers’ past safety ratings while looking for obvious safety problems. They will also try to reduce wait times with two-person inspections set to begin in January, with one officer inspecting the vehicle and the other entering results into the computer.

Experience makes the best inspectors, said Parrish, a Douglas native who has worked at the port for more than 15 years.

“Once you’ve been around trucks quite a bit you learn to recognize the things that could be wrong,” she said. “You know how they’re supposed to look and sound. It becomes easier to observe a flat tire or a load that’s not secured properly.”

Emergency drill will close northbound I-17 McGuireville Rest Area morning of Tuesday, Nov. 8

Posted on by

PHOENIX – The northbound McGuireville Rest Area along Interstate 17 will be closed to travelers the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 8, to allow Copper Canyon Fire and Medical Authority to conduct a mass-casualty incident drill, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The northbound facility, located at milepost 297, will close at 8:30 a.m. for approximately an hour and a half. The southbound rest area will remain open.

Drivers headed toward the high country can use the Sunset Point Rest Area at milepost 262 or services in Camp Verde and other communities.

Plan for restrictions on SR 69 in Prescott Valley starting on Nov. 7

Posted on by

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Drivers traveling on State Route 69 next week should allow extra travel time for striping work. Lane striping is scheduled daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, through Wednesday, Nov. 9, from State Route 169 to Mendecino Drive in Prescott Valley. Alternating lane restrictions are expected during work hours.

Crews will restripe a six-mile segment of newly repaved roadway in preparation of the winter months. The final layer of rubberized asphalt will be completed when warmer temperatures return in the spring of 2017.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction equipment and personnel.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 511, except while driving.

New license a boost to Arizona military families

Posted on by

Doug_Ducey_-_Arizona_State_TreasurerPHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds all active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Arizona that they, and their spouses, may purchase resident hunting and fishing licenses.

The current law stipulates that an active duty member permanently or temporarily stationed in Arizona may purchase a resident license permitting the taking of wildlife. That privilege recently has been extended to their spouses, as well.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2324, sponsored by state Rep. Frank Pratt (LD-8, Casa Grande), in May. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously in January to support this expression of gratitude for those who serve. The law became effective Aug. 6.

“Through the years, the department and commission have been proud to provide opportunities for our active military members and veterans,” said Pat Madden, commission chairman. “We’re grateful for their sacrifice and service, and we’re honored to be able to extend this privilege to their spouses.”

A valid license is required for the taking of wildlife, including fish, in Arizona. A resident can purchase a combination license (hunting and fishing), valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, for only $57.

Licenses can be purchased at all department offices and more than 300 license dealers statewide, as well as online by visiting https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml. If a license is purchased online, it must be printed from a home computer. The department will not mail any license purchased online.

The license also will allow the spouse of an active duty member to apply for big game hunt permit-tags as a resident.

For more information, call (602) 942-3000.

Gov. Ducey: Washington needs to listen to Arizonans before declaring monument

Posted on by

PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey is calling on Washington, D.C. officials to listen to the growing number of Arizonans who oppose plans by the White House and in Congress to designate 1.7 million acres of Northern Arizona land as a new national monument.

The governor recently reiterated to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources the need for the federal government to listen to Arizonans on this issue. Those opposed to the plan include rural small businesses owners, community leaders, farmers and ranchers.

“Ranchers, farmers, hunters, the Arizona Chamber, local leaders and I have been raising concerns since early this year about proposals made by Congress and the White House to designate a new Grand Canyon Watershed Monument in Northern Arizona,” said Governor Ducey. “We have continued to warn Washington officials about the unintended consequences of designating a national monument, which will unfairly restrict access to 1.7 million acres of lands in Arizona currently used for forest restoration, water management, recreation, tourism, cattle grazing and natural resource development.

“Despite our collective concerns, there has never been a responsible effort to publicly vet the monument proposal or discuss the outdated authority that Washington is exploiting. This flies in the face of accountability and undermines sound principles of governance. It is absolutely essential that the administration listen to our state’s concerns before moving forward with this unilateral action.”

Governor Ducey’s Statement For The Record (PDF)