ADOT equipment shops recognized for reducing environmental impact

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PHOENIX — The Tucson facility where the Arizona Department of Transportation repairs and maintains its vehicles has significantly reduced the amount of trash it generates by recycling scrap metal, batteries, automotive fluids, paper and more. Converting to LED lighting has reduced energy use.

Along with ADOT’s repair facility in Springerville, the Tucson operation has been recognized through the agency’s Green Shop program, which seeks to minimize environmental impact, cut waste and increase recycling at 22 ADOT Equipment Services locations.

“We’re reducing the cost to the state because we’re keeping waste down,” said Nathan Carroll, the fuel, scales, environmental and training manager for ADOT Equipment Services. “The end result is increasing productivity. For the taxpayer, that’s a good thing.”

The Green Shop program began in 2006 with a best-practices manual offering guidelines on subjects including keeping shops clean and organized for efficient operations and properly containing spills. It has become an important part of daily operations at all ADOT service shops.

More than 40 government agencies contract with ADOT Equipment Services, including the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, police departments and school districts. The shops perform preventive maintenance and major repairs on light trucks, snowplows, watercraft, snowmobiles, school buses and more.

Every two years, one full-service shop and one satellite location are honored following three inspections, one of which is unannounced, to see how operations are following the Green Shop guidelines.

An event to honor the Tucson operation was held April 8. An April 18 ceremony is scheduled at the Springerville facility.

Arizona Game and Fish Outdoor Expo draws record weekend crowd

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ExpoRecap_2016_bannerPHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2016 Outdoor Expo, presented by Shikar-Safari Club International, drew a record crowd of 41,100 people during the April 2-3 weekend at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.

Combined with 4,500 students, teachers and chaperones who turned out for the Friday, April 1 Youth Day, the 45,600 total was the second-highest three-day turnout in Expo history.

We’re thrilled with the public’s interest in the Expo,” said Game and Fish Recreation Chief Scott Lavin. ”We hold this annual event to introduce or re-engage the public with the many wildlife-related and other outdoor recreation opportunities available in Arizona.”

The Expo showcases activities such as fishing, hunting, shooting sports, archery, camping, off-highway vehicle recreation, boating recreation, and wildlife viewing. In addition to the hands-on activities, more than 150 exhibitors were on site, including sportsmen’s and conservation organizations, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services.

“Despite a number of other high-profile events in the Valley over the weekend, the record Expo turnout shows there is huge interest in learning about the great outdoors,” said Lavin.

For the second straight year, the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo was Shikar-Safari Club International.

Gold Sponsors were Cabela’s, Arizona State Credit Union, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Silver Sponsors were Bass Pro Shops, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and HPR Ammunition. Bronze Sponsors were the Mule Deer Foundation and Bill Luke Dodge.

“We’re grateful for the support of Shikar-Safari Club International and all of our other sponsors and exhibitors,” said Game and Fish Director Larry Voyles. “Without their participation, we could not conduct an event such as this. They are helping pass along our outdoor heritage to current and future generations.”

The mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department is to conserve Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and manage for safe, compatible outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations. The department operates without receiving any Arizona general fund tax dollars. Outdoor Expo costs are paid for by sponsor and exhibitor fees.

Next year’s Outdoor Expo will be held March 25-26, 2017, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. More information will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/expo as it becomes available.

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Recalls Poultry Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

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Class I recall is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

WASHINGTON — Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., a Waco, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 40,780 pounds of fully cooked chicken nugget products that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The fully cooked chicken nugget products were produced on Oct. 5, 2015. The following products are subject to recall: [Label (PDF Only)]

20-lb. cardboard boxes containing two, 10-lb. clear plastic bags of fully cooked chicken nuggets labeled as “GOLD KIST FARMS Fully Cooked Whole Grain Popcorn Style Chicken Patty Fritters.”

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-20728” inside the USDA mark of inspection and include package codes 5278105021, 5278105022, 5278105023, 5278105000, and 5278105001. These items were shipped for institutional use to Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

The problem was discovered after the firm received several consumer complaints regarding plastic contamination of the chicken nuggets. The firm notified FSIS personnel of the issue on April 6, 2016.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Game and Fish Commission meeting set for April 8-9 in Phoenix

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PHOENIX — The next meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be Friday and Saturday, April 8-9, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, in Phoenix. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m.

The public is invited to attend the meeting, view it live on streaming video at any department regional office (Friday only), or view it on a webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. Those who wish to speak to the commission may submit “speaker cards” (blue cards) in person at the meeting, or from any Game and Fish regional office. The ability to speak to the commission is not available for those viewing the webcast online.

Items on the agenda include:

  • A briefing on the status of state and federal legislation related to the department’s mission.
  • An informational update on the Research Branch’s projects and activities.
  • An update on the Terrestrial Wildlife Amphibians and Reptiles Program conservation and recovery efforts and capacity-building projects.
  • Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes, and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 2 p.m. Friday).
  • A request to consider proposed commission orders to establish seasons and season dates, bag and possession limits, and open-closed areas for the 2016-2017 seasons for dove, band-tailed pigeon, waterfowl, snipe and sandhill crane (Saturday).
  • Consideration of proposed commission orders to establish seasons and season dates, bag and possession limits, and open-closed areas for the 2016-2017 seasons for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, bear and mountain lion, as well as trapping seasons. The commission also may consider and approve the same for tree squirrel, cottontail rabbit, predatory and furbearing mammals, other mammals and birds, pheasant, quail, chukar partridge and blue grouse (Saturday).
  • A presentation on the proposed hunt-permit tag application schedule for the fall 2016 seasons. The commission will be asked to approve the application schedule (Saturday).

To view a copy of the full meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the “commission agenda” link.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is a five-member, policy-setting board that oversees the Arizona Game and Fish Department. For more information about the commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.

Flagstaff/Williams fishing: hit Dogtown before dog days of summer

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150608-01-dogtown
dogtownbrownNo question: Dogtown Reservoir south of Williams is one of Arizona’s trout fishing hot spots. A shred of evidence: Joshua Rose on Saturday caught this gorgeous 23 ¾-inch, 4.3-pound brown trout out of Dogtown.
Rose caught the fish on corn PowerBait.

This 50-acre lake in the Kaibab National Forest is being stocked consistently and is one of the best bets for a high country Arizona trout fishing adventure. Some experienced anglers are catching plump winter holdovers.
browntroutdogtown_1-1
Effective baits have been PowerBait, small spinners, and wet flies such as bead-headed prince nymphs and zug bugs. Make sure the spinners are small — no heavier than 1/8 of an ounce. Some anglers are having success slow-trolling spinners.

A couple weeks ago, 10-year-old Matthew R. duped this 3 pound-pound that measured 19.5 inches.

Where to trout fish in Flagstaff/Williams area
150608-02-dogtown
Stocking trucks from Page Springs Hatchery have been loading up trout into Flagstaff/Williams regional waters the past few weeks .

Here is AZGFD Region 2 Aquatic Wildlife Program Manager Scott Rogers’ top 5 spots to fish near Flagstaff and Williams (all are being stocked with trout).

  1. Dogtown Lake
  2. Ashurst Lake
  3. Cataract Lake
  4. Frances Short Pond
  5. City Reservoir (Santa Fe Dam)

A high chance of rain is predicted for Flagstaff and Williams Friday and Sunday (trout sometimes bite great just before a storm), and these waters should be great options throughout April.

Grab your gear and your fishing license and get ready for a pine-scented weekend! Temporary fishing permits available at some Williams merchants.

The road to Dogtown has some beautiful trees including Aspens and Oaks. It is a great drive in fall.

The road to Dogtown has some beautiful trees including Aspens and Oaks. It is a great drive in fall.

Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office front desk to be closed for much of the rest of April

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WILLIAMS — The front desk of the Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Williams will be closed from April 11 through April 29 due to short staffing. Members of the public seeking passes or permits, information or other visitor services during that time are asked to go directly to the Williams Ranger District office, also located in Williams.

The Williams Ranger District office is located at 742 S. Clover Road in Williams and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Williams Ranger District office offers all the same resources as the Supervisor’s Office, so visitors shouldn’t experience any disruption of service.

The Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office will reopen to the public with its full offering of resources and services on May 2.

The Williams Ranger District office can be reached by telephone at (928) 635-5600.

Tell us how you get around and help chart Arizona’s transportation future

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How do you get around, Arizona?

Spend a little time sharing what takes you from place to place and you’ll help inform how we all get around in the future.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are asking households, most of them outside of metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, to participate in the National Household Travel Survey. Up to 30,000 Arizona households, chosen at random, will be contacted by letter over the next year.

It’s important that as many households as possible participate because the answers will help state, local and federal officials decide when, where and how to invest limited transportation funding to improve roads, public transportation, sidewalks, bike paths and more.

“Taking part in the National Household Travel Survey requires just a few easy steps with one purpose: We want to hear your travel story,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Your answers are valuable no matter how you get from place to place.”

For those who aren’t invited to participate in the National Household Travel Survey, ADOT has created an online survey available at azdot.gov/NHTS. Information gathered through this survey will also help create a more valuable transportation system for all.

The National Household Travel Survey, conducted every five to seven years, provides an essential snapshot of transportation behaviors and trends by asking how members of a household get around on one day.

Participation, which is voluntary, starts with filling out a brief survey that comes with the invitation letter and returning it in a prepaid envelope. That takes about 10 minutes. Participants receive travel logs to record where members of their household go on an assigned travel day. Then they provide the information online or by phone, a process that usually takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a federal grant, ADOT has commissioned extra survey responses from beyond the Phoenix and Tucson areas to learn more about travel behaviors and trends in rural Arizona. The goal is for about 80 percent of all participants to live beyond the Sun Corridor.

By law, all information provided is kept confidential, will be used only for research and cannot be sold. Names and other identifying information aren’t linked with the survey data used to create statistical summaries.

More information on the National Household Travel Survey and how it helps ADOT and all of Arizona is available at azdot.gov/NHTS.

Brief closures of US 60 and US 93 in Wickenburg for special event

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Due to a special event, the junction of US 60 and US 93 at the south roundabout in downtown Wickenburg will close briefly from 11:30 a.m. to noon Monday (April 11) and again from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday (April 15).

The closures will allow more than 200 horses and riders participating in the 70th annual Desert Caballeros trail ride to cross US 60 the highway safely.

What to expect during the closures:

  • Eastbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to Tegner Street.
  • Westbound US 60 will be closed at milepost 110 prior to the Hassayampa River Bridge.
  • Traffic destined for northbound US 93 will be stopped at the westbound US 60 closure.
  • Southbound US 93 will be closed at the south roundabout prior to milepost 200.
  • The Wickenburg Police Department will enforce the closures and provide traffic control.
  • Drivers will need to wait for horses to pass through, no alternate routes suggested.

New roundabout on SR 89 at Perkinsville Road takes shape

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CHINO VALLEY — Over the past two months, crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation have been diligently working on construction of a new roundabout on State Route 89 at Perkinsville Road in Chino Valley.

In order to keep progress moving, crews will switch traffic over to the east side of the roundabout (weather permitted) on Friday (April 8) between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Drivers will remain in the new traffic shift for the next four weeks.

As a result of the traffic shift, drivers who wish to access Perkinsville Road on the west side of SR 89 will have to use the dedicated detour as the road will be closed to through traffic. Perkinsville Road (west side) will be open on the weekends and holidays but closed during work hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Drivers may have minimal impacts during work hours and ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

This $1.5 million project consists of a new roundabout at the intersection of SR 89 and Perkinsville Road between mileposts 328 and 329. Additional work includes removal and replacement of existing pavement, drainage improvements, new pavement markings and lighting.

This project is expected to be complete by September.

Mexican wolf/livestock “pay for presence” payment application dates

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Mexican-Wolf-AGFDPHOENIX — Livestock producers may now submit applications to the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council to receive payments for wolf presence under the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Plan. The deadline for application submissions is June 1, 2016.

The plan was developed two years ago by the Council in order to address wolf-livestock conflicts, which is one of the most significant impediments to Mexican wolf recovery. The plan is comprised of three core strategies: payments for wolf presence, funding for conflict avoidance measures, and funding for depredation compensation.

“The Mexican Wolf/ Livestock Council’s payments for wolf presence program recognizes the indirect costs to livestock producers from Mexican wolves, including stress-related weight loss in livestock and other management costs,” said Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s southwest regional director. “While we recognize that the program is not fully funded yet, we and the Council are continuing to seek funding to fully implement this valuable program.”

Payments to livestock producers for wolf presence are based on a formula that considers a variety of factors, including whether the applicant’s land or grazing lease overlaps a wolf territory or core area (e.g., den or rendezvous area) and the number of wolf pups from that pack surviving to Dec. 31, recognizing that survival of wolf pups is not dependent upon the livestock producer. The formula also considers the number of livestock exposed to wolves and the applicant’s participation in proactive conflict avoidance measures.

“We’re encouraged by how many livestock producers have participated in this program over the past two years,” said Livestock Council Chairman Sisto Hernandez. “The driving force behind this program was to develop something that would recognize the increase in expenditures the ranchers experience with the recovery of the Mexican Wolves. Our continuing goal is to search out additional avenues that will increase our capacity to provide assistance to those who need it the most.”

The Payments for Wolf Presence program creates incentives for ranching in ways that promote self-sustaining Mexican wolf populations, viable ranching operations, and healthy western landscapes.

Seed funding for the Coexistence Plan comes from the Federal Livestock Demonstration Program, which in 2015 provided $40,000 for depredation compensation and $60,000 for preventative measures to Arizona Game and Fish Department, and $60,000 for depredation compensation and $34,000 for preventative measures to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. These grant funds are matched by in-kind contributions through the Mexican Wolf Fund and Defenders of Wildlife providing financial assistance to livestock producers to implement proactive measures to reduce conflicts between Mexican wolves and livestock.

“Opposition to Mexican wolf reintroduction is largely based on a lack of reasonable compensation for livestock producers that lose thousands of dollars per animal depredated by wolves. Compensation under the Plan will help build tolerance for the wolf on a working landscape, a factor that is essential for successful Mexican wolf recovery.” said Jim deVos, assistant director for wildlife management for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council continues to seek additional private and public funding, in anticipation of increased rancher participation and potential wolf range expansions.

For more information, visit the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council website: www.coexistencecouncil.org.

For information on the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, visit www.azgfd.gov/wolf or www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/.