Tag Archives: News

North Kaibab Ranger District announces changes in winter hours, closures

Posted on by

FREDONIA — Forest staff would like to remind visitors of the following changes for the upcoming winter season.

DeMotte, Jacob Lake & Group Site Campgrounds: The last night to camp is October 14. These campgrounds are scheduled to close for the winter season on October 15 at noon.

Big Springs & Jumpup Cabin Rentals: The Big Springs and Jump Up cabin rentals will remain open until November 4, unless inclement weather forces an earlier closure. Information regarding reservations and cancellations may be found at https://www.recreation.gov/.

Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center: Beginning October 20 through December 1, the visitor center will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2018 Personal-Use Fuelwood Cutting Season: Permits are still available at the district office during regular business hours. As a reminder, all unused personal-use fuelwood cutting permits will not be valid after November 30. Woodcutting permit sales will resume in May 2019 pending appropriate weather conditions.

Kaibab National Forest to offer Christmas tree tags starting November 16

Posted on by

WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest will sell over-the-counter and through-the-mail Christmas tree tags for each of its three ranger districts beginning Nov. 16 in order to allow members of the public to enjoy the popular holiday tradition of cutting one’s own tree. With 1,800 tags available, there should be sufficient supply to meet demand for this sought-after public service.

The $15 permit will allow the holder to cut a tree of any species that is not more than 10 feet in height within a designated area on the Kaibab National Forest from Nov. 16 through Dec. 24. The tag is good for a tree on the ranger district from which it was purchased and can’t be used to cut a tree on a different district unless specifically noted. No refunds will be made, even if weather conditions prevent access to cutting areas.

Individuals who purchase tags will be provided with a map showing their designated cutting area along with additional tree cutting instructions. The number of available tags and tree species, locations and hours for purchasing the permits, and contact information for each ranger district are as follows:

# of Permits Available and Tree Species Location of Designated Cutting Area Contact Information Open Days and Hours
800

Any Species

 North Kaibab Ranger District

Note: The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 1, for tag sales. The visitor center is located at the intersection of highways 89 and 67 in Jacob Lake and can be reached at (928) 643-7298.

 

 Physical address:        430 S. Main St., Fredonia, AZ 86022

Mailing address:        P.O. Box 248,    Fredonia, AZ 86022

(928) 643-7395

 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The office will also be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on two Saturdays, Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, for tag sales.
500

Any Species

 Tusayan Ranger District Physical address:        176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Mailing address:        P.O. Box 3088,       Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

(928) 638-2443

 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
500

Any Species

 

 Williams Ranger District

Note: The Williams Ranger District office will also have 100 tags available for the Tusayan Ranger District.

 

 Physical and mailing address:                      742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046

(928) 635-5600

 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Individuals desiring to purchase Christmas tree tags through the mail should contact the appropriate ranger district office for information on the required process. Turnaround time for arrival of tags through the mail is often 10 business days, so individuals desiring these tags should call well in advance to ensure adequate time for their permits to arrive.

The Kaibab National Forest is also pleased to announce that all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit through the Every Kid in a Park initiative. Every Kid in a Park is a nationwide call to action to connect kids to nature. All fourth graders are eligible to receive a fourth grade pass that allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. In support of this initiative, the Kaibab National Forest is making available a free Christmas tree permit to every interested fourth grader with a fourth grade pass or paper voucher. For additional information about the initiative and how to obtain a pass, visit www.everykidinapark.gov. To be eligible for a free Christmas tree permit from the Kaibab National Forest, all fourth graders must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth grade pass or paper voucher.

For detailed Kaibab National Forest Christmas tree tag information throughout the season, visit http://bit.ly/KNFChristmasTags.

Beautiful morning, but more rain on the way

Posted on by

Clouds hover over Bill Williams Mountain this morning.

WILLIAMS – It was a beautiful morning, but showers are expected later today and tonight. After a short break Friday, showers are expected to pick up Saturday and run through next Tuesday according to the long-range forecast.

Showers are 60% likely today and 70% tonight. Thursday there is a 30% chance of thundershowers turning partly cloudy overnight. Friday will be sunny with a high near 66 with light winds.

Saturday the rain returns with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m. The chance increases to 60% over Saturday night and over Sunday. Sunday night, the chance drops to 40% overnight. Columbus day is Monday with government offices closing and the chance of rain dropping to 20% through Tuesday during the day.

Winds will be around 11-mph today and tonight increasing to 15-mph Thursday with gusts as high as 23-mph expected. Winds die down to about 10-mph Thursday night.

There are no hazardous or unusual weather conditions in the forecast.

Kaibab National Forest creates map products to improve motorist navigation experience

Posted on by

WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is continuing its effort to improve the experience of motorists navigating forest roads by providing enhanced map products available for free through its website.

This week, new Travel Maps for each of the Kaibab National Forest’s three ranger districts were made available at http://bit.ly/KNFmaps for public use and download. These digital maps, which are GPS-enabled and intended for use with smartphones and tablets, are specifically designed to help motorists locate their position while traveling on the forest and using their devices.

A section of a digital Travel Map displaying more extensive cartographic design intended to better assist motorists in navigating forest roads. Courtesy of Kaibab National Forest.

The Travel Maps are meant to serve as helpful companions to the official Motor Vehicle Use Map for each ranger district. Motor Vehicle Use Maps are the official documents showing what roads and areas on the forest are open to motor vehicle travel. However, the large physical size of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps makes them difficult to handle or refer to while traveling. Also, some motorists have reported that the small map scale and spare cartographic design of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps make it difficult to locate themselves with confidence along the roads and trails and within the areas that they portray.

In response to these concerns, the Kaibab National Forest developed the GPS-enabled Travel Maps, which include much more extensive cartographic design and also feature recreation destinations to help visitors enjoy their forest experience.

“Our goal is to continue finding opportunities to create more and better map products for use by our visitors and employees,” said Mark Christiano, GIS coordinator for the Kaibab National Forest. “We want people to have the best experience possible when they visit us, and we know that maps can greatly influence that experience.”

While the Travel Maps are only available digitally, the Motor Vehicle Use Maps for each ranger district are available both digitally and in hard copy format and are also free of charge. Besides these map products which identify roads and areas where motor vehicle travel is allowed, the Kaibab National Forest also offers Visitor Maps for a fee. These detailed recreation maps provide information on the forest’s cultural history, campgrounds, wilderness areas, unique recreational opportunities, wildlife and more.

Members of the public can download the free, digital Travel Maps for their devices as well as the official Motor Vehicle Use Maps for each ranger district by visiting http://bit.ly/KNFmaps.

Kaibab National Forest information is also available through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
Flickr (photos): http://bit.ly/KaibabNFPhotos

Williams Ranger District Continuing Ignitions on Sunflower Rx Fire Project

Posted on by

Smoke from Sunflower fire seen in Williams.

WILLIAMS — Fire managers on the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest will continue ignitions on the Sunflower Prescribed Fire Project through the weekend ahead as forest conditions remain favorable. Over the past three days, 3731 acres have been treated with an additional 2100 acre unit scheduled to be ignited on Saturday, and a 1000 acre block on Sunday.

During the remaining firing operations this week campers and hunters are asked to avoid establishing campsites near the fire activity and seek alternative sites away from the burn area.

Outflowing moisture remnants from Hurricane Rosa are expected to arrive into the local area early next week which will likely curtail prescribed fire activities for several days. Crews may move into burning slash piles in the interim as forest conditions become wetter.

Smoke will be visible and impacts may occur in the communities of Parks, Sherwood Forest Estates, Garland Prairie, Bellemont and outlying areas throughout Verde Valle. Smoke production should noticeably decrease by Sunday as operations cease on the Sunflower project.

Officials understand that smoke impacts to air quality may be unpleasant at times, however they can significantly reduce the amount and limit the duration more effectively using prescribed methods as opposed to an uncontrolled wildfire situation with long term effects.

During operations, fire personnel and vehicles working in these vicinities will be visible to the public. Motorists are reminded to slow down and drive with heightened caution when passing through active project areas.

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

Information about prescribed fire projects on the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:

InciWeb inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/
Kaibab National Forest Website; www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311.
For information about air quality and health awareness visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness

Coconino County Sheriff Investigating Single Vehicle Fatality Accident on Ashurst Road

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF – On September 28th at 10:53pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the report of a single vehicle accident with multiple injuries involving four occupants on FS 82E (Ashurst Lake Road).

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies from Flagstaff, Mormon Lake Fire Department and Guardian Medical responded to Mile Post 0.5 on Forest Service Rd 82E. Reports indicated that a white Ford ½-ton pickup had gone off the road striking a tree on the driver’s side of the vehicle near the back-passenger door area, and that all four occupants were injured.

Upon arriving on scene, first responders found the passenger who was riding behind the driver had sustained traumatic injuries from the vehicle’s impact with the tree. The victim, Justin Denault, age 19 of Imperial, CA, was transported by Guardian Medical to Flagstaff Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The victim was later transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation.

The other three passengers also were transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center where they were treated and released for lesser injuries.

Investigation into the cause of the accident is still on going. Sheriff’s Office investigators will be at the accident location the remainder of the day conducting scene investigation. More information will be made available as the investigation continues.

Kaibab National Forest to offer firewood permits at Hotevilla Community Center at Hopi

Posted on by

TUSAYAN – The Kaibab National Forest will issue free-use, paid personal-use and ceremonial firewood permits for the Tusayan Ranger District at the Hotevilla Community Center next week. This is the first fuelwood event to be held at Hopi and is part of the Kaibab National Forest’s ongoing effort to increase accessibility of firewood to tribal communities.

Event details are as follows:

· Friday, Sept. 28 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MST – Hotevilla Community Center

A permit must be acquired by anyone harvesting any firewood on the Kaibab National Forest, except for the small amounts used in a campfire and gathered at the campfire site. The 2018 firewood cutting season runs from April 16 to December 31 for the Tusayan Ranger District.

The minimum cost for a paid, personal-use firewood permit is $20, which is good for 10 cords of wood. A maximum of 20 cords of wood is available per individual for $40. For free-use permits, a maximum of 10 cords is available per individual. For ceremonial permits, two cords are available per individual with proper identification.

Besides the upcoming event at the Hotevilla Community Center on September 28, permits are also available during firewood season at the following Kaibab National Forest locations:

Williams Ranger District – 742 S. Clover Road, Williams; (928) 635-5600
Tusayan Ranger District – 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon; (928) 638-2443
North Kaibab Ranger District – 430 S. Main St., Fredonia; (928) 643-7395

It is important that a permit be acquired even for free-use areas because by tracking public demand for the various kinds of permits, the amount of wood removed, and other factors, forest managers are better able to plan for the future needs of firewood collectors and provide greater opportunities for accessing these important resources. Firewood from the Kaibab National Forest is frequently used by local community and tribal members for home heating, cooking and other critical purposes.

All permits issued by the Kaibab National Forest will include a map and detailed cutting regulations as well as load tags, which must be physically attached to each ¼ cord of firewood and visible from the rear of the vehicle. The goal of this load tagging system is to ensure accountability for the amount of wood removed from the forest and to inform planning for future firewood cutting areas to meet public need and forest restoration objectives.

The removal of firewood is permitted only from National Forest lands on the district for which the permit is issued. Firewood cutters are reminded to take note of property boundaries and cut only on National Forest lands.

Firewood cutters should be aware that chainsaws can throw sparks and ignite grasses and brush. Always carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher or water in case of a fire start. Additionally, all chainsaws must be equipped with a stainless steel spark arrestor screen.

Detailed firewood cutting information and maps will be updated throughout the firewood season on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.bit.ly/KNFfuelwood.

Members of the public can find additional information on the Kaibab National Forest through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
Flickr: bit.ly/KaibabNFPhotos

Plan for daytime westbound Interstate 40 on-ramp closure at Parks through September 25

Posted on by

PARKS – The Arizona Department of Transportation advises motorists that the Parks westbound on-ramp at Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff will be closed until 5 p.m. Monday, September 24, and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, September 25.

Drivers should use the Bellemont on-ramp (milepost 185) instead.

The ramp closure is necessary while ADOT crews perform guardrail work. Drivers should prepare for delays, use caution when entering the work zone and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

Missing Person Andrew Bauer Found Deceased

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of Andrew Bauer who was found deceased in the Baderville area. Andrew had been reported as a missing person on September 17, 2018.

On September 20, 2018, a person reported finding the body of a deceased person under a tree near a road bordering Baderville and the forest. Deputies and Detectives responded to the scene for further investigation, and the body was transported by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

On September 21, 2018 the deceased was positively identified as 18-year-old Andrew Bauer.

His death is still under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Public Health Services District Medical Examiner’s Office, however indicators exist that lead detectives to believe suicide may be a factor.

Missing Two-Year Old in Happy Jack Area Located Safe

Posted on by

Coconino Sheriff Photo

Flagstaff – After several hours of searching, emergency responders located a two-year old boy who had wandered away from a family campsite in the Happy Jack, AZ area.

On September 21, 2018 around 9:45 am, a two-year old boy was reported as missing from his family’s campsite in the Happy Jack, AZ area. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office managed the search efforts and was assisted by several Northern Arizona agencies including, Coconino Sheriff Search and Rescue, US Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish, Arizona Department of Public Safety. A Search and Rescue Dog Team and an AZ Department of Public Safety helicopter were deployed as part of the search efforts.

Search and Rescue personnel located the boy approximately ½ mile from the place he was last seen. He was walking and appeared to be responding to the calling out of his name by the searchers.
We are happy to report the boy and his family have been reunited. We express gratitude to the other agencies and personnel who assisted in the search.