Tag Archives: Parks

Kaibab National Forest implements forest restoration projects near Parks

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WILLIAMS/PARKS — The Kaibab National Forest is conducting preparatory work in anticipation of implementing timber sales in five project areas east of Williams near the community of Parks on the Williams Ranger District. These forest restoration efforts have resulted in increased activity that may be noticeable to residents and visitors in the area.

Preparatory work including tree marking and boundary layout operations are underway in each of the five project areas, which stretch from Brannigan Park near Bellemont west to Pittman Valley on the north side of Interstate 40. Once this work is completed, the Kaibab National Forest will be seeking to offer timber sales to local contractors and others who may be able to support the forest restoration effort. The tree marking and boundary layout work will ultimately serve as visual guidance to assist these contractors in ensuring Forest Service expectations for treatment are met.

As activity on these projects increases over the next few months, residents, land owners and visitors will likely notice more Forest Service personnel and vehicles in the area. Once timber sale contracts have been awarded, forest restoration work including timber removal and log hauling operations will also be noticeable to members of the public.

The ultimate goal of both the preparatory work and the eventual timber sales is to improve forest health and reduce the potential for high-intensity wildfires that could threaten lives, property and natural resources. These projects are planned for long-term implementation and may be ongoing for the next several years on an intermittent basis depending on weather and other conditions.

“We are pleased to be making progress on this important work, and we hope local residents continue to support our efforts in improving forest health and public safety,” said Josh Giles, silviculturist with the Kaibab National Forest. “Projects like this are critical to the long-term sustainability of our forests, watersheds and communities.”

The five projects, known as 49er, Saddle, Moonset, Parks West, and Sitgreaves, are all part of the overarching restoration work associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which is intended to treat more than 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest across northern Arizona.

One goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to increase resilience in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine forest by reducing tree stand densities to a more historic level, which eventually reduces the potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. This work also offers greater protection for residents living in and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface, where developments and forested areas merge together.

Goals of treatments in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative footprint include:

  • Restoring pine forests across northern Arizona using mechanical harvesting and fire to thin dense stands of smaller trees and leave larger, mature trees.
  • Improving streams, springs, and wildlife habitat.
  • Reducing wildfire threats and impacts to communities, watersheds, and recreation areas.
  • As more forest is restored, allowing wildfires to be part of a suite of forest management efforts.
  • Engaging private industry to conduct treatments and provide jobs to rural communities.
  • Monitoring treatments to ensure a healthy forest for future generations.

For more specific information about these and other current restoration projects on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, contact Josh Giles at (928) 635-5616.

Information is also available through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Four Forest Restoration Initiative Website: www.fs.usda.gov/4fri
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

Interstate 40 ramp closures in place between Parks and Williams in northern Arizona

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Drivers in northern Arizona are advised to plan for travel delays on Interstate 40 because of traffic realignment and ramp closures at Parks, Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads. Crews are repairing 17 miles of pavement on I-40 between Parks and Williams. The project also includes making bridge deck repairs at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads.

Beginning Monday, June 4, I-40 will be reduced to one lane in each direction between mileposts 178 and 179, near the Parks exit, while crews begin to reconstruct the travel lanes. The Parks exit will remain open throughout this work.

Through July, the westbound I-40 on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will be closed and traffic is being detoured to the Parks and Williams exits. In mid-July, the westbound on- and off-ramps at Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads will reopen and the westbound on- and off-ramp and eastbound on-ramp at the Parks exit will be close with traffic detoured to Pittman Valley Road through early August. Drivers must follow signed detour routes.

Crews are completing work on westbound I-40 between Garland Prairie and Pittman Valley roads first, then moving to eastbound I-40 in the same area in early summer.  Construction will pause for the winter season and is scheduled to resume in spring 2019 for additional paving, bridge and intersection work. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

What to expect

  • Crews are scheduled to work Mondays through Fridays from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Lane closures and restrictions will be required
  • Ramp closures at Parks, Garland Prairie Road and Pittman Valley Road will be required
  • Drivers are advised to plan for slow traffic, follow the reduced speed limits and allow extra travel time
  • One lane will remain open in each direction throughout construction

Kaibab National Forest continues forest restoration project north of Parks

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WILLIAMS – With the return of spring weather, log trucks will again be able to access and remove trees, chips and other material from the 1,039-acre Community Tank Timber Sale area north of the Parks community where forest restoration work has been occurring since last fall.

The Community Tank project is located about 11 miles north of Parks just south of Forest Road 171 and west of Kendrick Mountain Wilderness near Pumpkin Center on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. Harvesting operations began last September, with about 800 acres having been treated to date. The forest restoration work is expected to continue through July, barring weather or other delays.

Residents of Parks and visitors recreating in the area can expect to see an increasing number of log trucks traveling along the haul route to and from the project beginning this month. Approximately 14 trucks per day may be visiting the site in order to remove downed trees and other restoration byproducts.

The major haul route is from Forest Road 151 and FR 194 to FR 141, which travels through the Parks community, and then on to Interstate 40. It is possible that there could be a significant number of trucks hauling timber through this area until project completion.

By May, foresters with the Kaibab National Forest anticipate an increase in tree felling operations at the site in order to complete the remaining acres of restoration work within the 1,039-acre project area. As this thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy, mechanized equipment and workers on site and a continued presence of log trucks along the haul route.

Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse. Motorists should be aware of the likelihood of encountering a log truck along haul routes and are encouraged to drive with safety in mind at all times.

The objectives of the Community Tank Timber Sale are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires and to improve forest health and watershed conditions. Another important component of the effort is to work toward restoration of historic grasslands and meadows, which support a variety of wildlife species including pronghorn antelope. As a result of historical livestock grazing, fire suppression, changes in wildlife populations, climate change, and other factors, grasslands and meadows have experienced substantial encroachment and infilling by woody species over the last century.“Much of this area was open meadow historically. The restoration work we are doing at Community Tank is improving habitat quality and connectivity,” said Tom Dauenhauer, timber sale administrator, Kaibab National Forest. “We are already seeing much more frequent visitation to and use of the area by pronghorn since we started this project. That is a great benefit to be added to all of the other community protection and forest health benefits of this work.”

The tree harvesting efforts occurring on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are part of the overarching restoration work associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. The goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities, from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

For additional information on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, visit www.fs.usda.gov/4fri. Members of the public can find additional information on the Kaibab National Forest through the following sources:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

Sheriff’s investigation reveals evidence of carbon monoxide in death of four

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PARKS – Yesterday investigators from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office employed the assistance of a professional, licensed heating/cooling service provider to investigate the heating system of the cabin in which four people were found deceased yesterday.

The contractor found a significant failure in the heating system which would be consistent with carbon monoxide overcoming the residence. The heating unit was the only gas appliance in the home. This provides additional evidence regarding a possible carbon monoxide related event.

The manner and cause of death is still to be determined by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to recommend that people install not only smoke detectors, but also carbon monoxide detectors in your home. These need to be tested and inspected at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals. The heating/cooling industry generally recommends that heaters are inspected yearly.

If you have questions regarding your heating/cooling system,
you are urged to contact a certified heating/cooling expert to check your system. If you use wood stoves, be sure these also are annually serviced and cleaned.

Family of four found deceased in Parks

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PARKS – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Parks, Arizona for a welfare check and discovered four deceased subjects inside the home.

On January 1st at 12:26 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from a friend of a family that was staying at a residence in Parks. The caller said family members had been trying to contact them for a few days with no success and had become concerned. The Reporting Party requested a welfare check on the family.

At 1:17 pm, a Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputy from the Williams Substation arrived at the residence in Parks, AZ. The Deputy located a vehicle matching the description given by the caller in the driveway of the cabin reported to belong to the family.

After approaching the cabin, the Deputy reported a strong odor of gas coming from the home. Additional units were requested, and Ponderosa Fire Department was notified and asked to respond.

At 1:43 pm Ponderosa Fire units arrived on scene. Fire personnel put on protective breathing equipment to enter the residence. They located four deceased individuals inside the residence.

They are identified as 32-year-old Anthony Capitano, 32-year-old Meaghan Capitano, 4-year-old Lincoln Capitano, and 3-year-old Kingsley Capitano of El Mirage, AZ.

At this time, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident as possible carbon monoxide poisoning. The Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducting further investigation.

Work at Interstate 40 and Bellemont traffic interchange continues this week

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BELLEMONT – The Arizona Department of Transportation is scheduled to continue paving at the Bellemont traffic interchange next week as part of the improvement project on Interstate 40 from Parks to Riordan.

ADOT advises drivers to allow extra travel time while work occurs on the eastbound ramps (Exit 185) as follows:

· Tuesday, Sept. 26, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· Thursday, Sept. 28, from noon to 6 p.m.
· Friday, Sept. 29, from 4:30 a.m. to noon.

Motorists can use the interchanges at Parks (milepost 178) and A-1 Mountain (milepost 190) to travel between eastbound I-40 and Bellemont. Signs will mark the detour routes. The Bellemont bridge over I-40 will remain open at all times, and no restrictions are scheduled on the westbound I-40 ramps.

For more information about this project, visit azdot.gov/I40Paving.

Drivers should use caution and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call Coralie Cole, ADOT community relations project manager, at 602.501.4899 or ccole@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit the ADOT Traveler Information site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Forest Service completing thinning project north of Parks

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PARKS – Tree removal has begun on a 1,039-acre project on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

The Community Tank Timber Sale area is located about 11 miles north of Parks just south of Forest Road 171 and west of Kendrick Mountain Wilderness near Pumpkin Center. Harvesting operations recently began in the area and are expected to be completed by the end of this year, depending on weather conditions over the next few months.

As thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy, mechanized equipment and workers in the project area and an increasing number of log trucks traveling along the haul route. Because work is progressing quickly at the project site, it is expected that log trucks will begin hauling this week.

The major haul route will be from the project area south along Forest Road 141 through Parks to Interstate 40. It is possible that there could be a significant number of trucks hauling timber through this area until project completion.

Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.

“It’s really important that local community members and visitors understand that they need to be careful when driving near a log truck or in areas where logging work is occurring. These are not areas to camp or play around in, and people need to be aware of what is happening around them,” said Tom Dauenhauer, a timber sale administrator for the Kaibab National Forest. “In the long run, the benefits of this work will be safer communities and healthier forests for all of us for years into the future. In the short term, though, it means being extra vigilant near project areas and haul routes so that this forest restoration work can be accomplished safely.”

The objectives of the Community Tank Timber Sale are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires and to improve forest health and watershed conditions. The thinning and logging work occurring on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest is associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative.

The goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

For additional information on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, visit www.fs.usda.gov/4fri. Members of the public can find additional information on the Kaibab National Forest through the following sources:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

Man Arrested on Charges Related to Domestic Incident near Parks

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PARKS – On August 8, 2017 at approximately 12:24 pm, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic dispute occurring between a male and female driving eastbound on I-40. Information was that the couple was travelling from Las Vegas, NV to Texas when a dispute occurred. The female reporting party had tried to exit the vehicle at a gas station in Parks, AZ. At some point during the incident the male fired a shot out of the window from a handgun.

The male subject was located with the vehicle and taken into custody. Thirty-six year old Johnnie Wilcox, III of Killeen, TX was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility with expected charges of Disorderly Conduct with a Weapon and Felony Endangerment.

Boundary Fire smoke enters Williams area

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WILLIAMS – Smoke from the Boundary Fire entered Williams creating a slight haze over the area. The forest service issued an advisory for parts of Flagstaff, Bellemont, Parks and Williams.
Coconino County health issued a release advising that smoke from wildfires in Northern Arizona and in Southern Utah continues to affect several communities in Coconino County. County health officials are encouraging individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from health effects of wildfire smoke.

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of small particles, gases and water vapor. The primary health concern is the small particles. Not everyone who is exposed to smoke will have health problems. Many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke. These factors include the level, extent, and duration of exposure, age, and individual susceptibility.

Anyone who can see, taste or smell smoke should curtail outdoor activity. People with heart disease, lung disease or asthma should avoid the outdoors entirely, as should children and the elderly.

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