Tag Archives: Phoenix

Public invited to release of endangered California Condors

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VERMILION CLIFFS – There is nothing quite as iconic in the western United States as a California Condor soaring over the red-rock-canyon landscapes of northern Arizona and southern Utah. Thanks to people working together to recover this species, condors have become a fixture in southwestern skies. On National Public Lands day this year, the public is invited to join the recovery effort by witnessing first-hand a spectacular release into the wild of several captive-bred young condors.

California Condors will be released by The Peregrine Fund atop the spectacular cliffs in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 22. The public is welcome to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes provided by partners and Swarovski Optik will be set up and project personnel will be available to answer questions.

The release coincides with National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance America’s public lands. National Public Lands Day involves the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies, along with state and local governments and private groups.

This will be the 23rd annual public release of condors in Arizona since the southwest condor recovery program began in 1996. Condors are produced at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, the Oregon Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Safari Park and then transported to release sites annually for release to the wild.

The historical California Condor population declined to just 22 individuals in the 1980s when the greater California Condor Recovery Program was initiated to save the species from extinction. As of July 25, 2018 there were 85 condors in the wild in the rugged canyon country of northern Arizona and southern Utah and the total world population of endangered California Condors numbers nearly 500 individuals, with more than half flying in the wilds of Arizona, Utah, California, and Mexico.

The Arizona-Utah recovery effort is a cooperative program by federal, state, and private partners, including The Peregrine Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management’s Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Grand Canyon and Zion national parks, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Kaibab and Dixie national forests among many other supporting groups and individuals.

For more information about California Condors in Arizona visit http://www.peregrinefund.org/condor.

I-17 traffic restrictions south of Flagstaff through early November

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Drivers on Interstate 17 in northern Arizona are advised to plan for travel delays because of traffic realignment and ramp closures at Willard Springs Road, 17 miles south of Flagstaff near Munds Park. Crews are replacing the Willard Springs Road bridges on I-17 and will close access under the highway.

Drivers should prepare for delays while the following detours are in place:

  • Northbound I-17 drivers heading to Willard Springs Road will be detoured to Newman Park Road to exit and re-enter southbound I-17.
  • Drivers exiting Willard Springs Road toward northbound I-17 will be detoured southbound I-17 to Pinewood Road in Munds Park to exit and re-enter northbound I-17.

Drivers in both directions of I-17 will be re-routed around the bridge construction at Willard Springs Road onto the on- and off-ramps at reduced speeds.

For more information, email MKirby@azdot.gov or call Mackenzie Kirby, Community Relations project manager, ADOT Northcentral District, at 928.525.6494. Information is also available on the project web page.

Schedules are subject to change because of weather and other unforeseen situations. 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.

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.

5 life jacket exchanges scheduled for August

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PHOENIX — Nearly 850 life jackets have been exchanged so far this year, but that number will ramp up after the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) holds five more events in August. 2018 is the 10-year anniversary of the life jacket exchange program, and AZGFD is aiming to exchange a record-setting 1,700 life jackets this year.

Anyone who has an old, worn-out or improperly fitting life jacket is welcome to exchange it for a new one in the appropriate size during the events. Type I and Type II life jackets will not be accepted.

The public is invited to join AZGFD and its partner organizations at the following life jacket exchange events:

  • Bullhead City at BCFD Fire Station #2 (1230 Highway 95) on August 4 from 9 a.m. to noon
  • Lake Pleasant at the 4 Lane boat ramp and the 10 Lane boat ramp August 4 from 10 a.m. to noon
  • Lake Havasu at Site Six on August 25 from 10 a.m. to noon
  • Yuma at Martinez Lake on August 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

“In addition to exchanging more life jackets than ever before, this year we have been excited to hold the events in new locations throughout Arizona,” said Josh Hoffman, boating safety education coordinator for AZGFD. “This will be our first life jacket exchange in Yuma, and it’s a great opportunity to allow as many Arizonans as possible to ensure they have a new life jacket that fits properly.”

State law requires all passengers 12 years old and younger to wear a life jacket while on board and each passenger must have a properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket available.

Another important aspect of safe boating is understanding the laws and regulations for cruising around Arizona’s waterways. AZGFD offers free in-person courses for both boaters and paddlers to ensure that all of Arizona’s residents have access to instruction on the basic skills required to safely and legally operate their boat.

For more information about boating in Arizona or to sign up for a free safety course, visit azgfd.gov/boating.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop set for September 7 to 9

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PHOENIX — For women who just want to find out what the outdoors experience is all about, signing up for a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is a great place to start.

The Arizona Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will conduct its next BOW workshop September 7 to 9 at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott. The workshop introduces like-minded women (18 and older) to outdoor skills in an enjoyable, no-pressure setting with expert instructors.

In addition to being able to select from more than 30 classes, like horsemanship, geocaching, wilderness medicine, birding and hiking, participants also will have an opportunity to fulfill the field-day requirements to earn their Arizona Hunter Education certificate. The online course must be completed prior to the workshop, however, at www.hunter-ed.com/arizona. The evenings will be filled with fun and entertainment, like night hikes and guest speakers.

A pair of new classes also are being offered: a geology class titled “Name That Rock” and a class in primitive skills. Meanwhile, participants will learn how to catch crayfish, then prepare them along with other wild foods to be served at a game-tasting the first night of the workshop.

Participants will stay in rustic cabins equipped with showers and toilets. The workshop fee is $250 and includes all instruction, course materials, use of equipment, meals and lodging. For information, visit www.azwildlife.org, email awf@azwildlife.org or call (480) 644-0077.

Arizona conservationists to be honored at 2018 Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet

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PHOENIX – The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation, together with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will induct two individuals and three organizations into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 18.

The Foundation’s 21st Annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place during the annual Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet at the Embassy Suites at 5001 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale.
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The inductees for this year’s event include:

  • Tracy Unmacht, of New River, has dedicated her life to conserving Arizona’s wildlife for future generations through her service to multiple non-governmental organizations. She expanded from participating in the “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” camp to becoming a volunteer, organizer and fundraiser for the group. She’s also served the Arizona Antelope Foundation for 16 years as an administrator, newsletter and magazine editor, clinic organizer and webmaster.
  • Catherine Cimellaro, of Phoenix, has worked for decades to promote hunting, fishing, wildlife conservation and habitat enhancement to benefit Arizona’s wildlife. She has lent her talents to assisting multiple wildlife organizations such as the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, the Antelope Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Council, Arizona Deer Association, and Conserve and Protect Arizona. Her graphic design skills helped to produce a logo for the Arizona Big Game Super Raffle and she redesigned Arizona’s wildlife license plate, which is attached to more than 10,000 vehicles and has raised additional funding for wildlife conservation.
  • Arizona Deer Association, of Mesa, has focused on projects dedicated to improving and expanding Arizona’s mule deer and Coues’ deer populations since the group was originally founded as the Arizona Mule Deer Association in 1995. Although its name changed to the Arizona Deer Association in 2003, its dedication to fundraising to finance projects aimed at growing deer populations and encouraging the next generations of hunters continues to be the bedrock of the group’s mission.
  • Diablo Trust, of Flagstaff, encourages responsible land management practices by gathering a wide range of land managers and stakeholders that are invested in leaving a positive legacy of habitat and wildlife conservation. The trust and its stakeholders have worked to sustain open space (preventing land fragmentation), biological diversity, protect watersheds with stable living soils, restore historic grasslands, enhance wildlife corridors and achieve a community of place.
  • Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, of Scottsdale, rescues and rehabilitates injured, displaced and orphaned wildlife. Rehabilitated animals are then returned to the wild, while sanctuary is provided to animals that cannot be released. SWCC also provides educational and humane scientific research opportunities in the field of conservation medicine. Wildlife education includes advice on living with wildlife and the importance of native wildlife to healthy ecosystems.

The Hall of Fame event will include a social hour and silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m., with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. The evening will also feature a live auction, exciting raffle prizes, and musical entertainment by the Back Porch Bandits. Suggested attire is business casual or western wear.

Individual tickets are $70. A table for 10 is $700. A table of 10 and a full-page ad in the full-color banquet brochure is $1,200. The options for ordering tickets are:

Download a ticket reservation form at www.wildlifefortomorrow.org, fill in the requested information, and either scan and e-mail to rebeccabouquot@gmail.com or mail Wildlife For Tomorrow, c/o Rebecca Bouquot, 14852 S. Luna Drive, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

Call Rebecca Bouquot (Wildlife for Tomorrow board member and ticket chairwoman) at (602) 501-4788.

Purchase your tickets on the Wildlife for Tomorrow website at www.wildlifefortomorrow.org.

Wildlife for Tomorrow was created in 1990 to enhance the management, protection and enjoyment of Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources. The foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to provide additional support for projects and education activities where traditional resources are not adequate.

The Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame was developed in 1998 by the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation to honor those who have made significant contributions to Arizona’s wildlife, the welfare of its natural resources and the state’s outdoor heritage.

For more information, visit www.wildlifefortomorrow.org.

Spring hunt recommendations available for review

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s proposed recommendations for the 2019 spring javelina, bison and bear hunts, and 2019 and 2020 spring turkey hunts are available for review at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

The hunt structures and recommendations were formulated based on the hunt guidelines approved by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in September 2017.

All questions or comments about a particular game management unit or hunt are welcome by emailing at AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov, or by calling any of the department’s statewide regional offices and asking to speak to a game management biologist. No formal presentations are planned.

The proposed hunt recommendations will be presented to the Commission for its consideration during a public meeting Aug. 3 at Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, 86004.

To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

Arizona Game and Fish Department proposes new fishing regulations

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is proposing fishing regulation changes and inviting the public to review and comment.

AZGFD will host and webcast a public forum on proposed fishing regulations changes 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 30 at department headquarters (Quail Room), 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix. The webcast can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/webcast.

The topic of discussion will focus exclusively on proposed fishing regulation changes by AZGFD. Recommendations can be submitted in-person at the public forum, by email to fishregscomments@azgfd.gov or by mail to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Aquatic Wildlife Branch, c/o Andy Clark, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ, 85086.

Please include your first and last name to ensure a response during the forum. AZGFD will be accepting comments through August 31.

The changes are also scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission at its Sept. 21-22 meeting. The public is welcome to attend and address the commission on these proposals.

The proposed changes are:

  • Open Fish Creek in Greenlee County, and tributaries Corduroy Creek and Double Cienega Creek, to fishing.
  • Close Chase Creek (Gila County) to fishing.
  • Designate new Community Fishing Program waters/regulations: Fain Lake, Yavapai Lakes in Urban Forest Park (Prescott Valley), Mansel Carter Oasis Lake (Queen Creek), Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex Pond in Yuma.
  • Change bag limits for bass at Arivaca Lake and Pena Blanca Lake to a statewide daily bag.
  • Change bag limits at Maricopa Lake (Youngtown) to a statewide daily bag.

See the PDF of the rationale behind each regulation.

AZGFD to address water quality issues at Luna Lake​​​​​​​

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is collaborating with the White Mountain Lakes Foundation and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to address chronic and long-term water-quality issues at Luna Lake near Alpine.

The ongoing project could eventually include other lakes located on the national forest: Carnero Lake, Lee Valley Lake and Crescent Lake.

– AZGF Photo

AZGFD plans to install the first aeration system at Luna Lake during the spring of 2019. If the concept and approach prove successful at Luna, funding for installation of aerators at the other three lakes will be pursued.

“Once started, installation of the aeration system at Luna should be finished in only a few months,” said Dave Weedman, AZGFD Aquatic Habitat Program Manager. “Luna Lake is the most cost-effective option because it is more easily accessible during the winter for maintenance than the other three lakes, and we have numerous partners in the area that will assist in the maintenance and upkeep of the facility.”

Successful project implementation will require collaboration between the AZGFD and Alpine Ranger District on the environmental compliance (NEPA) for beginning construction on the infrastructure. Both agencies have committed to begin the NEPA process immediately.

AZGFD biologists are monitoring water quality at all four lakes in an attempt to identify the causes for the water quality problems. Each of these lakes has periodically suffered from winter or summer fish die-offs as a result of poor water quality, low dissolved oxygen (DO) in the winter or excessively high pH in the summer. AZGFD has already solicited plans for installation of aerators to address low oxygen during the winters, and is pursuing the needed environmental clearances to pave the way for installation and operation of the equipment.

Each of these lakes is different and will require a multi-faceted approach to address the water quality causes for the fish die-offs.

For example:

  • Crescent Lake receives an elevated level of nutrients from the watershed that contributes to excessive plant and algae growth. During the winter, as the lake ices over, transfer of oxygen from the air to the water is cut off, as is production of oxygen through photosynthesis by the plants and algae, while decomposing plant matter under the ice burns up all the oxygen, leaving none to keep fish alive. Aeration, in combination with nutrient control, may prove to resolve this issue.
  • Luna Lake suffers from a similar condition during the winter, as well as an elevated pH and low oxygen problem during the summer as excessive plant growth and blue-green algae absorb carbon dioxide, causing the pH to rise during the day. At night, when photosynthesis shuts down, the production of oxygen also shuts down. Respiration by zooplankton and decomposition by bacteria consume oxygen, causing a daily low DO condition that may stress and/or kill fish.

AZGFD thanks numerous partners for their local and vocal support: Sportsmen for Wildlife, Alpine Alliance, Trout Unlimited, Arizona Flycasters Club, The Desert Fly Casters of Chandler, White Mountain Fly Fishing Club, Friends of Luna Lake and the White Mountain Lakes Foundation.

AZGFD: Misinformation only stalls successful Mexican wolf recovery​​​​​​​

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PHOENIX – Scientists involved in Mexican wolf recovery say environmental groups distributing old and faulty data that calls for the release of captive adult wolves are not helping the recovery of the endangered subspecies. Biologists at the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) say maintaining a savvy wild-born population and limiting introductions of naïve captive-raised adult animals have been the keys to the ongoing success of the recovery program.

“This period of strong population growth has happened with almost the entire population being wild- born wolves,” said Jim Heffelfinger, a University of Arizona research scientist, AZGFD wildlife science coordinator and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed scientific studies on wolf recovery. “We’ve also learned that releasing captive singles and pairs that have spent their lives in a zoo setting has been ineffective in enhancing genetic diversity. The sobering truth is that in the last decade, no captive-raised adult wolf released in the wild has subsequently raised pups in the wild to contribute to the gene pool.”

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and other environmental fundraising organizations have been pushing a narrative that captive-raised adult wolves should be released into the wild. A July 12 news release from the groups called for the release of three packs of zoo-raised wolves. The piece also misstated the number of wolves already released and omitted an entire year of successful cross-fostering data from their analysis.

Contrary to the incorrect information issued by these organizations, AZGFD and its conservation partners have released 20 wolves from captivity since 2014 through “cross-fostering,” or selectively placing genetically valuable pups from captivity into wild packs to be raised by wild parents and with wild siblings. The latest wolf survey (2017) documented an all-time record number of 114 Mexican wolves in 22 packs, with 26 potential breeding pairs and 88 adult wolves in the wild population.

Of a potential eight cross-fostered wolves that are now of breeding age, three have bred and two have already produced offspring (four pups), meaning about 37.5 percent of cross-fostered pups are contributing valuable genetics to the wild population. Of the 12 pups cross-fostered between 2014 and 2017, five were found to have survived to the end of the year, a much higher survival rate than the groups assert. In contrast, only one of the last nine adult captive wolves released into the wild produced pups that survived more than one year, and only because the pups were cross-fostered into a wild pack.

Despite the CBD’s assertion that releasing packs of naïve captive-raised wolves is “badly needed to improve numbers and enhance genetic diversity,” an honest look at the data clearly shows that the recovering Mexican wolf population can grow in numbers without additional releases of adult wolves. Only five adult captive-raised wolves have been released since 2007, yet the wild Mexican wolf population has increased from 42 in 2009 to 114 in 2017 (171 percent).

According to Jim deVos, assistant director for AZGFD’s Wildlife Management Division, cross-fostering bolsters genetic diversity in the wild population while protecting genetically valuable adults in captivity.

“It’s important to review Mexican wolf recovery based on data and not misleading and disingenuous statements that hide the real success of this recovery program,” said deVos. “The population is growing very well without releasing more zoo animals into the woods to fend for themselves. It is counter- productive to use purposely misleading and erroneous statements to oppose these successes and the hard working people bringing the Mexican wolf back to the Southwestern landscape.”

Interstate 40 and Beulah Boulevard traffic impacts

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Flagstaff drivers should prepare for traffic impacts including lane restrictions and full closures while crews continue bridge work at Interstate 40 and Beulah Boulevard. Crews are scheduled to pour a new eastbound I-40 bridge deck over Beulah Boulevard.

One-direction overnight closures of Beulah Boulevard are scheduled for the following times:

Southbound Beulah will be closed from 9 p.m., Friday, July 20, through 1 a.m., Saturday, July 21. The southbound Beulah Boulevard detour route takes drivers north to Forest Meadows Street, east to I-17 and south onto southbound I-17 to the J.W. Powell/I-17 Interchange, then north on Beulah Boulevard.
Northbound Beulah will be closed from 12:01 to 7 a.m., Saturday, July 21. The northbound Beulah Boulevard detour route takes drivers southbound to the J.W. Powell/ I-17 Interchange and then north on I-17 to Forest Meadows Street, then west to Beulah Boulevard.

In addition, the following restrictions are in place:

I-17 is reduced to one lane in both directions through Tuesday, July 17.

Interstate 40 is reduced to one lane in both directions through August.

The northbound I-17 to westbound I-40 ramp remains closed for the duration of the project. Traffic that would normally use this ramp is being detoured onto I-40 eastbound, then exiting at Butler Avenue and heading west on I-40.

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

For more information, visit the project website. For questions or comments, call Mackenzie Kirby, ADOT Community Relations project manager at 928.525.6494 or email mkirby@azdot.gov.

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.