COCONINO COUNTY — Ninety Arizona cities and towns and all 15 Arizona counties signed onto a framework in August 2021 called the One Arizona Memorandum of Understanding, now known as the One Arizona Agreement.
The current settlement involves opioid distributors McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson-Janssen, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen, and Janssen.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Public Works will reopen the Willard Springs Green Waste Site on Saturday, April 1, 2023 for free green waste-only disposal all season long to support residents’ efforts to clean up their properties for wildfire season.
Residents will be allowed to dump acceptable green waste such as pine needles, branches, leaves, and brush free of charge with no load limits on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through the end of the season on Saturday, October 28, 2023.
Fundamentals Program returns to Albright Training Center
A redesigned NPS Fundamentals Program has relaunched! The staff of Horace M. Albright Training Center (HOAL), a National Park Service employee development facility located within the park, are excited for the return of NPS’s keystone Learning and Development program: NPS Fundamentals. The NPS Fundamentals Program has been redesigned into a three-part training opportunity for new permanent employees in agency. The program serves as the foundation for all careers in the NPS. The program’s mission is to invest in new employees, deepen their understanding of the NPS mission and operations, and build their commitment to the NPS core values.
Thursday-Saturday, March 30-April 2
The Northern Arizona Book Festival, Flagstaff
A festival of literary art, culture, and community on the Colorado Plateau.
Learn More
Here are two statistics that should make you proud to be a United Way of Northern Arizona supporter, courtesy of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL).
Last month, the Imagination Library passed a remarkable milestone with 200 million books gifted to children since its inception in 1995!
Then there’s this fun factoid – 1 in 10 children under the age of five in the United States receives Imagination Library books. That’s a lot of Little Engines that Could and Llama Llamas in Red Pajamas.
Mom, mental-health advocate, and self-described vintage curator, Callee Torrey is no stranger to the art of juggling. This mama can now add marathon runner to her title. Even more impressive, running the 26.2 miles for the first time all the while having to balance breastfeeding her baby. She literally stopped at mile 13.1 to breastfeed her baby and still managed a respectable time of (6:02) hours. She is unstoppable. This month’s HERstory is a celebration of motherhood and a testament to the strength and resilience of women.
COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth provides a variety of free online training programs for parents, caregivers and all community members.
Our free Thriving Families webinar is a great starting place for parents, caregivers and community members brand new to the topics such as brain development, adverse childhood experiences, resilience and mindfulness. It is a great jumping off place to go deeper in knowledge and support through the rest of our library of webinars.
With thousands of views across our various topics, we are sure there is something for all community members and professionals. Whether you are seeking the best info for your family, your community or a program you work for, get a taste for our research supported prevention and community work.
This summer Sedona Arts Center is launching Gallery 928, a unique art apprenticeship program for teens ages 15 to 18. Based on Chicago’s infamous Gallery 37 summer public art program started in the 1980s, students will be hired to apprentice with master artist Leonardo Beltran to create a public art mural for Sedona Arts Center.
This job opportunity is open to 12 artistic teens interested in expanding their skills and knowledge in the public art field as well as learning other art mediums and techniques. In partnership with Yavapai College, the students chosen to participate in the program will receive 4 free college credits. Students will also be paid a stipend of $500 from Sedona Arts Center for their participation. Gallery 928 is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and desire to consider a future as a professional artist.
Rockfall frequency increases; flash flood warnings remains in effect throughout Northern Arizona
Recent storm impacts have created near impassable road conditions throughout much of Coconino County, especially in flooded roadways adjacent to creeks. Although these areas are limited within park boundaries, please be aware of the increased likelihood of rockfall and flash flood activity within the inner canyon as temperatures rise and active snowmelt occurs.
This week there were three reported sizeable rockfalls along the Bright Angel Trail reported by staff at the Backcountry Information Center. The trail remains passable to hikers. It is likely these events will occur on a routine basis in the coming weeks/months.
If you observe an active rockfall along a trail, please notify Grand Canyon dispatch as soon as possible at 928-638-7805. If you have a camera or phone, photos of the rockfall can be helpful to staff on Trails and the Backcountry Information Center.
For a more comprehensive list of backcountry trail updates, visit our park website here.
Right now, two UWNA volunteer groups are evaluating more than 50 requests for grants from either the Community Impact Fund or the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Earlier this year, the City of Flagstaff chose UWNA to administer $700,000 in ARPA funds on behalf of the City.
In This Issue
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Short Term Rentals
Hearing on Coconino County Fair Fees
BOS Adopts New Fort Tuthill Management Plan
Upper Rio de Flag Watershed Forest Restoration
County Receives $10.9 Million State Funding for
Flood Mitigation
County Comprehensive Plan and Flagstaff
Regional Plan Explained
Community Meeting on Proposed Forest
Restriction Plans and Emergency Preparedness
NACo Legislative Conference
Fort Valley Gets Its Sign!
Fort Valley Community Meeting on Rain and
Snow Melt
Valle It Is!
County Parks and Recreation Receives Arizona
Forward Environmental Excellence Award
Congratulations to Jim Driscoll, Western States
Sheriff of the Year!
Community Events
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years. Click here to see all of our classes and workshops
Coconino County Parks and Recreation is inviting you to attend presentations to learn more about the proposed Coconino County Fair fee updates.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 beginning at 6:00 PM through Microsoft Teams. We expect these presentations to last approximately 1 hour including the Q&A. You can learn more, RSVP to those meetings, and provide comments at coconinocountyfair.com/feeupdate. The public may also post comments and questions to the Fair’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CoconinoCountyFair.
CCC&Y shares this free online opportunity to ease some of the daily stress during this busy time of year.
Motivated by a long wait list for behavioral health services, and aware of challenging adult and child emotions causing behavior difficulties, Bethany Camp put this two part training together for CCC&Y to help meeting a wide-spread community need.
First we learn to understand our emotions and then we can understand and respond to the big emotional responses of children.
Watch Webinar – Managing Adult Emotional Responses, Part One
Watch Webinar – Helping Children Manage Their Emotions, Part Two
These videos are meant to help support our community. Having the tools to take care of ourselves and respond to children, is a great resource.
March is Women’s History Month, and HECHO honors the leadership and contributions of women in conservation. Elevating their voices is essential to our mission. From Indigenous women in Oak Flat fighting for environmental justice and Latinas working in the wilderness to safeguard wildlife for future generations to many other female conservationists are an example of courage, resiliency, and strength.
Here are their stories and other important news about our efforts across the Southwest.
Sincerely,
Camilla
NOW FEATURING:
Ed Buonvecchio, Mary Heyborne, Casey Cheuvront, and Sue Horine
Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. The Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.
Grand Canyon Trails Update and Flash Flood Safety
Possible flash flood and rockfall activity this week and throughout the next month
Increased precipitation and seasonal snow-melt may lead to enhanced flood risk along creek drainages in the inner canyon. Backpackers and hikers should be especially aware of elevated flows in rivers, creeks, washes, and low water crossings. Low water crossings may become impassable due to flooding or flood damage.
To CCC&Y members and participants,
In lieu of taking individual positions on bills this year: CCC&Y has had a voice at the table for many advocacy positions that support our partners and others to advocate for the well-being of children and families in our State. We also continue sharing action alerts and updates from our trusted partners so that you can stay informed and utilize the Request to Speak system to show your support or opposition.
Many of the bills are evolving so quickly that an organization with our limited resources would risk doing you an injustice by taking a formal position that may need to change multiple times in this current climate. However, please know we are at the table and will continue to voice concerns and support during this session.
42ndAnnual
Juried Members Exhibition and Sale
March 6–31, 2023
Sedona Arts Center’s 42nd Annual Juried Members’ Show, our community’s largest and longest-running group exhibition of visual art in Uptown Sedona is now showing! Free to the public and all the works are for sale, with no sales tax included.
Visitors will find everything from painting and watercolor to metal, wood, jewelry, and fiber art. A focus is also placed on drawing, mixed-media, photography and digital art. The Members’ Show is steeped in tradition and remains open to all current Arts Center members, whether seasoned professionals or new and emerging artists.
The show is open 10am – 5pm Monday through Saturday, and 12 – 5pm on Sunday in our Special Exhibitions Gallery.
Opening Reception / Meet the Artists
Friday, March 10 from 4 to 6pm
March certainly arrived like a lion. Beautiful as all this snow is, I’m looking forward to some more lamb-like weather and eventually some spring flowers. While we may not see those flowers until April or May, we have lots to look forward to at the Museum this month, including fun activities for kids during spring break next week. It’s another example of our efforts to broaden our engagement with visitors and the community, as identified in our Strategic Plan.
This is also the final month for the exhibition Baje Whitethorne Sr: Náátsʼíilid/Rainbow Light, which has been nominated for a Viola Award in Visual Art. If you haven’t seen it yet, come in to enjoy a burst of vibrant color by one of Flagstaff’s preeminent artists. Then come back on March 25 for a closing event to celebrate Baje and this marvelous exhibition, which was curated by another Viola honoree – Alan Petersen.
Participants in last year’s KinderCamp™ program – and their parents – gave the early childhood education program high marks in a survey conducted by AZ OnTrack.
The survey was completed by 50 children who were part of the KinderCamp program at Kinsey Elementary School in Flagstaff last summer. More than 80 parents also participated in the survey. AZ OnTrack is the state’s initiative to help children catch up from learning losses caused by the pandemic.
COCONINO COUNTY — We imagine a world where every person lives in peace and is supported by a thriving, resilient community.
The purpose of CCC&Y is bold and your help is needed.
When you become a member of CCC&Y, your financial contribution helps cultivate and strengthen well-informed communities by providing education and resources, bringing stakeholders together, building new systems of communication and more.
CCC&Y is building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities.
Through leadership, education and advocacy. By becoming a member you add your name to an expansive list of individuals, families, businesses and organizations who are igniting collective action that creates better lives for children and families.
Please visit Membership Options
Make an Online Donation
Remember, CCC&Y is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status-so your contributions are tax deductible eligible. Please consult your tax professional.
Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park can expect long lines and full parking lots during the spring break season, which spans from early March through mid-April. As a result of increased visitation, traffic regularly backs up at all entrance stations, with wait times of up to one to two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Parking lots begin reaching capacity by 12 p.m. and shuttle bus wait times may be prolonged.
NAU has received a $600,000 grant from NASA for a three-year project led by Teki Sankey to study the impact of forest restoration treatments on drought resilience in Arizona’s forests using NASA’s ECOSTRESS satellite. The team of researchers will focus on Arizona’s forests including Ponderosa pines and will validate their findings with field measurements of canopy and soil moisture. The project aims to determine if forest treatments result in water benefits for the entire ecosystem and will advance the development of satellite-based remote sensing methods for rapid detection of drought stress in vegetation.
To fulfill its mission of improving lives by mobilizing communities to make lasting positive change, United Way of Northern Arizona has always depended on its volunteer Board of Directors to direct its efforts.
The Board is comprised of 25 individuals representing the diversity of the region it serves. The Board sets and monitors policies, reviews the budget, and ensures United Way’s accountability to all donors.
Recently, the UWNA Board elected its officers for the 2023 year.
Join Flagstaff College and Friends of Flagstaff’s Future on Wednesday evenings in March. We’re showing four inspiring documentaries on ways to create the world we want to live in.
Sedona Arts Center invites you to be one of the master artists painting in the Shangri-La of the Southwest! Sedona is a sublime and stunningly beautiful environment steeped in art history. Sedona Arts Center dates back 65 years to the founding of Sedona’s identity as an ‘art colony.’ Our community’s iconic and wonderfully creative event—Sedona Plein Air Festival—is a week-long celebration of extraordinary landscapes, world-renowned artists, unique workshops, and wonderful free events from October 20 through 28, 2023!
Click here for more information
Significant snowfall and resulting snow loads have caused several roofs to collapse within the Flagstaff area. The City of Flagstaff and Coconino County are encouraging residents to check structures for signs of damage or stress. These signs can include:
Sagging ceiling tiles or boards, ceiling boards falling out of the ceiling grid, and/or sagging sprinkler lines and sprinkler heads
Sprinkler heads deflecting below suspended ceilings
Popping, cracking, and creaking noises
Sagging roof members, including metal decking or plywood sheathing
Bowing truss bottom chords or web members
Doors and/or windows that can no longer be opened or closed
Cracked or split wood members
Cracks in walls or masonry
Severe roof leaks
Excessive accumulation of water at nondrainage locations on low slope roofs
Grand Canyon National Park experienced its eighth busiest year ever in 2022 with 4,732,101 visits. Last year’s visitation was more than 200,000 above the previous year at a 4.5% increase. Grand Canyon also went from the fourth most visited national park to the second most visited. (#1-Great Smoky Mountains National Park).
Visitation to Grand Canyon reached its highest level ever with approximately 6.4 million visits in 2018. Although 2022’s reduced visitation lessens the stress on the park’s resources, park operations still rely on the revenue from all income sources. Fewer visitors translates to reduced revenue for park programs. Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Funds (aka FLREA), transportation fees, and concession franchise fees are still reduced compared to pre-pandemic years. Funds from these sources support many programs across the park and park managers continue to work on programming costs with these smaller revenue projections in mind for this fiscal year.
Due to considerable snowfall amounts in the Flagstaff region, the Meet and Greet event for Coconino Community College President Dr. Eric Heiser originally scheduled for tonight, Thursday, March 2, will be rescheduled for a later date in April.
Dr. Eric Heiser has scheduled Meet and Greet events throughout Coconino County in communities that CCC serves in order to listen to what matters most to the residents of those communities when it comes to what they need from their community college.
Future events scheduled for March 8 in Flagstaff, April 4 in Williams and April 13 in Page.
Remember DART, NASA’s attempt to redirect an asteroid? Results are in. It worked.
After ramming a spacecraft into a small asteroid last fall, researchers knew almost immediately that the mission had worked—that the impact changed the asteroid’s orbit. A new study authored by Cristina Thomas found that the orbit changed by a whopping 33 minutes, suggesting that the momentum of the ejected material was a significant contributor to the change. The study is published in Nature alongside three other articles detailing findings from this groundbreaking NASA mission.
Saturday, March 4
Orchestra Northern Arizona’s Spring Sing, Coconino High School
An evening featuring local soloists and Flagstaff composer Bruce Reiprich. 7 p.m.
Learn More
Due to poor road conditions and limited accessibility related to recent snowfall, the City of Flagstaff’s Solid Waste section has temporarily suspended residential trash and recycling collection services for Thursday, March 2. At this time, commercial trash and recycling containers continue to be serviced, where accessible.
The Solid Waste section will attempt to collect trash and recycling from both Thursday and Friday residential customers on Friday; however, some services may be postponed until Saturday. Service may be delayed for the next two to three days.
Residents are asked to wait to place their carts out for service until 6 a.m. the morning of service to allow for more efficient snow clearing operations. Please place residential carts in front of snow piles, on the curb, or at the end of cleared driveways to facilitate access. Carts placed on or behind snow piles will not be serviced due to accessibility issues.
At this week’s special session of the Flood Control District Board of Directors they approved acceptance of two new Federal grants that will enable the District to immediately proceed with the first phase of long-term flood mitigation projects.
The Schultz-Pipeline Flood Area is defined as the neighborhoods downstream of nine major watersheds damaged by the Schultz Wildfire in 2010 and the Pipeline Wildfire this past year. The District, along with several engineering partners, have determined that without extensive on-forest and neighborhood mitigation measures, the risk of life-threatening floods affecting our communities will only increase.
“The priority of local government is the health and safety of our citizens, and our citizens’ lives and homes were severely impacted this past monsoon season by the nine watersheds compromised by two major wildfires,” said Chair of the Board Patrice Horstman. “We want to thank Senators Kelly and Sinema and former Congressman Tom O’Halleran for their strong support with securing this unprecedented funding. Without it, the District and County would have likely had to cut other services to provide flood mitigation.”
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.
Click here to see all of our classes and workshops
COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth (CCC&Y), sees you! We see all the ways you support folks in your neighborhood and our community! You are helping to “bring back the village,” and you’re doing great!
Let’s face it, life can be challenging, and too often, we are collectively stressed. Stress is normalized. We can acknowledge that some stress is good for us, keeping us thinking and maybe even providing us a boost to take necessary action. However, maintaining health requires that we offer ourselves opportunities to decompress. CCC&Y hopes you gift yourself with time to reconnect with yourself and those closest to you.
During this winter season, CCC&Y invites you to cozy up with some tea and a warm blanket and take a few mindful moments to recognize and honor your inner self and notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. (“Mindfulness for Parents and Professionals”). If our opportunity for Mindfulness feels supportive to you, we invite you to share it with others.
Book Corner
Blustery weather makes for the perfect time to curl up with a good book! 50 Things to do in the Urban Wild by Clare Gogerty is a book to get the creative juices flowing by giving you ideas for how to connect to your local area. Although written in the United Kingdom, the book is applicable to people living anywhere, including the diverse landscapes of Coconino County. Topics include how to create a leaf journal, how to identify trees in winter, cloud spotting, city hiking, and restoring natural habitats. Get inspired to enjoy your local trail system, nature, and wildlife. Maybe you can even learn skills that you can enter in the Coconino County Fair, with topics including growing plants and incorporating nature in art!
Workforce development is a topic we often turn to when we talk about the critical needs of northern Arizona businesses, but often that discussion focuses on post-secondary education, internships, and job training.
The fact is that creating tomorrow’s workforce goes back much further, starting in elementary, middle, and high school. Which is why we are so happy that there are several upcoming events that celebrate our local educators.
It starts this Thursday with the annual STEMMY Awards being given out by Flagstaff STEM City to honor students, teachers and organizations who are STEM leaders in the greater Flagstaff community. Last year, Audrey Baird of Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy took top honors for STEM educator.
Thursday’s ceremony will be from 6 to 7 pm at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Financial Literacy
Thursday, March 2, 9, 23. (UPDATED)
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Learn about setting up your household budget, credit, loans, interest rates, mortgages, and saving for your future goals.
Financial Literacy – Learn more and register! (more events)
Developing countries pay the highest price for living with large carnivores
Farmers who raise livestock depend on the health and safety of those animals. When large predators threaten their wellbeing, it can financially devastating for them—the effects of which can be felt for years. Human-wildlife conflict has been highlighted as one of the globe’s most pressing human development and conservation dilemmas, and NAU’s Duan Biggs was determined to take a deeper look into this matter. He worked with researchers from throughout the world to study how the lives of those living alongside these large predators are impacted, and why developing countries were the one to suffer most.
In This Issue:
The Proposed Hospital Relocation
Action Alert: Urge the City to Stop Banking with Wells Fargo
“Big Shift” Funding and Personnel Priorities
Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045
Action Alert: Beulah & University Realignment Project Open House
In Memoriam: Freda Van Houten
F3 hit the ground running in January and there’s a lot to report to our members. This newsletter contains important information, updates, and opportunities for community action.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) gives you the chance to pay less for your internet:
Up to $30 per month for broadband services purchased by eligible households and up to $75 per month for households located on Tribal lands.
One-time discount of up to $100 on purchasing a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if you contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
Applications are now available. Only one monthly internet service discount is allowed per household.
Highway 67…plowed?!
Last week, North and South Rim Road Crew staff successfully plowed 30 miles of Highway 67, from Jacob Lake to the North Rim boundary, for administrative use. A team of three including John Venn, Brandon Alberta, and John Root completed the operation over the course of one week.
The primary objective of road clearing was to provide for a diesel fuel supply for the back-up generators on the North Rim. After a series of powerful snow storms this winter that knocked out power service, this backup fuel source is critical to support the staff and continuity of operations. Additional objectives included the ability to provide emergency ingress/egress to and from the North Rim, as well as improving safety for residents by allowing administrative traffic in motor vehicles instead of snowmobiles.
Thank you to the North Rim staff who continue to weather repeated storms and impressive snow removal operations!
Saturday, February 25
Annual Eagle Celebration, Willow Bend Environmental Education Center
A family-focused interactive program. 11 a.m.
Learn More
COCONINO COUNTY — Whether it’s connecting families with local representatives from the Coconino County Health & Human Services’ Women’s, Infants and Children (WIC) program, to helping foster care families learn about potential scholarship programs for their youth, resource guides provide a valuable assistance to residents throughout Coconino County and Northern Arizona.
To spread the word about these valuable information options, CCC&Y has compiled a listing and link to a variety of resource guides throughout the region including CCC&Y’s created Page/Fredonia and Tuba City resource guides and the recently updated Williams Area Community Resource Guide.
Do you have a new or updated resource guide you would like to add to our listing posting? Please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org
With many Arizona Public Service (APS) customers in Coconino County without power due to high winds and downed trees, the American Red Cross has opened a warming station in Flagstaff at Sinagua Middle School, 3950 E Butler Ave in Flagstaff.
People needing to utilize the station may bring a bag or backpack of personal items; pets are allowed only with dog kennels or cat carriers, and owners must provide pet food.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting three to four Winter storm systems to affect much of Coconino County from Tuesday night through Sunday. These systems are predicted be more impactful than recent storms in Northern Arizona.
All City of Flagstaff administrative offices and non-essential facilities will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 22 due to predicted severe inclement weather.
The City’s Public Works division has deployed all available equipment and operators during this winter snow event, with operations running 24 hours a day.
On September 21, 2022, Coconino County announced that updated digital flood hazard maps for the portion of Oak Creek Canyon in Coconino County would become effective March 21, 2023.
The flood maps are known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). They show the extent to which areas recently re-mapped in Coconino County’s portion of Oak Creek Canyon are at risk for flooding. These flood maps are used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements. They replace maps that were based on studies more than 30 years old. Note that the flood maps for the portion of Oak Creek Canyon in Yavapai County are still being finalized.
Liz Archuleta, highly accomplished and nationally recognized leader, and former Coconino County Supervisor who has been serving as a presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture senior leadership team, has been chosen to be the new President & CEO of United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA).
“We are thrilled to have such a highly respected and accomplished leader as Liz join us,” said UWNA Board President Mike Kelly. “Her ties to UWNA and commitment to our program of work go back to 1997. During that time, she’s championed many efforts at UWNA. She’s been a Board chair, led an annual campaign and a capital campaign, been the chair of the Summit Society, and spearheaded a special 50th anniversary drive to support the KinderCamp program.”
