Important: Please Attend Regional Plan 2045 Scenario Choosing Workshop Open House this Saturday, Dec. 2, 9:00-11:00 am at Flagstaff High School Commons
Stroll throughout Downtown Flagstaff to see and purchase paintings, jewelry, woodwork, ceramics, and more! 6:30 p.m.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County is ready for the first snowstorm of the 2023-2024 winter season, which is forecast to hit Northern Arizona late Wednesday and continue into Saturday.
Public Works crews are geared up to keep County roads open and passable during the storm and the Facilities Management Department is preparing County buildings for cold and icy conditions.
The National Weather Service in Bellemont has issued a Winter Weather Advisory beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. through 5 a.m. Saturday. According to the advisory, total snow accumulations between 2 and 8 inches are expected, with snow falling as low as 5000’ and hazardous impacts occurring above 7000’.
North Rim transitions to winter operations; Hwy. 67 closed at Jacob Lake
Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, November 30, the North Rim was closed to all vehicle traffic for the winter. State Route 67 and all services on the North Rim are expected to re-open on May 15th, 2024 (subject to change).
As in years past, the North Rim campground will be available for winter camping and is accessible via hiking inner canyon trails from the South Rim or by hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing 45 miles from Jacob Lake. To camp at the North Rim during the winter months, visitors need a backcountry permit, which can be obtained in advance through the South Rim Backcountry Information Center.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) met in special session (Nov. 29) to continue the process of filling the upcoming vacancy in District 3.
During the public meeting the Board conducted thorough interviews with the five remaining candidates who have applied to fill the vacancy through 2024. Two candidates who did qualify to fill the vacancy removed themselves from consideration prior to today’s session.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) met on November 21, 2023, to review and approve the canvass of the 2023 Consolidated Election in Coconino County.
This year, Coconino County Elections and the County Recorder’s Office administered a ballot-by-mail election for seven jurisdictions in the County.
In preparation for Board approval, Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen, Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget, and Elections Director Eslir Musta presented comprehensive information about this year’s elections operations, voter registration statistics, voter turnout and statistics, ballot drop-off box usage, and signature verification standards.
FLAGSTAFF — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes to provide federal financial assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to the City of Flagstaff (sub-applicant), located in Coconino County, Arizona, to upgrade an existing concrete box culvert (proposed action). Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management), Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), and FEMA’s implementing regulations at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9, FEMA hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its final decision and an explanation of the alternatives that were considered.
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.
Flagstaff College, Terra BIRDS, & Flagstaff Foodlink invite you to a special zoom presentation!
John Ikerd, Ph.D.
“Food as a Public Utility”
November 28th (Tuesday)
6 p.m. (AZ Time)
FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Ranger District plans to conduct large pile burns tomorrow through Friday in two different areas about two miles north of Munds Park or 13 miles south of Flagstaff.
The Horse Park pile burn is comprised of approximately 1,200 acres of slash piles just north of Munds Park, near Forest Road 700.
The Willard Spring pile burn consists of four acres worth of forest debris and grass within Willard Spring pit just west of Interstate 17 near the Willard Springs exit.
Smoke may impact areas such as Mountainaire, Kachina Village and I-17 around the pile burns but is forecast to move toward the north/northeast through the day.
SEDONA — Coconino National Forest is seeking public input and comments on proposed trail enhancements at specific locations within the Red Rock Ranger District that would add approximately 39 miles of non-motorized trails and re-route and naturalize other trails.
The proposed locations fall within and near the communities of Sedona, Village of Oak Creek and Cornville and would include 24.42 miles of non-motorized trails, adopting 14.8 miles of user-created routes, and naturalizing 10.14 miles of user-created trails. The specific locations include the Turkey Creek System, Bell Rock Area Bypasses, Cornville School Trail, Doe Mesa Loop, Hardline Trail, and Scheurman Trail Connector.
These proposals are the result of years of planning after a strong public demand for improved and enhanced trailhead access, options, and experiences.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will host a Women in Wildland Fire boot camp in April of 2024 for individuals interested in exploring a career in wildfire and is currently accepting applications.
Boot camp participants will gain a greater understanding of the challenges and responsibilities of wildland firefighting through sessions conducted both in the classroom and in the field.
Class work will consist of online training modules, where participants will learn about wildland firefighting strategy and safety.
During field training, participants will follow guidelines set by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to explore firefighting as a career in a hands-on way.
FLAGSTAFF — City administrative offices will be closed Nov. 23 and 24, 2023 for the Thanksgiving holiday and will reopen on Nov. 27, 2023. Operating hours for other City of Flagstaff facilities are listed below.
FLAGSTAFF — On Tuesday (Nov. 14), the American Conservation Experience (ACE) was awarded a large America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) grant to conduct important watershed improvement and invasive species management work for up to four years on Coconino National Forest.
The $1,755,900 grant included a grant amount of $1,404,700 with matching funds of $351,200 and will employ two specialized six-person crews to perform the work.
The crews will remove and treat invasive species on 1,000 acres as well as deliver 15 miles of instream and riparian restoration. They will do this through the removal of failed culverts, channel stabilization, installation of rack or log structures and the reduction of non-functioning flow diversion features.
FLAGSTAF — The City of Flagstaff and Coconino County invite residents to participate in Scenario Choosing Open Houses for the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045. These open houses are centered around how the region should approach growth to address uncertainties and opportunities that may lie ahead. This is a once-a-decade opportunity to shape the future of our community.
The open houses will be available in both an online and in-person format. To participate in the open house virtually, visit bit.ly/scenariochoosing from Nov. 16, 2023 to Jan. 19, 2024. Information on the in-person open houses is provided below. Attendees may sign up in advance for childcare at in-person events at flagstaff.az.gov/RegionalPlan2045.
The Commission on Trial Court Appointment Nominating Committee for Coconino County Supervisorial District 2 is seeking non-attorney applicants for the Trial Court Commission.
For more than 40 years Arizona citizens have benefited from a judicial merit selection and retention system. Merit selection is a way of choosing judges that uses nonpartisan commissions to investigate and evaluate applicants for judgeships. The commissions then submit the names of at least three highly qualified applicants to the Governor. The Governor appoints appellate court judges statewide and trial court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties from lists of nominees submitted by the judicial nominating commissions.
As Ioanna Morfessis, President & CEO of IO, Inc., recently put it: “Economies don’t remain static; there is no stasis. They either grow and progress or they regress.”
Morfessis and Danny Court of Elliott Pollack & Co. co-authored the recently released Strategic Plan created on behalf of ECoNA to outline a roadmap for the region’s economic future.
Their reporting indicates that Northern Arizona faces a major decision: whether the region’s economy will continue to remain competitive or if anti-growth sentiment will lead to stagnation and possible economic erosion.
Coconino County Emergency Management recently assisted the State of Hawaii in response to the August wildfires on the island of Maui.
As a result of the devastating wildfires that impacted Lahaina and Upper Kula on Maui, officials in Hawaii have been coordinating response and recovery efforts with local and federal partners. Through this coordination, Hawaii activated the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is an all-hazards, all disciplines mutual aid compact that allows states to share resources and provide assistance to one another during times of disaster.
As a signatory to EMAC, the State of Arizona received requests from the State of Hawaii for trained subject matter experts to assist with disaster operations.
InterTribal Economic Summit recap
Last week, the park hosted the Emergence Summit, the second Grand Canyon InterTribal Economic Summit. More than 60 participants were in attendance including Tribal vendors, tour operators, entrepreneurs, partners, and park staff. The purpose of the summit was to discuss ways the park and its many partners can best work together to improve economic benefits for the park, private companies, Tribal partners, nonprofit partners, and the surrounding communities.
Keynote speaker Natasha Hale (Navajo and Saudi Arabian and pictured above), cofounder of Change Labs, offered lessons from her 15 years of experience supporting Native entrepreneurs and economic equity on the Colorado Plateau.
“To move past these wrongs, we still have to keep talking about them. But I think we’re all eager to move past it,” said Hale. “That’s what Emergence is about – we want to be able to co-manage these lands, but we also want to be able to have access to that economic power.”
You can learn more about the summit from Grand Canyon Trust’s website here.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Accessibility View
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October/November 2023
District 1 Newsletter
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In This Issue
Letter from the Supervisor
Supervisor Horstman Appointed to Resource
Advisory Council for Arizona Bureau of Land
Management Lands
County Flood Mitigation Projects Nearing
Completion
Rural Ground Water Management Community
Discussion
County Supervisor Association Holds Annual
Summit in Coconino County
Introduction to the Coconino County Criminal
Justice Coordinating Council
Vice President Harris’ Fight for Our Freedoms Tour
Visits NAU
County FCD Director and National Wildlife
Commissioner Lucinda Andreani Report to
Congress
Govenor Appoints Two from Coconino County to
Arizona Arts Commision
Fort Valley Sign Installed
Dia de Los Muertos Celebration
United Way of Northern Arizona Campaign Kickoff
for 2024
Family Food Center, Thanksgiving Stuff the Bus
Community Events and Resources
Join us for the exhilarating kick-off to the winter season as Arizona Snowbowl unveils its slopes for Opening Day! 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
CCC&Y partners have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and programs throughout Northern Arizona by taking part in the annual GivingTuesday movement on Nov. 28, 2023.
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth wants to support your effort by providing links to your organization and donation pages in our upcoming weekly e-newsletters.
CCC&Y partners who are participating in our GivingTuesday promotional effort include:
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation — Donation link
Flagstaff Festival of Science — Science in the Park — Donation link
Still time to join our GivingTuesday spotlight effort.
We believe GivingTuesday is a perfect fit for our mission: “We ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”
FLAGSTAFF — A prescribed burn will be conducted by the Flagstaff Fire Department on Observatory Mesa on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The burn will target approximately 168 acres. Resources on scene will include two type 6 engines, one type 3 engine, two utility task vehicles with water pumps, the Bear Jaw Wildland Crew and the Flagstaff Fire Department Wildland Crew.
Residents and visitors can expect smoke to be visible in the area. Smoke is expected to drift in a north/ northeast direction during the day over the Coconino Estates neighborhood and the area north of the hospital. At night, smoke is expected to settle in and around Thorpe Park. The Observatory Mesa FUTS trail will be closed between Road 515 and Road 515A. Recreators should avoid the area.
FLAGSTAFF — Now through Dec. 18, the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office and Flagstaff Foodlink are surveying the greater Flagstaff region to better understand community members’ experiences with the local food system. Input from all community members is needed to improve food access and distribution, agricultural opportunities, and more. Flagstaff Foodlink is offering a gift card raffle to those who complete the survey!
The first Regional Plan Committee meeting will introduce members, review Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045 update milestones, and establish procedures and roles for the committee.
The official agenda for the meeting can be viewed here.
The meeting can be attended virtually via Zoom by clicking this link.
A recording of the Regional Plan Committee meeting will be uploaded shortly after the conclusion of the meeting.
To provide feedback regarding meetings, please email RegionalPlanCommittee@flagstaffaz.gov.
Learn more about the Regional Plan Committee: https://flagstaff-regional-plan-2045-flagstaff.hub.arcgis.com/pages/regional-plan-committee
GRAND CANYON, AZ — During the early morning on Thursday November 9, 2023, our water system did not provide adequate levels of chlorine in the water being used from Roaring Springs.
As a result, our water was not disinfected as the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) requires. Therefore, our water system violated a treatment technique standard for maintaining adequate disinfection for water delivered to customers from Roaring Springs. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation. After this problem was identified, Operators immediately notified the State Drinking Water division and Grand Canyon started the process to identify the source of the failure. The source was identified, and adequate chlorination was restored on Friday morning, November 10, 2023.
Editor’s Note — Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces and www.AmigosNAZ.com wishes to thank District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vazquez and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors for their support of the 20th annual Celebraciones de la Gente, held Oct. 21, 22 at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Attending the closing ceremony, above, was Supervisor Jeronimo Vazquez and family. Your continued support was very much appreciated.The 2023 Celebraciones de la Gente was also supported in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) and APS. Celebraciones presented in partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Also — Message from Jeronimo
Board Opens Application Portal to Fill District 3 Supervisor Vacancy when Supervisor Matt Ryan Retires
District 2 Highlights
Coconino County Services and Programs
Community Events & Resources
And more!
Rock Your Mocs Week November 12-18
As part of Native American Heritage Month, next week is Rock Your Mocs Week, when Indigenous people across the country show their cultural pride by wearing traditional moccasins.
Moccasins are not always worn in public by Indigenous people. They hold special significance and are most often worn for ceremonies and other cultural events. During Rock Your Mocs Week, the National Park Service encourages Indigenous employees to take pride in their heritage by wearing moccasins. A flyer for this week can be found here.
Grand Canyon National Park is proud to celebrate Native cultures and traditions by helping to share their rich histories and ongoing contributions to our park and our country.
So rock those mocs!
Breaking barriers for veteran student researchers
The Student Research Opportunity Grant helps military-connected students pursue their research goals. The grant of up to $6,000 was established by the Veterans and Military Service Office and Office of the Vice President for Research with the goal of creating more representation of student veterans in research fields.
FLAGSTAFF — Firefighters continue to work on containing the Maid Fire on Apache Maid mountain just southeast of Interstate 17’s Stoneman Lake exit and are hopeful to reach full containment within the next several days.
The Maid Fire is currently 55% contained on the northern and eastern flanks of Apache Maid mountain, and firefighters continue to work on containing the western and southern sides of the 942-acre wildfire.
Firefighters are utilizing a full suppression strategy, and all burnout operations have been completed. As containment increases, resources will move to a monitor and patrol status in the coming days.
Fire behavior has largely been moderate but continues to smolder in remaining heavy dead and down fuels, and limited pockets of leaf litter. Occasional increases in intensity are observed as the fire creeps into available fuels.
We are looking to fill about 45 more volunteer positions for our Stuff The Bus food drive on Saturday and Sunday, November 11th and 12th. If you are interested, click this link to sign up today!
https://hotfood.volunteerhub.com/vv2/…
The shifts we have available are:
FLAGSTAFF — Mogollon Rim Ranger District fire managers have cancelled today’s Sawmill Project southwest of Mormon Lake due to unfavorable wind conditions that would negatively impact powerlines, the highway, and surrounding communities.
The 3,000-acre Sawmill project was originally scheduled to be completed over the course of the week from Nov. 6-9 but was modified to focus attention on a smaller 1,000-acre section today as winds and conditions were forecasted to keep smoke away from powerlines and surrounding communities. With the change in today’s conditions, this project will be postponed till a later date when conditions are more appropriate.
The Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to increase prescribed fire and other treatments across the landscape to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.
COCONINO COUNTY — CCC&Y partners have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and programs throughout Northern Arizona by taking part in the annual GivingTuesday movement on Nov. 28, 2023.
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth wants to support your effort by providing links to your organization and donation pages in our upcoming weekly e-newsletters.
We believe GivingTuesday is a perfect fit for our mission: “We ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”
Individuals and for-profit organizations throughout Northern Arizona are looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families in the region and as stated by the founders of GivingTuesday: “Generosity is uplifting, generative, equalizing, and connecting.”
So if you are a member partner of CCC&Y, please send your information, donation links, stories and photos to Frank X. Moraga, outreach coordinator, at frank@coconinokids.org
We would love to include you in our growing list of GivingTuesday participants this year.
FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff City Hall offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed on Nov. 10, 2023 in observance of Veterans Day. City Hall will reopen on Nov. 13.
City of Flagstaff facilities that are also closed on Nov. 10 include:
The application process to fill District 3 County Supervisor Matt Ryan’s seat on the Board of Supervisors is now open. Applications are being accepted through November 13th at 8:00 am. The seat will become vacant on January 1, 2014.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – In celebration of Native American Heritage month, Grand Canyon National Park is proud to announce the release of a new podcast series focused on Indigenous perspectives and the people who have called the canyon home since time immemorial. On November 3, 2023, the park released seven episodes of “Grand Canyon Speaks.”
During the summer of 2023, park staff created an interpretive program called “Grand Canyon Speaks,” which features live in-person conversations between park rangers and members from the 11 traditionally associated tribes of Grand Canyon. The program is one of many parkwide efforts to include Tribal members, voices, and culture in public outreach and education. Over 1,500 park visitors from all over the world attended the live events.
We commemorate and celebrate Native American Heritage Month throughout the month of November to recognize the important contributions Indigenous people have made and continue to make to the country and to the Grand Canyon. This year’s theme is Celebrating Tribal and Indigenous Sovereignty and Identity. Tribal sovereignty ensures that any decisions about Tribes about their property and citizens are made with their participation and consent. The federal trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian Tribes.
Grand Canyon National Park is built on Native lands, and although we cannot change the past, we can change the present and ultimately the future by strengthening our relationships with the associated tribes and the land we all share.
Culinary Class: Holiday Side Dishes
The holiday season is quickly approaching! Time to spend time with friends and family, start thinking about defrosting the turkey, and cracking out the side dish recipes. This special holiday focused culinary class will teach you how to make a variety of classic Thanksgiving side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese, and grilled brussels sprouts.
This cooking class will be held on November 19, noon-3:00 p.m., at the Fort Tuthill County Park Mess Hall in Flagstaff, AZ. It will be taught by our incredible culinary instructor, Willa McAuliffe.
The cost for this program is $25* for Adults (18 and older) and $15* for Youth (8 – 17 years old).
Pre-register here.
FLAGSTAFF — Winter parking restrictions will begin on Nov. 1 and will remain in effect until April 1. During this time, parking on city streets and alleyways is prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m.Winter parking restrictions allow the City to thoroughly plow the streets during snow events and remains in effect even if it is not snowing to aid in street sweeping.
AmigosNAZ.com will be taking a short Fall break starting Wednesday, Nov. 1, back Monday, Nov. 6. Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and memorable Dia de Los Muertos celebration this week.
FLAGSTAFF — The November 7 Jurisdictional Election is a ballot-by-mail election, so all registered voters residing in the City of Flagstaff, Sedona-Oak Creek Joint Unified School District, Ash Fork Joint Unified School District, Grand Canyon Unified School District, Pinewood Sanitary District, Williams Hospital District, and Highlands Fire District should have received their ballots.
The Coconino County Recorder’s Office reminds voters that their voted ballots for the November 7, 2023, Jurisdictional Election must be received no later than 7:00 pm on Election Day. Voters should put their voted early ballot in the mail no later than Tuesday, October 31, to ensure that it is received in time to be counted.
When: Oct. 31 or Nov. 1
Where: Along Fort Valley Road 1 mile west of Basecamp at Snowbowl
Why: As part of a Northern Arizona University project to burn a small piece of land on a five-year rotation to further study prescribed fire. This area was last burned in the fall of 2018.
Size: 3 acres
Method/ type of burn: Broadcast and maintenance
Duration: 1 day
Smoke impacts: Light smoke impacts may be felt on Highway 180.
Closures/ restrictions: None
FLAGSTAFF — Lane closures on W Butler Avenue are scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 30 to accommodate the installation of underground fiber-optic cable. Lane closures of the right/ westbound lane of Butler Avenue will be implemented from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a period of approximately two weeks.
Students from Holbrook High School and Joseph City High School are helping our communities better understand the needs of youth in Navajo County.
The two students are participating in an internship that was created through a partnership between United Way of Northern Arizona, the Center for the Future of Arizona, and the Work-Based Learning Alliance.
The six-week program is asking the students to conduct an analysis of current issues facing youth in northeast Arizona.
Halloween Carnival at Grand Canyon School October 28
Grand Canyon School and the High School Student Council will be hosting the All Hallows Halloween Carnival on October 28 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
There will be a haunted house, activity booths, and games for all ages. Be sure to wear your costume!
If you are interested in having a booth there, you can contact rrobertson@grandcanyonschool.org.
FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Regional Resilience Project (FRRP), a coalition of community-based organizations, local government agencies, and regional partners, has received notice of $1 million in grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This funding will support three resilience hub pilots in Flagstaff. A resilience hub is a community-serving facility that supports residents, distributes resources, and reduces carbon pollution while enhancing the quality of life every day and in times of crisis. Each resilience hub will be managed by a separate community organization, serving a distinct part of the community. The FRRP will launch three pilot resilience hubs with the Flagstaff community:
COCONINO COUNTY — At a Special Session of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) on Tuesday, Oct. 24, the Board discussed several proposed procedures for accepting and reviewing applications to fill the upcoming vacancy in District 3.
The seat will become vacant on Jan. 1, 2024 after the retirement of Supervisor Matt Ryan at the end of this year. Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) provide limited qualifications for applicants. In this case, the applicant must reside full-time at a physical address within the current District 3 boundary. Furthermore, the applicant must be registered with the Democratic Political Party, as ARS mandates the position be filled by a member of the same political party as the incumbent. Supervisor Ryan was elected to the position in 2020 as a Democrat.
As part of our celebration of Manufacturing Month, the ECoNA Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) team recently organized a tour of three local manufacturers for 17 juniors and seniors from Flagstaff and Coconino high schools to show the rewarding work – and excellent pay – available in this sector.
The Arizona Office of Economic Security projects that between 2022 and 2024, there will be an 8.2% increase in manufacturing jobs in Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai counties. This equates to more than 100 new jobs.
“Our intent is to have more of these educational tours throughout the northern Arizona region,” said Cynthia Hudspeth, the newly named Director of Operations at ECoNA who attended the tours with the students. “The message is to show students the possible careers right here in their backyard and that they can work, live and stay in northern Arizona.”
Coconino County’s annual Winter Parking Ordinance 2022-06 goes into effect next Wednesday, Nov. 1.
The ordinance, which will remain in effect through Monday, April 1, 2024, prohibits vehicles, trailers, and storage containers from being parked in County-maintained rights-of-way at all times during snow season.
Between Nov. 1 – April 1 of each year, vehicles, trailers, and storage containers must be kept clear of County-maintained rights-of-way both to facilitate safer snow removal operations and to help mitigate dangerous “snow play”-related traffic congestion and parking issues along County rights-of-way. Any vehicle parked in prohibited areas is subject to be cited and may be towed at the owner’s expense due to the possibility of threatening the health or welfare of County residents.
FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) fire managers have temporarily paused firing operations on the Horseshoe Project, located 5 miles directly north of Bellemont, today due to higher-than-expected humidity levels.
Wednesday’s firing operations successfully treated 768 acres of land. Operations that had been tentatively scheduled for today have been postponed to tomorrow.
“Prescribed fire operations are both an art and a science,” said Burn Boss Ryan Rawlinson, FRD Fuels Assistant Fire Management Officer. “We have to have the right temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, staffing levels and fuel moisture. Anything less than perfect isn’t enough for us to proceed.”
COCONINO COUNTY — The last day of 2023 operations for the Willard Springs Green Waste Site will be this Saturday, Oct. 28.
Willard Springs will be closed throughout the upcoming Winter season, which runs each year between November 1 and March 31, so that Coconino County can reopen the station for green waste-only disposal on Friday, April 5, 2024. It will then be open for the summer season on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
COCONINO COUNTY — Our Weekly Update will be a taking a short break next week. We will return on Nov. 8.
Until then, please explore our website to view a variety training opportunities and resources that we have available:
We provide educational resources so that community members are informed, energized, and ready to come together to solve problems, impact policy, and create solutions that allow every person to realize their full potential. Learn more here
CCC&Y board members, coalition members and community volunteers attend our committee meetings. These are opportunities to share information, learn about community partners, support mission efforts and become involved. Learn more here.
Attend our monthly Coconino Prevention Council Zoom meetings (10 a.m. the first Thursday of the month). Share information about your local organization. Send an email to virginia@coconinokids.org to receive an invitation.
View this email in your browser ACTION ALERT! Help F3: Contact 10 of Your Friends & Return Your Ballot We could really use your help in the next few days. NAH is outspending the No on 480 campaign by hundreds…
North Rim Atoko Point prescribed fire
If you were near the rim or in the canyon this week, you probably noticed smoke on the North Rim and below the rim.
This is a prescribed burn in the Atoko Point unit, which is on the eastern edge of the Walhalla Plateau. Park fire staff are working with the Kaibab National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management to treat this unit and others, for a total of about 1,700 acres. They plan to continue burning through October 31.
Smoke impacts are anticipated along Cape Royal Road, the North Rim developed area, and the inner canyon from Bright Angel Point to Clear Creek. Fire plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the land, and prescribed burns are carefully planned and only initiated under very specific conditions.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is hosting two flooding community meetings this fall to discuss ongoing infrastructure projects, flood modeling, winter preparations and short-term mitigations, as well as answer questions from residents.
FLAGSTAFF — Prescribed fire projects will continue on all three districts of the Coconino National Forest throughout the rest of the week.
Prescribed fire projects are an important part of landscape restoration work being conducted in accordance with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to improve forest resiliency and reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfire in northern Arizona.
Prescribed fire projects are conditional and subject to change if wind and weather conditions are not met.
FLAGSTAFF — A prescribed burn will be conducted by the Flagstaff Fire Department near the Naval Observatory on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The burn will target approximately 80 aces on the northern side of the observatory area. Resources on scene will include the City Wildland Fire Management Module, two Type 6 wildland engines, one US Forest Service wildland engine, the Highlands Fire Department Bear Jaw Crew, and the Arizona State Wildland Crew.
