Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — March 28-April 1, 2022

COVID News

Second Booster Dose approved and recommended for older individuals

On Tuesday, March 29, the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention authorized a second booster dose of either the Pfizer or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for certain people.

The CDC states that people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster 4 months after their prior dose to increase their protection further. Additionally, the CDC is emphasizing that those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that have an increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19 get the booster as soon as they are eligible. The FDA previously authorized a single booster dose for certain immunocompromised individuals following completion of a three-dose primary vaccination series.

Emerging evidence suggests that a second booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe COVID-19 and is not associated with new safety concerns.

Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics

As of March 23, Coconino County community transmission remains moderate, and the community level is low. In Arizona, all counties have low community levels.

Total cases for the week of March 16 to March 23, is 4,566 for the week, which is an average of 652 cases per day for the seven-day rolling average for the week.

One new case has been reported this week in the 86023 zip code, which bring the number of cases since the pandemic began to 420. However, no new cases have been reported in Grand Canyon National Park for several weeks now.

Coconino County reports the Grand Canyon community is 73.2% fully vaccinated as of March 25.

Public Health Contacts

Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service

Mobile: (202) 891-8599, Email: ronan_king@nps.gov

For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service

Mobile: (202) 641-3518, Email: christen_glime@nps.gov

Tuweep day-use civic engagement period ends April 6

Last week the park initiated civic engagement to solicit comments on implementation of a proposed day-use reservation system at Tuweep, including all park areas within Toroweap Valley and the Kanab Plateau. A $2 ticket fee per vehicle is proposed and would be available through recreation.gov.

On busy, high visitation days, especially during the weekends, up to 50+ vehicles often travel into Tuweep around the same time of day, causing road congestion, long waits to access the Toroweap overlook, overcrowding in popular locations, impacts to property, and excessive noise. As a result, the overall visitor experience has deteriorated, and sensitive natural and cultural resources have been damaged.

Issuing designated day-use vehicle tickets will help to reduce vehicle congestion, alleviate long waits, and protect sensitive natural and cultural resources at Tuweep. In addition to improving the overall visitor experience, the reservation system will enable visitors to plan a safe trip and integrate their guaranteed Tuweep reservation into a more comprehensive itinerary.

Public comments on the day-use ticket pilot at Tuweep are being accepted now through April 6 on the NPS Planning, Environment, & Public Comment (PEPC) website.

Coconino County Redistricting public comment period open through April 12

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors proposed six draft maps for redistricting Coconino County’s supervisory districts. A public input period has begun.

Members of the public may submit input on draft maps until April 12, 2022. Comments may be submitted to redistricting@coconino.az.gov.

More information on the public session as well as more information can be found on Coconino County’s redistricting website here.

Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week 🔥

According to the AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management, each year, nine out of ten wildfires across the country are started by people. In 2021, 71% of Arizona’s fires were human-caused. As the temperatures start to rise and vegetation starts to dry out, the state will begin to see an increase in fire activity. Therefore, it is extremely important for residents and visitors to do their part to prevent wildfires.

This week marks Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week, that runs from March 27-April 2. This year’s theme is “Don’t Wait for Wildfires to Start, Prepare and Be Aware.” We all need to work together to prevent human-caused wildfire to reduce the risks and threats to our landscapes that we manage, as well as our homes and communities.

Some tips to keep in mind this fire season:

GCC announces next Astronomer in Residence

Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) and Grand Canyon National Park are proud to announce the selection of the next Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence, biologist, landscape and nature photographer, and conservationist Imma Barrera. She will live and work at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, with visits to the North Rim and Tuweep, from April 28 to May 23, 2022.

Barrera’s current project, “Under the Night Sky,” involves raising awareness about the importance of protecting the night sky by presenting photographs from select National Parks in the format of a published book, combining photography and nature education and illustrating the efforts parks have undertaken as part of their mission to preserve the environment. Barrera’s goal of her residency is to capture inspiring landscapes under Grand Canyon’s night sky. She will also be presenting night sky photography workshops and evening programs. For more information about Barrera, visit, imma.photo and read the full news release here.

Superintendent Keable addresses river community; video now available online

Last weekend, Superintendent Keable shared a pre-recorded address to the river community during the 2022 Virtual Guides Training Seminar (VGTS), hosted by the Grand Canyon River Guides. This address includes an “Explorations with Ed” video and a discussion of priorities and challenges for Grand Canyon National Park, included but not limited to: Desert View and Tribal partnerships and initiatives, infrastructure projects in the historic village, and the park’s presence and work on the Colorado River. The full video of this address can be found on this link.

More videos for the entire VGTS weekend will be available on the Grand Canyon River Guides YouTube channel in the near future.

NPS Work Group Highlight

This week we continue to highlight the many work groups throughout the park, who they are, and what they do. The goal is to share information on these work groups and provide opportunities for employees to participate in teams across the park. This week we are highlighting the park’s Wilderness Working Group.

The mission of the Wilderness Working Group is to:

While any interested staff members from the park may attend Wilderness Work Group meetings, voting membership of the Wilderness Work Group must be interdisciplinary and consist of 10-12 members, including, in no particular order:

Some of the projects the group has worked on includes reviewing all Minimum Requirement Decision Guide documents for park projects in proposed wilderness, climbing and fixed anchors in proposed wilderness, management of research equipment in proposed wilderness, and future Wilderness designation for the park.

The park’s Wilderness Coordinator is Mike Kearsley in Science and Resource Management, and the chair of the Wilderness Working Group is Rosa Palarino, Natural Resource Specialist in the Planning, Environment, and Projects division.

Inner Canyon seasonal water availability update

The water utilities crew has recently announced its tentative spring schedule for the inner canyon. This schedule may change due to weather or unanticipated maintenance to the TransCanyon Waterline. The following shows a current list of what water sources are on or off as of today, March 31. The most updated information on water availability in the inner canyon can be found by visiting the Critical Backcountry Updates page on the park website here.

Online Safety Training

If you are looking for some safety and occupational health training, this link will take you to the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) skillsoft library of classes within DOITalent. There are great courses to use as a group or individual trainings within your section. If you would like an excel spreadsheet with the trainings all listed, please let our Safety Manager, Christina Ryan-Miller know.

Please contact christina_ryan-miller@nps.gov for more information.

‘Seed to Supper’ Gardening Programs to begin April 7

Like to garden but don’t know where to start? Want to hang out with others who are into gardening? Join Coconino County Health and Human Services for Seed to Supper, a free six-week gardening course. Classes will be held in April and May on Thursdays from 10-11:30 AM in Tusayan at the Red Feather Lodge meeting room above the lobby.

For more information, see the attached flyer here.

Kaibab Learning Center to host Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt

KLC will once again be hosting a fundraising pancake breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 16 from 7:30-11 a.m. The breakfast will be held in the Grand Canyon School Cafeteria and the Easter Egg Hunt on the school track field.

More details on the event can be found in the attached flyer. Questions on the event can be directed to Denise Vazquez at: klccanyonkids@gmail.com.

Grand Canyon Food Pantry Seeks Volunteers

The Grand Canyon Food Pantry is currently looking for volunteers, especially for Wednesday afternoons from 12-2 p.m.

Check out the the pantry’s new website for more information or follow the Grand Canyon Food Pantry on Facebook. More information on the pantry’s hours of operation can be found in the attached flyer here.

Please note, new operational changes are highlighted in red.

South Rim

Xanterra

Delaware North

Other

Desert View

The following closures are in place:

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance)

Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.