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Coconino County District 1
Newsletter, October 2021
In This Issue
5 October 2021
- Hello from Supervisor Horstman
- Grand Canyon Protection Act Advocacy
- NOAA Southwest Drought Forum
- Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona Groundbreaking
- 4FRI Update
- County Supervisors Association Legislative Summit
- COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines
- COVID Information Line and Testing Site
- Museum Flood Information Line and Emergency Notifications
- Museum Flood Crisis Response Fund
- Flood Insurance Information
- Contact Us
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
District 1 Residents,
Fall has arrived. Our temperatures are dropping, and our aspens and oaks are thrilling us with their fall colors.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer is a disease that affects both men and women and is among the most common cancers. It is estimated that one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. Almost everyone knows someone affected by this disease. As a breast cancer survivor, I know the importance of annual mammograms and regular self-breast exams. October is a time for us to raise awareness and show support for those affected. For more information, please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Fall also means it is time to get our annual flu vaccines. Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is hosting weekly Flu Vaccination events. Flu vaccinations are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against the flu and its potentially serious complications.
Speaking of vaccines, if you have not, please get your COVID vaccine. Pfizer boosters / third shots are available through CCHHS and its numerous private partners for those who qualify. To find a pop-up vaccine clinic and learn if you’re eligible for a booster or third shot, please visit CCHHS’ website or CCHHS’ Facebook Page.
October is the time to prepare our homes and our families for the upcoming winter. Let’s all do our part to protect the health of ourselves, our families, our friends, and our community.
Be Well,
Patrice
Grand Canyon Protection Act Advocacy
Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly introduced the Grand Canyon Protection Act (GCPA) in the U.S. Senate to protect the Grand Canyon and its surrounding watersheds from harmful mining practices at the federal level by permanently banning mining within the Grand Canyon National Park.
Supervisor Horstman joined the Grand Canyon Trust, Havasupai Tribal Councilmember Carletta Tilousi, and other representatives from the non-profit, eco-tourism, and government sectors to advocate for the preservation of the Grand Canyon and passage of the GCPA by meeting with numerous U.S. Senators.
The GCPA will permanently ban new uranium mines on approximately 1 million acres of public lands surrounding Grand Canyon National Park, protecting the Canyon from mining forever. As of October 2020, there were still over 600 active mining claims in the 2012 temporary mining ban area around Grand Canyon National Park. These claims could become active mines without a permanent mining ban. Uranium mines contaminate land, water and adversely affect the health of our residents.
Coconino County serves as a proud gateway to the Grand Canyon and has a strong history of protecting the Grand Canyon and opposing harmful uranium mining practices. Since the introduction of the GCPA, our County has advocated for its adoption to protect the health of our residents and the preservation of the Grand Canyon and its watersheds. Our local economy and Arizona’s economy are heavily reliant on outdoor recreation and eco-tourism related to the Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon alone hosts some 6.3 million visitors annually who spend over $947 Million in communities throughout Coconino County. It is estimated that visitation to the Grand Canyon contributes $1.1 Billion to Arizona’s economy.
Uranium mining harms our natural environment, harms our eco- tourism economy, harms the health of our residents, and disregards the territorial, cultural, and religious significance of the Grand Canyon to the indigenous peoples who have called the Canyon home for millennia.
Please call your Senators and Representatives to urge the swift passage of U.S. Senate Bill 387, the Grand Canyon Protection Act.
NOAA Southwest Drought Forum
Supervisor Horstman recently represented Western Counties at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Integrated Drought Information System’s (NIDIS) first-ever Southwest Drought Forum. NOAA convened this three-day forum to bring together scientists, nongovernmental organizations, and government leaders in the Southwest to share the challenges and opportunities of the historic megadrought.
Supervisor Horstman joined the “State, Local Government, and NGO Panel: Managing for a Changing Climate in the Southwest” along with Colorado’s Agriculture Commissioner, Kate Greenberg, Cynthia Koehler from the Water Now Alliance, and Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Supervisor Horstman was honored to present at this forum and to represent Coconino County and Northern Arizona. Her presentation focused on three topics:
- The declining water levels in the Colorado River
- Drought on National Forests
- Wildfires
- Post-Wildfire flooding
Supervisor Horstman underscored the importance of local governments having a seat at the national decision-making table and being an integral part of fighting climate change and mitigating the impacts of this historic drought.
Please visit the NIDIS Website to learn more about the Southwest Drought Forum and its essential work.
Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona
Groundbreaking
Supervisor Horstman recently attended the ground-breaking of Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona’s new facility, “Jojo’s Place.” This new project will convert an existing 44-unit motel along Route 66 into studio apartments for households experiencing homelessness. Jojo’s Place will offer secure safe, decent, and affordable housing, with wrap-around support services to help families transition to permanent, stable housing. Congratulations to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona on this exciting and impactful endeavor!
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors at…
Supervisor Horstman and Housing Solutions of…
Supervisor Horstman and Supervisor Begay touring an existing motel room which will be…
4FRI Update
Supervisor Horstman serves as the Board of Supervisor’s representative on the Four-Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Steering Committee. Unfortunately, after a two-year-long process and multiple extensions, the U.S. Forest Service canceled the second phase contracting process for 4FRI. Phase two planned to treat more than 500,000 acres vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire over 20 years.
Coconino County has deemed catastrophic wildfire and post-wildfire flooding the number one safety risk to our land and residents. Wildfires are becoming our new abnormal. These wildfires are fueled by unhealthy forests, climate change, and our extreme drought. The cancellation of this contracting process means that 4FRI’s goal to treat millions of acres of forests across the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache- Sitgreaves, and Tonto national forests in order to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires will be delayed. We must continue to build the 4FRI partnerships with the forest service, conservation organizations, local governments, forest industries, and other stakeholders to carry out a landscape restoration of our pine forests in Northern Arizona. This work is essential and must continue.
Supervisor Horstman is hopeful that the Forest Service and the 4FRI stakeholders will move quickly to begin a new contract process to prioritize the health of our forests.
County Supervisors Association
Legislative Summit
Supervisor Horstman recently attended the annual County Supervisors Association of Arizona (CSA) Legislative Policy Summit in Prescott. For more than 30 years, CSA has served as a non-partisan forum for county officials to address critical issues facing local constituents, providing a mechanism to share information and develop a proactive state and federal policy agenda. The annual Policy Summit provides a forum for county supervisors to discuss top legislative priorities. Arizona’s 15 counties considered and discussed proposed short and long-term public policy proposals and positions during the summit.
During the summit, Coconino County reintroduced its previously adopted resolution on Short-Term Vacation Rental Property Tax Parity. This proposal calls for creating equity and uniformity in how short- term vacation rental properties are classified in relation to traditional hotels and the transient lodging industry. Currently, Arizona law explicitly states that a county may not restrict vacation/short-term rentals. Coconino County is actively working with CSA to overhaul existing legislation to grant the authority to local governments to regulate and zone on behalf of our communities.
To learn more about the policy proposals considered at the CSA Legislative Policy Summit, please click here.
COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines
Coconino County Health and Human Services is now offering…
On Thursday, September 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
COVID Information Line and Testing
Museum Flood Information Line and
Emergency Notifications
Museum Flood Crisis Response Fund
This year’s active monsoon season has led to property owners with interior damage to their homes for combined estimated damage of more than $1 million. Please consider helping your neighbors by donating to The Crisis Response fund. To donate, click here https:// nazunitedway.org, www.azfoundation.org or text uwnazresponse to 41444.
Thanks to the support of these donations to the Arizona Community Foundation and United Way of Northern Arizona, Housing Solutions is able to offer limited financial support to households whose primary residence was impacted by recent flooding in Flagstaff, Arizona. To submit an application for assistance visit https://www.housingnaz.org/.
Flood Insurance Information
Contact Us
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