Tag: Coconino County

New Rec on Wheels Program Brings Play and Fun to Rural Coconino County Communities

by Community Contributor • May 18, 2023 • Comments Off

Coconino County Parks and Recreation (CCPR) and Health and Human Services (CCHHS) have teamed up to provide Rec on Wheels, a new program that brings recreation opportunities, especially for youth, to the rural and outlying communities in Coconino County.

Events are free to the public and include games, drop-in programming, and even movies.

Coconino County is the second largest county by landmass in the United States and covers diverse landscapes, regions, and cultures. Rec on Wheels helps connect the distant regions of our county to recreation resources that provide fun, outdoor play, and promote health and wellness.

Coconino County Officials Endorse New Presidential Designation of Grand Canyon National Monument

by Community Contributor • April 12, 2023 • Comments Off

On April 11, 2023, Coconino County Chair Patrice Horstman and District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler, joined eleven tribal leaders of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, alongside Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), to launch an effort to call on President Joe Biden to use his authorities under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.

The Monument designation would protect 1,102,501 acres adjacent to the Grand Canyon by making the current 20-year moratorium on mining permanent across the vast landscape of the Grand Canyon region.

Board of Supervisors Approves Proclamation Designating April 2023 as Earth Month in Coconino County

by Community Contributor • April 12, 2023 • Comments Off

At their regular meeting on April 11, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) unanimously approved a proclamation designating April 2023 as Earth Month in Coconino County.

“Coconino County affirms that all that inhabit the Earth have a right to a healthy, sustainable environment,” the proclamation reads. “… as humans we are caretakers of the planet, and have an obligation to change human behaviors that contribute to climate change and environmental degradation and work to preserve the Earth’s beauty and its resources.”

Board of Supervisors Approves Proclamation Designating April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month

by Community Contributor • April 5, 2023 • Comments Off

At their regular meeting on April 4, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proclamation designating April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Coconino County.

April 2023 is the 22nd year that Sexual Assault Awareness Month has been nationally recognized, but its history goes back to the fight against race- and gender-based violence of the mid-20th century. This social activism increased awareness for sexual assault and directed public focus toward supporting survivors. It also culminated in survivor-focused legislation like the Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1993.

Willard Springs Green Waste Site Reopens Saturday, April 1 for Free Green Waste-Only Disposal

by Community Contributor • March 31, 2023 • Comments Off

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.

Coconino County Responds to Damaged Road in Doney Park Neighborhood

by Community Contributor • March 24, 2023 • Comments Off

(On March 24) water flows compromised the culvert at the Rio de Flag crossing of Slayton Ranch Road. These river-like flows caused a portion of the roadway to collapse at this location.

At approximately 7 a.m., a Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) school bus drove over the area and broke through the roadway surface. According to FUSD officials, no students were on board the bus at the time and there were no injuries reported to the driver. Coconino County Public Works is assisting FUSD with the recovery of the school bus.

Board of Supervisors Approves Proclamation Designating March as Women’s History Month

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2023 • Comments Off

“Coconino County is proud to join the nation’s celebration of Women’s History Month,” the proclamation reads. “The 2023 theme ‘Celebrating Women who Tell our Stories’… is a tribute and recognition of women, past and present who have been active on all forms of media telling stories that have significantly impacted our communities in areas of social justice, labor rights, gender, human and political rights.”

Flood Control District Board Approves Two Essential Funding Sources for County Flood Mitigation

by Community Contributor • March 2, 2023 • Comments Off

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.”

Severe Storm Systems to Bring Snow, High Winds, and Hazardous Travel Conditions to Coconino County

by Community Contributor • February 22, 2023 • Comments Off

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.

Coconino County delegation presents long-term plans for flood mitigation and forest restoration to several of Arizona’s representatives in Congress and their staff

by Community Contributor • February 10, 2023 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY — A Coconino County delegation this week presented long-term plans for flood mitigation and forest restoration to several of Arizona’s representatives in Congress and their staff.

“Our delegation to Washington D.C. had a very productive day of meetings. Supervisors Begay and Vasquez and County Flood Control District management presented Coconino County’s immediate and long-term plans for flood mitigation and forest restoration to several of Arizona’s representatives in Congress and their staff,” county officials reported.

City of Flagstaff Snow Play Stewards and Snow Heroes to be held on Feb. 2

by Community Contributor • February 1, 2023 • Comments Off

The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office, in partnership with Coconino National Forest and Coconino County, is hosting a Winter Snow Play Clean Up on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the corner of JW Powell Blvd and S. Lone Tree.

Members of the public are invited to help clean up trash, debris, and broken sled pieces from popular snow play areas with the Winter Snow Play Stewards to help keep our community’s play areas safe and clean.

Board of Supervisors Receives First Presentation of Proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance

by Community Contributor • January 31, 2023 • Comments Off

At the January 24, 2023 special meeting of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, the Board viewed a presentation and provided direction in crafting a new ordinance regulating short-term rental properties in the county.

A new Arizona state law, enacted by the State Legislature in 2022 gives local governments the legal authority to regulate short-term rental properties within their jurisdictions.

The Board has acknowledged through public input that short-term rental properties have both positive and negative impacts on our communities and requested the County’s Community Development Department and the County Attorney’s Office to draft an ordinance specific to Coconino County’s unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.

County Board of Supervisors Approve Grant Match Totaling $12 Million to Secure Federal Funding for Schultz/Pipeline Flood Mitigation Projects

by Community Contributor • January 25, 2023 • Comments Off

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the establishment of a new Flood Control District (District) Grant Match Fund at its meeting on January 24, 2023.

In late 2022, Congress approved $50 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to engineer and construct flood mitigation measures in the neighborhoods impacted by post-wildfire flooding from the Pipeline Fire.

Coconino National Forest Representatives Present Proposed Changes to Fire Restrictions to Board

by Community Contributor • January 25, 2023 • Comments Off

The Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) of the Coconino National Forest is considering fire restriction changes that would limit camping, campfires, and motorized vehicle use in strategic areas during certain times of the year when catastrophic wildfire risk is high to help prevent unwanted, human-caused fires.

Proposed changes to fire restrictions would increase the boundaries of the existing year-round camping and campfire ban located adjacent to the City of Flagstaff. They would also forbid the use of motorized vehicles in areas around the San Francisco Peaks, Walnut Canyon, and Pumphouse Wash during Stage 2 fire restrictions. These areas have rough terrain and topography that increase wind speeds, which can limit firefighter ability to suppress wildfire starts. The areas under consideration would still be open for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use during Stage 2 fire restrictions.

Annual ‘Point in Time Count’ to begin Jan. 25

by Community Contributor • January 18, 2023 • Comments Off

The annual Point in Time Count (PIT) will take place starting Jan. 25 throughout the City of Flagstaff. This count documents the number of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness at a single point in time and is conducted across the country.

Local data collected during the annual PIT Count measures progress at local and national levels related to preventing and ending homelessness.