South of Flagstaff

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SoFA Staff

Current Conditions on the Coconino

Click on the link above to see current road conditions for the Red Rock, Mogollon Rim, and Flagstaff districts.

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Coconino County

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February 2, 2012

USDANF

US Forest Service highlights expansion of restoration of national forests and
funding for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration projects

 
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 —Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new report, Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation on our National Forests, that outlines a strategy and series of actions for management on 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

As part of the accelerated restoration strategy, $40 million for 20 forest and watershed restoration projects have been announced for the upcoming year. The funding includes ten new projects under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program, continued funding for the original 10 projects selected under the CFLR program in 2010, and an additional $4.6 million to support other high priority restoration projects.

"Through our partnerships with states, communities, tribes and others, we are committed to restoring our forests and bringing jobs to rural America," said Vilsack. "Whether the threat comes from wildfire, bark beetles or a changing climate, it is vital that we step up our efforts to safeguard our country's natural resources."

Within the context of the overall restoration program, the strategy and actions announced today are designed to expand the number of forest acres treated by 20 percent over the next three years and increase the pace of active forest management, including fuels reduction, reforestation, stream restoration, road decommissioning, replacing and improving culverts, forest thinning and harvesting, prescribed fire and a range of other techniques.

As a result of these efforts, the Forest Service will be able to accomplish critical restoration objectives, including for water, wildlife, forest health and resilience, and community safety. This effort will support jobs and stimulate a more vibrant forest industry that will provide the workers and the know-how to undertake other restoration projects. Altogether, the Forest Service estimates this will increase the amount of forest products sold in 2014 to 3 billion board feet, up from 2.4 billion board feet in 2011.

The restoration of National Forest System lands is critically needed to address a number of threats to the health of forest ecosystems, watersheds, wildlife habitats and forest dependent communities.  Major threats include wildland fire, climate change, beetle epidemics and invasive species.

The national forests and grasslands are the backdrop and neighbor to many rural and urban communities, providing a range of values and benefits, including clean drinking water for millions of people across the U.S., vital wildlife habitat, a variety of recreation opportunities, and other multiple uses that support jobs and economic growth in rural communities. The Forest Service’s restoration program of work is designed to sustain the ability of these lands to continue to deliver a full range of ecosystem services for generations to come.

These restoration efforts will further stimulate local economies by retaining and increasing other forest related jobs, such as the 1,550 jobs expected to maintained or generated through implementation of the CFLR projects, and by supporting recreation activities and attracting more tourists to rural areas.  Currently, recreation activities on National Forest System lands contribute $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy and support hundreds of thousands of jobs in local communities.

“Accelerated restoration efforts demonstrate a shared vision where environmentalists, forest industry and local communities are working together to build healthier forests and contribute to local economies,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “The increased restoration work will benefit the environment and people, with more resilient ecosystems, improved watersheds and wildlife habitat, hazardous fuel reduction, and outputs of forest products. We hope accelerated restoration activities will bring all of our partners together, working as allies for forest conservation.”

The Forest Service will increase restoration activities with a series of actions, some of which are already underway.  The list includes: expanding collaborative landscape partnerships; finalizing and implementing a new forest Planning Rule; implementing the Watershed Condition Framework; improving efficiencies of the planning process for restoration projects under the National Environmental Policy Act; implementing Integrated Resource Restoration budgeting; implementing the agency bark beetle strategy; improving the implementation and efficiencies of timber and stewardship contracts; and expanding markets for forest products.

The Forest Service received 26 proposals for Collaborative Forest Restoration Grants which were evaluated by a federal advisory committee. The committee recommended 13 projects to the USDA for funding consideration, of which 10 were selected under the program. Because the remaining three are high priority restoration projects and exemplify the intent of the program, the Forest Service is setting aside another $4.6 million to fund those projects as well.

Project proposals included ecological restoration treatments to reduce wildfire risk, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, maintain and improve water quality, use woody biomass and harvest timber.  All of the landscape proposals include matching contributions from partners, either funds or in-kind services.

The following 10 new projects are approved for funding in 2012:

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February 1, 2012

Congressman Paul Gosar

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February 1, 2012

AZGFD

Rep. Gosar Votes to Repeal Another Failing Part of ObamaCare

Washington D.C. – This week, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman and other senior Energy Department officials will participate in events across the country to highlight President Obama’s State of the Union address and discuss the Obama Administration’s commitment to American energy.  

Last week, President Obama outlined a blueprint for an American economy that is built to last, based on American-made energy resources and clean energy technologies.  He called for “an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy,” highlighting the innovations that have helped lead to advances in energy sources like natural gas, and reaffirming the Administration’s commitment to “the promise of clean energy.”

A wide range of Department of Energy leaders will fan out across the country this week to highlight that message.

On Monday, January 30, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will join Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the Trust for the National Mall, and senior officials from the private sector for a Lighting Ceremony on the National Mall that will feature newly installed LED lights on the Mall from 3^rd – 15^th Streets.  The LED technology will reduce lighting energy use by 65 percent and provide a well-lit, more secure atmosphere for the National Mall’s 25 million annual visitors.

Also on Monday, the Energy Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Christopher Smith will deliver keynote remarks at the Energy, Utility and Environment Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, where he will discuss the role natural gas is playing in America’s clean energy economy.

On Tuesday, January 31, Secretary Chu will host a meeting of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB). The Secretary will participate in a discussion of some of the major scientific and technical challenges in energy innovation and receive briefings from the Advisory Board on energy efficiency, the Department’s SunShot effort to reduce the cost of installing solar panels, and nuclear energy issues.

-          NOTE: Reporters interested in covering the SEAB meeting should RSVP by the close of business on Monday, January 30 by emailing niketa.kumar@hq.doe.gov.

Also, on Tuesday, Acting Under Secretary of Energy Arun Majumdar will participate in a roundtable discussion with clean technology businesses hosted by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), a non-profit organization working to accelerate the development of clean energy start-ups. The discussion will focus on the future of electrification, biofuels, solar power, and building efficiency, and will be followed by an open press tour of the LACI facility.

On Wednesday, February 1, Secretary Chu will travel to Berkeley, California, to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Computational Research and Theory (CRT) Facility.  The CRT will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research, helping lead to advances in the game-changing energy technologies of tomorrow. 

Also on Wednesday, the Director for the Department’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, Tracey Lebeau, will deliver remarks at the Bakken Collective Stakeholders Conference of the Allottees of the Three Affiliated Tribes in New Town, North Dakota.  The conference will focus on the development of American oil and gas resources in the Bakken Oil Play.

2012 Coconino County Fair Vendor Applications Available

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — While snow still fills parts of Coconino County’s Ft. Tuthill Park, the Parks & Recreation Department is already gearing up for the 2012 County Fair, held Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. 

Parks & Recreation officials hope the upcoming fair will surpass the 2011 event, which saw more than 45,500 attendees over four days. To prepare for the upcoming 63^rd Annual Coconino County Fair, the County is now accepting vendor applications for food, commercial business and non-profit organizations.

In an effort to promote local products and services, an early bird rate is being extended to County‐based businesses only. Interested business owners and operators are encouraged to submit a vendor application by May 1 to take advantage of a 50-percent early bird discount for midway and outdoor booth locations.

Vendor applications are available on the Coconino County Parks & Recreation’s website at: www.coconino.az.gov/parks.

The following links will take interested vendors directly to the application packet:

·       Early Bird Fair Vendor Application:  http://tiny.cc/xsrrl

·       Vendor Application:  http://goo.gl/qn3bY

Rep. Gosar Decries the Obama Administration’s New Forests Planning Rule

Prescott, AZ – Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) responded to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s release of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the U.S. Forest Service’s new forest planning rule, policy that will determine how the agency manages the country’s national forests and grasslands:

“The Obama Administration’s new forest planning rule increases costly, burdensome regulations and undermines the multiple-use mission of the Forest Service.  Rural Arizonans know first-hand the unfortunate truth: these types of policies stifle our local economies and lead to unhealthy and overgrown forests, which leave my constituents vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires.

Our forest and natural resources are a way of life in Arizona. I urge the Administration to reconsider these new overly restrictive regulations.  A new plan that emphasizes active forest management will improve public safety, help the environment, and stimulate the economy of rural Arizona.”

Last February, Congressman Gosar joined 58 other Congressmen, who represent over 75 percent of our country’s federal forest and grass lands, in sending a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack raising concerns about the proposed new planning rules’ de-emphasis on active forest management.  The Administration’s new regulations represent excessive layers of bureaucracy that will cost jobs, hinder proper forest management, increase litigation and add burdensome costs for Americans.

Planning Rule

Polling Changes for Feb. 28 Presidential Preference Election

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Only voters registered with the Republican party or Green party are eligible to vote in the Feb. 28 Presidential Preference Election (PPE).  

Recognized political parties are given the option to participate in a Presidential Preference Election and only the Republicans and Green parties selected to participate for 2012.  If a voter wishes to register to vote or change party affiliation they must do so by Jan. 30.  

Voters who are registered to vote as Democrats, Libertarians, non-partisans, independents or any other political party are NOT eligible to vote in the PPE. The reason being is that this “preference” election is being conducted by political party rules.

However, all voters no matter what party preference they are registered with, will be eligible to participate in the Aug. 28 Primary Election. 

Per state statute for this election, the county is required to consolidate precincts except on reservation land.  Based on that, Coconino County Elections has taken 85 precincts and consolidated into 26 polling districts. 

Each household with a registered Republican or Green Party voter will be mailed a sample ballot that lists the name and polling place address for this election.  Sample ballots should arrive about 30 days prior to the election.

In addition, as provided by ARS (16- 248A) voting precincts containing 300 or less registered voters will be conducted as mail ballot precincts.  That means a ballot will automatically be mailed to every eligible registered Republican and Green Party voter in those precincts and there will be no polling place on election day.  The following 23 precincts will be conducted as all mail ballot precincts; Bellemont, Parks, Ranches, Blue Ridge, Forest Lakes, Mormon Lake, Meteor, Winona, Kiva, Fort Tuthill, Kachina Village, Pinewood, Fort Valley, Fredonia, North Rim, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, Tusayan, Kaibab North, Havasupai, Paiute, Sedona North and Sedona South.

Republican and Green Party voters who currently have signed up to be on the Permanent Early Voting list (PEVL) will automatically be mailed a ballot on February 2. 

Republican and Green Party voters that live in precincts that will be voting at a polling place but are not on the PEVL listing can still vote an early ballot by either calling the Elections Office at 928-689-7860 or toll free 800-793-6181; send a written request to Coconino County Elections, 110 E. Cherry, Flagstaff, AZ 86001; or submit an on-line request at www.coconino.az.gov/elections and click on “Request Early Ballot.”

 For more information, call the County Elections Office at (928) 679-7860 or 1-800-793-6181. 

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January 26, 2012

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park Announces Speakers for 2012 Conversations on the Edge Community Lecture Series 

Grand Canyon, Ariz. - Grand Canyon National Park's Division of Science and Resource Management will once again be presenting monthly community lectures in Flagstaff, Arizona in collaboration with the Grand Canyon Association and Northern Arizona University's Cline Library.  The Ranger Lecture Series, Conversations on the Edge, features park resource specialists speaking about the National Park Service's scientific work monitoring, managing and preserving Grand Canyon's natural and cultural resources.

According to Grand Canyon Association Executive Director Susan Schroeder, "Grand Canyon Association has been presenting Canyon Country Community Lectures since 2004. We added the Ranger Lecture Series in 2009 to offer a way for people in northern Arizona to connect directly with park researchers about science and resource management at the Grand Canyon.”

The 2012 Conversations on the Edge lectures will take place the first Thursday of each month, February through May, and will include the following four lectures:

February 2:  Science and Resource Management Deputy Chief Jan Balsom and Tribal Program Manager Janet Cohen present "Bridging the Gap: Finding the Intersection between Park Management and Tribal Values."  Park managers will share their experiences working with the park’s traditionally associated tribes to maintain lasting relationships that recognize the significance of Grand Canyon in tribal histories, on-going culture and daily lives.

March 1:  Physical Sciences Program Manager Deanna Greco presents "It's Not Just Scenery: The Physical Sciences of Grand Canyon." While some may think that landscape features are merely unchanging scenery, they are dynamic resources that require preservation and management. Greco will give a brief history of physical science management at Grand Canyon, and share some of the program’s new directions and emphasis areas.

April 5:  Resource Planner and Wilderness Coordinator Linda Jalbert presents “Keep It Wild: Managing Wilderness in Grand Canyon National Park.”

More than 93% of Grand Canyon National Park’s area qualifies for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System and must be managed in the same manner as congressionally designated wilderness.  Jalbert will explore the challenges and benefits of managing Grand Canyon wilderness.

May 3:  Watershed Stewardship Program Manager Todd Chaudhry presents "Thinking Big and Starting Small: Watershed Stewardship in Grand Canyon National Park." Grand Canyon’s Watershed Stewardship Program was established in late 2010. One of the program’s first emphasis areas is a pilot stewardship project at Granite Camp and Monument Creek.

All lectures are free and open to the public and are held at 7:00 p.m. at the Cline Library, located at the intersection of Knoles Drive and McCreary Road on the Northern Arizona University campus. Parking is available to the west of the library (Lot P13 on Riordan Road).

“We are very pleased to be working with the Grand Canyon Association and Cline Library on a lecture series that provides an invaluable opportunity for park Science and Resource Management staff to share information with the Flagstaff community about some of the issues affecting Grand Canyon National Park,” stated park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga.

For additional information on the 2011 Ranger Lecture Series, Conversations on the Edge, please contact Allyson Mathis, Grand Canyon National Park Science and Education Outreach Coordinator at 928-638-7923 or Beth Hickey, Grand Canyon Association Membership Program Manager at 928-638-7022. To download a copy of the 2012 Conversations on the Edge flyer,  go to http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/upload/Ranger_Conversations_Spring_2012.pdf

WASHINGTON — High-volume commercial mailers spoke, and the Postal Service listened. Effective this week, businesses mailing First-Class Mail automation, presort letters using “2nd Ounce Free” pricing can mail letters weighing up to 2 ounces at the 1-ounce postage rate.

First-Class Mail automation, presort letters are primarily generated by commercial mailers of bills and statements — or transaction mail. 2nd Ounce Free pricing will provide these customers with greater value from their transaction mailings by letting them include an additional ounce that can be used for operational or marketing purposes at no additional cost.

“With 2nd Ounce Free, companies have greater flexibility to offset mailing center costs by including additional promotional offers with bills, invoices and statements,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “2nd Ounce Free also provides business mailers with the option of using higher quality paper stock or larger envelopes to create greater impact.”

Bills and statements delivered via First-Class Mail are opened more than 95 percent of the time and, on average, the receiver spends two to three minutes with each piece. “This makes transaction mail a highly effective medium for target marketing,” said Reblin.

An integral part of the overall commitment from the Postal Service to add value to the mail, 2nd Ounce Free is not a limited time promotion, but a new price for First-Class Mail presort, automation letters. 2nd Ounce Free does not apply to single-piece letters mailed by consumers.

“No registration is required, no annual minimum thresholds apply, and no payment rebates are needed, since 2nd Ounce Free pricing is offered upfront,” said Reblin.

2nd Ounce Free can be used to inform, educate and strengthen customer loyalty by providing additional information, such as announcements, disclosures and notifications. The extra ounce also can be used to conduct consumer research with surveys and reply cards.

By combining transaction mail with promotional mail, known in the industry as transpromo, companies can add more inserts and “onserts” — totaling up to 2 ounces — without incurring additional postage costs. (Onserts are advertisements or promotional offers usually printed at the bottom of bills or statements.)

“Transpromo is a highly targeted, measurable form of direct mail that helps companies increase revenue based on an ‘opt-in’ relationship,” said Reblin. “Customers also can use the free second ounce to sell advertising space to other marketers, which has the potential to lower the costs of mailing bills and statements.”

Transpromo is often combined with variable data printing (VDP), a form of on-demand printing that can be used to produce mail pieces that are personalized to an individual’s specific data. “VDP allows marketers to customize the messages on each mail piece, resulting in more personal and more effective communication,” said Reblin.

For more information about 2nd Ounce Free, visit usps.com/2nd-ounce-free.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Source: Trans Meets Promo…Is it More than Market Hype? InfoTrends, August 2008