Fire restrictions to begin Wednesday on Coconino National Forest and parts of Kaibab National Forest

Let's not let this happen again. Photo courtesy of Apache-Sitgreaves NF

Let’s not let this happen again.
Photo courtesy of Apache-Sitgreaves NF

WILLIAMS, Ariz. – Campfire and smoking restrictions will be implemented at 8 a.m. Wednesday on the entire Coconino National Forest and on the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts of the Kaibab National Forest in order to protect public health and reduce preventable human-caused fires.  Restrictions will not yet be implemented on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest due to different weather and fuels conditions.

Under the restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are allowed in developed campgrounds only.  The restrictions also limit smoking to within enclosed vehicles or buildings or in developed campgrounds.  Using a device that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are clear of flammable materials.

Implementation of fire restrictions is especially important given the potential for a critical fire weather pattern later this week.  The forecast suggests that northern Arizona will be windy, warm and dry throughout the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and that Red Flag Warning conditions are likely to exist in many areas over the coming days.

Criteria used to determine when to implement fire restrictions include current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources.  Fire restrictions will remain in effect until the forests receive significant precipitation.

For additional information, visit the Coconino and Kaibab websites, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino and www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab.  Information on fire restrictions across the state can be found at http://firerestrictions.us/az.  For Arizona fire information, visit www.wildlandfire.az.gov.

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Make your voice heard on the BLM fracking policy now!

From CREDO Action:

The Obama administration just released its first major fracking policy — the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rules for fracking on 600 million acres of public land. And it’s even worse than we feared.

In a major concession to the fracking industry and its lobbying efforts, the proposed rules are even weaker than previous drafts of the rules. And they do nothing to close Dick Cheney’s infamous “Halliburton loophole,” which exempts fracking from key parts of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.

The BLM is accepting public comments on its proposed fracking rules for 30 days. We need to let the administration know that these rules are totally inadequate. The administration needs to ban fracking on public lands — not cave to the industry and endanger our health and safety.

Submit a public comment telling the Bureau of Land Management: Ban fracking on federal lands.

Click here to submit a comment.

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Four Forest Restoration Initiative implementation begins

Arizona ponderosa pine forest

Arizona ponderosa pine forest

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Almost one year ago, the Forest Service announced the contractor for the first stewardship contract awarded under the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).  Today, the Forest Service anticipates that work issued under the Ranch Task Order, which was released in late April, will begin in early June.

This initial task order will provide treatment on approximately 1,000 acres on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests near Show Low, Arizona.  The work consists of removal of trees over 1 inch in diameter and the residue (tops and limbs) in order to meet the desired conditions for the area.

Due to current market conditions, the contractor — Pioneer Forest Products — may complete the work with multiple entries over 18 months, rather than completing all the work with one entry into the area.  The Forest Service is working closely with Pioneer to ensure their operations meet the agency’s needs in the long run.  In addition to the removal of wood, road maintenance and erosion control activities will be completed by the contractor.

As operations begin in the woods, visitors to the area and residents need to be aware of the hazards associated with the logging operation.  Once operations begin in June, notice will be given regarding safety and specific road locations.

This is the beginning of restoration work that will treat an average of 30,000 acres per year on the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests over the next nine years and is an important step for the 4FRI — a 20-year plan to restore 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona.  The Forest Service awarded a 10-year stewardship contract to Pioneer in May 2012.  This contract provides for treatment of 300,000 acres over 10 years and is the largest stewardship contract awarded by the agency.

The Forest Service appreciates the support of its partners and the public in its efforts to treat the northern Arizona landscape on a scale that will make a difference with fire and forest health issues.

For additional 4FRI information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/4fri.

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Colorado named the most endangered river by American Rivers

Colorado River STC_BannerWashington, D.C. — American Rivers today announced its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, naming the Colorado River the Most Endangered River in the country.  The Colorado River is endangered by outdated water management that is inadequate to respond to the pressures of over-allocation and persistent drought. American Rivers is calling on Congress to fund programs that encourage 21st century water management, while protecting rivers and the people, communities, and wildlife they support across the Colorado Basin.

“This year’s America’s Most Endangered Rivers report underscores the problems that arise for communities and the environment when we drain too much water out of rivers,” said Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers.  “The Colorado River, the #1 Most Endangered River in the nation, is so over-tapped that it dries up to a trickle before reaching the sea. We simply cannot continue with status quo water management. It is time for stakeholders across the Colorado Basin to come together around solutions to ensure reliable water supplies and a healthy river for future generations.”

Thirty-six million people from Denver to Los Angeles drink Colorado River water. The river irrigates nearly four million acres of land, which grows 15 percent of the nation’s crops.  Over-allocation and drought have placed significant stress on water supplies and river health, and the basin is facing another drought this summer. Lower river flows threaten endangered fish and wildlife, along with the $26 billion dollar recreation economy that relies on the Colorado River.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study (December 2012), there is not enough water in the Colorado River to meet the basin’s current water demands, let alone support future demand increases. Scientists predict climate change will reduce the Colorado River’s flow by 10 to 30 percent by 2050.

“Latinos and many others westerners are passionate about the Colorado River. It has been at the center of Latino life in the West for centuries. An endangered Colorado River is not only a threat to our drinking water, farming, and recreation, it is a threat to our very heritage,” said Andres Ramirez of Nuestro Rio. “We are ready to do whatever we must to help manage the supply and demand imbalances we face, and bring our beloved river back to vitality for our health and enjoyment, and for future generations to enjoy as we have.”

“Flowing across seven states, a healthy Colorado River system drives a quarter of a million sustainable, American jobs in a $26 billion outdoor recreation economy,” said Nazz Kurth, President of Petzl America. “Demand for Colorado River water now exceeds supply. Yet, for Petzl and hundreds of companies across the Southwest, the people we hire, the products we make, and the places we live depend on water for habitat, wildlife and outdoor recreation.”

“As young and beginning farmers, we of the National Young Farmers Coalition know that a healthy Colorado River watershed is critical to a resilient future for agriculture in the West,” said Kate Greenberg of the National Young Farmers Coalition. “As the next generation’s land stewards, we support the conservation of this essential resource to maintain a vibrant agricultural landscape for generations to come.”

American Rivers and its partners urge Congress to immediately follow the Bureau of Reclamation’s recent study with bold action and funding to build a future that includes healthy rivers, state-of-the-art water conservation for cities and agriculture, and water sharing mechanisms that allow communities to adapt to warmer temperatures and more erratic precipitation.

The 2013 list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers also highlights other rivers across the country threatened by outdated water management.   The Flint River in Georgia is going dry due to excessive agricultural withdrawals in its southern reaches, as well as increasing municipal demands. The San Saba in Texas is running dry due to excessive agricultural withdrawals. The Little Plover in Wisconsin is at risk due to withdrawals from high capacity wells.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2013:

#1: Colorado River (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) THREAT: Outdated water management AT RISK:  Water supplies, recreation, fish and wildlife

The Colorado River is a lifeline in the desert, its water sustaining tens of millions of people in seven states, as well as endangered fish and wildlife. However, demand on the river’s water now exceeds its supply, leaving the river so over-tapped that it no longer flows to the sea. A century of water management policies and practices that have promoted wasteful water use have put the river at a critical crossroads. To address ongoing drought and increasing demand for water due to climate change, and  to put the Colorado River on a path to recovery, the U.S. Congress must support robust funding of critical programs like WaterSmart that address water supply sustainability in the Colorado River Basin and across the West.

Click here to take action to keep the Colorado River flowing

Click here to view a fact sheet on the Colorado River

 

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Trust team tackles beaver problem at Dugout Ranch in Utah

Exclosure built to protect culvert from beaver Photo by Dave Erley

Exclosure built to protect culvert from beaver
Photo by Dave Erley

Recently, the Trust’s Dave Erley and Jeremy Christensen went down to Dugout Ranch (home of TNC’s  Canyonlands Research Center) in San Juan County to solve an issue they were having with beaver on the Ranch. A culvert on their water diversion was being plugged by beavers living in Indian Creek that sometimes enter the irrigation ditches when the water is flowing. With materials donated by the Trust, Dave and Adam Redd (Heidi Redd’s son and the ranch’s farm manager) and Jeremy built a protective exclosure around the culvert to prevent beaver from clogging it, while allowing the beaver to remain unharmed and hopefully not cause any further conflicts with the irrigation system.

Exclosure in place to protect culvert Photo by Dave Erley

Exclosure in place to protect culvert
Photo by Dave Erley

Nearby North Cottonwood Creek, a tributary of Indian Creek which also flows through portions of the Ranch, is on the UDWR list for potential beaver reintroduction sites, and has recieved preliminary approval from UDWR to begin receiving transplant beavers from the La Sals and Abajos in 2013, which will be live-trapped from recurring conflict areas, mainly irrigation ditches on the south slope of the La Sals where beaver are plentiful. The Trust is helping to facilitate reintroductions to North Cottonwood, and working with the Redds and other stakeholders is an important proactive measure we can take to assure that increased beaver in the drainage won’t lead to increased conflicts down the road.

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Grand Canyon uranium mine draws ire

By Brandon Loomis

The Republic | azcentral.com

An energy company that closed its uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park in the 1990s is raising environmental hackles with its plans to resume operations.

Energy Fuels Resources intends to reopen its Canyon Mine despite a 20-year federal ban on new uranium mining, imposed early last year by the Interior Department, that covers 1 million acres near the Canyon.

The company says the ban doesn’t apply because its rights are grandfathered, and the federal government agrees.

Environmentalists and the Havasupai Tribe counter that those rights were granted before science was able to show the full potential impact of uranium mining, which opponents fear will poison water that feeds natural springs in the Canyon.

Click here for the entire Brandon Loomis/Az Republic story.

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