“I’m so excited to announce that our own Alex Schleuter has been selected as the permanent district ranger for the Red Rock Ranger District,” said Coconino National Forest Supervisor Aaron Mayville. “Most of you have gotten to know Alex as the deputy district ranger, but he has been acting in the lead ranger role for the past six months and has done a stellar job!”
FLAGSTAFF — Several roads located in the Schultz Pass area of the Coconino National Forest’s Flagstaff Ranger District will reopen to motorized vehicles tomorrow following a roughly two-year closure due to the Pipeline Fire.
The temporary trail and road closure order for the Pipeline Fire, which has been in effect since September of 2022, will be lifted at 8 a.m. Friday (Aug. 16).
Gates, barricades and signage posted in the area will be modified and removed to reflect the removal of the closure order.
“We’re really excited to start work on this project,” said District Ranger Matt McGrath. “The realignment will provide a fantastic opportunity for Flagstaff recreators to better connect with the Coconino National Forest from Buffalo Park.”
FLAGSTAFF —The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office and Sustainability Commission are pleased to announce the opening of the annual application period for the Neighborhood Sustainability Grants Program, running from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30. The program funds projects that enhance sustainability and foster community partnerships.
Grants of up to $7,500 are available for groups, nonprofits, individuals, and businesses with sustainability-related projects located within Flagstaff city limits. The Sustainability Commission particularly seeks community-centered projects focused on building energy, climate action, food, public health, resilience, transportation, and waste. The review committee will consist of the members of the Flagstaff Sustainability Commission.
CLINTS WELL, Ariz. — Fire managers are preparing to conduct firing operations on several hundred acres of land around the Tango Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire first reported last week and located 8.5 miles northeast of Clints Well.
Fire managers are planning to begin firing operations the morning of Aug. 15 and plan to conclude by the end of Friday in advance of forecasted monsoonal rains.
Smoke will be noticeable to residents of the Happy Jack and Clints Well communities and may also be visible to communities below Mogollon Rim and possibly to motorists along Interstate 17 in the area of Camp Verde.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Back-to-School events in Coconino County — including fall enrollment, freshman orientations for parents and students, meet the teacher events, school supply distributions and youth sports physicals — will soon conclude, but local organizations are already planning for a variety of youth events this upcoming Fall.
One of the most recent back-to-school events occurred on Aug. 6 with the ‘Meet the Teacher’ event at Killip Elementary School in Flagstaff.
Student received back-to-school supplies kits with parents receiving family support information from a variety of organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff, Child & Family Support Services in Flagstaff, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (CCC&Y), Coconino County Health and Human Services, the Killip Parent Teacher Organization, Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) and North Country HealthCare, just to name a few,
Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
Are bird feeders bad?
It’s complicated. A new study authored by NAU alumnus Andrew Abraham and professor of ecology Chris Doughty found that bird feeders are changing the chemistry of local ecosystems and introducing a potentially harmful amount of phosphorus into the environment. Does this mean putting out bird feeders is always bad? Not necessarily, the researchers say—but it does mean we need a better understanding of how different factors interact to change the
GRAND CANYON, AZ — Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will reimplement mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a pipeline break along the North Kaibab Trail.
Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Mandatory water conservation measures include:
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!
FLAGSTAFF — Tree planting has begun on the east side of the San Francisco Peaks across approximately 380 acres, and volunteers are being sought to help in the replanting efforts on Saturday (Aug. 17) from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The planting is taking place between Schultz Pass Road and Waterline Road in an area that was previously replanted after the 2010 Schultz Fire. The 2022 Pipeline and Tunnel fires burned across the same area and resulted in a total loss of 3,000 acres of replanted trees.
“Everything worked as intended,” said Lucinda Andreani, Coconino County Flood Control District Administrator. “The flows we observed on August 7th were by no means the largest we’ve seen in the area, but they were significant enough to indicate that the system is functioning well.”
“These mechanical thinning operations are part of a larger forest-wide initiative to fulfill our local obligations to the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy,” said District Ranger Matt McGrath. “These efforts are just one small part of a greater overall strategy to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and subsequent post-fire flooding in the Flagstaff area.”
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Grand Canyon records second driest, second hottest July on record
The National Weather Service reports July temperatures at Grand Canyon averaged +3.8° warmer than normal, and the precipitation total for the month was only 0.65 inches – that’s a full inch below normal! The period June 1-July 31, 2024 was the hottest on record for most locations across northern Arizona (including Grand Canyon).
During this period of high fire danger, it is important to take proactive measures to reduce the risk of wildfires and ensure the safety of ourselves and our community.
Mariachi Rubor Femenil, Soul Persuasion and Ballet Folklorico de Colores — Flagstaff to headline FREE event. Veterans are encouraged to attend so they can participate in the traditional group photo
FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces will present its FREE 9th annual “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada — Mariachi and Folklórico Festival, from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 224 S. Kendrick St., Flagstaff.
The event was launched in 2014 to pay homage to past traditional tardeada and jamaica celebrations in the neighborhood and at the historic church, which was constructed by the local Hispanic community in 1926.
Premier sponsors for 2024 include Cococnino County Board of Supervisors, the Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) and San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church, with additional sponsors to date including AmigosNAZ, APS, Barbara Arnold, Dale Crick Purple Hear Chapter No. 793, Duran Family, Flagstaff Findlay Toyota, Guadalupanas, Lozano’s Flagstaff Mortuary, Mama B’s, Mike and Ronda’s The Place, Nackard Pepsi and Nestlé Purina.
Thirsty Thursday with Black Lemon, Museum of Northern Arizona
Live music by Black Lemon, food, beer, and wine from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in MNA’s beautiful, historic courtyard. 5 p.m.
Learn More
Register here for the breakfast, which will begin at 8:30 am at the High Country Conference Center.
We’ll hear from Campaign Co-Chairs, Northern Arizona University President Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera and Dr. Rima Brusi, celebrate the early fundrising efforts of our Pacesetters, and unveil our plans for the coming year.
With your support, UWNA will continue to Lead the Way in promoting early childhood development and positive youth development as well as ensuring the safety and security for all in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties.
COCONINO COUNTY — Area school district officials and health care providers have been busy planning for a variety of Back to School events in Coconino County, including fall enrollment, freshman orientations for parents and students, meet the teacher events, school supply distributions and youth sports physicals.
One of the most recent events occurred on Aug. 1 when the Native American Education Support Program Indian Education Committee presented its “School Supply Distribution & Health Fair” at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff.
Organizers reported that more than 200 back-to-school supplies kits were handed out to students during the event, which featured a variety of information booths staffed by such organizations as the Arizona Dept. of Economic Security, the Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (CCC&Y), the Coconino High School CocoNuts Robotics team, Grand Canyon Youth, Lowell Observatory, the Native American Disability Law Center, the Office of Gov. Katie Hobbs — Northern Arizona Constituent Engagement Dept. and North Country HealthCare, just to name a few.
Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
(Updated Aug. 6, 2024)
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Dear Museum Friends,
Welcome August! At the Museum this month, we’re warming up for some end-of-summer fun and an awe-inspiring open house. Please join us this week as we rock to the tunes of Black Lemon for our final Thirsty Thursday of the year. Then, take time for our free Easton Collection Center Open House on August 24. The center is an architectural marvel where the Museum cares for and preserves its vast collection of pottery, weavings, paintings, carvings, jewelry, photographs, and much more. Seeing the Journey murals by Hopi artists Michael Kabotie and Delbridge Honanie (detail shown above) is a delightful experience in itself. The annual open house is an opportunity for all to tour the center, engage with our collections staff and curators, and ask questions about the collections.
Whether a first-time visitor or a regular guest to the Museum of Northern Arizona, you’ll be amazed to see and learn something new about the Colorado Plateau. I hope to see you soon.
Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona
FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) will conduct a full-scale exercise simulating an aircraft crash resulting in a mass casualty incident on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. This exercise, named “Operation Ready FLG,” is being carried out in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
The primary goal of the exercise is to test and enhance the airport’s emergency response capabilities in the event of a mass casualty incident. More than 25 local, state, and federal agencies will participate in the exercise to improve interoperability and coordination.
SEDONA — Several miles of new trails are slated for construction in five different areas of the Coconino National Forest’s Red Rock Ranger District (RRRD) following public feedback given during a lengthy planning process.
“The first phase of this project includes trails that we think every type of user will appreciate,” said acting District Ranger Alex Schlueter. “Whether hiking, biking, or riding a horse, there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Work is planned to begin later this summer near both Cornville and Sedona, including the Bell Rock, Cornville Oak Creek Elementary School, Doe Mesa, Hardline Trail and Schuerman Mountain areas.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will reimplement mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a pump failure at Havasupai Gardens.
Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Mandatory water conservation measures include:
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz – The City of Flagstaff and their contractor, Eagle Mountain Construction, along with the Arizona Department of Transportation, have finished the majority of the work associated with Phase 1 of the Beulah/University Realignment Project. With this work complete, Phase 2 of the project is set to begin. Phase 2 starts with construction of the new pedestrian underpass prior to surface improvements along Milton Road. Additional work includes the reconstruction of a section of University Avenue (future Fresquez Avenue) and Yale Street.
In order to safely install the new pedestrian underpass beneath Milton Road, the existing traffic pattern will shift. This shift will begin on August 19 and last through September 2024. With this shift, the southbound lanes along Milton Road will be detoured to University Avenue (future Fresquez Avenue) and onto the new Beulah Boulevard extension, utilizing the newly constructed roundabout, to Forest Meadows Street. The new Beulah Boulevard extension and roundabout will also be accessible by University Avenue, as shown in the detailed map below. Please note that northbound traffic will be closed along the new Beulah Boulevard extension, as well as northbound traffic on Yale Street. Northbound traffic on Milton Road, including eastbound access to University Drive, will be maintained during this traffic shift.
Large cranes and trucks will also be present to assist in the installation of the pedestrian underpass. Motorists are asked to follow the marked signage, travel at the posted speed limit, and should expect delays when traveling through the project area. Crews will be working extended shifts to expedite this work. Work may occur Monday through Friday, with occasional work on evenings and weekends. Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists can expect traffic delays, lane closures and detour routes along Milton Road, University Drive and University Avenue until late 2025.
We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work hard to finish this project. For additional project information, please visit www.beulahuniversityproject.com. To reach a project team member and receive further project information, call the Project Hotline at (928) 255-5153. To receive weekly eNewsletter project updates, email a request to news@beulahuniversityproject.com.
“This is the best field trip I’ve ever been on!” exclaimed a third grader who recently visited MNA as she admired the towering Therizinosaur in the museum’s lobby.
Did you know that in 2023, over 2,000 K-12 students visited MNA for free, thanks to generous philanthropic support like yours? A visit to the museum changes your perspective, regardless of your age. Recent visitor surveys tell us that 96% of visitors surveyed report gaining new insights and understandings from their MNA experience!
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff ‘National Night Out’ to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 at Bushmaster Park East Parking Lot and Community Ramada at the East Locket and North Thomas Entrance, Flagstaff.
North Rim Native American Heritage Days kicks off this weekend
Heritage Days will take place this Friday, August 2, through Sunday, August 4. Throughout the weekend a variety of programs will be presented by members of Grand Canyon’s Associated Tribes, including music and dance performances, film screenings, discussions about cultural connections to Grand Canyon, and a variety of demonstrations by renowned Indigenous artists.
Activities will take place daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in and around Grand Canyon Lodge. For more information and the schedule of activities, visit the park’s Heritage Days webpage or see the full event flyer attached here.
