Expect Smoke Near the Grand Canyon
If the weather is right — cooler temperatures, higher humidity and some rain — expect a prescribed burn in the Kaibab National Forest late in the week of May 20. Travelers on Highway 64 may see smoke, but the forest service anticipates no problems for visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park
The plan is to burn 30 acres to 50 acres east of Tusayan ranger District near Long Jim trick tank. The burn is to reinforce containment lines for a later broadcast burn on the Tusayan East prescribed burn project.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will check off on the plan before burning begins.
Fires Out in Maricopa Parks
The dry, toasty season means no more fires in Maricopa County’s parks after Memorial Day weekend.
The annual fire ban limits the odds of starting a brush fire, and lighting up can bring a citation.
“The vegetation in the parks dried out quickly this spring due to the warm temperatures and lack of rain,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson, Chairman, District 4. “Not unlike previous years, this has left the parks with a large quantity of ground coverage that could easily catch fire.”
Campfires, fire pits and charcoal grills are banned, but gas or propane grills are allowed in selected areas.
No date is set for ending the ban.
Parks Cut to Five Days
If you’re planning to visit Arizona state parks this summer, remember some parks now operate on five-day schedules:
- Fort Verde State Historic Park
- Oracle State Park
- Tombstone Courthouse
- State Historic Park
- Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
- Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
- Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
These parks open only on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, & Mondays. Park hours are 9 am to 5 pm, except Oracle State Park which will be open from 7 am to 3 pm.
North Rim Opening May 15
The season for visiting the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park kicks off when the Arizona Department of Transportation opens Highway 67 on the morning of May 15.
Also, the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim and Grand Canyon Trail Rides both open for the weekend, staying open through October 16, 2009.
The Visitor Center, Grand Canyon Association bookstore, backcountry permit reservations and campground will all be ready for business, according to a National Forest Service news release.
Advance overnight lodging reservations for North Rim facilities may be made by contacting Forever Resorts at (877) 386-4383 or by visiting their website at http://www.grandcanyonforever.com (choose the Grand Canyon Lodge – North Rim tab and navigate to on-line reservations). For advance reservations from outside of the United States, please call (480) 998-1981. Advance reservations for the North Rim Campground must be made by calling 877-444-6777 or online at http://www.recreation.gov.
For information on Grand Canyon Trail Rides please call (435) 679-8665 or visit their website.
The North Rim lies at the southern end of the Kaibab Plateau at approximately 8,500 feet in elevation, and offers spectacular canyon views. It is approximately a 215-mile drive from the South Rim. Points of interest include: Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Point Sublime, North Kaibab Trail, and Bright Angel Point.
For a copy of the park’s free Trip Planner please call 928-638-7888 or write, Trip Planner, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. The Trip Planner is also available on the Internet. “The Guide” for the North Rim will be available on-line by May 15 at this link.
Payson Chips in to Reopen Park
The city of Payson is chipping in to reopen Tonto Natural Bridge State Park for Memorial Day and on weekends through June.
Payson lawmakers agreed to pay for the additional seasonal staff needed to reopen the park, which closed as a result of budget cuts and the need for repairs.
“We needed to increase the park staff by two people each day to cover those weekends,” said Janet Hawks, chief of operations for the state parks. “Our seasonal staff rate of $11 per hour is what will be charged to the City of Payson. The two seasonal rangers will be added into the system in the other parks, which will allow me to release regular park staff to return to Tonto for those weekends. We will also have our regular volunteers and hopefully some new volunteers to help out this summer.”
The contractor working on repairs will help decide where visitors may safely travel in the park.
New Parks Director
The Arizona State Parks Board has announced the new Executive Director of the State Parks department as Renee Bahl.
Bahl was Director of San Diego County Parks and Recreation, where she directed the rebuild and stabilization of 15,000 acres of parkland and 21 facilities after the 2003 Cedar and Paradise wildfires. She expanded the department and services to the public through completion and opening of a number of new parks. She currently serves as board member of the California Association of Regional Park and Open Space Administrators and has been Southern Regional Director since 2007, and is board member of the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, serving as Treasurer and Legislative Affairs Committee Chair since 2008. She is also a member of California Park and Recreation Society and National Recreation and Park Association.
Do Arizona State Parks Have a Future?
Arizona politicians continue the state park two-step. First, promise to do everything possible to find sustainable park funding. Second, take a firm step backward when no easy solutions appear.
But, something is better than nothing.
Governor Jan Brewer signed an executive order to re-establish the Governor’s Sustainable State Parks Task Force. Her news release mentioned they would begin work immediately.
A good thing too. Created in 2008, the task force went to work and … well, the news release puts it best: “no progress has been made.”
So, Brewer is re-constituting the group and keeping the mission the same: assess the condition of the State Parks system and its impacts on Arizona’s overall economy. The task force will recommend how to make the parks financially sustainable.
The governor chose folks from around the state for the chore:
- Rich Dozer, president of GenSpring, a Phoenix Investment Company, and former president of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will chair the Task Force.
- William Roe, Glen Kerslake and Diana Freshwater of Tucson.
- Robert McLendon of Yuma.
- Grady Gammage, Jr. of Tempe.
- Bill Cordasco of Flagstaff.
- Walter Meek, Harry Papp and Jeffery Williamson of Phoenix.
They can add members, but the taskforce can total no more than 21. No member will be paid for their efforts.
They’ve got an October 31 deadline to put ideas on the table.
So, with the dance of politics being what it is, expect pushback on November 1 from those who believe parks should pay for themselves. Because that’s the equation the task force must manage. Should the state pump money into parks that generate no income?
Is the intrinsic value of a park — and the tourism dollars generated indirectly in the community — worth the investment of public money?
For people who love parks — and who doesn’t — it’s an easy answer. Then, someone tries to figure out the source of the money. That’s when things turn ugly.
Dozer is starting out with the right attitude, though. From the news release: “These places, such as Kartchner Caverns, Tonto National (sic) Bridge, and Tombstone, are all cultural and recreational jewels of Arizona. In this economy, it is a great challenge to find a sustainable method to fund their protection and enhancement.”
