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Good morning, The closure of the Kendrick Mountain area on the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests will be lifted as of 6 p.m. today. Please see news release for details and recommended safety precautions. Thank you,
Officials to lift closure of Kendrick Mountain area on Kaibab and Coconino National Forests today at 6 p.m.
Williams, Ariz., Sept. 13, 2017—For Immediate Release. Effective at 6 p.m. today, the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests, in coordination with the Arizona Game and
Fish Department, will lift the area closure on and around Kendrick Mountain that has been in place since the Boundary Fire in June.
Members of the public can then access the area, which had been closed due to unstable conditions caused by heavy monsoonal rains, but are advised to have heightened awareness about potential safety hazards and exercise
increased vigilance regarding personal safety.
“Public safety was the driving factor in keeping the area closed for as long as we did,” said Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Heather Provencio. “It was important that we allow the landscape to stabilize during the
immediate post-fire period and especially at the height of our monsoon season. We now believe it is appropriate to lift the closure, but that doesn’t mean that no hazards exist. It is important for people to always be aware of their surroundings when recreating
in the forest, but it is especially important in areas recently impacted by wildfire.”
Potential risks in any area recently burned by wildfire include the following:
Visitors to the Kendrick Mountain area are advised to follow these outdoor safety best practices:
Visitors to the Kendrick Mountain area should also be aware that Forest Road 149 on the Kaibab National Forest side and which leads to the Pumpkin Trailhead is undergoing maintenance work for at least the next week. Barricades
are installed at the entry to the road, so Pumpkin Trail users will have to park along Forest Road 171 and then walk to the trailhead, which will add about a mile to overall hiking distance. No driving or parking along Forest Road 149 will be allowed until
the road maintenance work has been completed and the barricades removed.
The Kaibab and Coconino National Forests have been coordinating closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department on the lifting of the Kendrick Mountain area closure due to several big game hunts opening in northern
Arizona. The mountain is part of Game Management Unit 7W, and there are many hunters planning trips to the area in the coming weeks.
“We urge hunters to understand the potential hazards and to prepare accordingly,” said Colby Walton, wildlife manager with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “We know people wait a long time for their hunts. We want
them to get to have the experience, but we also want them to do it safely, recognizing that any area recently impacted by wildfire will likely have some greater risk than other areas.”
Visitors can check with any of the following agency offices to get the latest information regarding current conditions.
Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office: 928-635-8200,
www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Coconino National Forest Supervisor’s Office: 928-527-3600,
www.fs.usda.gov/coconino
Arizona Game and Fish Department: 928-774-5045,
www.azgfd.com/hunting/units/flagstaff/7/
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Attachment:
1650-1_so_BoundaryFireClosureLifted_2017_0914.pdf
Description: 1650-1_so_BoundaryFireClosureLifted_2017_0914.pdf
