forest service

Government Shutdown, Day 24 – 1/14/2019

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Bigelow Trailhead - trashed... January 2019.
Bigelow Trailhead – trashed… January 2019.

Trash piles up on Mount Lemmon as government shutdown lingers and endless other headlines from our National Parks during the Government Shutdown are on my mind on the way up the highway.

At Babad Do’ag I don’t see a pile up and at Molino Basin the bathroom doors are open and things look clean – I can see a little trash scattered at Windy Point, but nothing out of the ordinary after a busy weekend and in Bear Canyon things seem fine.

The Bigelow Trailhead is the first place I pull in where the government shutdown really shows – trash is scattered across the parking lot and accumulating under overflowing trash bins – a women hesitates at the bathroom door and turns back to the car exclaiming ‘not fit for a pig’.

Bits of trash at a trailhead really just isn’t all that shocking – there is a reason that I keep a trash picker in the truck – but this amount of trash is unusual and sad. It doesn’t take long to have two trash bags full and leaning against the truck – I’m working on bag three (mostly broken plastic sled pieces) when when a Forest Service Crew pulls up – a sort of trash strike force they quickly empty bins, grab trash and work on the restrooms – in spite of what I suspect must have been an epic (depressing?) day of cleaning up trash they still smile and graciously add my collected garbage to their load.

I wonder if other areas were as bad as the Bigelow Trailhead before the Forest Service crew came thru? Probably… It is sad to see people leave so much trash – and sad that our government can shutdown and leave these places without the care they deserve.

Three Forest Service workers were out cleaning up - barely visible but you they had nearly filled the larger truck and were loading trash into the smaller truck too. January 2019.
Three Forest Service workers were out cleaning up – barely visible but you they had nearly filled the larger truck and were loading trash into the smaller truck too. January 2019.

Bighorn Update, Bullock Fire Case, Helicopters

Posted - Charles Miles

The Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction Project Update Status update for 7/21 to 8/3 is now available (all updates are currently available here). Interesting details:

  • This is the first mention I have seen in awhile of the August release plans: “We are currently putting plans in place for a possible second release this autumn, including the addition of rams. A year from now, it may be possible for people to once again experience the thunderous crack of bighorn sheep rams butting heads together in the Santa Catalina Mountains.”
  • The single remaining ram: “Last week, the ram was observed exhibiting breeding behavior.”
  • As with some previous reports a number of maps are included showing recorded locations and ranges for different individuals and groups of sheep – the southwest corner of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness appears to be heavily used.

Controversy brews over plan for helicopters in wilderness – Arizona Daily Star – A great article by Douglas Kreutz that nicely covers the various for/against views on Arizona Game and Fish’s  request to use helicopters in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness to help manage the recently introduced bighorn sheep.

Photos: Mt. Lemmon Air Force Station – Arizona Daily Star – A set of interesting old pictures of the Mount Lemmon Air Force Station.

Buildings weren’t burned by Forest Service, judge rules – Arizona Daily Star – A lawsuit where landowners were suing the Forest Service for compensation for property burned in the Bullock Fire is decided in favor of the Forest Service.