KAIBAB

NATIONAL FOREST

A Centennial Celebration

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

2008 Accomplishments

Southwestern

Region

MB-R3-07-8
The Kaibab National Forest celebrated its centennial anniversary August 8. The event, 

which was held at the Williams Ranger District office in Williams, Arizona, brought 

together current Forest Service employees and their family members with retirees, 

partners, volunteers and members of the local community. The regional forester for 

the Southwestern Region of the Forest Service, Corbin Newman, also joined in the 

festivities.

“It was a great event and a time for all of us to focus on the rich history of the forest,” 

said Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams. “We owe a special thanks to 

the Fiddlin’ Foresters, who truly brought alive Forest Service culture and traditions 

through their performance.”

As the official, old-time string band of the Forest Service, the Fiddlin’ Foresters provide 

conservation education, enhance employee morale, and communicate the value of public 

lands through story and song. The four members of the group performed at the Kaibab 

centennial wearing traditional Forest Service uniforms and playing lively, old-time music.

Hands-on activities offered during the day-long event included slicing through logs using 

a historic crosscut saw; throwing ancient hunting tools known as atlatls and rabbit sticks; 

packing a horse; hiking through the forest to identify wildlife tracks and scat; and using an 

increment borer to extract a section of ponderosa pine. 

“I am so pleased to be the forest supervisor of the Kaibab National Forest at such a significant 

time in its history,” Williams said. “This centennial celebration truly captured the spirit of the 

Forest Service and the important role we play within our local communities.” 

The Kaibab National Forest was set apart in 1908 when then-President of the United States 

Theodore Roosevelt signed Executive Order 909. 

Kaibab National Forest Turns 100! 

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Looking back on 2008 brings many memories I could share with you as part of our annual 

accomplishment report to stakeholders. First and foremost, we recognized history and tradition in 

a big way as we celebrated the centennial of the creation of Kaibab National Forest (NF). I could not have 

been more pleased that so many of you chose to join us and our colleagues of the Coconino NF back in 

August for that celebration. It was a special day for me as we recognized the 100th anniversary of 

then-President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt signing Executive Order 909, which set apart 

the Kaibab NF. Never mind that, way back then, the south side of today’s Kaibab was part of the new 

Coconino NF, then split away to become the Tusayan NF in 1912. It wasn’t until 1934 that the original 

Kaibab NF north of the Grand Canyon was consolidated with the Tusayan NF and began to look a lot 

like it does today. The event served as a reminder of all of the people who have and continue to care for 

this land—employees and their families, retirees who’ve led the way for us, volunteers, partners, tribal 

members, and friends and neighbors within our local communities. It was a special honor to share the 

day with the Fiddlin’ Foresters, the old-time string band of the Forest Service, who entertained us with 

their unique blend of bluegrass music and conservation message.

The year 2008 became another record year for fire management here with the accomplishment of 

more than 13,000 acres of natural fire managed for the benefit of our forest and rangeland resources. 

Over the past 5 years, Kaibab NF employees have managed some 52 fires for natural resource benefits 

over more than 54,000 acres—an awesome accomplishment! Members of the Kaibab fire organization 

proved once again that they are leaders in their field. We were selected this past year to test management 

practices that could change the way wildland fire is managed nationwide. Our employees who contribute 

to this effort, and to forest restoration activities of all kinds, continue to raise the bar for us on this forest and for the Forest Service at large as we treat more and more acres across this fire-adapted landscape 

both safely and cost effectively.

Despite already hectic schedules, many Kaibab employees made the time in 2008 to reach out to 

local youth through conservation education. From fishing at Kaibab Lake to dissecting owl pellets on 

the Kaibab Plateau, forest employees engaged with kids to encourage an appreciation of public lands 

and an understanding of environmental science.

There are many more Kaibab NF achievements I could mention, but I’ll let the rest of our 

2008 Accomplishment Report speak for itself.

 

Mike Williams

Forest Supervisor 

f r o m t h e F o r e s t S u p e r v i s o r . . .

3
Tusayan Community 

Celebrates Acquisition

of Forest Service Land

After years of persistence and tireless effort, members of the 

Tusayan community joined together June 21 to celebrate the Grand 

Canyon School District’s acquisition of 80 acres of Forest Service 

land from the Kaibab National Forest’s Tusayan Ranger District.

The acquisition was made possible by the Education Land Grant Act, which allows 

up to 80 acres of Forest Service land to be conveyed to a public school district for 

educational purposes. The land conveyance has to serve public objectives that 

outweigh the objectives and values served by keeping the land as part of the 

National Forest System. 

“I’m so excited about the possibilities that can happen on this property,” said 

School Board President Clarinda Vail, who was one of the early champions of 

pursuing the land grant. Vail added that initial development on the 80 acres 

will be recreation facilities for the community including sports fields and a park 

while the school district seeks funding to eventually build a high school.

“The diversity of wildlife found on 

enjoyment and aesthetic value for the 

lover, hiker, camper, and hunter.” 

“The diversity of wildlife found on 

enjoyment and aesthetic value for the 

lover, hiker, camper, and hunter.” 

Bird Surveys

Over the last 4 years, the 

Kaibab National Forest has 

conducted a forest-wide 

assessment of song birds. 

Wildlife biologists are using 

the information gathered to 

examine population trends 

for many different song birds.

Northern Goshawk

Forest biologists assisted 

Research Wildlife Biologist 

Richard Reynolds in completing 

the final year of an 18-year 

study on goshawk population 

demographics. Since 1991, 

Reynolds had been investigating 

the ecology of the northern 

goshawk, testing many of 

the assumptions of goshawk 

recommendations, and 

evaluating effects of forest 

management on 

goshawk 

populations.

Bats

In collaboration with the 

Forest Service Southwestern 

Regional Office and Bat 

Conservation International, 

Kaibab biologists surveyed for 

bats in and assessed the habitat 

value of mines and caves on the 

Tusayan Ranger District. They 

also continued a bat monitoring 

collaboration with Northern 

Arizona University by trapping 

bats on the district. Because 

of its proximity to the Grand 

Canyon and the presence of 

ponderosa pine forest and 

pinyon/juniper woodlands, 

the Tusayan Ranger District 

has a diversity of bat species.

Small Mammals

The Williams Ranger District 

includes two large and 

expansive grasslands called 

Government and Garland 

Prairies. Working with the 

Rocky Mountain Research 

Station and Northern Arizona 

University, Kaibab biologists 

trapped small mammals in 

order to inventory the resident 

animals and look at their 

habitat characteristics. One 

of the species trapped — the 

spotted ground squirrel — had 

not previously been identified 

on the Kaibab National Forest.

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• • •

• • •
Kaibab National Forest

Develops Wildlife

Water Sources

Since 2003, the Kaibab National Forest and Arizona Game and 

Fish Department have been collaborating on an expansive 

project to create new water sources for wildlife on the North 

Kaibab Ranger District.

Once completed the North Kaibab Wildlife Waters Development Project promises 

13 new watering structures within the lower elevation ranges, which are popular 

winter foraging sites for several species, including mule deer.

The developments have become increasingly important to wildlife as 

area water sources, like Kanab Creek, have become less able to sustain the 

wildlife populations they could 50 to 100 years ago, according to Todd 

Buck, Arizona Game and Fish Department game warden. By the time 

the North Kaibab project is complete, the number of reliable water

sources is expected to have doubled.

Noxious Weeds

Noxious weeds out-compete 

native vegetation and replace 

natural communities with 

monocultures that provide 

little or no habitat for wildlife. 

These negative impacts affect 

insects, birds and mammals. 

The wildlife program has 

committed thousands of dollars 

to the effort of protecting native 

habitats from the spread of 

noxious weeds.

Agra-Axe

Based in part on a grassland 

prioritization project completed 

several years ago, the wildlife 

program is heavily involved in 

using these powerful shears to 

cut pinyon and juniper trees 

that have invaded grasslands. 

Grasslands are one of the 

most threatened ecosystems in 

North America, and thousands 

of acres of grassland and open 

savanna have been invaded by 

trees due to the exclusion of fire 

in a fire-adapted ecosystem. 

Restoring these acres benefits 

bird species, small mammals 

and pronghorn antelope. Much 

of this work is being done in 

partnership with the Arizona 

Game and Fish Department.

Aspen

An inventory of aspen stands 

on the South Zone of the 

Kaibab National Forest was 

initiated in 2008 and expected 

to be completed in 2009. Unlike 

many areas, aspen on the South 

Zone occur as small, scattered 

pockets. These islands of 

habitat diversity amidst a sea 

of conifers support unique 

invertebrate communities that, 

in turn, increase the abundance 

of many species of birds. 

Current elk populations limit 

aspen regeneration, and the 

mature trees are dying from a 

combination of weather events, 

parasitic insects and disease. 

This inventory will be used to 

prioritize projects intended 

to retain aspen across the 

landscape.

the Kaibab provides unsurpassed 

 photographer, bird watcher, nature 

– The Forest Plan Revision Team

the Kaibab provides unsurpassed 

 photographer, bird watcher, nature 

5

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Northern Arizona Native 

Seed Alliance

The Kaibab National Forest is 

one of the Federal partners in 

the Northern Arizona Native 

Seed Alliance (NANSA). NANSA 

is dedicated to producing 

abundant and affordable 

quantities of genetically diverse 

and ecologically appropriate 

native seed. The alliance is made 

up of individuals, agencies, 

nonprofit organizations and 

commercial businesses that 

support using native seed for 

restoration, conservation and 

vegetation projects. For more 

information on NANSA and 

its accomplishments, please 

visit www.emaprogram.com/

emaweb/ema/site/nansa.asp.

Engineering 

Several important roads and facilities 

projects on the Kaibab National Forest 

were completed by the engineering 

team in 2008. Reconstruction of the 

Jacob Lake Campground on the North 

Kaibab Ranger District finished in late 

summer in preparation for reopening 

for the 2009 season. The new site layout 

incorporates universal design concepts 

to improve accessibility for all visitors 

while preserving the forest setting. Other 

improvements include replacement of all 

restrooms, picnic tables and fire rings. 

Visitors to the Williams Ranger 

District will enjoy another phase of the 

ongoing rehabilitation of Kaibab Lake 

Campground. A toilet building was 

replaced with an accessible building, and 

additional campsites were outfitted with 

new tables and fire rings. 

At the Williams Ranger Station, 

four historic buildings received a new 

exterior coating system that safely 

encapsulates the underlying lead paint 

in a cost-effective manner. A new water 

tank and pump system used to refill fire 

engines and helicopter dip buckets were 

installed at the Pittman Valley Helibase. 

This system uses rainwater collection 

from the building roof to augment the 

water hauled in to refill the tank. A rock 

crushing contract at Ruin Pit resulted in 

making 33,600 tons of gravel available 

for resurfacing nearby Forest Service 

roads. 

At the Tusayan Ranger Station, the 

ongoing re-roofing of all the historic 

buildings was completed when the 

shop building roof was replaced with 

fire-retardant shakes similar to the 

original roofing materials. These unique 

structures from the 1920s are constructed 

with native sandstone walls and log roof 

rafters and are still in use today. 

I’m proud to be working for a forest that is as 

precious, sacred, and special as the Kaibab. 

To be a part of the management of natural 

resources on these lands gives employees an 

additional benefit to their daily work.” 

 – Richard E. Gonzalez, Forester

I’m proud to be working for a forest that is as 

precious, sacred, and special as the Kaibab. 

To be a part of the management of natural 

resources on these lands gives employees an 

additional benefit to their daily work.” 

 – Richard E. Gonzalez, Forester

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“

• • •
Fuels Management

Treating buildups of 

hazardous forest fuels 

continues to be a priority for 

the Kaibab National Forest. 

In 2008, managers reduced 

fuel accumulations and fire 

hazard on 12,237 acres. Fuels 

treatments included broadcast 

burning, thinning, piling and 

pile burning.

Most of these acres were 

treated with broadcast 

burns lit under prescribed 

conditions. In 2008, 9,802 

acres were treated with 

broadcast burns. Over half of 

these acres—5,942—were in 

the wildland-urban interface 

(WUI), the areas where forest 

and communities meet. In 

addition to broadcast burning, 

managers also thinned 857 

acres, piled 923 acres of 

slash, and burned 655 acres 

of slash piles. The majority of 

treatments took place in the 

WUI, which will help protect 

residences and improvements 

on private lands as well as the 

watersheds and infrastructure 

on forest lands.

Many thinning and slash 

piling projects take place on the 

forest every year that are not 

primarily focused on reducing 

hazardous fuels. Their primary 

purpose may be to improve 

timber stands, wildlife habitat 

and range forage, but they 

have secondary benefits 

in reducing fuels and fire 

hazard. While achieving their 

primary purpose, they also 

make the forest more resistant 

to uncharacteristically severe 

wildfires. In 2008, 9,708 

acres were thinned and piled 

to improve forest resources 

while also reducing hazardous 

fuels. 

When weather and forest 

fuel moisture conditions 

are right, naturally ignited 

wildfires started by lightning 

can be managed to reduce fuels 

and accomplish other resource 

benefits. These fires typically 

burn at low intensities, with 

isolated pockets of moderate 

to intense fire behavior. They 

mimic the way fires burned on 

the forest prior to European 

settlement, thus returning 

fire to the landscape as a 

natural disturbance. In 2008, 

eight fires on the Kaibab were 

managed to meet such benefits, 

burning a total of 8,170 acres. 

The three largest were the 

Dutch Fire that treated 3,251 

acres on the Williams District, 

the Mill Fire that treated 1,710 

acres on the North Kaibab 

District, and the Twenty-Two 

Fire that treated 1,255 acres on 

the Tusayan District. 

All told, a total of 30,115 

acres of Kaibab National Forest 

lands received hazardous fuels 

reduction treatments in 2008.

“In fall the North Kaibab 

Ranger District is nothing 

short of magical when 

showers of golden 

aspen leaves tumble 

through the pines.”

Holly Kleindienst

Forest Fuels Specialist

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• • •

• • •

Aspen Restoration

Over the last 10 years, there has been a serious decline in aspen 

across the Kaibab National Forest. This decline is associated with 

extended drought and other environmental factors and has resulted in 60 to 95 percent mortality of low elevation (less than 

8,500 feet) aspen. This is of particular concern on the southern 

portion of the forest where aspen is limited in quantity and is 

often found in small, isolated patches. 

When aspen dies back, it attempts to develop new aspen by resprouting from 

the roots of the older trees. This is how aspen maintains its populations across 

the forest over time. Heavy elk and deer browsing on new aspen sprouts on 

the southern Kaibab National Forest has eliminated almost all of the new 

aspen sprouts that have attempted to develop in declining aspen stands. This 

has seriously impeded the ability of these declining stands to regenerate and 

perpetuate aspen across the forest. For these reasons, the forest is in danger of 

losing a significant portion of aspen in the south Kaibab.

The Kaibab National Forest is attempting to protect and restore aspen 

sites. There are two methods being used to maintain aspen on the landscape. 

One is to remove other tree species that exist within and around aspen sites. 

These other tree species compete with aspen for sunlight, nutrients and water. 

Their removal increases the vigor of aspen. This treatment is known as aspen 

release. The second method is to put up fenced enclosures around and within 

aspen sites. These enclosures keep elk and deer from entering the fenced areas 

and browsing down new aspen sprouts. This allows declining aspen stands to 

develop new regeneration, ensuring that they will continue to exist over time 

within these areas. After the developing aspen regeneration has reached 

a sufficient size to withstand repeated elk and deer browse, the fence 

may be removed. This may take 10 to 20 years. 

These treatments are needed in order to maintain aspen across our forest 

and preserve this desirable tree species for future generations and for the 

wildlife species that use them. In 2008, the Kaibab National Forest fenced 47 

acres of aspen. This included 12 separate fenced enclosures. Also, 8 acres of 

aspen release were accomplished.
Volunteers Contribute to Understanding 

of Prehistoric Peoples

Archeology is good dirty fun! Or so proclaims the bumper sticker on the truck owned by the 

Kaibab National Forest’s heritage program manager. And, many people seem to agree, if the 

volunteer turnout at this year’s Passport in Time project is any indication.

From September 21 to 27, 17 volunteers contributed 880 

hours to helping Forest Service archeologists understand 

more about the prehistoric people who lived in the lands 

south of the Grand Canyon that are now part of the Kaibab 

National Forest.

 Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer archeology and 

historic preservation program of the Forest Service. The 

goal of PIT is to preserve the Nation’s past with the help 

of the public. Volunteers work with professional Forest 

Service archeologists on diverse activities such as surveys 

and excavation, rock art restoration, historic structure 

restoration, analysis of artifacts, and more. 

 The Kaibab National Forest has hosted a PIT project 

annually for the last 18 years. Over those years, more than 

300 volunteers have contributed about 13,000 hours to the 

Kaibab heritage program. That equals more than six person 

years of work completed by volunteers. 

8

“

• • •

• • •

Kaibab National Forest is gracious to all who 

and use from its bounties. It takes care of us.” 
Local Group Receives

Archeological Award

The truth of archeology today is a far cry from the glamorous 

cinematic adventures of Indiana Jones. It’s often tedious 

work, under glaring sun, gusty winds, or blowing snow. 

Accommodations are often less than five-star.

But the work is critical to saving the Southwest’s rich archeological heritage. A 

local government-private-tribal partnership—of which the Kaibab National Forest 

is a part­—received the 2008 U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region’s Windows on 

the Past award for efforts to help professional archeologists protect the cultural 

resources of the Arizona Strip north of Grand Canyon. 

 The partnership is the Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance. A letter from 

the Forest Service’s Washington, DC, office stated that the alliance “leverages our 

ability to protect valuable resources, it engages 

the public and helps raise awareness of the 

importance of resource conservation.” The 

alliance was commended “for recognizing a 

need and seizing an opportunity.” 

 For additional information on the alliance 

and its many accomplishments, please visit 

www.grandcanyontrust.org/programs/

kane/kvcha.php.

Heritage

The Kaibab National Forest 

heritage program conducted 

more than 70 projects and 

surveyed 12,451 acres of 

forest land, recorded 134 

new National Register-eligible 

archeological sites, and 

monitored the condition of 

about 300 previously recorded 

sites in 2008. 

Five volunteer projects 

were accomplished including 

two Passport in Time 

projects. Passport in Time is 

a volunteer archeology and 

historic preservation program 

of the Forest Service. Other 

volunteer projects were the 

Saddle Mountain Wilderness 

Survey, the House Rock Valley 

Field School, and the Warm 

Fire Volunteer Archeological 

Survey. All told, 3,119 volunteer 

hours were contributed to the 

Kaibab National Forest heritage 

program in 2008.

The Kaibab heritage 

program also conducted 

a variety of outreach and 

preservation efforts. A total 

of 73 outreach programs was 

provided that reached 7,421 

participants. These included 

two children’s science fairs; 

four tours of Keyhole Sink, 

which is a prehistoric rock art 

site that has been developed 

into an interpretive hike for 

forest visitors; four lectures as 

part of archeology month in 

March; creation of a display in 

cooperation with the Coconino 

National Forest on the effects 

of wildland fire on cultural 

resources for the annual Arizona 

Archaeology Expo; participation 

in two conferences; and the 

sponsorship of a camp for kids 

from the Kaibab Paiute Tribe 

on the North Kaibab Ranger 

District. Preservation projects 

included maintenance and 

restoration work at Hull Cabin 

on the Tusayan Ranger District 

and Jacob Lake Cabin on the 

North Kaibab Ranger District; 

and, stabilization efforts at 

sites across the forest.

9

• • •

• • •

continue to gather, collect 

– Mae Franklin, Navajo Tribal Liaison
“The Kaibab is far from the bustle of civilized 

great slice of Arizona from the deserts to the 

starry skies, the intimate hidden hollows, and 

 

– 

Kaibab National Forest 

Receives Williams Alliance Award

The Kaibab National Forest was 

one of a few organizations and 

individuals honored in 2008 for 

making a difference to the children of 

Williams.

 Representatives of the Williams 

Elementary-Middle School (WEMS) 

and the Williams Alliance honored 

the Kaibab National Forest for 

its participation in the first-ever 

WEMS Science Camp. The Williams 

Alliance is a group of citizens and 

agencies organized to prevent and 

reduce substance use and abuse 

among youth.

 The WEMS Science Camp, which 

was held in late April, was designed 

to expose sixth graders to science in 

the Forest Service. Topics included 

fire, biology, recreation, archeology, 

timber and silviculture. Workshops 

were meant to be fun and interactive, 

giving students the opportunity to 

learn and experience science in the 

field. The science camp also allowed 

the kids to learn about potential 

careers with the Forest Service.

During summer 2008, the Kaibab National Forest 

was provided the opportunity to participate in 

Williams Project SOAR, an afterschool and summer 

enrichment program for children in grades 

kindergarten through third in the Williams area.

For each of the 4 weeks of the summer program, forest 

employees provided interactive presentations and handson field trips during which students learned about 

wildland fire, forest recreation, archeology, silviculture 

and wildlife.

 Examples of activities hosted by the Kaibab National 

Forest included an educational presentation on wetlands 

and aquatic ecosystems followed by an excursion to a 

local lake for fishing. Another week, the students learned about wildland fire 

and then got to tour a firefighter base with an engine, helicopter and other 

equipment.

 Forest resource specialists designed programs, activities and field trips 

with the goal of educating the kids and getting them involved with public 

land in their own backyards. From examining tree rings and going on an 

environmental scavenger hunt, to making traditional pottery and recognizing 

wildlife sign in the woods, the kids were able to get up close and personal to 

the resources of their local forest.

10

Williams Summer Program 

Valuable for Kids & Forest

Service Employees

• • •

• • •
 society, and represents a 

mountains. I love the dark 

the sweeping open vistas.” 

 Mikele Painter, Wildlife Biologist

“Do you know what Kaibab means?” asked Angie Bulletts, Kaibab 

Paiute Tribe member, as she addressed 20 youngsters from her tribe. 

“It means the mountain lying down. This mountain was named for us. 

We are the mountain lying down people, and although we live on the 

reservation today, this is where our people came from.”

The children were all guests at a campout hosted by 

the North Kaibab Ranger District in August. Amongst 

the tall ponderosa pines near Three Lakes 

Campground, volunteers and employees from 

the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, Grand Canyon Trust, 

Grand Canyon Association, Peregrine Fund, 

Arizona and Utah Bureau of Land Management 

and Kaibab National Forest provided tribal 

youth an opportunity to connect with their 

ancestral lands. 

 The children spent 3 days and 2 nights learning 

about forest and fire ecology, archeology, wildlife, and 

livestock wrangling, as well as participating in plant walks, a water quality study, 

orienteering and traditional Paiute crafts. 

 “One of the most popular events was dissecting owl pellets,” said Connie Reid 

Zweifel, North Kaibab Ranger District archeologist. “Owl pellets usually contain 

small bones from prey like mice and ground squirrels, and the kids found that 

fascinating.”

Kaibab National Forest 

Receives Hopi Foundation 

Certificate of Appreciation

The Kaibab National Forest was 

awarded a certificate of appreciation 

for forest employees’ contributions 

to the 2008 Hopi Food and 

Agricultural Symposium. 

Kaibab National Forest 

Archeologist Erin Woodard and 

student archeologists Sandra 

Coambs and Gabrielle RobinsonBajuscik provided assistance to 

the Hopi Foundation in setting up 

and managing the event. 

The 2-day Hopi Food and 

Agricultural Symposium addressed 

the changing agricultural traditions 

of the Hopi culture. To thank 

the Kaibab National Forest for 

its support, the Hopi Foundation 

presented the archeologists with 

a beautiful piece of Hopi artwork, 

which is now displayed at the 

Williams Ranger District office. 

Kaibab National Forest Awards $500 

Scholarship to High School Senior

The Kaibab National Forest 

Employees’ Association awarded its 

2008 scholarship to Williams High 

School senior Lani Bilharz. The $500 

scholarship is awarded annually to 

a local area senior showing interest 

in the environment, public service 

and/or a career in the natural or 

physical sciences. 

Each year, the scholarship winner 

is chosen on the basis of a submitted 

resume and essay. For more than 10 

years, the employees of the Kaibab 

National Forest have raised funds to 

support the scholarship program. 

Forest Renews Agreement 

with Kaibab Paiute Tribe

Ona Segundo, the Kaibab Paiute 

Tribe chairwoman, and members 

of the Kaibab National Forest 

leadership team commemorated 

the renewal of a memorandum of 

understanding (MOU) between the 

forest and the tribe this summer in 

Kanab, Utah.

The MOU, which was first signed 

in 2002, is a formal agreement 

that clarifies how the Kaibab 

National Forest and Kaibab Paiute 

Tribe cooperate with each other 

on cultural, economic and land 

management issues.

With the renewal of the MOU, 

Kaibab National Forest managers 

hope to build on the strong 

relationship that has developed 

with the tribe over the last decade. 

“The document is symbolic of our 

commitment to work together,” said 

Forest Tribal Liaison Mike Lyndon. 

11

Kaibab National Forest Hosts

Camp for Tribal Youth

• • •

• • •
Wildland Fire Pilot Program

For the 2008 season, the Kaibab National Forest was one of two forests in the Southwestern Region selected 

to participate in a pilot program to test proposed changes to the Federal Wildland Fire Implementation Policy, 

2003. The Kaibab was chosen in part because of its proactive wildland fire management program. Since 2003, 

the Kaibab National Forest has managed 52 fires for natural resource benefits on more than 54,000 acres. 

The guidelines of the pilot program gave fire managers authority and flexibility to implement a full range of management options on lightning-started fires. Specifically, two of these management options were being able to manage a 

fire for more than one objective and having more than 8 hours to plan which management strategy to implement.

Under the old policy, once a fire was called “suppression” or “wildland fire use,” the objective could not change. 

Under the pilot program, fire and land managers had the flexibility to change strategies throughout the incident in 

order to best meet resource objectives. Managing a fire for more than one objective makes sense because fires often 

burn across the landscape at varying intensity levels, in different vegetation types, and near various values at risk, all 

of which requires a full spectrum of management options.

In addition, under the old policy, management decisions had to be made within 8 hours of the initial size-up of a 

fire. Under the pilot program, fire managers were able to monitor new fires while evaluating their potential for growth 

and resource benefit. Under the old policy, many fires that could have provided great benefits to forest resources 

would have been suppressed due to the 8-hour time limit. 

Throughout the 2008 fire season, fire managers tested changes to the current policy on about 10 fires. Among these 

new starts, several notable fires emerged including the 10,778-acre Marteen Fire and 473-acre Oak Fire on the Williams 

Ranger District, the 747-acre Newt Fire on the Tusayan Ranger District, and the 1,710-acre Mill Fire on the North Kaibab 

Ranger District. These fires were successfully managed from July through December, and consequently, more than 

13,000 acres benefited from fire’s natural disturbance, necessary in a fire-adapted ecosystem. 

12

• • •

• • •

Fire ManagemenT

Total Number of Fires 

Total Acres Burned by Suppression Fires 

Human-Caused Fires 

Human-Caused Acres 
X Fire

The X Fire started from an abandoned campfire on April 29 and was 

driven by strong winds to more than 2,000 acres on the Tusayan 

Ranger District despite the height of the fire season still being many 

weeks away.

Immediate concerns included public safety, threats to private property at TenX Ranch, a campground, State Route 64, a major powerline adjacent to the 

highway, and the community of Tusayan. It seemed highly plausible that the 

fire’s rapid spread to the northeast would eventually cross the boundary of 

Kaibab National Forest into Grand Canyon National Park, thus putting many 

other values at risk. 

Despite these challenges, firefighters quickly began to gain the upper 

hand on the X Fire that very first night, and it grew only negligibly for the rest 

of its existence. A huge factor in this successful suppression effort actually 

took place months and years prior to the fire itself. 

For a number of years, forest managers had been implementing fuels reduction projects—such as thinning and prescribed burning—across many 

areas of the Tusayan Ranger District, with a special focus on protecting the 

community of Tusayan. Had these efforts not taken place, the outcome of the 

X Fire could have been much different.

Rural Communities Fuels 

Management Partnership

The Rural Communities Fuels 

Management Partnership continued advancing its mission of 

reducing the threat of fire on private 

property near the Williams Ranger 

District of the Kaibab National 

Forest. In addition to the Kaibab, the 

partnership includes the Arizona 

State Forestry Division, Coconino 

County, local fire departments, the 

City of Williams, the University of 

Arizona, and Northern Arizona 

University’s Ecological Restoration 

Institute.

The partnership secures 

funding through grants and assists 

landowners with assessments 

and treatments on their property 

for purposes of forest health 

improvement and wildland fire risk 

reduction. In 2008, the partnership 

accomplished treatments on 94 

acres and involved 46 landowners 

in thinning projects. Since its 

inception in 2001, the partnership 

has treated more than 1,300 acres. 

13

• • •

• • •

246 146 202 276 152 225 159 118

1,670 5,856 95 706 755 42,189 9,573 2,160

44 35 24 27 21 21 32 25

436 123 14 196 88 7 27 2,070

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Youth Conservation Corps

Through a partnership with the 

Coconino Rural Environment 

Corps, the Kaibab National Forest 

hosted eight high school students 

for 6 weeks over the summer as 

part of a paid educational work 

program. The Youth Conservation 

Corps members earned money 

while learning about public lands 

and conservation, experiencing 

firsthand a future career possibility, and completing work projects 

that benefited myriad forest 

resources. Major accomplishments 

included fencing aspen stands 

to aid in regeneration, assisting 

in re-routing of the popular Bill 

Williams Trail, and working to 

repair fencing at historic Spring 

Valley Cabin.

Recreation Facilities Receive Facelift

In 2008, many improvements 

were made to Kaibab National 

Forest recreation facilities.

The biggest undertaking was 

reconstruction of the Jacob Lake 

Campground on the North Kaibab 

Ranger District. This popular 

campground was made accessible 

for people with disabilities and 

more accommodating to larger 

recreational vehicles and trailers. 

The Jacob Lake Campground 

reconstruction included a new 

design, construction of 41 

new sites, installation of new 

bathrooms, and the reclamation 

of old sites and roads. The 

campground was closed for 2 

seasons to allow for the work. 

All campsites are now fully 

accessible per the Americans with 

Disabilities Act. Also, a larger 

number of sites are now available 

for recreational vehicles and large 

trailers.

Other Recreation Facilities 

Upgrades Included the Following:

• Spring Valley Cabin on the 

Williams Ranger District, which 

is part of the Forest Service’s 

cabin rental program, received an 

intensive cleaning, and all carpeting and linoleum were replaced 

with laminate flooring. Also, the 

cabin deck was repainted.

• Hull Cabin on the Tusayan 

Ranger District, which is expected 

to eventually be added to the cabin 

rental program, was thoroughly 

cleaned, old furniture and 

appliances were removed, and the 

interior was painted. The cabin 

was re-roofed using fire-resistant 

shingles.

• The Dogtown Lake Campground 

group site received a new retaining 

wall and improved drainage 

capacity.

• White Horse Lake and Kaibab 

Lake Campgrounds received new 

restroom facility doors.

• Swing gates were installed to 

allow day use at campgrounds.

Kaibab National Forest

Hosts Successful National

Trails Day Event

The second annual National Trails Day event on the Kaibab National 

Forest proved to be a success, with about 16 volunteers participating to 

improve one of the forest’s most popular trails.

Volunteers installed drainages, cleared vegetation and improved the hiking 

surface of Bill Williams Mountain Trail on the forest’s Williams Ranger District 

June 7. 

 “The 2008 National Trails Day 

event was really something the 

whole community can be proud 

of,” said Sean Murphy, a recreation 

specialist for the Kaibab National 

Forest and the National Trails Day 

event coordinator. “The volunteers 

accomplished quality work that will 

help maintain the trail and protect 

the watershed.”

14

• • •

• • •
Tribal Relations

During 2008, the Kaibab National Forest 

continued its efforts to build strong, 

mutually beneficial relationships 

with area tribes, conduct meaningful 

consultation with tribal governments and 

effective scoping of tribal communities, 

and conduct outreach to underserved 

tribal communities.

Major tribal relations accomplishments included the following:

• The forest worked with the Havasupai 

Tribe and Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians 

to successfully renew memoranda of 

understanding (MOU). The forest now 

has an MOU with the Havasupai Tribe, 

Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe and Kaibab 

Band of Paiute Indians and is currently 

developing a draft memorandum with 

the Navajo Nation.

• The forest hosted its second annual 

intertribal gathering in Williams. The 

intertribal gathering is an opportunity 

for the forest and tribes to discuss 

projects and issues. 

• The forest hosted a kids’ camp 

in partnership with the Kaibab Band 

of Paiute Indians. Approximately 20 

children, mostly tribal members, 

attended the campout and participated 

in a variety of environmental education 

activities. 

• In collaboration with several tribes, 

the forest developed training for forest 

employees on policies related to the 

collection of medicinal, ceremonial and 

traditional resources by tribal members. 

• The Kaibab National Forest was 

awarded certificates of appreciation 

by both the Hopi and Hualapai Tribes 

for conducting educational outreach to 

tribal youth. 

• Forest employees conducted field 

training for staff of the Hualapai Tribe 

Department of Cultural Resources in GPS/

GIS methods, pedestrian archeological 

surveys, and I-Mobile archeological site 

recording. 

Range and Watershed Management

Range Management:

• The Kaibab National Forest 

administrated 31 grazing allotments in 

2008. Forage production was good due to 

consistent moisture in most areas. 

• Forest managers completed three 

range allotment National Environmental 

Policy Act projects in 2008 – Pine Creek, 

7CBar and Twin Tanks. These projects 

included new allotment management 

plans and range permits.

• New monitoring protocols were 

established to better determine range 

and watershed conditions and trends. 

These new methods provide a statistically 

reliable data set to compare with historic 

information.

Fire Rehabilitation:

• Forest managers treated 1,200 acres in 

the area burned by the Slide Fire on the 

North Kaibab Ranger District. Treatments 

included reseeding, establishing erosion 

control, fence repair, stock tank cleanout, and 

eradicating noxious weeds. New monitoring 

sites were also established to monitor the 

effectiveness of the treatments. 

• In the Warm Fire area on the North 

Kaibab Ranger District, forest managers 

worked on flood prevention 

in Trail Canyon, treated 90 

acres of noxious weeds, and 

planted 1,589 acres of pine 

seedlings. 

Noxious Weeds:

• The forest was very active 

in inventorying and treating 

noxious and invasive weeds. 

The forest teamed with 

the Arizona Game and 

Fish Department and the 

Arizona Department of 

Transportation to treat 1,458 

acres of weeds.

Agra-Axe Treatments:

• One of the best watershed 

improvement tools on the forest is 

cutting pinyon and juniper trees 

on historic grasslands with AgraAxe clippers on small skid-steers. A 

total of 2,351 acres of grasslands was 

maintained using this technique and 

the efforts of forest employees, Arizona 

Game and Fish Department employees, 

and range permittees.

Timber

The timber program is an integral part 

of the Kaibab National Forest’s efforts 

in fuels reduction, forest health, wildlife 

habitat enhancement, and watershed improvement. Timber sales are an efficient 

way to accomplish needed thinning and 

other treatments by capitalizing on the 

value of the wood removed. 

South Zone:

On the Williams and Tusayan districts, the 

timber sales program was up slightly over 

2007. New projects awarded in 2008 were 

the Government Hill #2 Timber Sale and 

the Elk Springs Stewardship Contract. The 

contracts are the final two to be awarded 

under the Spring Valley Fuels Reduction 

Project, which began in 2001. The 2008 

contracts will treat 1,512 acres of forest 

and produce 18,039 CCF (hundred cubic 

feet) of wood for local markets. In 2008, 

logging of contracts awarded in prior 

years resulted in the treatment of about 

1,200 acres of forest and provided 10,247 

CCF (around 5 million board feet) of 

commercial wood products.

In addition to the large timber sales 

program, the South Zone sold 514 

cords of pinyon/juniper commercial 

firewood to accomplish range, wildlife 

and watershed objectives on 200 acres 

in pinyon/juniper woodlands. Another 

4,654 cords of firewood were provided 

for personal use to meet local home 

heating needs. Permits were also sold 

for Christmas trees (1,200 permits), 

fence posts, pine poles, decorative wood, 

wilding transplants, and pine cones.

North Zone:

The 2006 Warm Fire created the need 

for timber salvage and/or tree planting 

on many acres. The ongoing integrated 

resource timber contract, called the 

North Kaibab Hazard Tree Removal 

Stewardship Contract, was awarded in 

fiscal year 2007 but continued in 2008 

to remove fire-killed merchantable 

sawtimber along Forest Service roads. 

The contract is designed to provide 

more than 11,700 CCF of merchantable 

sawtimber to local markets while treating 

hazard trees along 80 miles of roads and 

about 14 miles of the Arizona Trail. 

The FR641U/225 Hazard Tree Salvage 

timber sale contract was offered and 

awarded in 2008. It will result in the 

removal of 381 CCF of Warm Fire-killed 

hazard trees on 62 acres along about 

2 miles of forest roads. Another sale 

contract awarded in 2008 provided 9 CCF 

of timber removed during the Jacob Lake 

Campground Reconstruction project. 

Finally, the Fracas Timber Sale contract 

involves treating 675 acres to improve 

wildlife habitat and reduce fuels while 

providing an estimated 1,537 CCF of 

volume.

The local mill in Fredonia flourished 

with the wood fiber generated from 

the North Zone, while other local mills 

and operators also benefited. Several 

new private wood industry jobs were 

created, and there is local optimism that 

the North Zone can continue to provide 

a sustainable and responsible flow of 

wood products while performing sound 

ecosystem vegetation management 

treatments.

Other wood products sold from the 

North Zone included:

• Personal use dead firewood: 

3,532 cords

• Posts and poles: 78 CCF plus 

80 juniper posts

• Free use green pinyon pine and 

juniper firewood: 336 cords

• Ceremonial free use dead oak: 

17 cords

• Personal use Christmas trees: 

942 trees

• Commercial Christmas trees: 

222 trees

• Green blue spruce cones: 

1,354 bushels 

15
Budget & Expenditures Fiscal Year 2008

Fire Preparedness, $3,518,830

Administration, $1,964,326

Other, $1,242,490

Timber, $2,178,369

Road Maintenance, $1,200,000

Fuels, $1,118,860

Recreation, $816,564

Facility Maintenance, $555,756

Vegetative Treatment, $210,000

Lands and Minerals, $446,000

Wildlife, $322,000

Range, $265,067

Forest Planning, $826,000

Trails, $113,062

Total Budget, $14,777,324

e-mail: 

mailroom_r3_kaibab@fs.fed.us

web site: 

www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai

Kaibab National Forest 

Headquarters

Mike Williams 

Forest Supervisor

800 S. 6th Street

Williams, AZ 86046

(928) 635-8200

North Kaibab Ranger District

Tim Short, District Ranger

P.O. Box 248

Fredonia, AZ 86022

(928) 643-7395

Williams Ranger District

Martie Schramm

District Ranger

742 S. Clover Road

Williams, AZ 86046

(928) 635-5600

Tusayan Ranger District 

District Ranger 

P.O. Box 3088 

Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 

(928) 638-2443

CONTACT US

Forest Service Employees Replant

90 Acres a Day To Regenerate

Forest Growth

After the 2006 Warm Fire burned 58,000 acres of forest, some of them intensely, forest employees 

immediately recognized the importance of implementing an intensive regeneration project. 

Thanks to a $75,000 donation from the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf 

Program, a total matched by the Forest Service, 450,000 ponderosa 

pine and Douglas-fir seedlings were planted 

in only 16 days in the late spring. 

This replanting initiative 

will provide numerous 

benefits to the forest, 

including soil erosion 

prevention, habitat 

regrowth and eventual 

timber harvesting. 

24%

2%

2%

6%

1%

13%

8%

15%

8%

1%

4%

6%

8%

3%

Special thanks to Daniel “Buzz” Gonzalez and Nathan Sermonis for photography.

each icon = one percent

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