Forest Service

Southwestern

Region

USDA

United States

Department of

Agriculture

I came to the Kaibab National Forest as Forest Supervisor in late 2001. From the moment 

I arrived, I knew this forest was a very special 

place that I would be in no hurry to leave. One 

memory that really stands out for me is the first 

visit I made to the Kaibab Plateau on our North 

Kaibab Ranger District during my first spring 

here. The plateau, which is part of the larger 

Colorado Plateau, is bordered on the south by 

the Grand Canyon and reaches an elevation of 

more than 9,200 feet. For people who live on 

or near the plateau, for those who have discovered the secret and visit frequently, and even 

for the people who have visited only once, I 

don’t have to tell you of its spectacular beauty 

and diversity. If you haven’t been there yet, I 

have only one word of advice: “Go!”

As I reflect on our accomplishments during 

2007, I can’t help but think of the reason behind all the hard work we do. That reason is the 

land itself. Despite the challenges and frustrations that inevitably accompany any job, the 

employees of the Kaibab National Forest continue to perform their duties commendably for 

one basic reason. They love the land. Oh, they 

may not say it quite that way if you ask them, 

but they do. They know that many of you do 

too.

As we enter 2008, which is the centennial 

year for the Kaibab National Forest, we want 

to hear what you love about the land. Maybe 

for you, it’s the flowing water at Sycamore Falls 

during monsoon season. Or, maybe it’s the unending view from Grandview Lookout on our 

Tusayan Ranger District. Or, perhaps you share 

my love for the Kaibab Plateau. Whatever it is, 

we hope you will share it with us, along with a 

special moment you have spent in that locale.

Help us celebrate our 100 years as the Kaibab National Forest in 2008! Share your special 

place and/or moment on the Kaibab with us 

by sending a letter to Kaibab National Forest, 

c/o Public Affairs, 800 S. 6th St., Williams, AZ 

86046. Or, you can simply visit our website at 

www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai and provide your input 

there.

We look forward to your continuing support 

of and interest in the land of the Kaibab National Forest.

Sincerely,

Mike Williams

Kaibab National Forest Supervisor

The Kaibab Plateau 

“is bordered on the 

south by the Grand 

Canyon and reaches 

an elevation of more 

than 9,200 feet... If you 

haven’t been there yet, 

I have only one word 

of advice: ‘Go!’”

The One, The Only, 

Kaibab! 2007 Accomplishments
Heritage

During fiscal year 2007, the Heritage program 

worked on a wide array of projects. There were 70 

projects conducted to comply with Section 106 

of the National Historic Preservation Act in support of other forest functions such as special uses, 

minerals, timber, range and fire. As a result, more 

than 26,000 acres were surveyed and 233 new 

heritage resource sites were recorded. Of those 

newly recorded resources, 37 sites were evaluated 

as eligible for inclusion on the National Register of 

Historic Places. Also, 74 previously recorded sites 

were re-evaluated and 341 sites received protection measures or were monitored. 

The Heritage staff provided support and resource 

counsel on nine prescribed fires, three wildland 

fire use fires, and two wildfires and conducted a 

Burned Area Emergency Response analysis for the 

Slide Fire on the North Kaibab Ranger District. The 

Heritage program monitored 206 sites, along with 

22 National Register eligible sites managed as Heritage Priority Assets; conducted four site protection 

and site stabilization projects; erected one display; 

conducted four training classes for Site Stewards 

and fire managers; and provided 36 outreach/interpretation programs. 

In collaboration with the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department Traditional Culture 

Program, the forest’s tribal relations liaison began 

developing a Memorandum of Understanding 

between the Kaibab National Forest and Navajo 

Nation. The forest also held its first-ever Intertribal 

Gathering, which included forest managers and 

representatives from eight tribal nations. 

Rural Communities Fuels Management

The Rural Communities Fuels Management 

Partnership (RCFMP) accomplishment reached an 

Historic Anita Mine Explored

The historic Anita copper mine just south of the Grand Canyon 

has been an enigma for many years. Abandoned in 1905, the mine shaft 

was purported to be 540 feet straight down!

On April 25, a hot and dusty spring day, Dennis Smith, from the Georgetown 

Ranger District in northern California, brought equipment allowing Kaibab National 

Forest archaeologist Neil Weintraub to view the interior of the mine shaft. There was quite 

a bit of excitement and conjecture as the barrier fence was peeled away, the equipment set 

up and the camera slowly lowered into the shaft.

The original timber lining for the shaft was in excellent shape as was the ladder the miners 

used to descend to work. As the camera reached the 133 foot depth, the timber gave way 

to bare rock and the ladder ended. The camera continued descending and at the 233 foot 

depth showed several adits (horizontal mine openings) that the light could not penetrate. 

Eventually, the camera picked up blurry shapes and bumped to a halt on the bottom – 460 

feet down. As the camera was rotated, it was clear that it hung directly in the middle of the 

shaft. Bits of support timber, broken rock and ventilation pipe were piled on the ground.

Dust drifted past the camera giving the image a ghostly, 

underwater look as the rock walls drifted by. 
unprecedented level in 2007. In addition to the 

Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National 

Forest, this partnership includes Arizona State Land 

Department, Coconino County, local fire departments, City of Williams, Arizona State University 

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 wildfire risk reduction. 

In 2007, the record accomplishment of 614 acres 

was largely due to the partnership being able to 

respond to forest health funds that became available late in the year. Contracts were quickly put 

together for thinning approximately 350 acres, including 320 acres of State Trust Lands adjacent to 

the Sherwood Forest Estates subdivision.

One of the primary objectives of the partnership 

is for fuels reduction treatments on public lands 

and private lands to complement each other. The 

320 acres of State Trust Lands that were treated 

add an important layer of protection to the Sherwood Forest Estates subdivision. This was possible 

only because the partnership was in place and its 

members are committed to doing whatever is necessary to take advantage of opportunities. 

International Rotarians Explore Forest

The Williams Chapter of Rotary International 

hosted a Group Study Exchange (GSE) of five businesspeople from the Mexican states of Puebla, 

Guerrero and Oaxaca, who were treated to a tour 

of the Kaibab National Forest. The GSE program 

is designed to develop professional and leadership 

skills among young people by exposing them to 

different cultures and experiences.

The group toured several special areas on the 

forest May 16 including Kaibab Lake Campground, 

the Williams and Forest Service Visitor Center, the 

Bill Williams Mountain fire lookout tower, and 

a prehistoric archaeological site near Sitgreaves 

Mountain. 

It was in the early 1990s when the Kaibab National Forest 

 and Hualapai Tribe realized that establishing a relationship 

was important because of shared areas and issues 

of concern on the forest’s Williams and Tusayan 

Ranger Districts. 

That agreement was officially recognized June 26 

on the Hualapai Reservation in Peach Springs, 

Ariz., when representatives of each group sat 

together in an informal round-table setting to 

sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

It’s been almost a decade since the Kaibab and 

Hualapai began working on the MOU, which 

outlines specific issues they will converse with 

 one another about, such as land boundaries, use of 

 resources, projects and sensitivity to the traditions and 

 sacred areas of the Hualapai. 

Honoring Heritage

The agreement “formalizes the relationship between the Kaibab 

National Forest and tribe and our respect for each other.

– Loretta Jackson-Kelly, Tribal historic preservation officer

”

Kaibab National Forest and Hualapai Tribe Establish MOU
Fired Up About Wildfire Research

As the Ecological Restoration Institute of Northern Arizona University releases 

new research on fire ecology collected from the Tusayan Ranger District of the 

Kaibab National Forest, managers are assessing the forest’s current management 

plan to accommodate the new science, which could lead to healthier forests.

The Forest Service-sponsored study, led by Dr. David Huffman, revealed that 

historical forest patterns on the Tusayan district’s pinyon-juniper woodlands – 

forests dominated by pinyon pines and juniper trees – were much different 

than the state of the forest today. Unlike current conditions, historical wildfires 

were more frequent in the area, and forests exhibited a more diverse mosaicpatterned landscape. 

In the research paper, Huffman’s team gives some suggestions on how 

to manage in-line with the historic state of the pinyon-juniper woodlands, 

saying, “Ecological restoration treatments at Tusayan would likely 

include targeted reduction in overstory tree density and periodic 

application of fire.”

Wildlife

On the North Kaibab district, the fence around 

Frank’s Lake was reconstructed to exclude livestock 

grazing and protect a geologic-botanical area. This 

project maximized vegetative diversity for cover 

and forage for a range of wildlife including invertebrates, small mammals, birds and forest bats. 

As part of the West Side Habitat Improvement 

Project on the North Kaibab district, tree cover was 

reduced, which will enhance grass, forb and shrub 

growth. Over many years, pinyon and juniper trees 

have invaded the grassland, which is located in key 

mule deer winter habitat. The project is intended 

to remove many of the encroaching trees in order 

to improve wildlife habitat. 

In order to improve access to water for the 

Kaibab deer herd, four tanks were installed at key 

locations on the North Kaibab district. The tank 

locations were selected to expand habitat within 

the winter range for the herd. Cumulatively, these 

waters greatly expand accessible habitat during 

the most nutritionally-limited season. 

Efforts are continuing to establish a self-sustaining 

population of northern leopard frogs on the North 

Kaibab district. Kaibab National Forest biologists 

are working with the Arizona Game and Fish 

Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

in their efforts to aid local recovery of the species. 

An agreement was initiated with the Rocky 

Mountain Bird Observatory to aid forest biologists 

in surveying nearly all nesting land birds and 

squirrels across the forested vegetation types of 

the Kaibab National Forest. This information allows 

biologists to assess trends, respond to questions 

regarding species status and assist in making 

better-informed management decisions. 

Seven historic nest areas on the Tusayan district 

and 15 on the Williams district were surveyed to 

determine if goshawks were occupying them. The 

goshawk is a Forest Service Sensitive Species 

Shared Fire Organization

During 2007, implementation of a shared fire organization between the North Kaibab Ranger 

District and the North District of Grand Canyon National Park officially began. The shared fire 

organization is totally integrated across the administrative boundaries of the two agencies. 

National Park Service and Forest Service firefighters work side-by-side on fire suppression, 

prescribed burning, wildland fire use, and other park and forest projects. The shared fire 

organization represents a new level of effectiveness and efficiency in meeting fire management 

goals for both agencies.

Protecting 
Due to post-settlement fire exclusion, the forests have changed 

dramatically and become extremely susceptible to destructive 

large-scale, high-intensity fires that threaten homes and 

devastate landscapes. This research provides justification 

for practices like prescribed burning and wildland fire use 

to maintain safer, more natural ecosystems.

2001

246

1,670

44

436

2002

146

5,856

35

123

2003

193

95

24

14

2004

266

706

27

196

2005

140

755

21

88

2006

216

42,189

21

7

2007

254

9,573

32

27

Total# of suPpression fires

total acres burned

by suPpression fires

person-caused fires

person-caused acres

 Ecosystems

and a Kaibab National Forest Management 

Indicator Species.

Winter Recreation Task Force

The Northern Arizona Winter Recreation Task 

Force was formed by several local agencies and 

organizations to address the growing demand for 

snow play areas in northern Arizona. 

On any given holiday or weekend when the 

Northland has snow on the ground, thousands of 

Valley residents make the trek up to join locals in 

the search for fun in the snow. When they don’t 

know where to go or they find their favorite 

snow play area already filled to capacity, they often 

turn to the closest alternative, which may be 

dangerously close to roadways or on privatelyowned property. 

Representatives from the Forest Service, Coconino 

County, City of Flagstaff, Department of Public 

Safety, Arizona Department of Transportation, 

Recreation Resource Management, Arizona Snowbowl, Flagstaff Nordic Center and other interested 

private and public entities first gathered together 

in 2005 to begin tackling the growing safety and 

sanitation problems associated with snow play. 

The Northern Arizona Winter Recreation Task 

Force seeks to provide a spectrum of winter 

recreation opportunities for northern Arizona 

residents and those visiting the area. To that end, 

the task force is working on many proposals for 

additional snow play areas. One success story of 

the task force is the concessionaire-run snow play 

area at Wing Mountain. To provide your input and 

ideas on winter recreation in northern Arizona, visit 

www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/winter-task-force.

Recreation Facilities

The freshly renovated DeMotte Campground on 

the North Kaibab Ranger District was reopened to 

the public in 2007 in time for Memorial Day crowds 

to enjoy the expanded campground. The new 

campground has 38 campsites, all of which are 

compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act 

and most of which are RV-accessible. The renovation 

also included a new amphitheater and restrooms. 

Also on the North Kaibab district, Jacob Lake 

Campground closed in 2007 and construction 

began, with the goal of providing this heavily-used 

facility with a face lift. New toilets were installed at 

Kaibab Lake Campground on the Williams Ranger 

District, along with stations for the disposal of 

fishing line. The stations, which were donated by 

the Arizona Game and Fish Department, were 

placed strategically around the lake and will help 

protect wildlife while aiding local recycling efforts. 
Timber

The purpose of the timber sale program on the 

Kaibab National Forest is to provide a tool for 

accomplishing vegetation management prescriptions in a cost-efficient manner to meet various 

land management objectives. Objectives include 

fuels reduction, forest health, wildlife habitat 

improvement and watershed improvement. 

South Zone: The South Zone experienced 

continued success in 2007 in its timber sale 

program, and that is resulting in much-needed 

treatments occurring on the ground. Three large 

timber contracts were offered and awarded that 

will accomplish treatments on the Spring Valley 

Fuels Reduction Project, the Elk/Lee Project, the 

Government Vegetation Treatment Project, and 

the Frenchy Vegetation Management Project. 

Total wood volume awarded was 21,507 CCF 

(hundred cubic feet). This is equivalent to 11 million 

board feet and is an increase of 8 percent over 

2006. Added to what was already under contract 

from fiscal year 2006, the South Zone had a total 

of 42,782 CCF of wood under contract at the end 

of fiscal year 2007. More importantly, the removal 

of this wood will thin or otherwise treat 6,063 acres 

of forest to desired prescriptions (3,103 acres for 

sales sold in fiscal year 2007). 

Timber managers used a new contracting tool – 

the Integrated Resource Timber Contract, commonly referred to as a Stewardship Contract. By 

using this contract, the forest was able to trade the 

value of timber cut to accomplish additional work 

within the contract area at the same time. On the 

Horse Pine Stewardship contract, 2,334 acres will 

be commercially thinned, and, using the value of 

the timber removed, a minimum of 1,400 acres 

will be non-commercially treated to enhance 

wildlife habitat. 

Kaibab biologists are looking forward to 

unlocking the secrets of the forest’s 

precious bird populations. This 

survey data will help establish 

a better understanding of these 

communities and with it – the 

means to a better forest. 

Uplifting Spirits
Inspiring

Discovery

The South Zone sold 343 CCF of pinyon/juniper 

fuelwood to accomplish range, wildlife and 

watershed objectives on 172 acres. Another 4,171 

cords of fuelwood 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: Despite the continuing decline of 

forest product markets in the area, the North Zone 

timber program strived to provide wood products 

to the local community, improve public safety and 

perform sustainable ecosystem management, 

including the improvement of wildlife habitat. 

The 2006 Warm Fire created the need for timber 

salvage on many acres. Due to rapid deterioration 

of the merchantable timber, the district launched 

two vegetation management environmental planning 

efforts. The district completed an environmental 

assessment document entitled “Hazard Tree 

Removal along Highways and Forest System Roads 

and Trails in the 2006 Warm Fire.” The resulting 

project provided for removing roadside hazard 

trees on more than 50 miles of Forest Service roads 

accessible to the public, including several miles of 

burned hazard trees along highways 67 and 89A. 

In addition, the Stewardship Contract provided for 

removing burned hazard trees from along approximately 10 miles of the popular Arizona Trail. The 

contract was designed to provide for the value of 

the salvaged timber to be traded for essential 

service work consisting of felling and slash treatment of non-merchantable road and trail side 

hazard trees on approximately 1,700 acres along 

the corridors of the same roads and trails where 

salvage logging was planned. The second large 

environmental planning effort launched in fiscal 

year 2007 was the Warm Fire Recovery Environmental Impact Statement. The purpose and need 

for the Warm Fire Recovery Project is to: Recover 

the economic value from the burned timber; 

Reforest burned conifer stands and move toward 

longer-term desired conditions; Break up fuel 

continuity in the burned area.

The Fracas Timber Sale was offered in 2007 as an 

implementation tool for the Fracas Wildlife Habitat 

Improvement Project. The Fracas project is expected 

to generate approximately 1,530 CCF of commercial 

sawtimber volume from about 675 acres. The 

objectives of the project are to improve wildlife 

habitat, decrease the risk of stand-replacing 

wildfire, reduce insect infestation and disease, and 

enhance the health of aspen stands. 

Many people have come to know 

and love the Kaibab National Forest 

for its scenic mountain views, gorgeous 

ponderosa pine forests and popular 

fishing tanks, but few have discovered 

one of the forest’s most beautiful gems – 

the Sycamore Rim Trail.

Nestled away in the southeastern part 

of the forest’s Williams Ranger District, 

the 11-mile-trail offers access to the 

wonderful contrast of hidden 

waterfalls and canyons against a 

backdrop of expansive forests 

and prairies. Pomeroy Tanks, 

Sycamore Falls, Paradise Forks, 

Dow Spring and Sycamore 

Canyon seem to appear 

out of nowhere as you 

walk along the trail 

under towering 

ponderosa pines.

Bird Research Aids Forest Management

Understanding forest health is quite an abstract idea, but 

thanks to the efforts of science, Forest Service personnel at the 

Kaibab National Forest are able to assess the ecological health 

of the forest by monitoring select wildlife species – called 

Management Indicator Species (MIS) – around the forest.

Beginning in 2005, the Kaibab’s wildlife biology team started 

surveying for MIS in accordance with the National Forest 

Management Act that requires the monitoring of MIS in order 

to understand how management actions are affecting forest 

health and wildlife populations. 

Species designated as MIS are those that thrive in healthy 

ecosystems and are very responsive to environmental changes. 

Such characteristics make these species good representatives 

of an entire forest community. By tracking changes in MIS 

populations, biologists and forest managers can judge the 

health of the ecosystem and project changes in associated 

wildlife populations and plant communities.

On the Kaibab National Forest, biologists are largely focused 

on bird tracking and some small mammal monitoring. As it 

turns out, birds are often good MIS because they are closely 

tied to habitat type. Changes in the habitat typically lead to 

noticeable changes in bird populations, informing managers 

that something is awry.
Youth Conservation Corps

From the hallways of high school to the outdoors of 

Arizona, they’re taking on the challenges of education 

one textbook and one handsaw at a time – they 

are the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC).

For the last three years, the Kaibab National 

Forest has been working in conjunction with the 

Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) running 

the YCC as a paid educational work program for 

high school students aged 15 to 18. According 

to Matt Mrazek, youth programs coordinator 

for CREC, the YCC introduces young adults to 

conservation as a career while educating them on 

the “hows” and “whys” of conservation projects 

around the forest.

Over a seven week period, YCC crews attend 

expert-taught, professional training programs and 

conduct various projects around the forest including 

work in silviculture, range management, recreation 

and fire management. Focused on completing 

important work around the Kaibab National Forest 

while also educating students about the natural 

world, the YCC has been a great asset to the Forest 

Service and aspiring young conservationists. 

Range

North Zone: Fire rehabilitation and non-native 

weed treatments were the focus of the 2007 North 

Zone Range program. Monitoring and assessment 

of the 2006 Warm Fire Burned Area Emergency 

Rehabilitation Plan began in March and will be 

ongoing for several years. With assistance from the 

Arizona Game and Fish Department, Grand Canyon 

Trust and other interested groups, the North Kaibab 

district was able to determine the areas that were 

recovering adequately in the Warm Fire area and 

those that would need additional rehabilitation. 

The monitoring focused on watershed health and 

Expa 

“We’ve had a lot of issues with motorized incursions 

into this trail system. This group’s hard work repairing 

the damage and improving the signing will make for 

a better user experience and is much appreciated. 

– Deirdre McLaughlin, Recreation Forester 

”
Kaibab National Forest Trails Program

Fiscal year 2007 was a year of new events, partners and major construction for the Kaibab National Forest trails 

program. The forest’s first-ever National Trails Day event was held in conjunction with the City of Williams, the 

Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce, Williams Clean and Beautiful and the American Legion at 

Buckskinner Park, where half a mile of trail was improved and fun was had by all. 

The Williams Ranger District trail crew completed several hundred yards of heavy construction including culverts, 

retaining walls and a reroute of the Bill Williams trail after heavy monsoon storms washed out many sections. 

The Mt. Taylor Hotshots from New Mexico joined the Williams trail crew to remove downed logs on the Pumpkin, 

Connector and Bull Basin trails in Kendrick Mountain Wilderness, removing more than 100 trees in a day!

The Sierra Club, Wilderness Volunteers and Arizona Trail Association assisted the North Kaibab Ranger District 

in maintaining and improving trails and even allowed the district to surpass some of its planned targets in the 

trails program.

 nding horizons

Flagstaff Bikers Expand Their Horizons

The Flagstaff Biking Organization (FBO) held its first-ever trail work day on the Kaibab National Forest June 16, 

during which members worked on the Spring Valley cross country ski trails located north of the Parks community. 

Event organizer Mark Gullo wanted a chance for the organization to move beyond its Flagstaff roots and benefit 

the wider community.

About a mile of trail was maintained by the work group, which included bicycle riders of many ages. Despite 

temperatures reaching almost 90 degrees, the volunteers maintained their energy throughout the day thanks to 

coffee and lunch provided by FBO sponsors. 

understory species frequency. Invasive species 

detection was a heavy emphasis, and many small 

emerging populations of cheat grass were detected 

and treated within the fire area to prevent further 

spread. 

Following the Slide Fire in July, it was critical 

for forest managers to be proactive in the early 

treatment of areas already known to be infested 

with cheat grass and Scotch Thistle. Soon after the 

fire, 900 acres that burned at moderate-to-high 

levels of intensity were seeded with a mix of sterile 

annuals and native perennial grasses. The project 

was completed in collaboration with the Arizona 

Game and Fish Department with the goals of 

watershed protection, habitat improvement and 

invasive weed competition. Within the Slide Fire 

area, some forest roads were pre-treated with 

an herbicide that reduces the potential of cheat 

grass emergence, and Scotch Thistle plants were 

targeted and treated.

All told, the North Kaibab district treated more 

than 500 acres of non-native, invasive weeds during 

fiscal year 2007. Species treated included cheat 

grass, Scotch Thistle, Musk Thistle, Leafy Spurge 

and Spotted Knapweed.

 South Zone: Reauthorization of grazing permits 

and treatment of invasive weeds were major 

components of the South Zone’s 2007 Range 

program. An Environmental Assessment document 

was completed for the Bellemont, Chalender and 

Government Prairie Grazing Allotments. The three 

allotments are located adjacent to one another 

near the community of Parks and cover a total 

of 35,150 acres on the Williams Ranger District. 

The Environmental Assessment and other 

documents related to the allotments can be viewed 

at www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/projects/plans. 

South Zone range managers also met their target 

in treating noxious and invasive weeds on the 

Williams and Tusayan districts. About 300 acres 

were treated using biological, manual and chemical 

methods. The Kaibab National Forest worked with 

the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service to continue releases of the Mecinus weevil 

as a biological control agent for Dalmation Toadflax. The South Zone also initiated a “Weed 

Warriors” program to manually extricate several 

invasive species including Bull Thistle. 
It is so important to 

us to have people 

willing to volunteer 

their time, energy 

and talents to 

protecting our 

cultural resources. 

Without them, 

our heritage 

program would 

not be as successful 

as it is.” 

Cultivating 

Fuels Management

The fuels treatment target for 2007 on the Kaibab 

National Forest was an ambitious 13,700 acres. 

The fire organization met and exceeded this target 

in actually treating 14,270 acres. Fuels treatments 

included broadcast burning, thinning, piling, and 

pile burning. 

Broadcast burning is the use of prescribed fire to 

remove the buildup of fuels on the forest floor. It is 

the most cost effective and immediate fire hazard 

reduction treatment available to fire managers, 

and as such the most extensively used. In 2007, 

10,418 acres were treated with broadcast burns. 

Over half of these acres – 5,687 – occurred within 

the wildland urban interface (WUI), the areas 

where forest and communities meet. All WUI treatments were on the Tusayan and Williams districts 

where there is a high density of WUI areas.

Thinning dense stands of timber, while considerably more costly than burning, has a longer term 

effect on reducing fire hazard. Thinning is often 

followed by piling the produced slash, and burning 

the resulting piles. The combination of these treatments does several things to reduce the threat of 

high intensity wildfires. It substantially reduces 

forest floor fuel accumulations leading to lower 

intensity fires with lower flame lengths; this allows 

firefighters to attack wildfires directly at the 

flaming front. It reduces mid-story “ladder fuels” 

that can allow a fire to move from a surface fire up 

into the crowns of trees where direct attack by 

fire crews is no longer possible. Lastly, it creates 

openings between the crowns of trees which limits 

the possibilities for a running crown fire. In 

addition to reducing fire hazard, side benefits from 

such treatments include increased vigor and health 

of the remaining trees, and increased plant diversity 

and forage on the forest floor due to increased 

sunlight, and reduced competition. 

In 2007, 775 acres were thinned on the Kaibab; 

316 acres of slash were piled; and 2,783 acres of 

piles were burned using hazardous fuels reduction 

“

– Mike Lyndon, Archaeologist
Arizona Archaeological Society Visits Kaibab National Forest

For many archaeology lovers, discovering the Kaibab National Forest is like the geology 

buff first laying eyes on the red rocks of Sedona. It is almost beyond comparison.

The Kaibab National Forest boasts more than 9,000 identified archaeological sites. 

That places it in the top five forests nationwide in terms of the number of recorded sites. 

The forest also has the distinction of having 42 sites listed on the National Register of 

Historic Places.

Members of the Northern Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society spent a 

Saturday visiting three sites on the Williams Ranger District that are representative of the 

kinds of sites found forestwide. Mike Lyndon, an archaeologist and the tribal liaison for the 

forest, led the six-member group.

Earth Day Project Teaches Grand Canyon Students Civic Pride

Kaibab National Forest employees and Grand Canyon National Park middle and high school 

students celebrated Earth Day by working together April 19 to protect a 3-acre parcel near 

Tusayan for revegetation and naturalization.

Natural forest products were gathered from the area to construct a buck and pole fence 

around the site to protect the vegetation from motorized incursions. The students provided 

the muscle to gather hundreds of poles left from thinning projects in the area for the fence. 

The students also piled slash from the thinning for later pile burning.

Thanks to the hard work of the Grand Canyon students, the site will have the protection it 

needs to return to a more natural condition.

 Stewardship

funding. All but 5 acres of the thinning took place 

in the urban interface where values at risk justify 

the increased cost of these treatments. More than 

2,500 additional acres were thinned using funding 

from other resource areas.

In addition to target acres, fire managers also 

treated 498 acres with wildland fire use (WFU) by 

allowing three naturally ignited wildfires to burn 

on the Williams and Tusayan districts. The Pomeroy 

WFU Fire burned in October 2006 and grew to 

260 acres. The Radio WFU Fire – 175 acres – and 

the Watson WFU Fire – 63 acres – burned at the 

onset of summer monsoons. 

Engineering

Numerous road and facility improvements across 

the Kaibab National Forest in 2007 are evidence of 

a very successful year for the Engineering team. 

Forest users around Williams will appreciate the 

rehabilitation of the pavement on the Kaibab Lake 

Campground entrance road as well as the installation of a new toilet facility. Employees and visitors 

at the Williams Ranger Station compound, which 

includes the trailhead for the Bill Williams Mountain Trail, will notice that the access road and some 

of the parking lots were chip sealed in 2007 and 

are now better able to resist wear and tear from 

vehicle use and the weather. 

On the Tusayan Ranger District engineers 

completed asphalt rehabilitation and chip sealing 

work on the roads in the Tusayan Ranger Station 

compound and also constructed a much-needed 

concrete low water crossing on the 328 road. The 

Tusayan Ranger Station barn was reroofed to help 

protect the historic structure and the important 

equipment it houses. Also on the South Zone of 

the forest, an aggregate crushing and stockpiling 

contract was successfully completed at Dillman 

Pit, which will make it easier for forest managers 

to maintain and repair heavily used forest roads in 

the future.

One of the largest engineering projects on the 

forest in 2007 was the Jacob Lake Campground 

Capital Investment Project on the North Kaibab 

Ranger District. This rehabilitation project, which 

is scheduled for completion in spring 2008, will 

improve accessibility throughout the campground 

and ensure preservation of the natural features and 

landscape while providing a functional, inviting 

and pleasant experience for users. Visitors to the 

Jacob Lake area may notice the new toilet buildings in the campground that have already been 

installed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, 

sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Forest Budget:$15,808,046

National Forest Acres: 1.6 million 

Employees

Permanent/Full-time 105

Permanent/Seasonal 35

Temporary 79

Land Use Special Use Permits

Communications 32

Power lines 11

Oil and gas lines 8

Minerals Amount Royalties

Sandstone contracts* 75,472 tons $452,832

Cinder contracts 35,200 tons $35,200

* Sandstone quarries on the Kaibab NF account for approximately 45-50 percent of national production. The stone is 

used for building material in the construction industry.

Recreation Sites Fees collected

Ten-X Campground $37,717

Spring Valley Cabin* $23,355

*approx. 195 rented nights - Spring Valley Cabin

(Fees collected under authority of the Recreation 

Enhancement Act. About 95 percent of fees collected 

are returned to the Kaibab and used to maintain the sites)

KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST BUDGET & EXPENDITURES | FISCAL YEAR 2007: OCT 1, 2006 - SEPT 30, 2007

CONTACT US

e-mail: 

mailroom_r3_kaibab@fs.fed.us

website: 

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

Rick Stahn, District Ranger

P.O. Box 3088

Tusayan, AZ 86023

(928) 638-2443

Special thanks to 

Daniel “Buzz” Gonzalez 

and Nathan Sermonis 

for photography.

Fire Preparedness = 22% = $3,631,843

Administration = 13% = $2,219,931

Timber Management = 11% = $1,809,921

Road Maintenance = 11% = $1,740,707

Fuels Management = 7% = $1,116,589

Recreation = 5% = $736,200

Facility Maintenance = 8% = $1,207,906

Vegetative Treatment = 4% = $574,900

Lands & Minerals = 2% = $338,000

Wildlife Management = 2% = $252,200

Range Management = 2% = $265,200

Forest Planning = 5% = $740,000

Trails = 1% = $95,203

Other = 7% = $1,079,446

Managing 

Resources

each icon = one percent