Springerville, AZ, May 1, 2019 — Volunteers are an integral part our society. Not only is volunteering important but, it also helps better our community and us as individuals.

The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests invites you to participate in the Water Canyon / Saffell Canyon volunteer cleanup day. Please join us Saturday morning, on June 1, 2019 for a very special day of removing trash from our national forest lands.

The Forest Service has been receiving a number of calls about the amount trash that’s been left at the Water Canyon and Saffell Canyon areas for years. It is unfortunate that there are members of society that leave their trash on the national forest public lands. It’s just been within the past year where this problem has grown larger than anyone can imagine.

This will be the very first time the Forest Service has asked the public to participate in a major cleanup effort in Water and Saffell Canyons. This a great opportunity for the public to participate in something that will make such a difference to our forests. The Forest Service will dispose of the trash so, no one has to worry about hauling it away.

Forest Service employees will supply the truck and trash-bags to clean up trash from the Saffell Canyon OHV Trailhead. A portion of Water Canyon on Forest Road 285 Road will also be cleaned up (please see map). Volunteers are needed at Saffell Canyon Trailhead June 1, 2019 at 8 a.m. until approximately noon. Please bring your own gloves.

For more information, please contact: Christina Brannon at (928) 333-6211 or, Rob Lever, District Ranger at Springerville Ranger District at (928)333-6201. You may also contact the Springerville Ranger District at (928)333-6200, or the Apache-Sitgreaves Supervisor’s Office at (928) 333-6280. This clean-up effort will be organized by the Fire, Recreation and Timber Crews of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. The Apache-Sitgreaves truly appreciates any help you can provide.

For information on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, check out our website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnfs or join the conversation on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/apachesitreavesnfs or follow us on Twitter @A_SNF

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Lakeside_RxBurn_PublicInfoMap_4-17-2019

Springerville, AZ – April 16, 2019 – After receiving a report last week of a deceased horse, it was confirmed by Forest Law Enforcement to be located on forest road 51, outside of the Heber Wild Horse Territory. Law Enforcement Investigators were called to the scene, unfortunately because the Forest Service was not notified in a timely manner, the scene was contaminated and the remains were too decomposed for necropsy. The date and cause of death are unknown. There are a variety of factors that may lead to free-roaming horse deaths, which can include accidents, old age, sickness, disease, predation, and man caused (accidental and intentional).

The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is committed to our mission to manage horses and to fully investigate their deaths when these unfortunate incidents occur.
It is important to point out that only law enforcement officers and members of their team are authorized to perform investigations. If the public encounters an injured or deceased horse they are urged to contact the Black Mesa Ranger District at 928-535-7300 to report it immediately. The public should never attempt to conduct an investigation, or collect evidence, or do anything to contaminate the scene in any way. Doing so will make any evidence collected by the public inadmissible or usable in an investigation.

Forest Service law enforcement, along with Navajo County and Coconino County Sheriff’s Offices continue to investigate the horse deaths from earlier this year. The public is asked to pass along all tips to the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 1-800-78CRIME.