AZ Game and Fish seeks public comment

The Arizona Game and Department will hold a series of public meetings and accept public comment as part of an effort to update and revise Arizona's State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).

The plan outlines strategies and conservation actions aimed at promoting partnerships and coordinating efforts among all who hold a stake in conserving Arizona's wildlife. As such, the plan addresses the full array of wildlife and habitats but focuses on identifying and managing the “wildlife and biotic communities of greatest conservation need.”

A public meeting will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Dec. 15, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road where you can be heard.

For over a decade, a coalition of more than 3,000 conservation organizations known as “Teaming With Wildlife” has labored to keep species from becoming endangered by increasing state and federal funding for wildlife conservation.

Yuma is ground zero for great bird watching

The annual southern migration of RV snowbirds has begun. And one of the most popular destinations is Yuma, a warm wintertime hotspot at the southwest corner of Arizona.

For some of these human snowbirds, watching real birds is a popular pastime. And lucky for them, they are close to ground zero for some great viewing opportunities.

The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, Kofa's Palm Canyon, Betty's Kitchen Wildlife and Interpretive Area, and Cibola National Wildlife Refuge offer diverse and picturesque terrain that attract more than 380 species of birds. Hundreds of species of birds winter in this region, while countless others make it their home year round. Egrets and herons are commonly seen, as are migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. For the more adventurous, a day of hiking in Palm Canyon can bring into view shrikes, three species of wrens, white-collared swifts performing their acrobatics in the narrow canyon, and high above, red-tail hawks or a golden eagle occasionally soar into view.

CANADA GOOSE DRIVE
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge has established the Canada Goose Drive, a four-mile drive offering close views of wintering waterfowl, as well as great looks at sandhill cranes. Betty's Kitchen provides a site for easy viewing (especially migrating warblers) while taking a comfortable walk along a well maintained trail. The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is an important wintering area to Canadian geese and many species of ducks.

Learn more about combining RVing with birdwatching.

Arizona's wooden 'bridges' spanned the sand

At the turn of the twentieth century, when auto travel was becoming the rage, Yuma, Ariz., was at a crossroads but with a big obstacle to the west: sand dunes -- vast sand dunes.

The Algodones Dunes stretch more than 40 miles. Throughout history, travel of any nature was severely inhibited by this great barrier. Explorers, wagon freighters and stagecoaches approaching and leaving Yuma Crossing avoided the dunes by traveling north or south. With the building of Yuma's Ocean to Ocean highway in 1915, a way had to be found for automobiles to cross the vast expanse of sand. A wooden plank road seemed the answer.

The first such road was constructed in 1915 and was rapidly replaced by a second one in 1916. The San Diego Chamber of Commerce, eager for the business the road could bring, donated 13,100 oak planks. The second road was built in eight-foot by twelve-foot sections and reinforced with strap iron along the edges and centers. The speed limit was 10 miles per hour.

It wasn't much of a road -- a 6.7 mile one-laner with pullouts for passing. During sandstorms, the road could become impassable, forcing motorists to wait. But sandstorm or not, it was always a rocky ride, earning the road the nickname "Old Shaky."

In 1925, traffic increased to 30 cars per day -- a problem; officials reacted by regulating the traffic: east-bound traffic would leave on even hours, westbound traffic on odd hours. But this wasn't enough: after 10 years of use, the road was falling apart and traffic jams were frequent and sometimes nasty when the right-of-way was disputed. On August 11, 1926, the opening of paved, two-lane California State Route 80 put an end to travel on the wooden plank road. Today, motorists speed across on Interstate 8.

A good place to see a piece of plank road is at Yuma Crossing State Park in Yuma, where a lone section of the old road has been preserved, complete with a 1909 Model T right on top.