Sedona Red Rock News
A photo taken from a kayak on the Verde River shows a group of cows south of Camp Verde. “They’re wild and skittish, and it’s hard to get up on ‘em,” said Joe Trudeau, a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. “That’s why they use
helicopters” to round them up. “These very cows are hopefully gone by now.” The roundup comes in the wake of a September lawsuit. Photo courtesy Center for Biological Diversity
Contractors working with the Coconino, Prescott and Tonto National Forests removed over 50 feral, or free-roaming, cows from the streamside habitat of the Verde River in a complex operation before Thanksgiving.
Arizonaâs bald eagles are back, and they will soon be preparing for the next generation of eagles at breeding sites statewide.
To assist with the stateâs continued bald eagle population growth, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) encourages outdoor recreationists, aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders to do their part by not disturbing the stateâs 92 eagle breeding areas.
To protect breeding attempts, some portions of public land and water areas will be temporarily closed to help these majestic animals and ensure even more young eagles take to the skies this spring.
âArizonaâs bald eagles are hard at work preparing their nest for what we hope will be a productive breeding season,â said Kenneth âTukâ Jacobson, bald eagle management coordinator. âThe birds nest, forage and roost at rivers and lakes that are also popular recreation spots. Thatâs why we must be vigilant to help protect the birds and ensure
Over the years, I ve seen the changes within our land here.
Quote icon
But he ran into an issue. “The river bottom where I gather material on the south side is where Mesa’s sewage plant is.”
He believes the sewage plant’s discharges affect the groundwater and makes the bark too brittle to use as post ties.
“The bark broke too easily, and I couldn’t use it to tie anything down,” he said. Manuel had to resort to wire to finish the watto.
Manuel also said that arrowweed (
Pluchea sericea) doesn’t grow as abundantly as it once did. Not only is it in short supply due to the decline of riparian areas, but when he does find it, the plants have growths or other imperfections. That means he has to travel to more isolated areas to gather arrowweed that hasn’t been affected by human activity.