Supervisor Jason E. Whiting
By Nolan Madden Given the option to choose, it seems most animal lovers would pick the domesticated dog as man’s best friend. In 2013, when pet ownership was reported as at an all-time high in the United States, a Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association survey of American pet owners listed more households owning a dog than any other furry companion. For the species’ wild relatives, though, that love doesn’t run as deep, particularly when it relates to coyotes and wolves. Within the same time frame and more recently, several local officials, groups and individuals have voiced opposing opinions on whether the predators’ presence among county residents is a benefit or a burden. This week, Navajo County District III Supervisor Jason Whiting spoke further on the tense developments aimed at reintroducing the Mexican gray wolf onto county lands. “It’s not just about the animal and what the animal can do, but the (governmental) protective powers that come with that animal; the restrictions for that animal that land owners have to deal with, all these go along with that. “There are a lot of concerns by our ranchers, and rightfully so, about the wolf being released here,” he explained. “There are millions and millions and millions of dollars being spent on this project,” Whiting related, citing a recent article in The Arizona Republic he says touched on opponents of the wolf release project and spotlighted previous unsuccessful attempts by the late State Senator Jake Flake at banning the endangered animals’ release here. Whiting expressed his concern that Arizonans as a whole are not being informed well enough to effectively assess the issue’s full impact. “I sat down to lunch the other day with a gentleman from the Valley who thinks similarly to me on most issues. But he said to me, ‘I understand where you’re coming from on this, but I have to tell you that I think it would be so neat to take my family for a picnic in the woods and to have a pack of wolves come up to us.’ “People are out of touch with this issue,” Whiting said. “They don’t understand, and they don’t realize the money that is being spent on this. They also don’t understand the negative impact that this has on our local ranchers, who have been here and have been good stewards of the land. “There are numerous ways that Navajo County is currently looking at dealing with this issue,” Whiting noted, pointing out that the New Mexico Coalition of Counties is currently litigating the wolves’ release, with similar efforts being waged by the Eastern Arizona Counties Association. “It’s not that I hate the wolves; it’s not personal. But the issue is the entitlements that come along with it,” he concluded. In other business March 8, the board of supervisors: * Approved a contract for Northern Arizona Council of Governments Technical Assistance to provide technical assistance in administering the Community Development Block Grant recently awarded to Navajo County for the 911 equipment upgrade project. Under this contract, NACOG would assist the county with environmental review, bid package development and contractor procurement, construction, and final monitoring and project close-out. Compensation to NACOG in the amount of $25,000 would come from CDBG grant funds. * Heard a presentation by Navajo County Sheriff K.C. Clark and County Attorney Brad Carlyon on the successes and value of the county’s partnership with Community Bridges, Inc. for the Navajo County Jail-based treatment program for communities within the county. * Approved the receipt of a grant award in the amount of $5,585.51 from the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, to be utilized for planning and preparing for hazardous materials response by Navajo County Emergency Management. * Approved a $5,000 funding request made by the Little Colorado River Plateau Resource, Conservation and Development Area, Inc. for the maintenance effort to remove noxious aquatic weeds from Rainbow Lake in Pinetop for tourism, recreation, fishing, swimming and boating, through the introduction of Amur Carp. The Arizona Game & Fish Department has agreed to the use of the Amur Carp with the installation of a barrier design to contain the fish to Rainbow Lake. * Approved an amendment to the White Mountain Lakes County Recreation Improvement District by-laws to remove the word and definition of “Resident” from the by-laws, and replace it with and to include the definition of “Tax Payer” as one who pays taxes to the White Mountain Lake County Recreation Improvement District. * Recognized Jackson Allen of Show Low High School for winning the Division III State Wrestling Championship in his weight class, and Brock Slade and Baylend Stephens, both of Mogollon High School, for winning the Division IV State Wrestling Championship in their respective weight classes. Also recognized were Adam Henderson of Blue Ridge High School for winning the Division III State Wrestling Championship in his weight class, and Cole Mortensen of Snowflake High School for winning the Division IV State Wrestling Championship in his weight Class. * Approved the consent agenda, including Feb. 23 regular meeting minutes, warrant and voucher report over $1,000 for February, and constable reports for Winslow Precinct No. 2 and Show Low Precinct No. 5 for February, and Snowflake Precinct No. 3 for November 2015. Also approved were four back tax land parcels sold over the counter for a total of $6,152.12. A grant award contract for one constable to attend outside training was approved. A memorandum of understanding with the City of Show Low to allow Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) was approved to allow the delivery of medical countermeasures, received from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to Show Low city employees and their families in the event of a biological pandemic or an act of terror. A memorandum of understanding between Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center and PHEP for a closed point of destination was approved. This memorandum will enable PHEP to deliver medical counter measures to Summit in an emergency event. Summit would then be able to provide vaccinations, antibiotics or other medical countermeasures deemed appropriate by the CDC and the Arizona Department of Health Services to their employees and their families. Not approving this memorandum would mean that the staff of Summit would have to leave the hospital to be served at a point of destination within the community. This would lead to more people at the community point of destination, and force essential medical staff to leave the hospital during a pandemic or bioterrorism event. A cooperative law enforcement agreement between the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Forest Service and Apache Sitgreaves National Forests authorizing fiscal year 2016 operating and financial plan payments of $4,512.10 for services rendered (patrol activities) and $6,693.06 for equipment (three radar devices) was approved. The law enforcement agreement is effective for a five-year period (Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2016). This modification extended the expiration date to Dec. 31, 2016. The associated operating and financial plan is valid for the estimated period of Jan. 1- Dec. 31, 2016, for a total award of $11,205.16. An amendment to an intergovernmental agreement between the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Corrections was approved for correctional officer certification training. The county jail has used DOC’s Corrections Officer Training Academy (COTA) in the past for detention officer training. The training fee for each cadet is $660. This amendment extends the correction officer training program term to 12 months from May 24, 2016 through May 23, 2017. The naming of an unnamed existing road in the Snowflake area as Desert Star Road was approved. An attachment to the master intergovernmental agreement between Navajo County and the Navajo Nation for road projects was approved. This agreement allows the county to assist the Navajo Nation and its individual chapters by acting as their agent for the procurement of road materials and supplies for the projects, under the applicable Arizona statutes and constitutional provisions. The board approved a contract to increase the excavating and crushing of 40,000 tons of Red Dog materials for an amount not to exceed $200,000. Reappointment of Glen Johnson of Woodruff to the Board of Adjustment for an additional four-year term to expire in 2020 was approved. Sympathy letters were approved for the families of Bob Damon, former Santa Cruz County supervisor, and Kevin Brackney, former Show Low superintendent of schools. A letter of support for the TechHire Grant Opportunity was approved. * Approved personnel actions. The next regular board meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22, at the county complex in Holbrook.
