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  • Bill Williams Mountain Watershed Area Temporary Closure

    Due to increased fire danger and for public safety, the Kaibab National Forest has implemented a temporary area closure on Bill Williams Mountain watershed, located just south of the City of Williams. The closure is effective beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, and is due to the area's susceptibility to uncharacteristically severe wildfire and the post-wildfire flooding that would potentially result.

    In general, the perimeter of the Bill Williams Mountain watershed temporary closure area includes:

    • Forest Road 122 to the south,
    • Forest Road 108 to the west,
    • County Road 73 (aka “South Road”) to the east,
    • Interstate 40 to the north. 

    Details, including a map of the closure area, will be available on the Kaibab NF website at www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab.

    Forest managers consider several factors before implementing fire restrictions or forest closures, including current fire danger and fire activity, local, regional, and national fire preparedness levels, expected weather conditions, availability of firefighting resources, and the economic impacts on businesses and communities. The Kaibab National Forest continues to coordinate with federal, state, tribal and local partners.

    Restrictions and closures typically remain in effect until the area receives significant, widespread precipitation.

    For information on restrictions and other alerts on the Kaibab National Forest visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/alerts.

    For restriction information on state and federally managed lands in AZ visit wildlandfire.az.gov/fire-restrictions. Coconino County fire restriction information can be found at https://www.coconino.az.gov/AlertCenter.aspx.

Alert Start Date: June 18th, 2025

Alert End Date: August 31st, 2025

Rec Sites Affected:

Bill Williams Mountain Trail #21
Buckskinner Trail #130
Benham Trail #38
Clover Spring Loop Trail #46
City of Williams Link Trail #124

Order Number: 03-07-01-25-03

Associated Documents

Bill Williams Mtn Area Temp Closure Order 6/18/25

Forest Order

Temporary Area Closure for Public Heath and Safety

 

PROHIBITIONS

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50 (a), the following acts prohibited on the National Forest System (NFS) lands in the Williams Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest, described below and shown on the attached map incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A (the "Described Area"):

  1. Going into or being upon the Described Area. 36 C.F.R. § § 261.52(e)

EXEMPTIONS

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:

  1.  Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).
  2. Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

DESCRIBED AREA

The Described Area consists of all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within the boundary beginning at the junction of County Road (CR) 73 and eastbound Old Route 66 in the City of Williams, then traveling south along CR 73 to its junction with Forest Road (FR) 122, then following FR 122 west to its junction with FR 108, then following FR 108 north to its junction with 1-40, then following 1-40 east to the junction with Old Route 66 at the Country Club exit, then following Old Route 66 east, back to the point of beginning at its junction with CR 73, as depicted in Exhibit A of this Order.

 

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Order is to reduce risk of human-caused wildfires and protect the public health and safety from exposure to wildland fire and associated hazards in the Bill Williams Mountain Watershed.

IMPLEMENTATION

  1. This Order shall be in effect from June 18th 2025 at 6:00 pm through August 31st 2025 at 08:00, unless rescinded.
  2. A map identifying the Described Area is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order and Exhibit A, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab/alerts.
  3. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined by their plain language definitions.
  4. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
  5. Contact the Williams Ranger District in Williams, Arizona, (928)-635-5600 and Kaibab National Forest Supervisor's Office in Williams, Arizona, (928)-635-8200, for more information about this Order.
  6. This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same Described Area.

 

Signed and issued on 06/16/2025

NICOLE BRANTON
Forest Supervisor Kaibab National Forest

Contact Name:

Kaibab National Forest

Contact Number:

928-635-8200

Contact Email:

SM.FS.kaibabpao@usda.gov

Maps

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Map of the Bill Williams Mountain watershed area with diagonal lines indicating the closure area.
Map of the Bill Williams Mountain watershed area with diagonal lines indicating the closure area.

Last updated June 19th, 2025

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