AZ State Land Department comms

[Hooligan]

Lots of Arizona-owned land up around me in the Arizona Strip, and I've passed the an AZ State Land Department pickup truck (VHF 5/8ths wave antenna on it) at least once. but I've never caught these guys on the radio. I have 5 of 6 of what are listed as their LMR channels programmed-in to my radios.

I'm sure there aren't many of their rangers around, so do they usually stay on their own channels, or might they use Mohave County SO for communications services up around the Arizona Strip??

Regarding their own channels, is there a standard CTCSS or DCS? I actually get some sort of EMI on a couple of them, so they're hard to scan.

Thanks.

[fire_master_21]

If it was indeed a STATE FIRE pick up belonging to the Arizona State Land Department they will use mostly state fire frequencies.

Repeater 1 RX 151.4000 TX 159.4050 PL 162.2 in/out
Repeater 2 RX 151.4150 TX 159.4350 PL 123.0 in/out
Repeater 3 RX 151.4150 TX 159.4350 PL 162.2 in/out
Repeater 4 RX 151.4000 TX 159.4050 PL 123.0 in/out
VFIRE21 TX/RX 154.2800

These frequencies are recycled around the state at various sites. As far as up in the strip area I am not showing anything on the repeater location map.

Also depending on the incident they can also use frequencies requested from National Interagency Fire Center.

They do not use Mohave County Sheriff for any dispatching. However given the proximity to Utah they might use Utah Forestry frequencies as well.

[Hooligan]

Didn't look like a STATE FIRE vehicle -- a white pickup truck with VHF antenna & what appeared to be a State Land Dept logo on the door.

But those are the repeater freqs I have for State Land (plus the 159MHz Tacs) & I'll try them with those tones.

Thanks!

[Exsmokey]

Originally Posted by Hooligan

Lots of Arizona-owned land up around me in the Arizona Strip, and I've passed the an AZ State Land Department pickup truck (VHF 5/8ths wave antenna on it) at least once. but I've never caught these guys on the radio. I have 5 of 6 of what are listed as their LMR channels programmed-in to my radios.

I'm sure there aren't many of their rangers around, so do they usually stay on their own channels, or might they use Mohave County SO for communications services up around the Arizona Strip??

Regarding their own channels, is there a standard CTCSS or DCS? I actually get some sort of EMI on a couple of them, so they're hard to scan.

Thanks.

I just looked at a land status map for Arizona. The amount of state land north of the Colorado River is negligible, I'm guessing less than 1% of the land in state ownership. Their work is not law enforcement related so I would not think they would use county systems. I believe the reason their radio system is in place is for fire control and state parks. The state land ownership on the Strip is intermingled with BLM land in very small parcels, such as one section (640 acres). I would bet that they have an agreement with the BLM to provide wildland fire protection for the state and private lands there. I would also bet that grazing management on state lands is done by the BLM as well in whatever grazing allotments (permit areas) the state land is located in.

The State Forestry Division is the agency that provides fire protection of the state trust land, some 9.3 million acres. This is now a separate agency and not part of State Land Department. State trust land is not public land, a permit to travel on them is required from the Land Department, with the exception of people hunting or fishing. There aren't any "rangers" associated with state trust lands as the State Land Department has no law enforcement authority. As stated on their website:

If a person knows or suspects that an illegal activity is occurring on State Trust land, they should call their local law enforcement agency (city or county) and report the incident. City, County and State law enforcement agencies have authority and responsibility to enforce laws on State Trust land.

The Land Department does not have a law enforcement branch and relies on local authorities to enforce the law. If the local law enforcement agency can not or will not assist, please call the Land Department's Environmental Section at 602.542.2119 and report the incident.
If an illegal activity has already occurred, the Land Department has non-law enforcement field investigators who can respond to the report, investigate the activity and possibly take action to remedy or clean up the problem

The State Forestry Division does not have law enforcement authority either. I suspect that Game and Fish does some law enforcement on State Trust Land.

As such the State Land Department doesn't have rangers. An employee of the department was likely in the area for state land administration.