The city of Sedona will continue to discuss timed entries onto forest lands for off-highway vehicles with the U.S. Forest Service even after officials rejected the city’s request.
After Coconino National Forest Supervisor Laura Jo West wrote to the city explaining why a timed entry service would not be in line with state or forest goals for public use, the Sedona City Council asked at their special meeting on March 9 for a follow-up meeting with the USFS and the Red Rock Ranger District.
“I do not believe that implementation of an area wide limited entry permit system for OHVs is feasible, nor do I believe that it would be the correct management action at this time in response to the complex set of motorized use issues that we are all invested in addressing,” West wrote.
The letter continued on to explain how motorized vehicles are a legitimate use of national forest lands. According to West, the current forest plans guides the forest service to manage the areas surrounding Sedona for the desired condition that includes a network of primarily non-motorized trails, as well as opportunities for OHV recreationists, while helping protect fragile natural resources and community relationships.
At the meeting, City Council members asked Red Rock District Ranger Amy Tinderholt and other USFS management workers questions about any other potential solutions as West was absent in the meeting due to a last-minute emergency.
Tinderholt upheld what West wrote to the city. According to the USFS, there are many actions that are being implemented to preserve these lands, including:
n Competing for state grant and Red Rock OHV Conservation Crew funding in 2022 for OHV education and patrol rangers, road/trail maintenance and restoration and education projects.
n Increasing the OHV volunteer program with an emphasis on field education booths and events.
n Expand the camping and campfire prohibition west of Sedona to address impacts associated with dispersed camping. West said the USFS expects designated camping areas to reduce some of the traffic volumes on roads in this area.
n Routinely meeting with local law enforcement and emergency responders to assess accident and injury trends and identify actions to reduce these occurrences.
n Participating in the Diablo Trust Recreation Working Group, a collaboration addressing recreation impacts, including motorized recreation to find balanced solutions for all stakeholders.
Forty-two states have banned or limited off-highway vehicles on public lands. Still, Arizona allows OHVs to be street legal with little to no regulation in forests, such as Coconino.
“These people are coming into Arizona because they can get away with things they wouldn’t be able to get away with in other states that border us,” Councilwoman Holli Ploog said.
By the end of the meeting, the City Council agreed to reschedule a meeting with West when she would be available to attend. The goal of this meeting will be to discuss potential workgroups between the city and forest to brainstorm more solutions to prevent environmental damage to the major OHV areas in the city and forest.
West did not respond when Sedona Red Rock News reached out for further comment.
