Coconino National Forest is looking to implement the Red Rock Pass in six new locations around the forest.
“The Red Rock [Ranger] District identified six heavily used sites that require bathrooms to be cleaned — two times a day at busy locations — require extra personnel to patrol and keep visitors safe — including Law Enforcement Officers — and to have the trash collected,” Red Rock Ranger District Recreation Program Manager Chris Johansen wrote. “The fee money is also used to do routine maintenance on the location — repaving/striping of the parking lot is a good example.”
The proposed sites include the Verde Valley-based trails, Bell Trail, Bruce Brockett Trail, Dry Creek Trail, Fay Canyon Trail and Mescal Trail. The sixth site, Lava River Cave, will be the first Flagstaff-based trail to accept the Red Rock Pass.
All of these trailheads meet the requirements set by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey’s ruling in U.S. v. James T. Smith for enacting either a Red Rock Pass requirement or a $5 one-time fee.
In 2010 Aspey ruled the pass is not needed at undeveloped locations, and can only be applied to sites with key elements: Designated developed parking; a permanent toilet facility; a permanent trash receptacle; an interpretive sign, exhibit or kiosk; picnic tables and security, which can be loosely interpreted as periodic patrolling by sworn law enforcement officers.
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which allows forests to retain the fees as operation and maintenance funds at sites with certain requirements. In order to enact any fee, the site must provide information boards, patrolling, bathrooms, trash, picnic tables and parking.
“The fee amount is determined by the USFS and presented to an advisory board managed by the Bureau of Land Management,” Johansen said. “The board meets once a year and all federal agencies attend if interested in raising a fee or creating a new fee.”
One of the federal requirements for this fee is that the money collected goes back to the sites to fund patrols, cleanups, maintenance and updates on kiosks, according to the Red Rock Ranger District.
Around the Sedona area, there are 20 locations that implement the Red Rock Pass. The fee is only for parked visitors, as trail users could bike or walk to the trails without paying the fee.
“The Forest Service has rangers that patrol and check parking lots for compliance. Surprisingly, we have over 85% compliance,” Johansen said. “Visitors that do not comply can be issued a warning or a citation.”
After the public comments are read and filed, data for public support and nonsupport will be presented to the Recreation Resource Advisory Committee along with the history of each site location at their winter 2022 meeting.
At this public meeting, the citizen-based RAC will vote on the proposal. If approved, the USFS could begin collecting the fees as soon as spring 2023 after fee machines are set up.
The public comment period opened in mid-June and will remain open until Wednesday, Aug. 31. Comments can be mailed, emailed, called in, delievered in-person or submitted online. Full information on how to provide your comment on the proposed forest fees can be found at fs.usda.gov/goto/r3/SusRec.
“I have had a lot of [comments] so far,” Johansen said. “And only one negative out of hundreds of positive comments.”
