Williams News Logo
Grand Canyon News Logo

Trusted local news leader for Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon

Forest Service attempting to better manage forest traffic<br>

Dogtown Road, just west of Williams off of I40.This area is highly traveled by off-road vehicles.

Forest officials, citing a large increase in off-road motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle sales, have been holding public meetings around northern Arizona to prepare an environmental impact statement on the proposed change.

According to the Forest Service, off-highway vehicle sales in Arizona nearly quadrupled from 1995 to 2000.

Forest officials say the proposal would not close existing roads or trails.

“It’s not about closing roads,” said Cathie Schmidlin, a Forest Service spokeswoman. “There’s confusion about that. People think we’re trying to close roads and that’s not what we’re doing.”

For now, the Kaibab and Coconino forests’ roads and trails are open to vehicle use unless a posted sign says otherwise. With this change, all trails and roads would be “closed unless signed open,” said Schmidlin.

Of the five forests being looked at, only three, Coconino, Prescott and Tonto, have existing road systems. Another process to establish a road system in the Kaibab National Forest would follow if this plan is approved, said Jim Anderson, a forest planning staff officer for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

“The Forest Service is just now waking up to the fact that we have an off-highway vehicle deficiency here,” said Anderson.

The Forest Service is not trying to get rid of vehicles in the forests, Anderson said, but it is trying to keep them in certain areas.

“If you don’t provide places for these vehicles, they’ll use them where you don’t want them,” said Anderson.

Officials are looking to have all public comments by June 13, said Schmidlin.


Donate Report a Typo Contact