Phoenix – Every five years, the recreational trails staff at Arizona State Parks prepares an information-filled report concerning Arizona’s motorized and non-motorized trails and their users. This plan includes recommendations and action strategies to protect and enhance trails throughout the state including those in local city, county and state parks, as well as those on National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands. The draft of the 2015 trails plan is now available for public review and comment. To download the draft plan, go to http://azstateparks.com/trails/index.html.
Before the trails plan was drafted, State Parks staff in collaboration with Arizona State University conducted a series of telephone and online surveys that reached more than 7,500 Arizonans to find out about which types of motorized or non-motorized trails they use, how often they use trails, trails preferences and how land managers should improve trail experiences through their time, money and efforts.
After analyzing the results of this year-long public involvement effort, Arizona State Parks staff drafted a trails plan that provides information about trail users, their preferences, opinions, important issues facing recreational trails and off-highway vehicle routes in Arizona. The plan also offers a list of recommendations and priority actions that both trail users and land managers can implement in order to protect and improve Arizona’s thousands of miles of motorized and non-motorized trails.
The most common non-motorized pursuits are trail hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The most common motorized pursuits are quad or all-terrain vehicle driving, four-wheel driving and motorized trail biking/dirt biking. Some of the top trail issues for motorized and non-motorized users were litter and trash dumping, closure of trails and keeping trails in good condition. The priority recommendations listed in the plan will be used to develop grant rating criteria and distribute monies from the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Fund and the federal Recreational Trails Program.
Comments on the draft trails plan will be received through Friday, November 19, 2014. To comment, send written comments to Trails 2015 Draft Plan, Arizona State Parks, 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007 or email comments to Trails2015(at)azstateparks.gov. The final plan will be submitted to the Arizona State Parks Board in February 2015.
For information about all 27 Arizona State Parks, the trails, Off-Highway Vehicle Programs and State Historic Preservation Office call (602) 542-4174 or visit AZStateParks.com. Campsite reservations can be made online at AZStateParks.com or by calling the Reservation Call Center at (520) 586-2283. Open 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST. Follow AZStateParks on Twitter and Facebook.