General Land Use Update

[Hackle]

Land Use Issues Update

Just to let everyone know that the letters we send do not fall on deaf ears.
I have a meeting on the 6th of Jan. with my State Senator to go over the OHV Gas Tax for this year. This fund has been used to help on the trail inventories and start to set-up the recreation areas for OHV along with helping with the education of the OHV users. Last year it was raided in the budget crunch.
I am now a Precinct Committeeman for District 10 and I was very surprised to see how few people are involved in this. If we can get a couple OHV people to volunteer in each district I think we would see a marked difference in how OHV issues are received by our legislature. Contact me if you are interested it is not that much work.
On an interesting point I even got a Christmas Card from Senator Shadegg’s Family. I am helping out one of my State Reps with some electrical work this weekend as a favor. I guess this makes me a political insider now:).This week I also have a meeting with the Phx. BLM to go over a trail the Biologist thinks is a problem in the Lake Pleasant area “Lost World”.
As it stands right now the Phx. BLM is in the alternative phase of the RMP plan for the North area. The OHV community has addressed the issues and should have standing to protest anything that goes out of the bounds of common sense. The South area should come out very soon for comment and workshops so expect meetings on this soon.
The MGCP is working on maps that were to be out about a week ago I have not heard anything yet. BTW this is the Florence Junction area. As soon as I find that maps are available I will make everyone aware.
On the AZVJC web page Mike Trujillo has posted a Clean up for the Sycamore area Mike post it to this area and I will make it a sticky to the top of the board. Please continue to sign up on the web site as this way we can tell how many to expect.
I will try to do this every so often to keep everyone up to date. I am sure Sandee will also jump in to help the information flow.
Jim F.

[Stu Olson]

Jim,

Thanks for the updates. You hit quite a variety of issues and projects that are underway. Keeping on top of those could be a full time job unto itself! :eek:

Thanks for helping! :cool:

[Hackle]

Ok I had a meeting today with the BLM on the Lost World Trail.
Right now the AZ RockRats are the unofficial Adopt-a-trail owners of this trail.
The meeting went well and the Bioligist was pretty cool considering..... I learned a lot today on AZ bioligy. I would suggest checking out the Tule Springs ESA. This is an example of a great project by the BLM. In the last ten years this has turned into a Reparian area and supports the life of (some fish:). This sounds wierd but how it has worked is the area is now strong enough to live through our travels.
The Lost World trail ends at the head of the spring and it is fenced at that point. Please do not go passed the fence. I also showed them the pig pads and peat sorb that I carry in my trail kit. If you run this trail and have a fluid leak please let the RockRats know. We will make sure it is cleaned up. This is importnat to keep this area open!
BTW Peat Sorb is a new product I got at the ASA4WDC Jamborree.
It will pick up the fluid and can be left in place. No more packing out dirt. The AZ RockRats are looking into buying some soon.
Jim F.

[Stu Olson]

Tule Springs? Is that near what is listed at Fort Tule on the old topo maps? North of Lake Pleasant a bit in the foothills? If so, Brad and I visisted Tule Springs about a month and a half ago. The riparian area is doing great. We parked our Jeeps at the end of the trail and walked into to look around. Although no longer used (they are filled in with dirt and cactus now), they used old weapons containers (looked like torpedo cases) as make shift watering troughs. For you Navy folks, they still have the BUWEPS stencils on them. :)

[Hackle]

That would be the place. It was interesting talking to the BLM Bioligist as this area 10 years ago was all rocks and a spring.
Jim F.