TRAIL CLOSURES ACROSS ARIZONA

ok, i tried 2 years ago to gain a following on several forums and smaller sites, I even tried creating a myspace page called save the Tonto, but no one has taken it seriously. now it may be too late. I have been working out of town and recently found this posted on pirate4x4.com

unfortunately I may be too late. please put something in four wheeler or peterson's magazine so readers can be aware of what is happening, as it not only affects arizona, but proposed changes will affect the entire national forest trail system nationwide.

arizona is my home, and is 80 percent public land, if we lose these popular trails, we may lose most of our close-to-home wheeling places, and then many people may give up the sport all together.

Some of the older guys may remember telegraph line road, or trail #42, one of the most senic and challenging trails within 30 minutes of phoenix. it is no longer open b/c of a brush fire. the usfs requires 10 years for a "vegetation re-growth process" before they will open the trail again. this and many other trails in the bartlett lake area no longer exist on the map. they never planned to open up this trail again, otherwise it would still be on the map as closed.

with this new rule, they can print a map with no trails and say everything is closed.

PLEASE PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR MAGAZINE ABOUT THIS PLEASE!!!


Arizona Tonto Forest Trail Closures/routes - LAST CHANCE FOR REVIEW

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This is IT folks.. last chance to publicly review the planned routes for the Arizona Tonto Forest district before they are put into effect

The entire Tonto Forest is moving from an "Open unless indicated closed" plan to a "Closed unless indicated open" scheme.

From what I can tell, this is going to CLOSE Payette Draw, Willow Springs, and others that are NOT shown on these maps.

ANY TRAIL NOT SHOWN AS OPEN will be CLOSED!


Tonto Forest travel management:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/travelmgt/

Forest-wide trail proposed trail changes:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/travel...wide102509.pdf


OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE.. LAST CHANCE!
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/travel...uses_flyer.pdf

Tonto Basin
Ranger District
Wed., 11/4/09
6:30-8:00pm
Tonto Basin Elementary School
445 South Old Hwy 188, (Punkin Center), Tonto Basin

Globe
Thurs., 11/5/09
6:00-7:30pm
Old High School Auditorium
401 High Street, Globe

Cave Creek
Mon., 11/9/09
6:30-8:00pm
Black Mountain Elementary School
33606 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale

Pleasant Valley
Thurs., 11/12/09
6:00-7:30pm
Pleasant Valley Community Center
47533 Hwy 288, Young

Mesa
Tues., 11/17/09
7:00-8:30pm
Broadway Recreation Center
59 E Broadway Rd, Mesa

Payson
Wed., 11/18/09
6:00-7:30pm
Julia Randall Elementary School 601 S Greenway Parkway, Payson

I will be at the Mesa meeting voicing my concerns about a few closures I see on the maps.. If you live in the affected areas, go to the meetings wearing red and fight back.

If we don't fight back now, we lose any unlisted trail forever!!


Other contact options:

What can you do?

* Review the maps of proposed forest system and compare to roads and trails you use
* Review the Proposed Action and submit your comments to:

USDA Forest Service
Tonto National Forest
ATTN: Travel Management Project Leader
2324 E McDowell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85006

By fax to: ATTN: Travel Management Project Leader, (602) 225-5295
By e-mail to: comments-southwestern-tonto@fs.fed.us



A  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

Wow. I hate seeing news like this.  
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My truck has recently been described as both "Boring and Mechanical". And I love it!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? PM Me!

actually i just found one of my original posts on peterson's forum dated may 22nd 2008 1:01 pm and it still has had no replies.



a  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

heres the link with proposed maps and the deadline for public input is december 4th, 2009

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/travelmgt/


a  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

Hmm.. It actually looks like they are doing a pretty good job of asking for the publics opinion on their land grab, unlike some of the stuff they have been trying to pull out here in CA with the 29 Palms Marine base expansion and the Wilderness Act that threatens Moab.  
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My truck has recently been described as both "Boring and Mechanical". And I love it!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? PM Me!

Try talking to the cave creek ranger station on the phone or even in person, those guys have gone as far as closing horse trails and campgrounds. The head guys at the cave creek ranger station really dont care. We have ONE trail for jeeps/trucks/atvs/dirtbikes in the cave creek ranger district area. its called camp creek wash, 11 miles of 2wd in a sandy wash and u have to go slow b/c its packed with people b/c its the only trail open. we used to have dozens of trails here. I grew up in cave creek and have watched the trail system shrink over the years, after the cave creek complex fire, they had ammunition b/c half of the brush fire started from a jeep on fire near horseshoe lake. even though he was on a regular dirt road and not a technical trail, the rest of us have to pay for it now. My friends and I have resorted to buying a hunting license and wheeling on a state land trail, about 10 miles from my house b/c there is no wheeling in our area of the tonto anymore. the state land is only 200 acres and mostly 2wd stuff, but at least its something.

I can see that theres a lot going on with land issues, but please understand that this is our backyard, my friends and I grew up here, and they are trying to take it away from us. we are simple rednecks, not lawyers or public advocates, and i believe something in your magazine would help us b/c this proposal is not just for arizona, but arizona seems to be the guinea pig and the government is holding the needle. thx.

p.s. i know its not moab, but its all we have.  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

Every issue like this is just as important as the others. I didn't mean to compare it to Moab or Johnson Valley, I just wanted to say that I like the way they 'appear' to be handling the situation by asking for input on the vehicle routs and designations in the different ranger districts. Looks like if you can get enough people together with a valid plan and reason for keeping a trail open, they should listen.

Of course this is all just based on reading the website, what is actually going on behind the scenes could be completely different, as you have stated.

Just know, we all here at Four Wheeler fully support all land use causes like this one. It's just hard to fit them all into the magazine (and I don't make those decisions anyway)

You're best bet is to send this same message to the Editor by way of the Contact Us at the bottom of this page. Good luck!  
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My truck has recently been described as both "Boring and Mechanical". And I love it!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? PM Me!

This is the only way I can help, I am 2500 miles away at a construction job, and our club has drifted apart over the last 2 years. I can only hope that someone will notice this and tell their friends in arizona to make sure their favorite trails are on the maps by dec. 4th 2009.

many people dont know b/c the forest dept. only makes this public news on their webpage. nothing is posted at local trail heads or campgrounds. and to actually find the link for the proposals from the usfs home page would be only by chance for the normal person. I found it by accident 2 years ago hidden in the travel management rule under 20 pdf pages of campground repair listings. that was when the Rolls OHV got several trails closed due to the travel mgmnt rule.

i will try to e-mail the mag ppl and inform them of this forum.  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

does any one in arizona use this website and care????  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

Well I am a subscriber of this magazine and of Petersen's Off Road magazine as well and although this is my first visit to the forums on here, (mostly because of a argumentative research paper for my college english class) I am in Arizona and am an active member of a K5 blazer club that is also an active part of the Friend's of Table Mesa Coalition. We did a clean up there in October and plan on going back to do some more. So to answer your question yes and yes!  

awesome, i wish i was still there, i would take out the k5 with you guys!

are you working on table mesa rd. east of i-17?? i was hoping someone finally convinced the old rancher that the sportsman act applies, and he cant keep that gate locked. my friends and i used to wheel that in high school and run it all the way back to seven springs. we stopped going after he would lock the gate. its not on the map anymore, so the usfs may just lock it down anyway unless you guys can speak up. i'll send you a shout if i get back to az with the blazer next year! thanks for your help.


a  
73 chevy LWB 4WD, 73 GMC LWB 4WD, 77 chevy SWB 4WD, 76 Blazer 4WD, 87 Burban 4WD, 89 bronco 4WD, 69 chevy 2wd LWB w/leaves 6 inch lift, 81 Chevy LWB 4WD, 88 Ranger 4WD, 79 USFS SWB GMC full time 4wd, 87 FORD LWB 4WD, 95 jeep, <- (we forgive you R.B.), 78? Ford LWB super cab, 72 K5 Blazer.

Not a problem bro! And right now we are on the west side of the i-17. And we can see about that other side. I just need to mention it the guys that have been going up there for a long time.