27 Acres
AS SEEN IN THE RED ROCK NEWS
September 18, 2020
As one of the agencies charged with implementing the Sustainable Tourism Plan, we at the Chamber are always alert for opportunities to help improve Sedona’s quality of life and environment.
That’s why we jumped at the chance to get behind a project that adds 27 acres of prime undeveloped land to the Coconino National Forest. Located between Sedona Airport and Oak Creek, the private parcel features riparian habitat, elevated red rock views and 600 feet of frontage on Oak Creek itself.
Sound exciting? It gets better. Under a proposal by the US Forest Service and The Trust for Public Land, the property can be added to the Forest – and protected forever – at virtually no cost to taxpayers.
Located near the end of Chavez Ranch Road, the parcel is presently for sale. Three sides are adjacent to the National Forest, where rangers monitor waterways, wildlife and habitat. Inclusion in the Forest will assure the same protections for this land and the invaluable creek frontage. It will also create opportunities for new ways for residents and visitors to experience Oak Creek.
The Forest Service and the Trust for Public Land will request purchase money from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is primarily funded by oil and gas companies as part of the cost of operating offshore in federal waters, not by taxpayers. The Fund’s purpose is to acquire land and water resources for all Americans, and since 1965 it has acquired nearly seven million acres in places like California’s Big Sur Coast and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem in Montana. Preserving a sizable chunk of Sedona’s red rock country and Oak Creek frontage would be an excellent addition to those accomplishments.
Locally, the proposal hits all four pillars of the Council-approved Sustainable Tourism Plan.
> The Environment. Prime land and waterway will come under Forest Service management, protecting wildlife and riparian areas along Oak Creek while reducing further human impact.
> Resident Quality of Life. Sedonans are passionate about environmental stewardship. Protecting this critical parcel is what sustaining our quality of life is all about.
> Quality of the Economy. The STP calls for multi-agency coordination with natural resource land managers. Our support aligns with this aspect of the Plan.
> The Visitor Experience. Protecting Oak Creek and the adjacent land adds to the experience of visitors who come to Sedona to be inspired by nature.
Next week, Red Rock District Ranger Amy Tinderholt will present the proposal to the Sedona City Council and ask for support. We note the LWCF process places a premium on unanimous community backing for projects proposing to use the Fund, so Council support is critical to keep this excellent plan moving forward.
Council has heard of this parcel before. Private development of the ‘landlocked’ 27 acres was stymied over many years as the owners and an adjacent private property failed to negotiate access to public roads from the parcel. However, after a federal court ruled that road access is a “necessity,” the Forest Service stepped in to propose extending Chavez Ranch Road. Past city councils expressed some reservations about this.
We applaud the NFS and the Trust for Public Land for bringing the proposal this far, and we encourage the Council to support it. Any lingering issues about the best way to achieve access can wait.
This is a glittering opportunity to act in the spirit and letter of the Sustainable Tourism Plan, and a chance to add another jewel to Sedona’s environmental crown.
–Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO