Having a large returning crew and favorable weather have been a huge boost to this season’s program of work. This has been further complimented by the addition of Holly Cliché the new permanent Trails Foreman. She is a returning employee serving on the Red Rock Trail Crew last winter season and brings over 20 years of trail work experience to our program and community! The energy of this year’s crew has been amplified at our well attended volunteer events around the district during this first half of the season.
As the North Zone was tied up with the Soldiers Pass Reconstruction Project, South Zone took on all of the Volunteer events during that six-week period. The work their crew and volunteers completed was incredibly successful due to the time taken by volunteers to scout those events with the FS staff and provide different perspectives from long time users of our world class trail system. This intimate knowledge of use and changing conditions due to our dynamic ecosystem help us bridge the gap between effective trail management and maintenance and what the desired experience is for multiple types of users.
The North Zone Crew had an incredible time on the Soldiers Pass Reconstruction Project due to the great training they had, the phenomenal ACE crew support, and leadership from FS Crew Leader Meghan and Trails Foreman Holly. The construction of the rock check steps added up to 400 ft of linear rock work, with five drainage features constructed. The project was also successful in closing off a highly erosive area adjacent to the trailhead that had been denuded due to accidental off trail use due to poor trailhead infrastructure. Six hundred feet of fencing was installed to add in the restoration of 9,000 square feet reducing the sedimentation into Soldiers was. Seed balls and hydro mulching of this area will help to reestablish the native seed bank and further reduce soil loss.
Maintenance accomplished this season:
- Drains Maintained or Constructed- 1375
- Miles Brushed/Lopped- 120
- Linear Feet of Rock Work Constructed or Maintained- 1723
- Signs/Cairns Installed- 18
- Trees Logged Out- 98
- Tread work (ft)- 5000
- Square feet of Rehab/Restoration- 17,630
- Social Trail Closed (ft)- 882
- Volunteer Events - 32
- Volunteers- 333
- Volunteer Hours- 1156
UPDATES:
- The Red Rock District is still working on the initial conceptual design for the Verde Valley Circle Trail. This is being assisted by funding and project support from the Verde Valley Cycling Coalition and the Verde Front Trails Working Group. Summit to Sea contractors will be back in the Verde Valley assessing the final connection from Rimrock to Camp Verde and then present this recommendation to the group. Once our current Red Rock Trails Access Plan NEPA package receives a signed Decision Memo we plan to introduce the project to our Red Rock RD Staff.
- Public Scoping closed for the Red Rock Trails Access Plan in late December with over 500 comments. The majority of these comments were related to the Turkey Creek project area. Due to the nature of the comments District and Forest leadership have committed to breaking the project into two separate projects and to an additional round of scoping a later date once some of the initial concerns can be mitigated related to Turkey Creek project area. This public scoping process was fairly favorable regarding the rest of the proposed projects and will look to make decision on this portion of the project in Spring 2024.
