12/12/2009 3:32:00 PM Verde Front could help recreation and economy
VVN/Steve Ayers
About three dozen residents came out to the new Verde Ranger Station on Thursday to express their concerns and desire as part of a Prescott National Forest/Arizona State Park's Verde Front recreational planning workshop. The Verde Front is a name given to the landscape between the Verde River and the Black Hills.
CAMP VERDE - Once completed, the Verde Front planning process will not only bring a variety of recreational opportunities to fruition, but it also will likely become an economic boon for the entire Verde Valley.
After meeting with more than 50 residents in the Cottonwood area on Monday, planners from the Prescott National Forest, Arizona State Parks, Yavapai County and community leaders, brought their recreational planning workshop to Camp Verde on Thursday.
The Verde Front is an effort spearheaded by Prescott National Forest and Arizona State Parks to identify the recreational opportunities most sought by local residents and to make those desires a reality.
"The whole idea is to use the input from these community meetings to create tangible, sustainable results. We want this to result in on-the-ground facilities and programs," said Dee Hines, district ranger for the Verde Ranger District.
As defined by the Prescott National Forest the Verde Front extends from Beasley Flat on the south, to Clarkdale and Jerome on the north, from the area adjacent to the Verde River on the east, to the crest of the Black Hills, between Squaw Peak and Woodchute Wilderness Area, on the west.
In essence, it is a recreational plan for the entire Verde Valley.
"When it comes to planning for the future, we can't do it alone any more," said Forest Service planner Tom Christianson. "That is why we are turning to the communities that will be affected by our decisions for their input. We want to know your concerns and your desires."
Most of the Camp Verde area resident participating in Thursday's meetings encouraged a broad multi-use plan that would include opportunities for hiking, kayaking, canoeing, quad riding, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, target shooting and camping, to name just a few.
They also expressed concerns over privatization of public lands, trash and lack of access, to name just a few.
Chip Norton, Camp Verde resident member of the Verde Front planning group, said he sees the Verde Front planning process as a way for the valley to define itself and its future, as well as provide a much needed economic engine.
"This is an economic opportunity as much as it is to define what we want to see out our front door. The recreational opportunities we create here can serve to bring in visitors.
"There are many places here in the southwest that have become destinations for outdoor recreation. The Verde Valley can be the next one," said Norton
The planning process will take about a year to complete. Once completed, Hines said he wants to begin putting the plan into action.
"This will not be some report from a focus group that sits on the shelf," Hines said. "It is our intention to work with all of our partners to begin building the dream we are now working to define."
