[Source: Andrew J. Shainker, Cronkite News Service] — Jack Edwards gives visitors to Red Rock State Park a handshake and hello along with a pamphlet on the park’s history. Louise Appleton leads visitors on moonlight walks. Those who sneak onto park grounds after hours will get a lecture from Don Swanson, who stays overnight in his trailer. This nature preserve, set beneath the spectacular cliffs overlooking Sedona, has several employees, but the three aren’t among them. The retirees are part of a crew of about 80 volunteers that keeps the park running. [Note: to read the full article click here.]
Heritage Fund
Cave Creek, Arizona makes plans for open spaces
[Source: Beth Duckett, The Arizona Republic] — From the lush backwoods of Cave Creek Regional Park to the rugged Spur Cross Ranch, Cave Creek is known for its sweeping open spaces. But with another 8.8 square miles coming inside the town’s borders through annexation this year, Cave Creek faces a dilemma – how to manage its open spaces. With the plan, town and park officials would steer the use and management of thousands of acres with one document. Future visitors centers and trail systems would be included in an open-space master plan.
“Planning as a system makes a whole lot more sense,” said Maricopa County Parks Director RJ Cardin. “It would be a system of open space, rather than a piece of state land there, a piece there.” The master plan would merge the 2,155-acre Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, 3,000-acre Cave Creek Regional Park and 4,300 acres of conserved annexation land, plus State Bureau of Land Management and conservation lands. [Note: to read the full article click here.]
Take the Arizona Trail Users Survey
This study is part of an effort to develop plans for the State Trails Program and the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Program. The survey is being conducted among parks and trails enthusiasts and organization representatives to ask for input into the trail planning process. This list was developed by the Arizona State Parks Board and Arizona State University.
Your participation in this survey is very important. Your answers will help set priorities for trail management in Arizona, and help determine how a portion of the Heritage Fund and the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Fund should be spent. The Heritage Fund comes from Lottery revenues and the OHV Fund comes from gasoline tax dollars. Some of these funds go directly to provide recreational trail opportunities and facilities for all Arizona residents and visitors.
The survey will take approximately 15 – 20 minutes to complete. Your answers to this survey are completely confidential. Your name will not be connected to your answers in any way. Your participation in this survey is voluntary; however, you can help us very much by taking a few minutes to share your opinions. To take the survey, click here.
Footbridge, garden envisioned for Lizard Run Park in Surprise, AZ
The cost of the bridge has been estimated at $300,000 to $400,000. The city has $283,000 budgeted. City staff asked the council on Aug. 14 to transfer $81,000 to the Lizard Run project from a defunct alley-paving project in the Original Town Site. However, council members voted 5-1 against the move, instead placing the money in the council contingency fund. Members reasoned that there was not enough information about the project to make a smart decision. They agreed that the money should be placed in their contingency fund, which the council can allocate as it sees fit. [Note: to read the full article, click here.]