Tactic B6.1
Off Highway Vehicles
Expand marketing to educate visitors in ways to monitor and limit negative impacts of OHVs including noise and neighborhood disruption.
Surveys and public input sessions show residents are concerned about noise and disruption caused by Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs) and the connection between these vehicles and Sedona visitors.
The City of Sedona’s OHV Work Group has found a need for messaging on responsible OHV use, especially website information directed at OHV use in Sedona.
This tactic would integrate the visitor industry to help communicate to visitors on this issue. The recently-published Citizen’s Report will guide and inform this tactic. Review the current City OHV Report.
In addition to the USFS and the City of Sedona connecting with OHV users, a broad range of businesses and the SCC&TB would work to provide suggestions on minimizing impacts.
IMPACTED PILLARS
TIMEFRAME Short-term (12-18 months)
LEAD PARTNERS City of Sedona, USFS
SUPPORTING PARTNERS SCC&TB, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Sustainability Alliance, Rental Companies, Tour Operators
ALIGNING RESEARCH Resident Survey, Nonprofit Focus Group, Land Manager Focus Group, Public Input
TARGET / STATUS TO DATE FY22
1. Number of website page views - RROHVConservationCrew.com TARGET = 2,500 / STATUS = 448
2. Benchmark annually through citizen surveys TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
Event Support
1. Support for continuing signature annual events TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
2. Number of attendees per event TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
Regional Transit | Verde Shuttle Marketing
1. Ridership volume STATUS = 56,546 (APRIL21-MARCH22)
2. Number of outreach messages and/or impressions through marketing campaign TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
3. Completion of all phases of Verde Shuttle Marketing Plan TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
PROGRESS TO DATE
OHV Programs
Expand marketing to educate visitors in ways to monitor and limit negative impacts of OHVs including noise and neighborhood disruption.
FY23: RROCC is a coalition of private OHV/ATV businesses, Jeep rental and guided tour companies from Cottonwood, Sedona and Flagstaff, along with Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit dedicated to ethical and responsible motorized recreation. RROCC also works in partnership with the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District, AZ State Parks, AZ Fish & Game, Yavapai County Sheriff and the City of Sedona Police and Sedona Chamber of Commerce. These OHV rental, Jeep rental and guided tour companies dedicate at percentage of sales to trail enhancement and rider education in the Greater Sedona area.
Since its inception, RROCC has completed projects in the area to help ensure sustainable access and to educate local and visiting riders on how to Tread Lightly! on trails.
“Big Hill” signage installation Project: August 2022
Signs were installed on the “Big Hill” on Diamondback Gulch which has had issues with people not using low range 4WD, and therefore spinning their tires and chewing up the hill. The signs also address those who encountered traffic coming downhill and couldn’t safely back down or get started uphill again.
Outlaw Trail Rehabilitation Project: October 2022
Tread Lightly! and volunteers worked to close illegal routes in the Coconino National Forest to help rehabilitate damaged areas in the forest. Together 13 volunteers worked to restore 3.1 miles of trail and installed “Healing in Progress” signage to help direct riders to designated routes. https://treadlightly.org/tread-lightly-impact-report-outlaw-trail-rehabilitation-project/
FY22: The SCC&TB spearheaded the launch of the Sedona Red Rock Off Road Crew (RROCC), championing solutions to the issues of noise, dust and responsible ridership with participation of the US Forest Service, the OHV industry group “Tread Lightly! and local OHV rental companies. The Crew has instituted a one percent rental transaction fee to fund rider education, initiated an OHV Ambassador Program on OHV roadways offering riders real time education, Video Outreach positioning responsible ridership as a Sedona value and expectation and Consumer Education through the Forest Service’ regular updates its free Motor Vehicle Use Map color-coding neighborhoods and other sensitive areas.
Speed Signage Project in the Coconino National Forest: May 2022
New speed signs were installed in eight areas that were identified along FR 525, 525C and 152C related to speed and safety concerns. After nearly 6 months of working with the forest, appropriate signs were approved and are now in place.
Kiosk Signage Project in the Coconino National Forest: May 2022
New kiosks were installed in the Coconino National Forest to bring improved motorized recreation education and stewardship activities to the area. https://treadlightly.org/tread-lightly-impact-report-kiosk-signage-in-the-coconino/
Diamondback Gulch “Donut Hole” Fencing Project: May 2022
Over 1,000 feet of worm fence was installed at the infamous "Donut Hole" on the Diamondback Gulch trail near Huntley Tank. This area not only suffered topsoil destruction, erosion and water source contamination from motorized recreation driving off the designated trail, but also many OHV rollover injuries. The fence was placed to maintain the designated trail and allow the surrounding area to recover.
FY21 & FY20: At the end of FY21, the SCC&TB initiated a relationship with Tread Lightly!, a consortium of outdoor equipment companies who promote outdoor ethics and stewardship among OHV riders. The SCC&TB plans include introducing Tread Lightly! to lead community conversations that could help define a Sedona-specific solution.
In FY21, the US Forest Service and State Parks began meeting with a resident on the 152c to discuss OHV issues and to help revive the OHV Working Group. The USFS wants to include rental companies and tour outfitters in the working group to engage their expertise in mitigating OHV issues.
The USFS, working with the state, intends to employ signage, purchase an OHV and possibly add seasonal OHV rangers for a three-year period. USFS is applying for several grants from State Parks to fund these initiatives.
The Broken Arrow neighborhood is advocating for a gate and a permit system at the entrance of the trailhead. Issuing USFS special use authorizations may help with the seasonal users and help engage the rental and tour companies such as Pink Jeep, which voluntarily maintains the Broken Arrow trail.
Throughout the last two fiscal years, the USFS has been investigating the best ways to collect OHV usage data on the most frequently used OHV roads. Keep Sedona Beautiful is working with the Sedona City of Sedona Manager’s Office, Congressman O'Halleran and the Forest Service to implement capacity studies to determine if certain areas of the National Forest are seeing negative effects due to overuse of motorized vehicles.
The City of Sedona Manager’s Office is coordinating with Sedona PD to continue periodic checkpoints on busy weekends in the most effected Sedona neighborhoods and coordinating with the Forest Service to continue the counts begun in previous years to track changing trends.
The Sedona Public Works Department is placing signs on Morgan Road encouraging low speeds and quiet use of the roads.
The SCC&TB is educating motorized users consistent with portions of the Sedona Cares Pledge (“I vow to respect the natural quiet of Sedona’s open spaces and neighborhoods” and “I will be caring and considerate wherever I go”) and is encouraging rental companies to play an active role in educating users about low speeds, noise and respect for Sedona’s neighborhoods.