Forest Service Outfitter Guide Assessment
Release Date: Nov 8, 2004
Contact(s): Coconino Supervisor's Office 928-527-3600
Sedona, AZ – The Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Ranger District is conducting a comprehensive assessment of National Forest capacity and public needs for outfitter guides, educational institutions, and organizational public services. This assessment involves an evaluation of National Forest capability in terms of ecological and physical characteristics and the social recreation experience for the visitor. The assessment and ultimate decision will define the desired future condition in terms of amounts and types of use to be permitted, and determine how the Forest Service can best optimize the Ranger District’s recreation potential while protecting its natural and cultural resources.
We are asking for your assistance in helping us understand the public’s interest and need for public service activities, and in identifying issues related to such activities.
What public service activities are being offered on the National Forest? Permitted tours presently include: jeep, hiking, vortex, horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, and archaeological site and rock climbing tours. Beyond the greater Sedona area, permitted tours include additional commercial and institutional (college and university) archaeological, educational and recreational tours, as well as horseback riding.
What is the process that will be used to decide what type of activities and how many will be approved? The complete task can be described in four steps:
1. Determine the ecological and physical capacity of the land—estimate the total number of people who can use an area during a defined time period based on what the resource can handle (i.e. vegetation, soil, cultural resources, desired condition and management standards).
2. Understand current use—including guided activities (commercial, institutional, organizational) and unguided activities (“do-it-yourself”, general public).
3. Determine “public need” –by identifying the types of public services the public desires while meeting National Forest land management objectives.
4. Allocate recreational use—by distributing total capacity among the various sectors of the public (e.g. commercial outfitted, institutional outfitted, temporary use outfitted and non-outfitted publics).
Please submit your written comments to the Red Rock Ranger District by Dec. 3, 2004. Once these comments are compiled a Draft Outfitter/Guide Needs Assessment and Capacity Analysis will be prepared. A public “Open House” will be scheduled in early 2005 to present this analysis and to gather public comments on the proposal.