flagstaff forest service camping ban / other bad news

[obeynoone]

camping ban

new camping ban in national forest areas around flagstaff.

also rumors forest service employees are experimenting with a new visitor tracking app in the area.  taking license plate info to try to enforce 14 day limit rules not just in one section of the national forest but in all national forest in the area.

not sure if this info can be trusted, but comes from someone who claims to work for the forest service in the area.

i recently stayed in a paid county campgroud near maricopa (i paid $10 for the night) and was stopped by cops shortly after leaving.  i would also avoid prescott areas.

picked up an older hitch hiker this weekend and we both stopped by rtr. briefly.  he was hitch hiking from florida to the cali, and was super into the van living idea, he had never heard of it.  we camped out for the night on blm land.

 

[maki2]

That is a shame. What they are trying to do is bring down the risk of fires. It makes me sad because I was hoping to camp in some of those areas in the fall of 2020.

Desperate times all over Western USA and in Australia too and unfortunately we will be seeing more of this in the years to come. Despite the no campfire bans there are people who will ignore them and that is what is resulting in the total ban on camping. It is those few camper's doing it to themselves and to everyone else even those who obey the rules.

For those who don't want to open the link here is the partially quoted article from the "Arizona Daily Sun" dated January 18, 2020.

The Flagstaff Ranger District has decided to enlarge a city-based camping and campfire ban by 25,000 acres to communities around Flagstaff, saying it will help stop human-caused fires.

The original camping and campfire ban was spread over most of Flagstaff from Schultz Pass Road down Lake Mary Road until Bill Lesko Trailer Park, east to Walnut Canyon and north to Doney Park. The new ban extends out to Camp Navajo, down to more communities adjacent to the Interstate 17, and includes acres of Mount Elden. The national forest usually averages over 600 abandoned campfires a year, which can start fires if not put out correctly, said George Jozens, spokesman for the Forest Service.

Jozens said foresters have already begun putting up “no campfires or camping" signs."

 

[sushidog]

That sucks. Does anyone know if the Williams area is affected by the ban? I camped all through this area last year, from Garland Prairie Rd N. of Williams, A-1 Mountain Rd. to Sunset Crater, Humphrey's Peak and up to the Grand Canyon area. There was a Schultz pass fire last year while I was there. I wonder if this was caused by campers, prompting the ban?

Let's just hope it's temporary.

Chip

 

[highdesertranger]

if you read the article the boundaries of the ban are defined. highdesertranger

 

[dixonge]

Just checked out A-1 Mountain Road based on Bob's video (from 2015) - was unaware of the ban on both campfires *and camping* - and yet in spite of this, there are at least two sites (one pickup, one large fiver) just past the 2nd cattle guard. They passed 2-3 warning signs before pulling in to set up.

We are now reassessing this area, and it's tough to figure out how far out we need to go to get outside the limit, not being familiar with pretty much anything in the entire state

 

[tripper]

I know this is counter to our freedom culture, and a lot of peeps I know personally bust the 14 day limits at times, to include myself; but to stop the trashing of our areas, keep them open and free, and to hold people accountable I believe we will need to be tracked on NF and BLM lands. The only real minus is the 14 day limit making you move 25 miles, but the plus side is catching and fining/jailing those that are totally destroying this lifestyle. We already have cell phones so it is not like the government can't track us anyways.

 

[Malamute]

There were occasional fire risk related camping bans in areas around Flag when I lived there in the 80s. Its nothing new, hopefully it will reduce human caused fires and other issues and will open up again when the fire risk lowers.

 

[bonvanroulez]

We are now reassessing this area, and it's tough to figure out how far out we need to go to get outside the limit, not being familiar with pretty much anything in the entire state

The Motor Vehicle Use Map or MVUM will show you exactly where the camping closures are and where dispersed camping is allowed. You can get the paper map free from the Ranger station, or download a digital map here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/landmanagement/projects/?cid=stelprdb5356224

 

[Biff McLargeHuge]

I know this is counter to our freedom culture, and a lot of peeps I know personally bust the 14 day limits at times, to include myself; but to stop the trashing of our areas, keep them open and free, and to hold people accountable I believe we will need to be tracked on NF and BLM lands.  The only real minus is the 14 day limit making you move 25 miles, but the plus side is catching and fining/jailing those that are totally destroying this lifestyle. We already have cell phones so it is not like the government can't track us anyways.

I would imagine that it's not primarily "us" that is leaving trash and having campfires in banned areas, but the weekend partiers who use the same areas as we do. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like most of the vandwelling community is pretty good about the leave no trace idea and obeying the law so we don't screw ourselves.
I think you're right, though. Eventually there will have to be a tracking system where we all have to register to boondock on "OUR" public lands. I don't agree with it, but it's coming.

 

[nature lover]

Sounds to me like Some. Of you think we’re beyond it. But I still think it would be the best thing we could do is to start holding each other accountable. Recording license plates of those who are the screwup’s And keeping them on a list on the net.And even cleaning up their messes ourselves. I think we out number the stupid perhaps our effort would be enough to proveTo the authorities that these lands can be used and cared for at the same time. Do you think I’m just a daydreamer head in the clouds? Yeah but it’s better than doing nothing let’s try it.

 

[abnorm]

""I think we out number the stupid""

Just wait 'til you're out here...........There's no shortage of stooopid

 

[jimindenver]

Ya got that right.

Sometimes we are our own worse enemies.

 

[nature lover]

You just gave me another reason to stay on the East Coast. At this time we have a lot less Boondockers then you have out in the west. Even with my physical limitations I put a trash bag on my walker and take my pick up stick and clean up some messes. Must’ve been training from all those years I spent as a camp host. But I won’t argue with you if you think the stupid out of number you guys out there. I always knew that we east coasters were better. Now don’t take that personal, that was a joke. God bless the nomads even the western ones.

 

[GypsyJan]

Times are tough for our western nomads. I am keeping them in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[LERCA]

I really wonder if this is a smart or necessary move. Some interesting information (forgive me I grew up in Old California and taught here for 30 years) : in pre-historic California between 4.4 and 11 million acres burned every year. From about 1982-1998 land management control burned about 30,000 acres per year but for the next 18 years they only burned 13,000 acres. Political reasons I won’t mention.

Where I live now is where I grew up and we have canyons including on the other side of my street and I’m floored that even though the fire department did their yearly inspection and sent out notices (the house I’m helping watch across the street got one) they allowed for the first time, piles of old, dry pine needles and dead scrub to sit. Some neighbors didn’t clear it out they just pushed it down. This is just locally.

About 20% of the state right now needs controlled burns, mechanical thinning and managed wildfires. Berry Creek in Butte was supposed to be thinned and it wasn’t done and it just burned down (I was going to go look at it a month ago as a place to move to).

Just blocking people off will do nothing but have people sneak in and someone is going to cause the biggest tragedy in AZ history.

 

[bagabum]

"The national forest usually averages over 600 abandoned campfires a year, which can start fires if not put out correctly, said George Jozens, spokesman for the Forest Service." 
 
And at night time while driving I constantly see the telltale explosion of sparks as smokers roll down there window and  flick out there lit cigarette  butt. Odds are that every 1 out of 25/50/100   IDK, could find the right dry  conditions and possibly start a fire.

 

[nature lover]

This planet would be a wonderful place if it wasn’t for people.