I say they dont get ANY land, ever again, till they either bulldoze what they cant pay for now, or pay for it.

There’s a rule about realty speculation: if noone cares about the land, it becomes a parking lot. We’ve all seen this too many times to count. Having a few areas designated as trails is great and all, but they’ve got that in the Phoenix “preserve” for all the good that’s done.

The best way to get people to stop caring about the land is to deny them the right to see what’s on it or in it…why should you care about an area if you are told its just dust, “just desert”?

I say get people out there, running around, biking around, driving around (within reason) and they’ll be less likely to let these trades happen.

My mom moved here to Prescott for a little while, and the only way she could manage with her groups to preserve a swath in that area was to actually give up the area on and behind her property along with many others as a trade to at least keep a contiguous area further east. She had to sell that house at a horrendous loss because of it and moved back to Hawai’i in disgust.

Now we have developers who thought they could outbuild the mortgage bust, now crying that they cant pay for the land they destroyed. Lets count this a lesson learned.

However, along with other members of the Wickenburg Trails Committee, I met with BLM representatives at the Trailhead for Sophie’s Flat at 09:30 this morning. According to these spokepersons, this area is not targeted for any type of “land exchange” with the state.

We are working with BLM to designate horse, hiking and other trails in this area. If you would like to become more informed and more involved, please become a member of the Trails Committee.

BLM stewardship does allow land exchange:

http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2002/pr021010_exchange.htm

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2002/2002-10-14-06.asp

An area used by miners and recreationists near Lake Pleasant recently suffered this. Now annexed by Peoria, soon to offer major retailers and residential development.

Stay informed.

I am not a horse person (although I admire their beauty) and I’ve never encountered a jogger in the remote areas where I hike. Such an individual would have to be on a “super-marathon” for me to encounter them. Or, perhaps, they would have to be on the wrong side of a mountain curve on a jeep trail.

As a hiker, I have never encountered a mountain biker and I sincerely hope that I never do. It will mean that I have misjudged the difficulty of the trail(s) I have selected. That will mean it is time to relocate to a more remote area.

As a hiker, I thoroughly enjoy the riparian habitats where migratory birds can be abundantly found in the spring and early summer. I am, however, not a birder.

My issue is with seasonal and weekend recreationsts who’s irresponsible behavior damages our fragile habitat, and that places other people at risk due to their driving behaviour.

I passed ten OHVs on Constellation Road this past Saturday. Two of the drivers were underage children on vehicles that had no license plates. Of the remaining eight vehicles, four adults were holding beer cans as they were driving. If you want photos of trailers hauling unlicensed ATVs in this area, please let me know.

I have collected nearly 60 beer, liquor and soft drink containers in the last two days on Constellation Road.

Am I hypersitive to ATVs? – Yes. Is my sensitivity based upon direct observation? – Yes.

Regarding your comment about “smiling” developers – I hike on BLM-administered land. With a bit of luck, these areas will remain open to genuine and responsible outdoor enthusiasts to decades to come. In my opinion, some (or most) developers are a scourge. If you want an example, just look at the scars on the land north of Wickenburg between US 93 and State Route 89.
Thanks for your comments.

If you are an amateur herper, like me, you aren’t thrilled about the handful of smushed snakes and lizards you see on a trail in the year (nothing compared of course to the highway or housing developments)

If you are a equestrian, joggers running around a blind corner right into your horse probably isn’t high on your happiness index

If you are a hiker, you may not appreciate the “silent death” of a downhill mountainbiker running at full clip, bearing down on you willy nilly

And if you are a birder? I am not sure a substance exists, animal, mineral or vegetable that does not upset the birders

This circle of hate doesn’t do any of us outdoor enthusiats any good, but I bet it makes the developers smile