Release Date: Jun 16, 2011
PHOENIX(June 16, 2011) – Public safety concerns due to drought conditions, hot temperatures and increased fire danger have resulted in two temporary area closures on the Tonto National Forest beginning at 8 a.m., Friday, June 17. The two area closures are within the following boundaries:
1. All National Forest System Lands, roads and trails below the Mogollon Rim and North of the Control Road, bounded by National Forest System Road 708 at the Fossil Springs Trailhead proceeding easterly along National Forest System Road 708 to the intersection with the power line road at the Southwest edge of the town of Strawberry; following the power line corridor southerly then easterly to the intersection of Forest System Road 583 at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park; continuing easterly on Forest Road 583 to State Highway 87; then northerly following State Highway 87 to National Forest System Road 64 (The Control Road); thence easterly following the Control Road to the Intersection with State Highway 260; easterly along State Highway 260 to the Forest boundary at the top of the Mogollon Rim; and westerly along the Mogollon Rim and Tonto National Forest Boundary to the Fossil Springs Trailhead at Forest Road 708.
2. All National Forest System Lands, roads and trails within the Mt Ord, Four Peaks and Three Bar Wildlife Area, bounded by the eastern edge of Highway 87 on the west beginning at the intersection with Forest System Road 143; on the north along State Highway 87 to the intersection with State Highway 188; on the south along the western edge of Highway 188 to the Salt River corridor; on the west along the north side of the Salt river corridor including the north shores of Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake to Cottonwood Creek; northerly along Cottonwood creek to the intersection with Forest System Road 401, continuing northerly on Forest System Road 401 to the intersection with Forest System Road 143 and westerly on Forest System Road 143 terminating at the intersection with State Highway 87.
Exceptions to this closure are the RV Dump site on the west side of State Highway 188 at Cholla Bay. The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, highways 87 and 188 are unaffected by this closure, as are all county roads.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg!/?ss=110312&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=STELPRDB5309520&navid=180000000000000&pnavid=null&position=News&ttype=detail&pname=Tonto%20National%20Forest-%20News%20&%20Events

wow

Tonto closure map 6-17-11


http://hikearizona.com/dex2/download/file.php?id=2240

Thanks for posting that Mike.

Good info. I was planning on running FR16 from bloody basin/ FR269 to Strawberry Saturday. Looks like i will miss the closed areas though.

As of the 28th of June all of sitgraves national forest is closed NO entry

$5000 fine if in forest

not really thrilled with this. Its public land, we should have the right to use it. Sure I understand about the fires and stuff but they need to find a better way then just shutting the entire thing down. Its 115 in Phoenix, people go up north to escape the heat and having a close cooler forest is part of the appeal for arizona. If its closed during the summer whats the point?

offroadaz wrote:not really thrilled with this. Its public land, we should have the right to use it. Sure I understand about the fires and stuff but they need to find a better way then just shutting the entire thing down. Its 115 in Phoenix, people go up north to escape the heat and having a close cooler forest is part of the appeal for arizona. If its closed during the summer whats the point?

I do agree on some level... but at the same time, it's the "public" who have ruined it and cost the state thousands and thousands of dollars along with peoples homes and businesses.

whens it end? Roads are closed up north for winter, closed if muddy and now closed all summer. We end up with what, 4 weekends a year?

Roads are generally open during the winter... you just can't access them. You''ll have to take that up with God. lol I get what your saying, but when people start losing their homes because of the dry forest being open to the irresponsible public I can't really blame them...

Avis wrote:Roads are generally open during the winter... you just can't access them. You''ll have to take that up with God. lol I get what your saying, but when people start losing their homes because of the dry forest being open to the irresponsible public I can't really blame them...

Not so much. Roads are closed due to a locked gate... I dont think God puts up gates.

if we would allow logging and clearing instead of closing it off because of an endangered animal is in the area we might not have these exteme fires. where are those animals going tolive now if they survived the fire. gov must rethink some of these restrictions that they put out or it is only going to get worse. the earth is going to be here for millions of years unlike us who have expiration dates. maybe the focus should be on people rather than animals and land so we can get everything running a little better than how things are now.

this has been approved by the committee to elect russ in 2012.

fatbob309 wrote:Not so much. Roads are closed due to a locked gate... I dont think God puts up gates.

Why does that matter anyways, most people don't have a rig capable of driving through 4-6 feet of snow anyways, and if they do I see pictures of their snow wheeling trips every winter.. again, I am not saying that I agree with shutting roads down due to snow or mud, no one is hurt except for the person who is out there. When it starts costing innocent people their homes because some dumbass started the biggest wild fire on record I think they are doing the right thing FOR NOW to keep from more forward happening... Just earlier this week they arrested people I'm flagstaff for having a camp fire. They said they were not aware they couldn't.. with people this stupid out there it kinda limits the options..

Avis wrote:Why does that matter anyways, most people don't have a rig capable of driving through 4-6 feet of snow anyways, and if they do I see pictures of their snow wheeling trips every winter..

doesnt have to be a snowed in road. Even the simple forest lakes road on the rim was gated and closed. I wanted to go up there and hike the rim area for some cool snow shots and couldnt get in


Did you know that 32,788 people died last year in car accidents? Using the states logic we should shut down all the roads to stop people from driving. If no one could use the road then no one would die. Obviously that's not the right answer.

We have tests, laws and crews that keep our roads safe. There are law enforcement officers that are there to ticket and fine drivers breaking the law, there are crews who help maintain roads and there are tons of emergency response units ready to go if something bad happens.

The same approach needs to be taken with the forest. Law enforcement ticketing campers, educating the public on responsible use, crews to clear dead brush and thin, and finally lots of emergency response units in case of a fire. We should have a C130 already in place for fire fighting, not weeks later, more hot shot crews, more air tankers. If we know this is a problem lets act proactively and fix it.

The only hangup with your points Chris is that they have no money to patrol or do much else. :(
I hate the closing in the winters for sure. Luckily our WCC trip this wknd is Coconino NF.

offroadaz wrote:doesnt have to be a snowed in road. Even the simple forest lakes road on the rim was gated and closed. I wanted to go up there and hike the rim area for some cool snow shots and couldnt get in


Did you know that 32,788 people died last year in car accidents? Using the states logic we should shut down all the roads to stop people from driving. If no one could use the road then no one would die. Obviously that's not the right answer.

We have tests, laws and crews that keep our roads safe. There are law enforcement officers that are there to ticket and fine drivers breaking the law, there are crews who help maintain roads and there are tons of emergency response units ready to go if something bad happens.

The same approach needs to be taken with the forest. Law enforcement ticketing campers, educating the public on responsible use, crews to clear dead brush and thin, and finally lots of emergency response units in case of a fire. We should have a C130 already in place for fire fighting, not weeks later, more hot shot crews, more air tankers. If we know this is a problem lets act proactively and fix it.

All the money for any government agency goes to the top to the people who run it, same with school systems and most businesses.
I remember years ago there were 2 G&F officers up here on the rim, but they built a new complex down there on Greenway.
My son is a Forest Service LEO and he was supposed to get his new truck last October, but they can't even find out where it is!
The truck he has now is broken most of the time and he has to ride with another officer most days cause they can't keep it fixed.
Actually the Forest Service is getting the forest thinned one fire at a time.:) Where the environmentalist wont let them log or thin
the stupid public is thinning it with fires cause they don't understand the rules apply to THEM.
The forest is closed up under the rim and Fossil creek is closed. That didn't keep hikers from moving the closed signs and
driving in and parking and hiking down there. The closure didn't mean them I guess. Then they call the LEO's hard cases
when they ticket them and tow their vehicles.
As far as I am concerned, all you people down there need to stay home and learn some respect for nature and other
people's property. I have had enough of this stupidity with dumb idiots who don't care!

Antman wrote:
The forest is closed up under the rim and Fossil creek is closed.

Correction, the south side of Fossil is closed :) The creek is the boundary for Tonto and Coconino, so as long as you're hiking the old flume trail and swimming only north of the middle of the creek... :)

I say burn it all and start over.

fatbob309 wrote:I say burn it all and start over.

I think that plan is in progress. Not the Coconino Forest though. It seems like they've avoided a huge one so far.