Greater Prescott to receive federal assistance for trail maintenance
Feb 25, 2018, 11:22 AM | Updated: 11:40 am
(Facebook/Prescott Living Magazine)
(Facebook/Prescott Living Magazine)
PHOENIX — Maintenance to more than 300 miles of trails in Greater Prescott will be on the way as it was named one of 15 priority areas to receive federal funding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the priority areas in mid-February to the delight of Prescott National Forest Trails and Wilderness Manager Jason Williams.
“It’s the best news I’ve gotten on trails in years,” Williams said. “We’ve been waiting nine months to hear this news.”
Williams’ department had to submit a bid showing the progress they had already made through volunteer efforts and partnerships with neighboring clubs and governments.
In a news release from USDA, Greater Prescott Trail System was heralded as “a demonstration of work between the Forest Service and multiple partners” and “is integrated with all public lands at the federal, state and local level to generate a community-based trail system.”
Williams and his department can typically only address 10 percent of the trails in the trail system on a yearly basis, meaning that most trails are only maintained once every 10 years.
With the extra funding and resources, Williams is hoping he can double the output of his department.
“Generally, I would like to address 20 percent of the trail each year, but I haven’t been able to do that,” Williams said.
Greater Prescott was not the only trail system in Arizona to receive the extra funding. The Sedona Red Rock Ranger District Trail System is another beneficiary.
Other areas were located in Montana, California, and Minnesota.
“It feels good to be recognized nationally,” Williams said.
