Tactic A4.2 | Visit Sedona
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Tactic A4.2

Public Private Land Advocacy

Advocate that development of private/public lands is in alignment with sustainability goals.

Several community organizations currently evaluate the potential impact of developing private and public land in the Sedona area. Keep Sedona Beautiful will take the lead in integrating these perspectives and providing input on development proposals to ensure alignment with broader destination sustainability goals.

IMPACTED PILLARS

TIMEFRAME Short-term (12-18 months)

LEAD PARTNER Keep Sedona Beautiful

SUPPORTING PARTNERS City of Sedona, USFS, State Parks, Sustainability Alliance, SCC&TB, Counties

ALIGNING RESEARCH Nonprofit Focus Group

TARGET / STATUS TO DATE

1. Number of times to weigh in on specific projects
2. Monitor open space availability

PROGRESS TO DATE

Public Private Land Advocacy 

Advocate that development of private/public lands is in alignment with sustainability goals.

FY22: The damage to public lands by OHV overuse and misuse has become an increasing source of agency and public concern. The Forest Service is coordinating a facilitated working group to identify actions to remedy the OHV situation. Keep Sedona Beautiful held a panel discussion on the OHV crisis as part of its Speaker Series in March including representatives of the City of Sedona, the Forest Service, The Chamber of Commerce, Yavapai County and affected residents.

By July 2022, a working group convened by the Forest Service created a draft Mission Statement for the larger OHV group.  Funding has been procured and a contract signed with a facilitator. Meetings are expected to begin in the first quarter of FY23.

Further background and STP-related action on this issue:  After Coconino National Forest Supervisor Laura Jo West stated a timed entry service for OHV users would not align with state or forest public use goals, the Sedona City Council  in March asked for a follow-up meeting with the USFS and the Red Rock Ranger District.

The SCC&TB spearheaded the launch of the Sedona Red Rock Off Road Crew (RROCC), championing solutions to the issues of noise, dust and responsible ridership with participation of the US Forest Service, the OHV industry group “Tread Lightly! and local OHV rental companies. The Crew has instituted a one percent rental transaction fee to fund rider education, initiated an OHV Ambassador Program  on OHV roadways offering riders real time education, Video Outreach positioning responsible ridership as a Sedona value and expectation and Consumer Education  through the Forest Service’ regular updates its free Motor Vehicle Use Map color-coding neighborhoods and other sensitive areas.

Keep Sedona Beautiful also completed and shared the results of Comprehensive Plan Surveys with Yavapai County. The Comprehensive Plan defines how the County evaluates development proposals in the coming decade and is key to protecting and preserving local land resources.

FY21: Keep Sedona Beautiful (KSB) and partners are heavily engaged in sustainability advocacy on multiple land-use fronts. 

KSB is an advocate in Yavapai County’s Comprehensive Plan Update, a critical document that guides County Supervisors and the Planning and Zoning Department in land use decisions, such as rezoning requests.

  • On January 27, 2021, the Sustainability Alliance and KSB conducted a seminar introducing the public to the process.
  • In February 2021, KSB convened a working group to make suggestions for the community survey the County will conduct, asking residents’ views on numerous issues and requesting prioritization, including development and land use. 
  • In March 2021, KSB began drafting a Vison Statement for protection of public lands for inclusion in the Update. The County anticipates completing the Comprehensive Plan Update by the end of 2022.
  • In the fourth quarter of FY21, KSB submitted its Vision Statement to Yavapai County and created (and is administering) a survey of County residents on the Energy Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Results will be shared with the County.

As part of the County Comprehensive Plan Update, the Big Park/VOC Community Plan Committee released a draft Vision Statement in May based on a resident survey that generated just under 800 responses. The Vision Statement is the beginning of a community plan being produced for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan Update.

At its September 22, 2020 meeting, the City of Sedona Council unanimously supported a proposal by the US Forest Service and the Trust for Public Land to purchase the 27-acre Tobias-Flynn property along Oak Creek adjacent to the airport, protecting this important area from development. Advocacy agencies such as the SCC&TB and KSB supported the Council decision.

The AutoCamp proposal attracted widespread community and government interest. Keep Sedona Beautiful met with the developer and posed a series of questions to Yavapai County about the proposed rezoning of 18+ acres from Residential to PAD to allow a 100 unit Airstream Camping complex on land northwest of the City of Sedona limits, surrounded by National Forest and bordered on 2 sides by Wilderness.

Although having no jurisdiction in the matter, the Sedona Council took interest and held a public hearing on the proposal on October 27, 2020. As a result, the City of Sedona submitted comments to Yavapai County expressing several concerns about the project.

In February 2021, Autocamp withdrew their proposal but expects to purchase the parcel and return for County approval of a revised project in the future.

On January 19, 2021, the City of Cottonwood voted to annex the Spring Creek Ranch property. Any development on those 282 acres of mostly open (and private) land will now be subject to City of Sedona development guidelines and approvals.

It is noteworthy that on August 4, 2020 the Great American Outdoors Act was signed. This important legislation funds sorely needed work on our public lands.

FY20:   In November, community leaders including KSB, SCC&TB board members and elected officials joined more than 100 members of the public at the Verde Valley Townhall regarding land use. KSB and the SCC&TB sponsored the event.

Numerous organizations in the Verde Valley, including Keep Sedona Beautiful, began preparing to participate in Yavapai County’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan Update.