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PHOENIX – The Land Management’s Lower Sonoran Field Office last week completed a management plan that outlines a trail system on public lands south of the Phoenix metro area.
An environmental assessment of the Buckeye Hills Travel Management Plan provides outdoor travel for motorized and non-motorized users while balancing the protection of natural and cultural resources on public lands, according to the press release.
“Public lands surround the growing Phoenix metropolitan area, which means demand for recreational opportunities is increasing,” Phoenix District Manager Leon Thomas said in a release. “This plan allows the BLM to balance the needs of public land users while protecting the outdoor environment we all enjoy.”
The management plan analyzes the 572,159-acre Buckeye Hills East and West Travel Management Areas located in Buckeye, Rainbow Valley, Hasayampa and Palo Verde in Pinal and Maricopa counties.
It mixes motorized and non-motorized uses, the latter of which can be used for hiking, horseback riding, cycling, and backpacking.
Undesignated watershed areas, washes and recirculation routes return naturally.
BLM conducted its analysis of the area in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act between 2016 and 2018 and used public observations, stakeholder outreach, open houses, and public comment periods.
Implementation of the travel management plan is expected to take several years.
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