HikeArizona.COM

The Coronado National Forest is a creating a holistic trail plan for the Santa Catalina Ranger District including beloved places like Mount Lemmon, the Catalina Highway, and Pusch Ridge Wilderness. The goal of this plan is to create a recreational trail system that is ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable.
We want to hear from you. Head to our interactive map before January 31, 2022 to tell us what you value and want for the future:

While the Coronado is incapable of publishing a forest order that makes sense or agrees with posted signage, they have a GIS person who made this fancy and seemingly unnecessary interactive storyboard.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c9 ... e9071f13bb

Ultimately, it's just a thing where you can leave comments about what's important to you.

One interesting thing is that Pusch Peak is identified as an area of unauthorized off-trail use. Then again, so is all of Catalina State Park, so maybe all of this is just for humor and entertainment?

Could simply be a matter of someone or some group trying to do good (while rare, it does still exist)...

...BUT knowing too much about how things really work (and instinctively reading between the lines), methinks it's time to review my list of Pima County accomplishments and make any remaining bucketlisters in these target locations a priority!!!

Couldn't help but as I read through the site... they're looking for feedback...? 'Whatever you say can and will be used against you' came to mind more than a few times as I read through...

It mentions “Consider sharing feedback like: Unauthorized trails that are not sustainable.” I’d like to see some of these “unauthorized trails” like Pusch Peak and some at Catalina State Park, turned into official USFS trails. Perhaps with a properly constructed trail bed and re-route some of these can be made sustainable, assuming they would pass the NEPA process.

chumley wrote:One interesting thing is that Pusch Peak is identified as an area of unauthorized off-trail use. Then again, so is all of Catalina State Park, so maybe all of this is just for humor and entertainment?

While not seeing the same numbers as peaks in Phoenix, Pusch Peak is quickly turning into my neighborhood's Piestewa. It is not a slight game trail with cairns like much of the off trail stuff around here, the trail up to Pusch Peak is well worn and wide. Still perplexed as to why it has never just been added to the list of trails in the Catalinas. Nobody needs to maintain it and all it would cost is to put a sign or two up.

@SpiderLegs
Liability? If it's an official trail, they'll probably need to actually put some work in to make it safer.

If the Coronado wanted Pusch to be an official trail, they would have built it by now. The sign that used to exist saying it wasn't an official trail was their passive aggressive way of telling the public this. [ photo ]

I see no reason to comment on their plan, they will just do what they were intending in the first place. The comment period is nothing more than an empty attempt to make it seem like the public has a say, but reality demonstrates the opposite. Just another political farce. It sure is shiny!

Jim_H wrote:The comment period is nothing more than an empty attempt to make it seem like the public has a say, but reality demonstrates the opposite. Just another political farce. It sure is shiny!

Yep... "bottom-up accounting"

Coming soon to a trail near you!


Seriously, I took that at the Finger Rock Trail.

The public comments are in ... good reading here if you're interested.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coronado ... EPRD974570
Out of over 800 comments, 4 people want to make Pusch Peak a real trail. I think I might know who 3 of them are.

The Draft Plan has been published.

Of note ... no [ Pusch Peak ] . And the decommissioning of the [ Sutherland Trail #6 ] and [ Canada del Oro Trail #4 ] .

All the info here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coronado ... EPRD974570

Brushy Springs trail is also being decommissioned, although it was an unpopular hike for the HAZ community.

@chumley - Lots of info here. If you live in Tucson or come down here frequently it's a good idea to read the whole thing today.

@chumley
thanks for posting Chums, lot of stuff in there!

Phase 2-

The Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District, is seeking comments on a scoping proposal to implement the second phase of the Santa Catalina Trail Plan in Pima and Pinal counties, Arizona. This project proposes 10 trail construction projects, 2 trail adoptions, 5 trail reroutes, 6 trail reclassification/removals, and 5 trailhead access projects.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coronado ... zWDdCOLXIA

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?projec ... E1NAylV-vQ