CanyonCountry Report post Posted November 3, 2008 I have just heard today from a Maricopa County sheriff officer that ALL roads in Maricopa and Pima county are shut off to all drive-in access unless they are maintained roads and allows only walk-in access. HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF THIS?? The officer said that this LAW was passed in February and now it is being enforced, the officer is a hunter as well and hates to enforce it, but it is a law and he must. This includes all forest service marked roads with numbers, if caught on these roads you will be subject to pay a large fine. According to the Maricopa County officer, he was at the meeting in February and AZ fish and game did nothing to try to fight this law that was in the making and nobody ever thought they would enforce it until now and it is too late. This includes several hunt units like 21, 20b, 22, 26m, and many more. At first I thought it was just the Metro areas maybe around Phoenix and Tucson due to dust control, but this is the whole County of Pima and Maricopa. This may impact any of you javelina, deer, and small game hunters in the next few months as well as years unless we as in the hunters try to do something about this. Get the word out to everybody who hunts in these counties, I am just furious and I am sure many others will be too. If anybody knows anything different on this subject, post a reply, other then that, let everybody know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooked_on_Coues Report post Posted November 3, 2008 Its bullchit... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAM Report post Posted November 3, 2008 The Maricopa County Sheriff is Joe Arapio and as far as I know he's not a hunter. Sounds like someone's yankin your chain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanyonCountry Report post Posted November 3, 2008 That was my bad on a mistype, a sheriffs officer, not Joe gave me this information and a warning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted November 3, 2008 I personally have not heard of this law and would like to see the actual full details of how it is expressed... As far as forest service roads go..... in the state of Arizona All marked forest Service roads are Maintained ( or at least they say certain taxes and revenues are paying for that purpose) unless expressly noted and posted at corridor entry... But until I get a ticket I don't see myself not using roads that I have used all my life... and then I will have to just play dumb.... Personally I think that for residents born of this state more needs to be done to protect our rights to access and use the lands our fathers and grandfathers tought us so well to use and respect ... This is not just about our lands to hunt but also the lakes in which we fish ... A few of us talking and it is only Talk and complaining.... All of us together strong THAT IS A STATEMENT.... all States including my home Arizona Need the revenue that Anglers and Hunters create and it is getting old being taken advatage of .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanyonCountry Report post Posted November 3, 2008 Str8Shot, I agree with you 100 percent and I just hope this situation changes because it is ridiculous. According to the information from the officer, game and fish supposively did not try to do anything and that scares me because hunters like us support game and fish and raise money for what we live and love to do. I wish this didnt sound like I am making it up haha. Everybody soon will be hearing about it, I have heard about it from 2 other hunters on opening day of quail season also after the white tanks area was shut down to drive-in access. So I guess we will just see as time goes on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azphil Report post Posted November 3, 2008 I understand you have to stay on numbered roads unless you are retreiving downed game! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NRS Report post Posted November 3, 2008 You can go here http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/off_highway.shtml and check out the true story. The new OHV regulations go into effect in January, that require a OHV sticker on your quad or UTV, but not your trucks or cars. Sounds like he was getting some bad information or jerking your chain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted November 3, 2008 AGFD has been meeting with sportsmen's groups for many months to inform people about this issue. If I remember correctly Maricopa county is looking for any and all ways to improve air quailty because if they don't they will loose lots of federal funding since they are not meeting air quality standards. So these new laws re: vehicles are dirt roads are an effort to help control dust. here is a link from the maricopa county site that gives a little info on the rules: http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/plann...cs/p28-0802.pdf Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted November 3, 2008 Isn't 4 peaks and the Sugarloaf Mnt area in Maricopa County? There are miles and miles of trails and dirt roads out there that people drive their play toys. We rip on them for driving off road and now we are going to shut down the main "on-road" areas for them to recreate? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted November 3, 2008 Just realized it today looking back through the spring 09 regs that they talk about the off road vehicle laws that will be going into effect... They will not apply to Trucks, Jeeps and SUV's as for the rest Quads. Rangers Rails ext.. there will be an annual permit ( fee has not been determined yet ... ) So I guess we work with what we got ... nothing wrong with legs and horseback... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EBB Report post Posted November 3, 2008 You are right, this is all part of the PM-10 dust control. The EPA gave dust control responsibility to the State who defined Area A, and Area B. Area A is most of Maricopa County where Area B is around Tucson. Maricopa County was supposed to come up with provisions to control dust in Area A and wasted most of the allotted time so the State took back control. The State Legislature then passed a Statute defining what the Towns, Cities, and County needed to do to become compliant. These ordinances had to be passed by the end of March this year. The only map I have seen of Area A is on an 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper. Not near enough detail to see where the edges are, and I haven't seen a definition of boundaries. It is most of Maricopa County but, I don't think all. This is what that bogus www.Runningoutofair.com program is about. In Cave Creek, I voted against "both reads" of the State mandated ordinance (the only Council Member to do so). The only areas that have violated the EPA dust levels are along I 10 and I 17. This is because the traffic keeps it stirred up. There aren't even monitors to prove that most of Area A has a problem. It's just another right and convenience taken by the Feds. EBB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DEF110 Report post Posted November 3, 2008 I just do not get how they can do this. Public lands are owned by all of us. We pay our taxes and the forest service is supposed to be a steward of the land not the warden locking us out and restricting the access. I was with my son on his first elk youth hunt in unit 1 two weeks ago. A lot of the roads we went on had fallen trees. It wasn’t that bad at first but every road we tried to get into the area had trees down. It seemed like they had been push over. It should be the FS job to make sure of access. Good thing we had a chain saw. The FS has gotten too GREEN (TREE/BUNNY hugger) for their own good. This is our land and they are here to make sure it accessible to all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanyonCountry Report post Posted November 4, 2008 As Amanda said above, again here is the link to where the law is. Go to it and read it and it will give you an idea of what is going on. http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/plann...cs/p28-0802.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted November 4, 2008 Dust control? It's a freakin desert!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
