The Douglas Ranger District, Coronado National Forest is participating in a series of meetings regarding proposed changes to the designated road system in the Chiricahua, Dragoon and Peloncillo Mountains. A second meeting is scheduled for March 23 at the Douglas Visitor Center, 345 16th St., Douglas, Arizona from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The first meeting in Douglas took place on March 1.

The Scoping Notice for proposed changes was signed February 13, initiating a 90-day comment period. The notice and associated maps are available on the Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado

The meeting will be conducted in an “Open House” format to invite public input for the National Environmental Policy Act analysis. Information on the travel management process will be available, along with maps of proposed changes to the road system.

“There are a lot of roads that are in our books that are not working anymore,” Edwards said in the first meeting. “In controversy, there are roads that have been created through daily users, whether hunters, recreationists or other; some of those roads are very good and we want to add those to the system.”

Edwards expressed his interest in receiving public comment regarding the proposed changes that the Douglas Ranger District would incorporate with these actions.

In a related effort, the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict has identified a group of interested citizens to serve as extended representatives on the “Collaboration Alternative Team” (CAT), formed January 28 to develop an alternative to the proposed road system. The Institute also hosted a kickoff meeting on February 18 to establish ground rules for the CAT and discuss proposed road changes across the entire Coronado National Forest to include the Douglas, Nogales, Safford, Santa Catalina (Tucson) and Sierra Vista Ranger Districts.

On March 29, the Institute will host a meeting from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Douglas Visitor Center. The meeting will begin with open discussion for all participants. The CAT will then focus specifically on proposed changes to roads on the Douglas Ranger District. The public is welcome to observe this portion of the meeting.

For more information please call the Douglas Ranger District at (520) 364-3468.