Issue:
PT‐2
AZARNG Site:
Florence
Military
Reservation
Cottonwood Canyon Road may increase
unintentional trespass on Florence Military
Reservation.
Cottonwood Canyon Road is located along the
northern boundary of the Arizona State Land
Department holdings that are leased by the
AZARNG through a Special Land Use Permit. The
road provides public access to the area north of
Florence Military Reservation and receives heavy
use by OHV users, recreationists, campers, and
ranchers. Some nearby areas are also leased for
cattle grazing. Expansion or enhancement of
Cottonwood Canyon Road could result in
additional users and increase encroachment
concerns.
Compatibility Assessment
Cottonwood Canyon Road is located along the northern boundary of the ASLD land that
the AZARNG leases for 22 days per year through a Special Land Use Permit. The road
provides access to several popular recreation locations further east in the Mineral
Mountains, which are heavily used by horse riders, OHV users, hikers, and campers; as
well as trucks and personnel working at Mineral Mountain Mine.
The BLM has proposed construction of a county landfill east of FMR which would include
improvements to Cottonwood Canyon Road to accommodate delivery to the site. The
improvements are described in the Cottonwood Canyon Road Right‐of‐Way Draft
Environmental Assessment (#DOI‐BLM‐AZ‐G020‐2011‐0017). Paving Cottonwood Canyon
road would allow for further vehicle traffic and likely increase recreational traffic into the
area, resulting in a greater likelihood of trespassing onto FMR.
5.15
Roadway Capacity (RC)
Roadway capacity relates to the ability of existing and future freeways, highways,
arterials, and local roads to provide adequate mobility and access between military
installations and their surrounding communities.
As urban development expands into rural areas, roads once used primarily to provide
access for agricultural uses and limited local traffic begin to function as urban arterial
roadways. These once rural roads often become the main transportation corridors for all
types of traffic – from residential to commercial trucking – and can assist or impede
access to military installations. As transportation systems grow and provide more
Background Report
5-121