Second man sentenced for illegal trail construction

[joebartels]

Release Date: Jun 7, 2012
Flagstaff, AZ – A second individual connected with illegal trail building on the Coconino National Forest was convicted in federal court on Monday.

John Finch, 62, admitted to unauthorized trail construction and maintenance near Scheurman Mountain in the Red Rock Ranger District and was sentenced to one year probation, banned from all national forests in Arizona for six months, and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution.

“A person who undertakes this kind of illegal activity might think they are doing something worthwhile, but the truth is that building illegal trails impacts archaeology, plants and wildlife in the area, as well as causes erosion,” said District Ranger Heather Provencio. “We have worked hard over the last three years to expand opportunities for mountain biking and reduce the amount of unauthorized trail construction, and we’ll continue to do so.”

In a second and unrelated case in April, Gerald Griffin, 74, also admitted to unauthorized trail construction on the Red Rock Ranger District south of the Village of Oak Creek a couple days a week for the past three years in order to “help trail users.” In addition to being banned from Arizona national forests for two years, Griffin was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution.

An emergency closure to mountain biking in some sensitive areas of the district is being considered pending final decisions on future trails.

[PrestonSands]

No public flogging by the District Ranger?

[SuperstitionGuy]

Although I do not know the details it sounds to me like the USFS folks failed in recognizing a resource they should have through kindness yet firmness redirected to authorized trail work. A little warning but compassion and an extended hand of friendship might have turned these situations around to a positive thing for all.

Does anyone know any more about this or has any of you worked with this particular USFS District in the recent past?

[burntlizard]

Poor guys, they probably have a nagging wife at home and would do anything to get out of the house ;)

[outdoor_lover]

@burntlizard

[big_load]

Although I do not know the details it sounds to me like the USFS folks failed in recognizing a resource they should have through kindness yet firmness redirected to authorized trail work. A little warning but compassion and an extended hand of friendship might have turned these situations around to a positive thing for all.

I wonder if the circumstances compelled the USFS to react more harshly than they otherwise might have.

[Jeffshadows]

I have made several overtures to help Coronado over the years with trail maintenance. There are more than a few places in the Catalinas that haven't seen a trail crew in DECADES and probably won't because of their relative lack of use and remoteness. I always call and speak to the same someone who is based out of Sabino and describe what I want to do (Move this large piece of deadfall, trim this cholla back a little, etc.) Every time, without fail, I get a stern "No way" and a lecture about how unqualified I am to be doing such things. When I explain that this kind of work is not unfamiliar to me, having a yard full of native growth, and is essentially within the reach of any reasonably fit ten year-old, I get more grief. I once even volunteered to go to their training and help with projects they needed assistance with (Rather than what was just bothering me) and never got a call back.

I don't know anything about what these guys did, or for how long, but it seems that the only difference is that I called and asked for permission and then continue to step over the tree and around the cholla year after year having been denied that permission. I would further speculate that it involved mountain biking as it is a cornerstone of that community (For better or for worse) to create trails, but I could be way off. The Forest Service has a difficult juggling act to perform and a lot of land to control. That said, I cannot understand why they don't make more of an effort to embrace help when it's offered, especially responsible and earnest help. To take it a step further, why don't they go out and ask for it?

[chumley]

As with most things government, building an official trail involves years of environmental studies, public hearings, and layers of bureaucracy. If they allowed even the most experienced among us to build new trails (or just improve existing ones), they would be open to a host of legal challenges and (most importantly) liability. Even when it makes 100% logical sense, the idiocy of how the system actually operates overwhelms even the most sane proposal. Unfortunately, I don't see that changing ever.

On a side note, is it legal for users to build cairns, or tie nice colored ribbons to tree branches to mark a poorly maintained trail? (there's another thread discussing whether we "should" do those things ... I'm more interested in if it is actually a legal offense to do so).

[Al_HikesAZ]

Griffin did a little more than just making a few cairns

According to an April 5 press release, Griffin admitted to constructing trails and said he worked at the job each week for the last three years.

http://redrocknews.com/News/usfs-bans-t ... ilder.html

Looks like they are trying to get the mysterious "Sedona Shadow".

Griffin . . did not admit to being the “Sedona Shadow,” a mysterious figure also believed to have created a number of illegal trails in the area.

Finch has been very active in the Sedona Mountain Biking community - working to make Sedona a world-class mountain biking area. Lots of Google activity. Again, I would guess that he did more than move a few cairns.

Looks like USFS knew these two and looks like they want to send a message.

[azbackpackr]

I wish they would send those guys over to Sitgreaves Mountain, and build a trail up it.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I wish they would send those guys over to Sitgreaves Mountain, and build a trail up it.

I get the impression that these were mostly "social" mountain bike trails, but I could be wrong.

[azbackpackr]

Yeah, they probably don't want to build any peakbagger trails. There's a small peak in the Gila Mountains on the east side of Yuma (by Foothills) south of the freeway, known locally as "Jester's Peak." One local man, over a period of years, built a trail to the top of it that is really well-constructed, with switchbacks and everything. It's a very steep and rugged little mountain, just like all of them in that terrain. I don't know if the man goes back to maintain it, since I have not hiked it in about 5 years. However, I don't think the BLM (I think it belongs to BLM) ever complained about the trail.