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History of the East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group

During the Verde Valley Forum on Open Space, there was strong agreement among the participants that the private lands on the Eastern Slopes of Mingus Mountain should be protected from development to preserver the viewsheds from the Verde Valley.

Immediately after that Forum on Open Space, the Forest Service was approached by a representative of two of the larger landowners about the possibility of a land exchange. The Forest Service accepted in good faith this proposal from these landowners, later joined by a third landowner, and asked to local governments of the Verde Valley to appoint citizens to a task group to explore the possibilities of an exchange of these lands for National Forest Lands in the Verde Valley which were more suitable for development.

As the group formed and began their work, the East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group decided that they wanted to explore many other options available for preserving this large block of private lands on the Eastern Slope of Mingus Mountain.

The East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group wants to thank the local governments of the Verde Valley for their support for this effort. In addition the East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group would like to thank the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute and its membership for their participation and support for this effort. When the East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Force group was formed, Rex Funk from the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute agreed to preside as the facilitator for the group.

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Final Recommendations
East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Force
19 October 2004

#1

The Regional governments, along with Property Owners and VVLPI, should investigate trading National Forest Lands outside the Verde Valley in Arizona for East Mingus lands.

Discussion: There are regions within the state of Arizona that desire development and have National Forest lands to trade for development. These lands are distributed around the state and while no one parcel may be found to equal the East Mingus lands, a package of several parcels may be assembled to allow for just such a trade.

Trades for lands outside the Verde Valley have the benefit of not impacting water usage in the Valley and may have a positive effect if potential Verde Valley development is avoided. Trades outside the Verde Valley may avoid controversy and, if other areas have willing participants, lands trades can be a win-win situation.

Property owners can provide necessary funding to outside realty firms who specialize in such trades. County and municipal governments can be a partner in these trades, providing assistance in planning, zoning and related issues.

VVLPI can provide guidance and technical assistance to other agencies when such land trades are considered.

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#2

If the Forest Service and Yavapai-Apache Nation proceed with a land exchange to expand the Nation's Verde Valley holdings, the Nation should be encouraged to consider acquiring and administratively exchanging the private East Mingus lands for the public lands it seeks to acquire.

Discussion:  The Task Force did not evaluate a potential exchange, and this recommendation should not be considered as an endorsement either for or against this or any similar exchange.

Since the Nation has proposed an exchange to acquire forest land in the Camp Verde area and the Forest Service seems inclined to allow this Tribal acquisition, the best interests of the public in this region will be served if the private land the Forest acquires is within our regional boundaries, rather than outside the Verde Valley.  The East Mingus lands should be given strong consideration for such an acquisition, with the understanding that both the Forest Service and citizens of the region view these lands as desirable for protection from development.  Additionally, the task force is aware of concerns by the Town of Camp Verde about the potential for such an exchange to negatively impact the Town.

The task force therefore recommends that such an exchange be handled administratively (rather than legislatively) through the normal Forest Service exchange process using a NEPA analysis, and that any such exchange be properly conditioned to minimize or eliminate potential negative impacts to the Town of Camp Verde or Verde Valley region.

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#3

Yavapai County should enact a gross receipts (sales) tax dedicated to acquiring and protecting open space.

Discussion:  Every community that has made progress in preserving open space has developed a reliable funding source. In Yavapai County a $.0025 tax would generate $5 million - 6 million per year.  State law requires specific parcels to be identified as part of the proposal. This gives assurance to the voters as to where the funds will be used. Candidate parcels might include wetlands, view sheds, buffers between communities, or areas with significant biological or cultural values. Funds could also be used to retire development rights rather than outright purchase.  This funding source has been approved by voters in the cities of Prescott and Scottsdaie as well as Coconino County, where it received 61 approval.

Like other public infrastructure such as roads, schools and parks, open space is vital to maintaining our present high quality of life. It preserves our natural resources and cultural heritage.  The VVLPI Planning Council has compiled a regional map identifying specific private parcels considered desirable for open space protection, based on existing open space plans, resolutions, etc. of the five incorporated municipalities. Forest Service, and County.

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#4

Regional governments (the County and all five incorporated cities and towns) should resolve to encourage the Prescott and Coconino National Forests to consider and adopt for incorporation into the upcoming revision of their general management plan a provision or goal to achieve a desirable balance between forest land that is acquired and disposed within the Verde Valley region.

Discussion:  For the past several decades, the Verde Valley region has experienced a net loss of forest land due to land exchanges.  One reliable estimate places the ratio of forest land lost through exchanges versus gained through exchanges at around 60-40.  In effect, the Verde Valley has been used to help other regions acquire open space under National Forest management.  This fact has recently come to sharp focus with the proposed Yavapai Ranch Land Exchange, which has caused many years of controversy and divisiveness within the Verde Valley region and beyond.

Today, there are serious concerns about sustainability issues with the just the existing inventory of privately owned land within the Verde Valley region, especially with water, but also extending to socioeconomic and other issues, such as the stated shared desire throughout the Verde Valley region's cities and towns to protect and enhance small town character and quality of life.

Since evidence shows the Verde Valley already has sufficient quantities of undeveloped private and State Trust land to provide for growth and development opportunities for at least several decades if not more at current growth rates, and since official projections of available water from the Northern Arizona Municipal Water User's Association show that the region does not possess sufficient water resources to support growth and development even on the existing inventory of private land, the protection of the watershed and open space on existing Forest land is a very high concern and important to the health, safety, and welfare of the Verde Valley region.

Therefore, the task force recommends each incorporated city, town, and Yavapai County resolve to encourage and request the Prescott National Forest consider and adopt this desirable balance provision within the next PNF plan.  We suggest defining and evaluating "desirable" on a flexible case-by-case basis, so that exchanges could potentially result in a net gain of forest land within the Verde Valley region if appropriate.  We suggest that exchanges especially be evaluated on the projected net water use/recharge affect it would have on the regional aquifer if completed. Finally, we suggest a flexible criterion so that, if a proposed exchange meets the needs and goals of both the region and the forest, it should be considered "desirable."

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#5

Local Support for the East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group

The Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute was formed after the Verde Valley Forum on Open Space.  The purpose of the VVLPI is to operate within the Verde Valley to acquire, manage and enhance the natural open space in the Verde Valley.  This effort will include scientific research and education along with land acquisition and preservation. The East Mingus Land Adjustment Task Group recommends that the local governments in the Verde Valley support the VVLPI in their efforts to acquire, manage and enhance the natural open space in the Verde Valley.

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