The City’s Open Space program and partners have developed a first draft of the Greater Observatory Mesa Trail Plan. The plan area includes the City’s regional open space preserve Observatory Mesa Natural Area as well as neighboring properties Lowell Observatory and Coconino National Forest. The trail plan draft also provides direction for managing City property for preservation and recreation.

Implementation of the plan would benefit the preservation of the area and wildlife habitat along with additional recreational opportunities via the proposed trail system improvements. Because of the location of Observatory Mesa, the plan has the potential to serve numerous neighborhoods: Railroad Springs, West Village, Flagstaff Mesa, Flagstaff Townsite, Westridge, Ridge Crest, Anasazi Ridge, and Cheshire. Additionally, the site is heavily used by the broader Flagstaff community and therefore will benefit the community at large.

This proposal was developed with substantial thought and care to balance community use with the preservation of sensitive cultural and natural resources. Plan developers analyzed wildlife corridors, reviewed and accommodated sensitive watersheds and springs, accounted for sensitive species by minimizing trail infrastructure in associated areas, avoided cultural resources with a 500-foot buffer, adhered to Arizona State Parks and Trails Conservation easement requirements as well as City Open Space Program directives, and established a directive for sustainable trail building.

In summary, the draft plan includes:

• Recommended repairs for existing designated trails, since portions of the existing trail system have seen trail widening and braiding due to user intensity and weather events
• Naturalize about 8 miles of unauthorized trails
• Naturalize over 12 miles of abandoned roads
• The addition of 8 more formal access points, resulting in a total of 12
• Approximately 26 miles of natural-surfaced single-track trail for varied recreational opportunities
• Installation of trail signage for informing users of regulations and wayfinding
• Additional parking for residents and visitors at two locations
• Two educational zones for the purpose of increasing student and adult awareness of environmental topics.

To date, Lowell Observatory, Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Urban Trail System, and the Open Spaces Commission have reviewed and approved the draft plan for public outreach.

Background Information
In 2004, voters approved a bond initiative fund for the purpose of working towards implementing an Open Space and FUTS system. With this direction, the Open Space program used a portion of these funds to secure the City’s first regional open space preserves, which included Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve and Observatory Mesa Natural Area. This was achieved by using the voter-approved funds as a match for an Arizona State Parks Growing Smarter grant in 2013. These two sources of funds thus financed the acquisition of the Observatory Mesa Natural Area. The Arizona State Land Department agreed to sell the 2,000 plus acres that now make up the City’s natural area because they recognized that the property is vital to preserving the environmental and community health of Flagstaff.

Because grant funds were utilized to purchase the acreage, the grant agreement bestowed Arizona State Parks a conservation easement over the property, which requires the acreage to be retained forever as conservation land for the purpose of environmental and community health. The conservation easement requires the City to provide the right to engage in and permit engagement in recreational uses of the property, including hiking, trail running, cycling, equestrian use, and other forms of passive recreation, along with educational and scientific study activities. This plan was thus drafted to support those agreed-upon requirements.

Furthermore, Flagstaff Trails Initiative (FTI) completed a public survey to garner public feedback on Flagstaff trails to develop their broader trail plan strategy. Public comments were complied and evaluated to better understand the public's relationship to outdoor recreation in Flagstaff. Of the 1,700 total comments received, 7% of the public comments were about Observatory Mesa, which FTI distilled into the following five recommendations.

1. Construct a new stacked loop system on Observatory Mesa accessible from downtown Flagstaff and Thorpe Park to help address local demand and unauthorized trails.
2. Connect Fort Valley and Observatory Mesa to help link two popular areas.
3. Adopt unauthorized trails on Lowell Observatory property as part of Observatory Mesa system improvement.
4. Evaluate unauthorized trails on Observatory Mesa for closure and restoration to reduce impacts and reduce redundancy.
5. Connect Fort Valley to FUTS with a commuter route on Observatory Mesa that partially uses existing roads.

 http://flagstafftrailsinitiative.org/ 

This high level of public interest in Observatory Mesa is reflected in the prioritized recommendations of the proposed trail plan.
 
Related Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives

• High Performance Governance:
  • Encourage public trust through transparency, accessibility & use of the City’s public participation policy.
• Safe and Healthy Community:
  • Promote physical health through providing recreation opportunities, parks, open space, and multiple transportation options.
• Inclusive and Engaged Community:
  • Promote environmental justice and the fair distribution of environmental benefits.
• Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure:
  • Utilize existing long-range plans that identify the community’s future infrastructure needs and all associated costs.
• Robust Resilient Economy:
  • Embrace and invest in responsible tourism opportunities to promote economic development.
• Livable Community:
  • Provide amenities and activities that support a healthy lifestyle.
• Environmental Stewardship:
  • Promote, protect, and enhance a healthy, sustainable environment and its natural resources.

Related Regional Plan Items
Vision: In 2030, the Flagstaff region maintains a healthy system of open lands supporting the natural environment and our quality of life through stewardship by regional stakeholders.

• Goal OS.1. The region has a system of open lands, such as undeveloped natural areas, wildlife corridors and habitat areas, trails, access to public lands, and greenways to support the natural environment that sustains our quality of life, cultural heritage, and ecosystem health.
• Goal ED.7. Continue to promote and enhance Flagstaff’s unique sense of place as an economic driver.
• Goal REC.1. Maintain and grow the region’s healthy system of convenient and accessible parks, recreation facilities, and trails.
• Policy OS.1.1. Establish a Conservation Land System supported by stakeholders (federal, state, city, county, non-profit, and interested citizens) to inventory, map, update, and manage the region’s green infrastructure including open space planning, acquisition, conservation, protection, and long-term management and maintenance. 
• Policy OS.1.4. Use open space as opportunities for non-motorized connectivity, to interact with nature, and to enjoy the views and quiet.