CONSERVATION STRATEGY
This Action Plan, developed through the Verde River Corridor Project, shows how communities, private groups, individuals, and public agencies can work together to maintain and improve the river corridor. Landowners, farmers, industrial companies, recreationists, sportsmen groups, conservation organizations, and citizens that work along and use the river all have important roles to play in the future of the Verde.
Conservation and protection of the Verde River Corridor will require the coordination of all public and private interests along the river. The VRCP Action Plan can be the vehicle for bringing government agencies, private organizations, and local landowners together to work cooperatively on detailed strategies for the conservation of the river corridor. The protection and enhancement of the Verde will depend on taking full advantage of available expertise, influence, and resources. The result of this planning process is a strategy for land and water management in and along the Verde River that is uniquely suited to its special qualities and the demands of the local people and communities.
As stated earlier in this report, the purpose of the VRCP has been to develop a workable strategy for the use, management, and protection of the river corridor that incorporates the views of its many users and supporters, residents, agencies, and elected officials. The recommendations contained within this report are meant as suggestions—as a starting point. These recommendations, in many instances, piggyback on existing community efforts, recognizing and supporting the local actions.
No one group or individual is responsible for the implementation of all the recommendations. These actions will require a concerted effort by many individuals, groups, and agencies. Several of the actions are currently being implemented by groups and agencies. As each recommended action is begun or completed, we move closer to our vision for the Verde.
The key to this process is establishing a consensus among the diverse river interests. The ultimate goal has not been to change the character of the corridor, but to conserve the river and its resources in a way that is balanced with growth and economic vitality. The intent of the VRCP has been to study the river corridor—its values, uses, and issues of concern—and to work with all interested parties to create a plan of action for the future management of the Verde River Corridor.
The top concern of the people who participated in the initial meetings of the VRCP was the need for coordinated management of the land and water resources of the Verde River Corridor. Because of the many different ways the Verde River is used today, many local officials and landowners have recognized that there is a need to share responsibility for its future conservation and management. Local communities are addressing issues and problems as they arise, but frequently these actions only affect the land and water within a town's boundaries.
The major goals of the VRCP have been to identify the problems and needs of the entire river, recommend a coordinated and consistent management strategy throughout the corridor, and begin the process of solving the problems. Another key goal of the VRCP committee members has been that of informing and educating themselves, agency representatives, businessmen, special interest groups, landowners, and the general public. Most of the problems on the river have been ongoing for years, but can be resolved with sufficient attention and an informed, involved public.
ACTION PLAN
Priority Actions
In the preceding section, we discussed the overall vision and guiding principles finalized by the Steering Committee. The guiding principles for the VRCP were created to provide direction when developing approaches to solving river issues. These guiding principles were generated from the many strategies, goals, and recommendations developed by the five working subcommittees.
The Steering Committee reached consensus on over 140 different recommendations developed from five different subcommittees. As part of the Action Plan, the subcommittee recommendations provide a good foundation for pragmatic local initiatives in developing management strategies for the Verde River. However, logistically every recommendation could not be handled at once. To begin an effective implementation process for the Steering Committee recommendations, it was necessary to prioritize the list of recommendations and determine which actions were most needed and appropriate for immediate application in the corridor.
The top priority recommendations were chosen based upon:
• ease or complexity of implementation
• benefit to community
• likelihood of success
• most appropriate for immediate implementation
At the May 29, 1991 Steering Committee meeting, the top ten priority actions were agreed upon and ranked (Table 8). Recommendations that were not selected as priority actions are not considered any less important to the Verde River and, hopefully, will soon be acted upon by interested individuals and groups.
Figure 10
TOP TEN PRIORITY ACTIONS
1) Conduct a landowner survey to determine who may be interested in participating in accomplishing the goals of the Verde River Corridor Project.
2) Establish a permanent river corridor group made up of existing community leaders, landowners, individuals, organizations, and agencies to continue the coordination and problem solving begun by the Verde River Corridor Project.
3) Identify and pursue sources for assistance and funding.
• Request that Arizona State Parks and Game & Fish hold an informational workshop on the Arizona Heritage Fund in the Verde Valley.
4) Distribute the reports and recommendations from the Verde River Corridor Project; take advantage of the public opportunity at Verde River Days.
• Final Report and Recommendations and
Summary Publication
• Public River Access Brochure
• Summary Report of Private Property Rights & Responsibilities
• Recreation Assessment
• Visual Resource Assessment
5) Participate in the development of the Arizona State Parks' Verde River Greenway Master Plan by serving on the planning team.
6) Facilitate riverfront landowner and river user workshops to inform people of their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities and encourage active participation in the planning process.
7) Develop an identifying river corridor logo and implement its use in signing public river access sites and in informational materials about the river corridor.
• A logo contest conducted as part of Verde River Days is suggested; an alternate suggestion is to use the VRCP great blue heron as the logo.
8) Work with cooperative groups to submit grant proposals for local parks, access sites, trails, habitat protection and enhancement, cultural resources, and environmental education to Arizona Heritage Fund, State Lake Improvement Fund, and Land & Water Conservation Fund.
9) Initiate a river corridor management strategy after current environmental assessments and reports of the Verde River are completed (VRCP, Verde NRCD, EPA ADID, ASPB Greenway, etc.).
10) Support ongoing efforts to manage and conserve the Verde River Corridor.
The Action Plan, included in this section, is composed of:
• Top 10 Priority Actions Recommended by the
Steering Committee
• Summary Charts of 140 Subcommittee Recommendations
• Accomplishments Achieved as a Direct Result of the
VRCP Process
• Ongoing Efforts of Other Groups and Agencies
Action strategies will continue to be developed and modified for implementing the Steering Committee recommendations and new recommendations as they arise. Involving as many interests as possible is important to ensure that many people have a stake in the outcome. The strategies embraced throughout the VRCP and adopted by the Steering Committee and subcommittees are designed for the overall improvement of the natural, cultural, scenic, economic, and recreational resources of the Verde River. The plan sets in motion the potential for guided renewal and growth that will enhance the character of the region, and seeks to establish the corridor as a multiple-value amenity that serves the community and the environment.
Like most Arizona rivers, the Verde continues to feel the pressures of growth. As this project illustrates, the Verde River possesses unique natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational attributes. The recommendations contained in this corridor plan offer ways in which the important values of the river can be protected. However, the plan also offers ideas on how to continue residential growth in the corridor, but limit its impacts on the river.
In implementing the VRCP Action Plan it will be imperative to work openly and cooperatively with landowners and local officials. It is important to be aware that residential property owners in the corridor were drawn to the river by its beauty and tranquility. An emphasis throughout the corridor planning process has been landowner rights.
The VRCP is a citizen-based planning effort. The process has been ongoing for the past year and a half. It has involved literally hundreds of Verde Valley residents, landowners, businessmen, farmers, river users, recreationists, organizations, special interest groups, and agency representatives. It is a plan offered to the community by a variety of river- related interests. The goal of the Steering Committee is to have the corridor plan provide guidance concerning the future use and management of the Verde River Corridor. To be successful, the Action Plan will require the continued efforts of the Verde Valley communities and their citizens.
Immediate Recommendations
Establishment of a Verde River Corridor "Coordinating Group"
The Steering Committee recommends that a permanent Verde River Corridor "coordinating group" be formed, to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan and development of a coordinated river corridor management strategy. It has been suggested that an existing group, such as the Verde NRCD, be looked to in the beginning to keep momentum going at least until a broader constituency and/or coalition is in place. As an initial action, the existing group could work with local groups and businesses to distribute the VRCP materials to the citizens of the Verde Valley.
The Verde River flows through several communities, commercial and private land, Yavapai-Apache Indian Reservation, and is within the jurisdiction of several county, state, and federal agencies. Because of this complex land ownership and management pattern, the VRCP participants identified the need for greater coordination and cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies.
Consistency in management policies between the different levels of government was one of the primary concerns expressed by people throughout the VRCP. Participants also indicated support for stronger coordination among the town governments along the river, and expressed interest in the creation of an advisory committee or coalition composed of state and local officials, landowners, and other key members of riverfront communities to act as a forum for future cooperative efforts.
Piecemeal efforts to plan for segments of the river cannot address the issues that may affect the entire river, and a cooperative corridor management process is necessary. VRCP participants indicated their support for coordination of efforts by government agencies, private conservation groups, and landowners in the conservation of the Verde River Corridor. This coordination could help to ensure consistency in river management and use policies.
Although there is a strong interest in working with other levels of government and private organizations on conserving the resources of the Verde, there is even stronger support for maintaining local control in the future planning, management, and use of the river corridor. Any future conservation efforts will have to be based on the powers, rights, and capabilities of local governments and landowners.
The Steering Committee felt that future ongoing planning and management of the river corridor should use existing local and state programs and existing government agencies, rather than create new ones that might duplicate or be inconsistent with them. Although the ongoing planning and management of the Verde should remain in local hands, assistance from state and federal agencies and private conservation groups would be helpful. There was a realization that the future conservation of the Verde is a shared responsibility between all levels of government and the private sector.
Membership for the "coordinating group" should be broad-based and include representatives from each of the three incorporated towns and cities along the Verde, and key county, state, and federal agencies. Representatives from the major industries and interests such as agriculture, water users, and sand and gravel should be part of the group. Members of local home owners associations, unincorporated communities, conservation organizations, and recreation groups should also be represented on the group. To maintain continuity, it is suggested that a number of members from the existing Verde River Corridor Project be asked to serve on the group.
State and federal agencies should assist the coordinating group through existing financial and technical assistance programs, and should consult the coordinating group on proposed actions that could affect town governments or private landowners along the Verde River. A Verde Valley central clearinghouse or library of information about the Verde River Corridor was an original goal of the VRCP, and considerable materials, reports, and maps have been collected during the VRCP planning process. A decision needs to be made regarding where to house this information so that it can be made available to interested people and that new material can be accumulated.
There are two major reasons to continue the work of the VRCP by forming a permanent Verde River Corridor coordinating group. The first reason is to provide a focus for efforts by local governments, landowners, and private organizations to maintain and improve the river corridor. All of the recommendations in this plan would benefit from the strong local participation and leadership that the coordinating group could provide.
This cooperative approach also should improve the chances of the Verde Valley communities receiving assistance from state and federal agencies to implement both the actions in this plan and future river programs.
The second reason for creating a Verde River Corridor coordinating group would be to have a stronger voice in discussions on actions proposed by the county, state, or federal governments which have a direct bearing on river communities. Much of the distrust that local officials and landowners feel towards governmental agencies is often the result of the sense that local interests are not adequately considered in governmental actions.
The impact that local opinion and concern has on higher levels of government will be greatly increased if there is a unified, consistent position presented by local communities through a Verde River Corridor coordinating group. The coordinating group should seek the support and cooperation of state and federal agencies in its activities along the river. Agencies should make a similar effort to involve the coordinating group in discussions on actions proposed for the Verde area.
Development of a Coordinated River Corridor Management Plan
It is recommended that the local governments along the Verde River Corridor, in consultation with the Verde River Corridor Project Steering Committee and other groups, seek assistance through existing programs to develop a coordinated management plan for the river corridor. The purpose of the plan would be to establish a regional cooperative partnership between all levels of government and private groups and individuals to develop explicit and integrated policies for the future use and management of the Verde River Corridor.
Conservation for the entire Verde River Corridor will require the coordination of all of the public and private interests along the river, and the river corridor management plan can be the vehicle for bringing those government agencies, private organizations, and local landowners together to work cooperatively on detailed strategies for the conservation of the corridor. The protection and enhancement of the Verde will depend on taking full advantage of available expertise, influence, and resources.
The resource characteristics and social and political climate of the Verde Valley require a new approach for the conservation of regional, state, and nationally significant values. The traditional approach to river corridor conservation, in which government acquisition and management of land are the primary techniques, is neither politically feasible nor financially practical. Wholesale acquisition would needlessly reduce the amount of land in private ownership and on local property tax roles.
Arizona State Parks is pursuing a combination of acquisition, donation, easements, and cooperative agreements to protect and manage a six-mile segment of the river, designated as the Verde River Greenway. The Arizona Game & Fish Department has successfully negotiated a cooperative agreement with Phelps Dodge Corporation to restore and manage the wetlands in the Tavasci Marsh and Packard Ranch areas while keeping the properties in private ownership. The Prescott National Forest has developed protection and management plans to maintain and improve the scattered parcels of river corridor land it administers. There are also several miles of river corridor land owned by Yavapai County, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, and the Yavapai-Apache Indian Tribe. There still remains nearly 45 to 50 miles of river corridor lands primarily in private ownership.
The management plan for the Verde River Corridor should therefore rely primarily on initiatives and controls available to local governments and private landowners. As such, it is essential that the plan respond directly to local needs and concerns. The river corridor management plan should be tailored to local conditions. The communities and other management entities should work together through an advisory committee or other coalition. Because of the limited resources available to the towns, local officials must actively and aggressively seek financial assistance through existing state and federal programs (see Conservation Strategies section and Appendix).
There are three goals for the development of a coordinated river corridor management plan: 1) incorporate regional concerns, 2) collectively develop consistent policies to guide local decisions, and 3) establish regional priorities for implementation of plan. The following are strategies to consider when pursuing a management framework:
- Develop a pre-planning strategy
- Establish an advisory committee, coalition, or other group
- Develop sources for river management plan funding
- Develop regional objectives
- Conduct a river corridor inventory and assessment
(or compile existing information)
- Conduct a landowner and local official survey
- Evaluate existing river management programs
- Develop the river corridor management plan
- Prepare a financial strategy
Resolution of General Support
The Steering Committee recommends that the town councils of Clarkdale, Cottonwood, and Camp Verde, and the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors pass resolutions pledging their support for the general intent and concepts recommended through the Verde River Corridor Project.
It is not suggested that the town councils approve every recommendation made by the Steering Committee, rather that they endorse the general intent and major concepts outlined in the Action Plan. They should also agree to participate in future activities that pertain to the Verde River Corridor. In addition, each town should appoint a representative from the town council to the coordinating group.
Several members of the VRCP felt that governmental sponsorship and support would be important for the coordinating group to be successful. Funding to help implement this action program should be sought through state and federal grants and cooperative agreements whenever possible. Many agencies have already pledged their support and assistance in implementing specific actions recommended by the Steering Committee.
The following tables represent summaries of the over 140 recommendations developed by the five subcommittees and approved by the Steering Committee. The format highlights the priority issues identified by each subcommittee. Goals and actions for each issue outline committee startegies. The "who, how, and when" columns are beginning points to guide implementation. The groups and methods listed are not necessarily the only groups or methods that need to be considered, but they do provide some ideas.
The last four tables highlight some of the ongoing efforts of other agencies and groups and the accomplishments already achieved by the VRCP. These projects are included to demonstrate how much is already being accomplished by individuals and groups. Although the entire Action Plan may seem overwhelming and impossible to implement in its entirety, when tackled a little bit at a time, it is feasible.