Contractors are beginning resurfacing work tomorrow on Schultz Pass Road (Forest Service Rd 420). Through Friday, travelers should expect delays of up to 30 minutes, and starting October 28, the southwestern stretch of the road will be closed to all entry Mondays through Fridays. Work is anticipated to last approximately two months.
The closure area will start about ¾ mile from Hwy 180 (where the pavement ends), and will extend to the Schultz Tank Trailhead. The “Y” Trailhead at the confluence of Schultz Pass Rd and Elden Lookout Rd will remain open. Schultz Pass Rd and the Schultz Trailhead will still be accessible from the north via Hwy 89 and Elden Springs Rd (FSR 556). High clearance vehicles are required on Elden Springs Rd and the northern portion of Schultz Pass Rd.
Resurfacing will improve Schultz Pass Rd so it is capable of sustaining logging traffic for the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project. This effort will also result in better driving conditions for the public. Logging activity could begin as early as spring; the nearby Orion Timber Sale is expected to be offered for bid this winter.
Visitors in the area may have already noticed the orange paint on trees within the Orion Timber Sale, located near FSR420 and the Arizona Trail. These are designated “leave trees”– trees that will not be cut.
The partners of the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project will be continuing to move forward with planning and implementing treatments to reduce the risk of severe fire and flooding in the Rio De Flag and Lake Mary watersheds. Some projects that fall within the FWPP geographical boundary, like the Orion Timber Sale, were approved under previous environmental analyses and are ready for implementation. The majority of the project area, however, is currently being analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Visit www.flagstaffwatershedprotection.org for additional information.
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