The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the purchase of land in southeast Arizona, which is good news for outdoor recreationists.
The property sits near thousands of acres of public lands that have been difficult to access over the years because of locked gates.
The BLM has partnered with a number of groups and will use Land and Water Conservation Funds to make the purchase the private land, which will open up parts of Aravaipa Canyon and the Santa Teresa Wilderness.
"It would open up about 30,000 acres of currently inaccessible BLM lands and about 9,000 acres of public and state managed lands, most notably a big chunk of the Coronado National Forest," said Scott Cooke, a spokesman with the BLM.
Visitors will still need a permit to enter Aravaipa Canyon.
Comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Aravaipa Canyon Access EA”. To comment by mail, write the BLM Safford Field Office, Attention: Scott Cooke, 711 S. 14th Ave., Safford, AZ 85546.
