Conservationists say that too many roads in the forest can damage the ecosystem and have consequences for wildlife.
The Sky Island Alliance says it is looking for volunteers to help the Forest Service decommission some of its roads in southern Arizona.
Coronado National Forest decided in 2019 that it wanted to cut down on the number of roads in the region’s oak woodland forest, which is known for its biodiversity.
It has about 160 of them on a decommissioning list but has been unable to move forward with the project.
The Sky Island Alliance, a Tucson-based nonprofit, will recruit volunteers this fall to survey the area and identify which ones the agency should prioritize.
"These are roads that basically don’t lead to anywhere. They’re redundant roads, and they’re having some chronic problems with erosion," said Emily Burns of the Sky Island Alliance.
The work will be funded though the National Forest Foundation and the Forest Service.
To learn more, go to skyislandalliance.org.
