Working to secure Woodland Lake Park, community help is needed

By: Norris Dodd, Town Councilor and Chair of the Woodland Lake Park Task Force

Since incorporation in 1984, the Town has been working to secure the 583-acre Woodland Lake Park (WLP) parcel, the very heart and soul of our community. Previous decades of effort focused on trying to acquire the parcel as a “gift.” And though the U.S. Forest Service would indeed like to rid itself of the parcel, now an unmanageable island surround by private land, the laws and regulations that guide the agency simply won’t allow them to “give it away.” Many residents aren’t aware that the Town doesn’t own WLP, and even more are unaware of its precarious status. Twice in as many years the Federal government has put WLP on a list of Forest Service parcels to be sold to generate funds for rural schools, underscoring its risk of falling into private ownership. On the positive side, a 1998 Federal law passed at the request of the Town that stipulates that only the Town may purchase the parcel without further action by Congress provides some security. It also provides breathing room under which to develop a comprehensive set of strategies to secure WLP. This is now one of the Town’s highest priorities, and a diverse group of citizens and Town staff are working feverishly to craft and implement strategies to secure WLP.

The WLP task force was mobilized by the Town in June. It is guided by the Woodland Lake Park Tract Master Plan submitted to the Town last May by the University of Arizona. The task force’s mission embodies key principles that further guide its activities. First, as stressed in the master plan, all avenues to secure WLP are being pursued concurrently, including both non-development and development options. Though keeping the park in its undeveloped state is the desire, this is recognized as a difficult task. As such, the task force is being pragmatic and is committed to making tangible progress over the next few years under a sustained, focused campaign. Should efforts to secure the entire park under non-development options fall short, limited development might occur in the context of helping pay to acquire portions of WLP. Another guiding principle is the task force’s pursuit of partnerships to yield diverse solutions, including the White Mountains Land Trust (WMLT), Blue Ridge Unified School District (BRUSD), The Nature Conservancy and others, and with involvement by Congressman Renzi’s office and the Forest Service. WLP is recognized as a regional resource whose use, enjoyment, and economic impact go far beyond our Town’s boundaries. The Town must be prepared to maintain acquired portions of the park for the benefit and safety of the public, itself a costly proposition. A very important guiding principle is the task force’s commitment to openness and transparency in pursuit of all options, even where they may be controversial, recognizing the intense citizen interest in this issue. All agendas, notes and other materials are posted on the Town’s webpage (www.ci.pinetop-lakeside.az.us). Citizen participation is welcomed at task force meetings held on the third Thursday of each month, at 9:00 AM in the Town offices.

Not only has the task force been busy organizing its multifaceted subcommittee approach to secure the park, tangible progress has already been. Previously, there was no mechanism for the public to support the acquisition of WLP through donations. The Town and WMLT have partnered to form the Save Our Park! fundraising campaign, with all the necessary legal and financial measures in place to ensure that the funds are held in a secure account and are used only as intended. Now it’s time for the community to step up and support this campaign to secure WLP.

The 40-acre Big Springs Environmental Study Area has been managed under permit by the BRUSD for over 20 years. The task force believes that it should be eligible to be acquired as a school facility for $10/acre under the Education Land Grant Act (ELGA), especially with a new nature center planned by the White Mountain Wildlife and Nature Center on adjacent Town property. However, the very 1998 law intended to protect WLP by limiting its purchase only to the Town precludes BRUSD from acquiring Big Springs under ELGA. We’re actively working with our Congressional delegation to address this and ensure that Big Springs continues to offer outstanding environmental educational opportunities.

One option the task force believes holds promise in acquiring WLP is creation of a park acquisition and maintenance district, embodying the principle that WLP is a regional resource. Instead of the limited population and assessed valuation solely within our Town limits, a larger district overlaid on the BRUSD boundaries would yield nearly 7-fold more assessed valuation, thus reducing the impact to individual homeowners and generating more funds. A modest assessment could generate substantial funds to both acquire and maintain WLP. This option would require action by the Legislature, much public involvement to assess its “willingness to pay to play,” and must be passed by voters. The task force is working with 6 counties interested in pursuing such an approach over the next 2 years.

Much attention has been given in the past to having the Forest Service designate the parcel as a national monument of recreation area. The Town will soon file an application to have all or part of the area conferred with special recreation status, focusing on its high recreational, stream and wetland values as well as highlighting healthy forest management.

Lastly, the task force has evaluated potential development for portions of WLP. These options provide a fallback approach should the Save Our Park! and other non-development options fall short in securing the park given its $30-50 million price tag. Several developers have been consulted to refine options in the master plan, as they’re the best ones to give us needed input. The task force learned that the “conventional” development approach is a viable one where the improved park facilities, Big Springs, and the Walnut Creek core area could be “gifted” to the Town as part of retail, resort and residential development of the remaining acreage. Conversely, the “non-conventional” development option, with more intensive retail and commercial development on a smaller area may not be as viable in helping secure other WLP acreage due to high cost and risk, though more evaluation is needed. It’s important to stress that the task force and Town have made no decisions or commitments in this regard.

The Town has embarked in an unprecedented and committed effort to pursue a range of options to secure WLP. For the first time, citizens have a mechanism in which to make donations to the acquisition of the park, and more importantly to help control its destiny. Now, more than ever it’s time to get involved and make a difference!